A Different Treasure

[Saeros]

Theme​

It was all so surreal. After everything that happened during the Trial...and the aftermath. Now, it was imperative that the Jedi find Councillor Tanda Winters. How could she have left them all? Why was she absent from the Battle of Ilum? Would she even return to the Order once they found her? These questions were some of many that Saeros pondered as he and Nora Grazioso traveled to Nar Shaddaa. The last piece of information they'd gathered was that someone who fit Winter's description had left a band of pirates scared. They had little else to go off of at the moment, so here the two were. Saeros couldn't say that the two had spoken much in their journey from Ossus — both their minds were still back in the chamber where they had both witnessed Councillor Ryell Vao murdered with their very eyes.

Even now, Saeros wondered what proper action they should have taken. He firmly believed that Master Vao was firm in his decision, perhaps a little too firm. The trial must have been just for formalities, as his mind seemed to have been made before the proceedings even began. It was clear to the Rishii that such a horrific punishment, being severed from the Force, was what drove Alais to completely give in to her passions and overwhelming emotions. Saeros had agreed with Wyck's sentiment, in that her guilt was clear but that they should be trying to return her to the Light. The Order shouldn't have rejected one of their own so quickly, not without even trying to turn them back on the right path. Only if Alais would not reject the darkness, and only then would Saeros consider judgement. However, the taint was unmistakable and irreversible once having taken deep enough root. If redemption was not possible, then to the Rishii there were only two options. Death, or much worse, having the Force cut off to prevent them from being a threat to innocents.

Saeros clipped his beak a few times as their shuttle slowed its descent to the landing platform. Two guards stood outside, patiently awaiting the visitors. Posing as bounty hunters, Nora and Saeros had contacted them earlier to learn more about this Force Sensitive who'd terrorized the band some time before. The Rishii had added an extra utility belt and crossing X-bullet straps over top of his racial robes he usually wore. To the Shadow, he hoped it would allow him to blend in more and look more the part. Bounty hunters came from all sorts of backgrounds, so even looking relatively outlandish should be fine. Deep in the folds of his robes hung his lightsabers, securely fastened and further hidden by his plume of white feathers. Saeros would not draw them unless in dire need.

The ship jolted as it touched to the ground, steam hissing out as the ramp unsealed and slowly lowered to the ground. "Aa' lye garo quel marth." <May we have good luck.> the Rishii stated stoically.

@GABA Ren​

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Shortly after boarding the shuttle, Nora struggled with staying awake. The hum of the engines as they shot off into hyperspace was hypnotizing, her eyes watching the stars swirl by as they made their way back to Nar Shaddaa. She had felt uneasy about returning to the crime ridden world, not because she had to leave all of what had occurred on Ossus behind, but because all the loss she would have to face once more on the world. Three Jedi were gone from the mission, one had disappeared, Jon had perished at the hands of a bounty hunter, and then there was Master Vox, he was now gone too. She had thought about the worst that could come from it, having to stand alone to bring back the Shadow Councilor, to fight the dangers that haunted the Zeltron and then ultimately failing by losing her and her own self to the darkness that seemed to so easily consume the Jedi lately.

It took Nora a day or so to really contemplate why she was doing this task. She wondered if it was she carried a chip on her shoulder when she first started, doubting her own abilities, certainly looking for a way to prove herself that she wasn't as incompetent as others believed her to be. Nora knew for sure she didn't trust herself, and because she didn't trust in herself, lead her not to trust what others believed of her, and in this cycle came the doubting and her own internal struggle to find her place. You are where exactly you need to be... her Master's words rung in her head as so many times before. It was always a difficult mantra to swallow, her thoughts taking her to the horizon and never staying put in the present. Though once she had accepted it, things seemed to fall into place, at least until she begun to think too deeply in the what ifs of everything that was occurring. Though this entire mission seemed like a goose-chase and at times a suicide mission, she understood the importance it meant to the Order, a unified council to set better guidance for the Order.

Nora didn't even realize she had fallen asleep on the ship, but she couldn't be too upset with it, it probably was the best sleep she has had in weeks. Between the searches on Nar Shaddaa and the events that had occurred on Ossus, she had much on her mind, but knew she couldn't stop, she needed to press forward, as the Jedi have may stopped to mourn and console one another, the rest of the galaxy carried on and it was where she believed the Jedi needed to be. She had awaken when the shuttle landed, her new partner, who she spent a better part of her time trying not to stare, was still with her. She had called for help while on Ossus, and he answered, or at least she thought she did, as she couldn't understand a word he spoke, but seeing him still present brought a vigor to the Knight.

She was also relieved he dressed not like a Jedi, but he still stood out, as he reminded her of some sort of birdperson, and for a moment her thoughts drifted humorously as she thought about Saeros being some guy in a bird costume. Wouldn't that be the surprise of the century.... the girl internally chuckled as she followed down the ramp into the docking station met by two guards who checked their IDs before letting them carry on their way. The bird clicked his beak, speaking a language she never heard in her entire life, but her gut told her it definitely was not an insult as she looked for any physical display of displeasure or annoyance.

Exiting the dock onto a pedestrian overpass, Nora looked over the cityscape, the sun had set on the horizon, but its orange and purple rays still filled the sky. Her eyes fell on the speeders that quickly passed below them, looking between clearings at the undercity below. Pulling out a datapad, she uploaded a map of the area, showing their current location. "So, the nightlife is when we're going to find any of these guys," she said quietly glancing at her chrono to note the time, "We made good time arriving, we can probably start scouting out the places before they get too crowded. Supposedly these guys like Zeltron girls in general." she informed Saeros, "Could be how our gal got in with them." Nora pressed a few buttons, pulling up some Zeltron stripping bars. She was not excited to walk into a place that would be full of pheromones and then add the spice and alcohol, it would be a good mixture for trouble. After going through all the places with the specific species in their line up, Nora put away her datapad, "So then, lets not waste any more time." she said turning away from the railing of the overpass as they begun their journey to the undercity.

