A Past Life

[Caran Malo]

Coruscant Lower City
Level 1234

The Crown of the Empire, the home of the former Republica. Caran Malo had been birthed here, born within a long line of prestigious Republica Officers, he had served and had been on speaking terms with the mysterious Emperor Elix years in the past, yet just as the Emperor had vanished, any semblance of the life he had known seemed to slip right beneath his feet. The Empire he had once loved had turned to gross incompetence and infighting and mutual affection for the supporters of the Old Empire had grown. It had all culminated into him betraying the men and women of the Republica on Kuat.

He had been on the run for months since then, drifting along the deep reaches of the Galaxy, seeing many different worlds and species that the Republica had did well to hide. Part of him was still uneasy about living among what he had once assumed to be lesser races, but his perspective on things had begun to slowly change. There were plenty of double crossing and sweet lipped con artists among the Underworld, but here within the lower confines of Society was a whole array of people who wanted to live in peace. Maybe the things he had supported were bad for these people, kept them hidden away from the galaxy--the former Imperial couldn't really tell, nor did he try to think about it much.

Instead, he would spend his time in the dealings of smuggling across the galaxy, with knowledge on Imperial Protocol he had become well versed in dodging their boarding routines and their traffic patterns. He had just finished up a job in which he had dodged two Imperial Naval frigates with just enough of a gap that even a womp rat could barely fit--such things had called for celebration, and there was no better celebration than gambling away every last credit one had. His green eyes would narrow as he fixed the brim on his worn Imperial officer's cap--his eyes peering towards his cast of opponents.

tag: @Zanna Black

 

[Oddi Xon]

“Aren’t you a little young to be gambling, little girl?”

Oddi found herself being stared down by the large chagrian as she peered over her Pazaak hand. He was obviously trying to intimidate her as he menacingly grinned at her from across the table. He’s tryin’ na make me lose my nerve. Heh… she laughed internally. Granted, if this had been an actual fight and not a fekkin’ card game she might’ve been quaking in her boots. But she could handle games just fine. However, he didn’t need to know that she had a few tricks up her sleeve… and this was quite literally. But, this guy wanted a scared “little girl” in front of him. Being an entertainer of sorts, who was she to disappoint?

She furrowed her morphed brow and started back at him with big, innocent human honey-brown eyes. “I gotta try to git back home, sir,” she explained meekly. “My dadda is waitin’ fer me, an’ I don’t wanna go beggin’ on th’ street for th’ money fer transport.”

Gotta keep ‘em focused on my “baby browns” fer now, she mused to herself. She knew damn well that these guys weren’t your average street idiots. If she directed their attention away from the game and suddenly she won, somebody here would likely suspect shenanigans from her end. Players of games like Pazaak and Sabacc would likely know tricks like that. Naw… she would have to bring the spectators attention to her opponent so she could “elevate her total” to a winnable state… because as far as her hand stood, it was two points past twenty. She couldn’t have that when she was on the verge of winning her third round, as well as the game. Not with what was at stake. I mean… another 60 creds wasn’t exactly high-roller betting, but it would get her some decent nourishment for a few days. Despite already having a sob story of her own, however, she decided that human children had more to offer in the “cuteness and sympathy” department. Not to mention that they were less suspicious than clawdites.

She scanned his face with her big ol’ peepers and