 

[The Wook]

The arms dealer tapped his fingers rapidly on the wooden railing as The Wook inspected a rather plain looking blaster pistol. The fingers beat so hard against the wood, The Wook almost expected them to start carving a hole. A myriad of tattoos ran up the guy's arm and to his face. A series of eye-bending patters near the elbow attempted to conceal needle tracks. "Yo man, like, that's the pistol you're lookin' for. Trust me," he said, placing a dirty hand over his heart. Black crud was visible under his fingernails. "If you want a pulse-wave pistol, the Thunderslug is the only option to consider." A piecing in the guy's lip clicked lightly against a tooth with every word. "Try it out," he offered, gesturing down the ad-hoc firing range he'd set up in a walled-off back alley.

The Wook shrugged and took aim at a mannequin covered in a slapped-together plate of plasteel. A poor stand-in for armor, but it would do. He fired. The retort was loud and the recoil more than a regular blaster, though with The Wook's strength and size, it wasn't unmanageable. The ruby-red bolt slammed into the mannequin, sending the plasteel plate spinning off its anchor. The mannequin fell with a smoking crater in the stained and patched body. The arms dealer laughed, dreadlocks swinging back and forth along his back. "Haw haw, yeah see? I told you, man."

The sooner The Wook was away from this man, the better. For the both of them. He couldn't stand people like these, where their entire existence revolved around getting another hit of the spice. All their money went to it, the drug controlled their lives, dictated their purpose...It was a profitable commodity to control. The people that were slaves to the commodity though...he disliked them. "Aarrragghuuhw wrrhwrwwhw?"

The dealer grinned widely, twin rows of nasty teeth sat in thin gums. The Wook was tempted to shoot this guy right here. "Fifteen-hundo my man. Nothing less for this fine piece."

The Wook was really tempted to shoot him. "Uughghhhgh."

"750? Man what did I say? Hell no, this ain't your momma's swap meet." His lower lip turned out in a pout.

The Wook reached into a pouch and pulled out a bag filled with spice and placed it on the table. "Uughghhhgh."

The dealer licked his lips, and the fingers started to drum faster. "Alright...fine," he said snatching up the baggie. They concluded their business and The Wook walked out the door in a faster fashion than he had entered, pistol strapped to his hip. His speeder was parked in true Wook fashion, across not two, but four parking spaces, the center of the speeder over the corner where all four spaces met. A pair of youths were in the process of trying to pop the lock with a strip of metal. He growled loudly and drew the pulse-wave pistol and pointed it at them. The color rapidly drained from their faces and they fled, no doubt faster than they had ever ran in their lives. The Wook grinned and let himself into his speeder. A crate of liquor sat in the passenger seat, his ticket to information from a bunch of pirates. Rumors were fast and many, but this one...as bizarre as it sounded, a jedi here of all places, well, something felt...accurate about it. There were people that were scared of this Jedi. People weren't scared of rumors, not here. Not truly scared. He threw the gear forward and peeled out of the parking spot, he had an underground casino to visit.

 

[Saeros]

It did not escape Saeros' notice that Nora eyed him when he spoke. Of course she wouldn't understand him, but he appreciated her at least attempting to discern his intent by his body language and inflection. His eyes twinkled in amusement. It must be like trying to communicate with, well, a Wookiee. Looking out across the horizon, it looked orange and brown from the gross atmosphere thick with pollution from the ecumenopolis. Definitely an unpleasant place to fly, which was very disappointing for the Rishii. While walking wasn't an issue for his species, they all shared a love of the sky and the feel of the air through their feathers. Clipping a Rishii's wings would be akin to severing the Force or cutting off someone's legs. It would just...suck.

He swayed in her direction, peering over at the datapad showing the map of the area. Saeros disliked planet-cities like here and Coruscant primarily because it was hard to track someone down and easy to get lost. Not always having a GPS around would be immensely detrimental in situations like this. His head bobbed and he replied, "Amin weera." <I agree.> Saeros chuckled to himself, further commenting, "Amin nowa ron iest he crom sen erui." <I think they wish she left them alone> From what he'd heard, she had slain many and terrorized the rest of the pirate band. If, of course, this was Councillor Winters they were hearing about.

Saeros tilted his round head sideways nearly 90 degrees, peering at the holographic images of zeltron stripping bars. Being a creature of nature, he did not like being in crowded places for long. That, and he'd also never been to a stripping bar...not that he'd actually find anything other than another Rishii attractive to begin with. Even still, they had a job to do and a Councillor to find. Hopefully this lead was solid and they would find themselves some members of this pirate band at the strip club. Nodding and clipping his beak again a couple times, the two began their journey to the club. Thankfully there was an easily accessible elevator nearby the landing pad, which would take them to several levels beneath the city where these shifty places were located.

While on the elevator, with the billions of lights shining periodically on the duo as they descended, Saeros got a nagging itch at the back of his shoulder. This happened every so often, but it was still annoying for the Rishii. Instead of clawing at it, he simply spun his head almost 180 degrees around and bit at the offending patch of feathers. Shaking his head, a few of the white feathers drifted lightly to the floor and he resumed his stoic position. Looking out across the levels and levels as they descended ever further, Saeros wondered why anyone would want to build underground, so far from the sun. "Amin n'rangwa edanea," <I don't understand these humans,> he quipped. "Tulien haeron nuin amar." <Coming far under the earth.>

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Nora stood silently against the back of the lift, letting her body rest for a moment as they descended into the under city. The lights periodically shined through the window slits, lighting and dimming the elevator in a repetitive pattern. Nora's eyes kept glancing to Saeros, questions curiously popped into mind such as If he flew...did he instinctively look to land on shoulders or How far does his head turn...

The Knight's second question was quickly answered as the owl turned his head all the way around to preen at his feathers, finding whatever was bothering him before fluffing. She felt her jaw fall agape, knowing he would see her face as he turned his head back around; and knowing this too, Nora turned her jaw drop into a smile and her cheeks turned bright red. Looking at her feet, she saw some of his feathers and frowned, hoping they didn't need to do any sneaking, last thing they needed was a bread...or in this case, feather...trail to where they were. I wonder if he molts... she thought and her eyes narrowed, What would be the bird equivalent of a bad hair day...

Clearly these questions seemed very important to the Knight, taking her thoughts off the mission for a moment.

Nora picked at her finger nails and the birdperson spoke again; even though she still couldn't understand, she listened carefully. Amin... she's heard that word a few times now. She gave Saeros a shrug, "I couldn't tell you..." she replied oblivious to what he was saying, it felt like the right thing to say though.

The lift chimed alerting the Jedi they were approaching their destined level. Nora inhaled deeply, letting out a long slow breath, her hand slowly brushing over the handle of her blaster, making sure it was still there and ready for anything that might cause some barriers. She looked at Saeros and gave him a small nod, looking for reassurance that he was ready also. The door on the lift opened and Nora stepped out into the empty hall and went for the exit and out into the streets.

It was peek hours for the night crowd.

Nora recognized the familiar pulse of the area, it was hard not to, greed and unease with every step threatened to weed out those who were not prepared for such lifestyles. Luckily for the Bird and Nora, they only had to travel a couple blocks before reaching the specific sector known for its exotic females and dives where you go to absolutely lose yourself in booze and spice, and all your credits if you were unlucky.

Directing their path, the Knight picked a place from their list with a few holo girls dancing out front, pointing at beings as they passed by the sensor to give it a more personalized taste. However, to Nora, Nar Shaddaa had no taste, no class, it was a cute attempt though. A holo-twi'lek pointed at Nora and Saeros as they passed by the sensor to the entrance, "Prepare yourself..." she said softly, implying by anything and everything.

Immediately as the door opened, they would be hit with a wall of cigarra smoke, spice, and unfamiliar scent that Nora could only suspect it was the pheromones from the Zeltron girls. Nora pulled the Force to her senses, reaching out as she knew her physical senses could be easily deceived in a place as such. Lights were purposely dimmed, but the amount of smoke in the club would have filtered any illuminators that were on. Walking up to the bar, Nora ordered a drink and tapped her fingers to the beat of the slow jazz that played in the background. Stages lined the walls on several tiered levels, stairs connecting to each, zigging back and forth. Nora looked up seeing the open center of the building the ceiling lined with criss-crossing holo displays of swirling stars, which could leave someone hypnotized if not careful by the awing display.

"Beautiful..." Nora admitted, her eyes sweeping back down to the bar as the glass was set down. She dropped some credits on the counter and gestured for them to find somewhere to observe.

 

[The Wook]

The Wook frowned as he pulled into the sketchy lot. It was packed with no room to double park. Well that was disappointing. He saw a familiar speeder in the lot, the one with three blaster marks on the rear end, and that put a smile on his face. The pirates were here. He slid into a parking space against a wall and grabbed the case of liquor from the passenger seat. Empty food wrappers fell from the top of the box where he’d tossed them on the way here. Premium kath sausage topped with mustard and relish. They’d been delicious.

He let loose a sausagey burp, slammed the door, and made his way to the entrance, liquor cradled under one large arm. He tossed a handful of credits to the lot guard, just for extra assurance that nobody would mess with his speeder. The casino was in the undercity, through a strip bar and spice den. To be far, nearly every establishment on the moon could be considered a spice den. Like the trade or not, The Wook had to consider getting a cut of that action. The profit margins just couldn’t be ignored. He did have a sizeable amount of assets thanks to the Exile he’d clocked over the head, perhaps he could partner with Tage…no doubt that guy was looking to invest in things other than hoo-hah and booze.

The elevator to the undercity took a while to reach the surface, apparently someone had just taken it down. That was annoying. He stood there, staring at the door like a moron while the elevator traveled up. It was impossible to look cool while waiting for an elevator. Nobody could pull it off. After what felt like an eternity, a bell dinged, and the doors slid open. A faint scent of spice and stale air lingered in the elevator, carried up from the floors below. He wrinkled his nose briefly. He spied another person running for the elevator, they were probably a dozen meters away. The Wook rapidly jammed his finger into the “door close” button several times. He didn’t want to share an elevator with some weirdo. The door closed over the persons protests, and The Wook grinned. Sucker.

He happened to glance down at the floor as the elevator descended into the city’s depths, and spied a tuft of white feathers. That was odd. The Wook knelt and picked the feathers up. He twirled them around in his fingers, the downy fluff jerked as it spun around the uneven axis of the stem, or whatever it was called. He brought them close to his nose and sniffed. He’d never encountered their scent before. And, oddly, they smelled…clean. Well, cleaner than most beings on Nar Shaddaa. How interesting. Were they from a pet, a creature to be slaughtered for food, or some weird feathered alien?

He couldn’t tell. The elevator lurched to a halt and the doors slid open. The club he wanted was a few blocks down, and he made haste to reach it. The Wook did not enjoy the undercity. While the surface air wasn’t by any means fresh, it sure as hell beat the air down here. Air filters worked overtime and well past their intended lifespan to attempt to freshen and circulate the stale atmosphere, but they fought a losing battle. The club’s interior was no better. He ignored the stupid holographic twi’lek by the entrance.

Once inside The Wook stood to one side of the entrance and looked around. The air was thick with smoke and dim on the lighting. Girls in various skimpy outfits walked around, either serving drinks or chatting flirtatiously with johns. He ignored those, too. Places just didn’t invest in wookiee hookers. It was disappointing. He snagged a passing protocol droid and growled. “hnnnhrrhhh huuguughghg uughghhhgh aguhwwgggghhh uggguh,” he said, knowing that this was probably one of the few beings here who could communicate with him effectively. The droid looked startled, but protocol droids tended to look like they were in a permanent state of shock. He wanted to punch whoever made these things. The droid nodded stiffly and promised to bring The Wook to the game. For a small fee. Unreal, he was getting shaken down by a droid. Of all the things…

 

[Saeros]

While on the lengthy elevator, Saeros could practically taste the inquisitiveness emanating from his Shadow companion. Despite there being another Rishii among the Jedi — Eldfrit, a Consular — it was evident that Nora had never seen a Rishii up close before today. This became even more clear as Saeros swiveled his head back around from preening himself, her slack-jawed face betraying her utter surprise at the avian's physiology. While amused, the Knight chose to not pressure his blushing companion. After commenting on the underground architecture, Saeros was surprised to hear Nora reply with a sensible answer to his puzzlement. Having arrived at their destination far beneath the surface platform, both Jedi nodded to each other in preparation. Tightening the belts around him and double-checking his holstered blaster and extra clip, Saeros stepped out after his companion. Seeing the exit into the streets, the Rishii caught a whiff of the stench of a place that never saw the light of day. He mentally recoiled, steeling his mind as he stepped out into the street.

It would seem that the time of day down here was only dictated by clocks, as the lights from buildings and signs filled the overcrowded streets regardless of whether it was night or day. Walking briskly next to Nora, he did his best to appear menacing to keep the scummy passerby away. This was rather amusing, seeing as Saeros was tall for a Rishii but still an inch shorter than his companion. One scraggly, pathetic-looking man wandered too close, hands reaching to grab and pickpocket whatever he could. Saeros turned and snapped his beak, causing the man to jerk his hand back and scurry off to rob someone else. Arriving at their destination, a Zeltron girl danced seductively and pointed at Saeros seductively. Once again, he tilted his head sideways, seeing as how this could possibly be attractive. "Amin n'rangwa edanea," <I don't understand these hunans,> he repeated from earlier, following Nora inside. There was likely little the Rishii could do to prepare himself, as everything inside the club was foreign to the feathered being and also clearly not designed for them either. Rishii so rarely left their home planet, finding any place that catered to them was a miracle of itself.

A strange sensation assaulted Saeros' senses when the door opened. In an instant he was reminded of the alluring pheromones that the Zeltrons exuded. While clearly intended for far more...humanoid species than himself, it was immensely annoying for the Rishii. Staying close to Nora as she walked to the bar, a stray hand from a patron reached out and stroked Saeros' feathers. "Ooh, what soft feathers you have!" a scantily clad girl cooed, continuing to brush his wing. Turning his black, binocular eyes in her direction, he snapped loudly at her and jerked his wing away. Squeaking at his unfavourable response, the girl scampered off to go woo someone else. "Kela, tiran naa Woo'kiee egor raug aphadan," <Go away, look for a Wookiee or beast to follow,> Saeros quipped, sitting on a stool next to his companion at the bar.

As she ordered a drink, Saeros focused his binocular eyes upon Nora, studying her. Noting how she stared up at the club and took in her surroundings, the Rishii realized that she might be more susceptible to the Zeltron's pheromones than Saeros would be. Motioning to get something light from the bartender, he gripped the glass and discreetly waved a claw. Focusing himself on the Force, he called upon the Light to clear her head from any distractions or anything affecting her mind. A simple power to use, there wouldn't be any physical indication of it and only a small ripple through the Force.

 

[Nora Grazioso]

"Be nice..." Nora said just loud enough for Saeros to hear, she didn't need his bird attitude drawing enough attention to get them thrown out. She took a sip, and nodded in approval. The bar tender probably joked about lightweights like her, but she didn't need to have any alcohol mishaps, not tonight, not until she was able to get this mission done. She promised herself once she did find the Councilor, she would undoubtedly celebrate with a drink, or five.

The growling of a Wookiee brought a few eyes in the room to where he was standing, clearly getting some flack from a protocol droid. Nora also turned her head to look to see the grizzly looking beast, but continued with her bird companion. She inhaled deeply, almost coughing as she must have passed through an unseen cloud of spice. She felt a shift in the Force come from Saeros, the warmth of the Force touched her, relaxing her senses. Another reason to watch her drink consumption, too much spice and pheromones in the air, she would admit, she wasn't entirely certain that her relaxed state was all just her and not because of some help from the air inside.

Nora found a small clearing along the wall and set herself up in order to be able to see the entrance as well as three other exits in the club. Nora admitted to herself she had no clue what these pirates looked like, they were in face pirates, and unlike gangs, didn't always wear a uniform to tell everyone who their affiliation was placed. Her brow furrowed in thought as her eyes swept slowly, falling occasionally on a Zeltron girl, she looked at Saeros and took a sip of her drink, "Next time, if one of the pink ones come and touch your feathers, don't scare her away." she told the bird, though it may not be needed as her attention was drawn elsewhere.

Beside them were a couple lowlifes enjoy some personal attention from some girls, one of the girl's giggling was loud enough to get Nora to turn her head and she stopped giving the Knight a smile before whispering something in the man's ear. "I gotta get back to working, lovie..." she smiled standing up with the other girl, brushing her purple hair behind her shoulders as she shimmied away with her partner. One of the men asked her when she was getting done and both the girls laughed, never answering as they continued on their way. Nora watched them before looking back at the men at the table and then turned to slide into the booth with them.

They looked at her and then at one another, "Can we help you?" one of the men asked and the Jedi took a sip of her drink and gave a small grin, the Force ebbed as Nora reached out, feeling the scum before her, probing subtly.

"You like those girls?" she asked, her senses reached out again, the Force pulling towards Nora. The men didn't say anything, but then one of them spoke up.

"I definitely do, why?" he asked, his shoulder's relaxing as Nora toyed with his own senses. He was easy as Nora's sublte probe allowed her further into his mind than she had expected. The man looked at his friend and shrugged his shoulders, "We, do," he said pointing to his friend and then to himself and Nora pressed further, looking for him to trust in the Knight. "We're hoping boss gets some for us tonight, big Pazaak game going on in the pink room." he informed and his partner rolled his eyes, Nora reached into his mind also, drawing his trust to her and until shoulders and jaw relaxed.

"Pazaak sounds enjoyable, thanks guys..." Nora glanced at Birdperson, sliding out of the booth. Taking one more drink of her cocktail, Nora set it down on a tray of a passing girl and looked at Saeros, "Lets go check it out."

 

[The Wook]

The Wook tilted his head to the side in puzzlement. Was this droid for serious? Was it...shaking him down over a card game? Nobody shook The Wook down. He set the crate of liquor on an unoccupied table next to him, placed his hands on the droid's upper arms, and squeezed tightly. For anyone other than a droid, his grip would have been crushingly painful. The protocol droid started to protest, but The Wook cut him off with a growl as he gave a quick, warning tug on the arms. "Huuguughghg aaahnruh."

"Oh dear, you are going to pull my arms from their sockets, stop!" the droid replied. "Do you know how long it takes to wire them bac-"

The Wook roared angrily. "Huuguughghg raaaaaahhgh uughghhhgh aarrragghuuhw raaaaaahhgh uughghhhgh uggguh. raaaaaahhgh huuguughghg aaahnruh uugggh uughguughhhghghghhhgh aguhwwgggghhh huurh awwgggghhh" People stopped what they were doing, including conversation, and stared curiously. The low murmur of background chat ceased and all the could be heard was music, and a bottle cap that had just clattered against the bar and to the floor. The crowd may not have understood his words, but they definitely understood The Wook's tone, and wondered if the droid had finally stepped in it. A pair of ugnaughts chuckled with perverse delight at the droid's predicament. One of them actually rubbed his hands together in glee.

The protocol droid was speechless and looked to the crowd for assistance that was entirely nonexistent. It looked back to the wookiee. "It's in the pink room," the droid informed The Wook, eager to keep his arms.

"Aarrragghuuhw raaaaaahhgh, uughguughhhghghghhhgh." The Wook lifted the droid clear into the air and turned it upside down. The droid began its protests anew, but The Wook ignored whatever the dumb this was saying. He marched the droid over to a trash bin and shoved it in there head-first. The droid's legs waved in the air in an almost comic fashion. People laughed, and the two ugnaughts seemed beset by mirth. Conversation renewed, the incident quickly forgotten. Nobody got shot, so nobody needed to worry. That was life down here.

The Wook shouldered his way to the pink room after recovering his crate 'o booze from the table. You didn't really want to leave things unattended on Nar Shaddaa. It became quickly obvious as to how the pink room got its name. A raised stage ran along the walls, metal poles rose from stage floor to ceiling and zeltron girls in various stages of undress twisted sensually around the poles. Spotlights focused on the stage, while a dimmer hanging light illuminated pazaak tables. The music was different than in the main room, this beat was...slower, and more relaxed.

As The Wook approached the main table, one of the players looked up, annoyed. "Who the hell are you?" demanded a tough-looking pirate with a scar through his lower lip. It looked like he'd had a piercing that had been removed. Forcefully. The Wook looked at the stacks of credits on the table and upturned one of the pouches on his belt. Credits poured from the leather onto the felt in front of an empty seat. "Uh-uh," said the pirate as he lifted a finger, "that ain't enough, you weren't invited to this game," he said.

The Wook huffed and set the crate down in the middle of the table with an audible clink from the dozen bottles inside. The pirate looked at the crate and drew a knife. He rose from his seat and stood still for a moment as if he was torn between stabbing the wookiee or opening the crate. In the end he picked the crate and used the blade to lever open the lid. It came loose with a creak. The pirate removed a bottle half-way and looked at the label. "Huh. Alright. You got yourself an invitation, jackass. Sit."

The Wook complied and busied himself with tidying the stack of chips he had dumped out onto the table. The dealer rapidly shuffled a new deck of pazaak cards, they snapped together crisp and loud. When he was finished, he placed the deck in front of The Wook.

 

[Saeros]

Hearing the comical pleas of a protocal droid nearby, Saeros' head swiveled around to view a Wookiee fully prepared to rip off the arms of said droid. The furry carpet roared, angrily saying something in Shyriiwook. The Rishii's ears picked up tone and inflection, his mind processing the language to the point where he could have repeated the guttural speech syllable for syllable. Having heard the language comprised of roars and growls only a few times before, Saeros was unable to fully understand it but was able to pick up a few things. He specifically discerned "shiny piece", "garbage", and "game" — to which the droid directed the Wookiee into a pink room. Saeros was then interrupted by Nora's gentle reprove about snapping at the girls. He huffed in disappointment, but realized her point and knew he'd have to suck it up for the mission. The Rishii just really hated being the cuddly animal.

The two men, now deprived of their Zeltron girls, seemed especially weak-minded and pliable to Nora's manipulating use of the Force. Indeed, it seemed there was a game of Pazaak going on in a pink room near the back. Agreeing with his fellow Knight, Saeros slid off the barstool in time to see the protocol droid's head get stuck into a trash can. A strange hissing chuckle escaped the Rishii as he strode into the strange atmosphere of said pink room. If the rest of the club was thick with spice and pheromones, it was nothing compared to what they had just walked into. The Wookiee from earlier had seated himself at one of the tables; despite providing enough to "buy" his way in, Saeros surmised that he would have found a way to get an invitation without all the alcohol.

Having little to no skill at card games and especially not Pazaak, Saeros decided to stand aside and simply spectate. "Amin tirnauva," <I will watch,> he said quietly to Nora, having a suspicion that she knew how to play. Content with observing, Saeros studied each of the players. It was like as though the men hadn't even tried to hide their profession, though likely being pirates in the employment of the Hutts meant they were allowed plenty of freedom. Most of them were fitting of their trade — tough, scarred, and armed to the teeth with blasters and wicked-looking knives sheathed on their thighs. There was, however, one in particular that was the runt of the litter. A rather frail but equally tattooed and scarred man played along with his fellows. He was...exceptionally distracted by the Zeltrons dancing seductively around the poles. Perhaps he would be useful later for gathering information from.

Not a moment after the game had commenced than not one, but two Zeltron girls spotted the pure white bird standing relatively aloof along the wall. Sliding over, they giggled with mirth and cozied up right into Saeros' wing feathers. It took every single fiber of self-control the Rishii possessed not to throw the two of them headlong into the crowd, and he looked in Nora's direction with eyes that clearly said, "Help me". This was his own personal hell, and he resolved to never walk into a club like this ever, ever again.

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Nora and Saeros had followed behind the grizzly Wookiee that they saw from earlier. They had kept just far enough behind him to not draw any suspicion as the creature seemed volatile and unpredictable. Her eyes narrowed as she dipped into her thoughts making sure to note him on her back burner. He was late to the game as were the two Jedi. The room was distracting to the girl as she slowly entered seeing the game in the center and stages lined with poles and Zeltron women. Nora had seen enough in the last few years that she found it hard to be surprised by half naked women and the like. She wasn't sure about Saeros, and hopefully wouldn't be too offended by the primal natures of bipedal species, though felt safe to assume, for a Birdperson, he'd find nothing seductive about the displays.

He mentioned something in his birdspeak and headed to an empty spot to give him space to observe everyone in the room. Nora on the other hand approached the tables, seeing a pirate approve of the Wook's gift. Weaving between observers and participants, her mind begun to look for a way into the game; she had observed that credits alone wouldn't get her in and she didn't have anything else of value. Though as she slid between chairs, Nora felt someone land their hand on her butt and laugh. Instinctively, Nora whipped around and nailed the perp in the jaw; there was a loud crack his laughter stopped along with his buddies as he slumped over to the side and out of his chair. Some of the Zeltron girls dancing on stage paused and gasped.

Hands went to blasters, but Nora didn't flinch or back down, slowly lowering her fist and she quirked an eyebrow, taking a moment to wait for a response from the men, but when none came, she inhaled and spoke, "I'll take his invitation." Nora's head felt calm, but not on her own accord and suspected the girls to be emitting pheromones from keeping a shoot out from happening. Nora slid into the chair and dumped a generous amount of credits onto the table waiting to exchange for her chips.

The scarred lip pirate then let out a bellowing laugh and the room relaxed as his goons laughed also, "Larry would get his lights knocked out by a girl!" he cried out, slapping the table as he continued to humor himself.

Nora smirked, knowing she could probably take him out too, but she wanted to milk as much information from these guys as possible. A droid came by, taking her credits for the chips and waddled away from the table. Her eyes swept around, seeing who she was playing against and saw Saeros between two of the men. He looked miserable and it took the girl much will to suppress a smile at his misfortune. She couldn't blame the girls, he was so exotic looking even to her, she wouldn't mind wanting to cozy up also if she were one of the Zeltron dancers. Her focus returned to the table though as she waited for her cards to be passed out.

 

[The Wook]

The Wook hadn't even noticed what the pirate had done until Nora spun around and landed a swift punch to the jaw. He raised an eyebrow and side-eyed the scarred lip pirate as the table fell silent. He visibly relaxed as the pirate seemed to take it in stride. With all the grace and tact of hiring a mime to perform a next-of-kin notification, The Wook pointed and laughed at the unconscious pirate. He drew a few looks, but they were probably just uncertain of if he was laughing or saying something. He didn't really care. Pazaak was a universal language dealing in a universal desire: credits. The only misunderstanding was when someone cheated.

And speaking of cheating...The Wook handed the side-deck back to the dealer and pulled his own out of a pouch on his bandoleer and shuffled it. If he was going to lose, it wasn't going to be because of a rigged house side-deck. The dealer shrugged and placed the Main Deck on the table. The Wook drew four cards from his shuffled side-deck and peeked at them, covering the numbers with his large hand to ensure others couldn't see. He had a +4, +1, -3, and a +/-6. Hm, the last one might be tricky to use...it was a higher number for a +/- card than he'd like. Ah well. Maybe he could afford to play aggressively towards the end.

The pirate leader, the one with the messed up lip, drew a card off the top of the main deck and pulled a disgusted face. A 2. Out of cards running from 1 to 10, 2 was pretty sucky when they were drawing to see who goes first, high card determining. It went around the table and ended up at Wook, an 8. It was the highest so far, but out of the 6 people seated, two still had to go: Nora and some other person.

 

[Saeros]

He saw the pirate wind up long before his hand slapped Nora's butt. Saeros would've been there in a second had the two girls smothering themselves in his feathers kept him at bay. His surprise was evident when Nora immediately landed a solid blow on the man's jaw, reminding the Rishii why she was a Jedi Shadow. The pitiful excuse for a pirate — "Larry" — had been knocked out cold and lay motionless on the floor. Saeros' entourage giggled as the rest of the crowd laughed raucously in derision. Even the Wookiee pointed and laughed.

The game had begun. Saeros quickly glanced over the table, but having never learned or played Pazaak before, his interest waned almost instantly. He decided instead to keep his post where the Rishii actually blended in very well with two admirers. Perhaps being fluffy wasn't so bad after all. His eyes turned from pirate to pirate. The leader was huge — almost giving the Wookiee a run for his money. Broad-shouldered, massive biceps, and a messed up lip to add to his savage appearance. Clearly this man had seen many fights before and been the cause of plenty of bloodshed. Was this the man they were looking for? Had he crossed paths with Winters? It was possible — maybe his messed-up lip was directly caused by the Councillor. He didn't look the type to want to talk about it.

Saeros' gaze turned again to the frail-looking one. His attention, though still directed from time to time on the Zeltron girls, was now on the game at hand. He was clearly the thinker of the group, calculating his hand and the possibilities that unfolded. He clearly wanted to win this game, likely for the money or simply even a way to get back at his comrades. His countenance told a tale of constant ridicule and under-appreciation from the rest of the pirates. Maybe this was his chance to shine, his chance to show that he wasn't useless because he wasn't as strong or good with a blaster. Maybe he'd even been the cause of whatever happened to the group with the involvement of Winters. Saeros looked discreetly at the others sitting next to him, and his suspicions were somewhat confirmed by how they acted around him. Sideways glances, shifting in their seats to stay away from him. After the game, this was the guy the two Jedi needed to corner for information.

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Nora picked up her hand as the Wookiee finished passing out the cards. Internally she frowned, her outer demeanor remaining stoic; looking at her numbers, luck was definitely not on her side this evening when it came to cards, however, she knew that could change once the game begun. The pirates passed around the deck, drawing to see who would go first. She was last of course, the other drawing a 5 and the Knight herself drew a 3, still leaving the Wookiee with the highest card. Nora presumed that may have been a good thing, as this Wookiee seemed to give no kriffs and would rather not bother witnessing arm removal this evening.

The Knight's eyes fell on her partner as the game begun, half listening to the folds and raises as they started around the table. If a bird could project misery, Saeros's face was without doubt stabbing her with it, but the Zeltron girls were loving his feathers as they eventually got comfortable by his side. She watched Saeros for a moment, his large eyes moved ever so slightly to a frail looking individual seated away from everyone else. He was smaller, but just as rough looking as the others with his scarring and tattoos, his eyes fixated on the dancing Zeltron girl in front him. Nora glanced down at her hand, throwing in a few of her chips, raising the pot before her gaze took her back to the lone pirate.

He had looked away from the dancers back to the players at the table. For a brief moment, Nora let his eyes fall on her own giving him a playful smirk before her attention turned back to her cards. Her turn came around again and this time, she gave a frown, knowing she would have to fold as she set down her hand and tossed in the rest of the credits she would have loss. The Knight remained at the table, arms folded in dissatisfaction as she watched quietly while the wookiee, the head pirate and one other goon continued to play. She glanced back at her Rishii partner, her voice would float in his thoughts, The lone one seems on edge... her thoughts carried to Saeros, Plus you look adorable with those girls on you... Nora teased.

 

[Saeros]

As much as Saeros was interested in going deep undercover to discover the location of Tanda Winters, he wanted more than anything to wrap this up. The Pazaak game seemed to be going...somewhere, at least, but regardless of who won the Rishii wasn't sure how this would get them on speaking terms with these pirates. He observed Nora having to lay down her hand, which was unfortunate as she'd lose some credits in the process. Such was the nature of gambling, so it seemed. Regardless of whether one of the pirates won or the furry Wookiee did, Saeros had a plan in mind. Nora leaned back from the table, arms crossed, and shot the Rishii another glance in his version of living hell. Saeros was literally incapable of rolling his eyes due to his biology, but he mentally did so as the two Jedi's minds were connected briefly. ⁝⁝ Amin gar'inc, ⁝⁝ <I have an idea,> he conveyed, his meaning notably more understandable to Nora as not only his words but also intent was expressed.

Opening his mind a bit more, he touched the thoughts of the two Zeltron girls next to him. Through subtle suggestions and mental nudges, he guided their thoughts and desires to the lone pirate Saeros had been eyeing earlier. Smiling and giggling obliviously, they left the soft wings of the Rishii alone as they lustily walked up to the pirate and suggestively whispered something into his ear. Next, they would pull him away from the game and into a private room adjacent to the gaudy pink one. Having singled out their quarry, Saeros had also managed to free himself from the unwanted fondling of his plumage. His chest puffed out proudly at his own accomplishment. Win-win.

Now, with the more compliant of the pirate gang separated, they could easily interrogate him in peace while the Pazaak game continued. Slowly and silently making his way over to the room, he awaited Nora to come with him as she was now conveniently out of the round. This man, so easily distracted by Zeltrons, was no doubt one of the men Councillor Tanda Winters had manipulated to her machinations in her travels far from the Jedi Order. Such was the work of a Shadow — inserting oneself deep into organizations to gain an advantage over their enemies. In this case, Saeros could deduce that Winters had likely convinced the pirate gang to attack a group of roaming Exiles. It might very well be the reason why so many of the gang were scarred and were taking some time away from Republic shipping lanes where they normally ganked unsuspecting traders. For now, there was no reason to draw weapons just yet. They had this proverbial "runt of the litter" right where they wanted him.

@GABA Ren​

 

[The Wook]

The Wook was in thought. Bets had been places, raises made, and folds too. He had 15 in his hand. It was most likely not enough to win; somebody had to be closer to 20 than he was. He thought back to his own deck, and wondered if he could play a card from that. Well, of course he could...but should he? He could play the +4 card and bring him to 19...but if someone was sitting on a 20, he would be out of luck and a valuable modifier card that wouldn't be replaced. He could hit, but he had roughly a 40/60 chance of losing the hand unless he got high enough that his -3 card could bring him to 20.

He decided those odds were acceptable, since none of his other options were the greatest. "Wrrhwrwwhw uughguughhhghghghhhgh. Uughguughhhghghghhhgh raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh aarrragghuuhw?" he asked the nasty-looking pirate as he motioned for a hit. He saw Nora's cards in the middle, which surprised him; he'd been so taken up in his own strategizing that he hadn't noticed her fold. The dealer droid translated for the pirates and slid The Wook a card. He looked at it. A bold 2 was plastered on the slender card. He now had 17...and if he hit he would definitely bust now. The turn went to the person next to him.

The Zeltron girls had finally decided to leave the bird-thing alone, and its chest puffed out. He had to grin, the bird had been quite the object of attention for a while.

"Huh. Got in a fight with some of those red glow bat swinging nutters. Freaking animals is what they are," growled the pirate as he took his eyes off his cards after his turn, uncaring about any offense his selection of words might cause The Wook.

The Wook chuckled. "Wrrhwrwwhw? Uughguughhhghghghhhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh aarrragghuuhw."

The pirate snorted. "Banthashit that you took three on and are still walking around." With the round now over, everyone flipped their cards. The pirate boss had 19, the highest out of the bunch. He grinned nastily.

The Wook leaned back in his chair, uncaring that he'd lost a handful of credits. He could win it back, and if not, well they could tell him where some pretty valuable lightsabers might be. "Awwgggghhh, aarrragghuuhw uughghhhgh uughghhhgh. Wrrhw aarrragghuuhw huuguughghg huuguughghg raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh uggguh huurh aguhwwgggghhh huurh uughguughhhghghghhhgh uughghhhgh huurh uughghhhgh uuh uugggh aaahnruh raaaaaahhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh aaaaahnr huuguughghg raaaaaahhgh huurh." It took a while for the dealer droid to translate all this, and he could see some of the pirates rolling their eyes.

"Right, what are you, some Tage Mak? Last I recall he wasn't as hairy as you are." the head honcho fellow said in a sarcastic voice.

That stung. Even after his victory against the Exiles, Tage overshadowed him. "Hnnnhrrhhh huurh huuguughghg huurh awwgggghhh uuh uughguughhhghghghhhgh raaaaaahhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh? Aarrragghuuhw huuguughghg aaaaahnr?"

"It ain't about strength, them Jedi Exiles were really using th' Force a lot, that dumb Jedi broad that send us didn-" said another pirate before the boss interrupted him by pointing a blaster at his face.

"Shut yer gob, Fysekk."[/color][/abbr]

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Nora leaned back in her seat, clasping her hands behind her head as she listened to the pirate address The Wook. A barely dressed server brought drinks over to the table and Nora waved her down, ordering something for herself. Her green eyes left the pirates at the table as she saw the Zeltron girls leave Saeros and pay some attention to the loner who they were eyeing earlier. The mentioning of nutters with swinging glow rods caught the girl's attention her eyes glanced between the walking carpet and scrotum face.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the loner get up and go into a side room with the Zeltron girls and Saeros would follow after. She touched Saeros mind, letting her bird companion know she would follow in a moment, she wanted a natural exit, leaving abruptly would draw too much attention. Besides, with them talking about lightsaber collecting, there was potential for her to gather information that would be useful later...at least she hoped.

The pirate named dropped, mentioning Tage Mak and the girl quirked an eyebrow, glancing at the pirate beside her as he also looked up upon hearing the name. Nora was aware of some of the more hazardous bounty hunters out there, Tage being one of them, but this Wookie probably should fall on that list too. Another pirate spoke up, this time mentioning a Jedi broad but stopped suddenly when the leader pulled a blaster on him. If it was the Jedi broad Nora was thinking of, certainly they had every right to be frustrated at someone who bested them.

"They're all scum if you tell me." Nora said as the Zeltron brought her the drink she ordered. The girl took a sip and nodded, "Jus' finally glad we can make some credits off of them." Nora leaned back in her chair, relaxing, her gaze falling on the Wookiee and then the pirate leader before settling back on her drink. Her senses reached out and she quickly glanced at Fysekk, giving him a coy, but flirty smile before she turned her focus back to the game.

@Vosrik

 

[Saeros]

Saeros began piecing more and more of the Wookiee's speech together even faster than the droid was able to translate it. His idea to interrogate the lone pirate in a separate room had actually been overshadowed by this small talk the furry beast was drawing out of the weird-lip guy. Apparently he was willing to talk vaguely about having had dealings with what was clearly Councillor Winters, but not willing to give any specifics. Saeros had a mind to intervene, when to his utter dismay, three different Zeltron girls (clearly having been tipped off by the previous two from earlier) scurried closer and smothered themselves into the Rishii's wings and sides.

He exuded anguish and frustration. It took every fiber of his being not to shake them all off or let out a feather banshee scream at them all to give him some space. The lengths Saeros was willing to take for the Jedi and his duty. He narrowed his eyes at Nora. It was up to her and their Wookiee accomplice to draw out any further information they could gather from these Pirates. With the amount of attention he'd gotten in this night alone, Saeros was actually looking forward to his guard posting on Devaron in a few week's time.

 

[The Wook]

The Wook raised a hairy eyebrow. "Raaaaaahhgh awwgggghhh aguhwwgggghhh huurh aarrragghuuhw, uughghhhgh aaahnruh uuh huuguughghg huuguughghg huurh huuguughghg," he growled, entirely undisturbed by the appearance of the blaster. One of his hands did drop subtly down to his waist, though. The dealer droid, likely programmed to ignore such commonplace interruptions, dealt the next round. He looked down at his cards, an 8 and a 5. He'd take a hit on this one.

He nodded at Nora. "Raaaaaahhgh uggguh uughguughhhghghghhhgh huuguughghg...Huurh raaaaaahhgh, hnnnhrrhhh huurh uughghhhgh. Uughghhhgh awwgggghhh huurh uughghhhgh? Aaahnruh huurh aarrragghuuhw uughguughhhghghghhhgh aaaaahnr uugggh aguhwwgggghhh uughghhhgh huurh huuguughghg aaaaahnr uuh aarrragghuuhw raaaaaahhgh wrrhwrwwhw." he said as he looked at the latest card dealt to him. It was a 3. Well, at least he knew what to do now. He would play his +4 card to bring his total to 20. He'd gotten some lower cards, so there was probably a high one lurking, ready to bust him if he hit. He would milk the pot a little, first.

"The dangerous kind," said the pirate with a scowl as he lowered his blaster from Fysekk's face. "The kind you don't cross."

The Wook shrugged as if to say not his problem. "Raaaaaahhgh aaahnruh uughghhhgh aarrragghuuhw, raaaaaahhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh raaaaaahhgh aarrragghuuhw. Aaaaahnr awwgggghhh uughguughhhghghghhhgh wrrhw? Hnnnhrrhhh uugggh huurh?" He dropped a modest raise into the pot.

 

[Nora Grazioso]

Nora's green eyes followed the birdperson across the room; she looked away for a moment as they came to a new round, the cards being handed out by the dealer droid. She folded the corners up, looking at the numbers she had received before letting them lay flat on the table.

The Wookiee growled something about the Jedi being dumb for coming to a moon where everyone would be after them. Outwardly she shrugged, "Clearly she has bigger balls than anyone in this room." the girl said nonchalantly and took a sip of her drink, her internal thoughts said different. If only they knew... Nora thought as she glanced to Saeros who was now smothered with Zeltron girls. She had to suppress a laugh, but it wasn't to say a grin peaked through as the corner of lip curled upwards.

The girl looked at her cards once more and threw some credits in the pot when her turn came; she had a total of 18, it wasn't perfect, but it wasn't a terrible hand either. She watched as the Wookiee shrugged, rhetorically asking if there was a difference; Nora knew she could give an entire lecture on the differences, but this place was certainly not of interest, and besides, she would bore herself to death if she tried.

"You can at least count on a Jedi to be soft." she said glancing to the Wookiee before sharing her gaze with others, trying to read their faces as they decided on their hands.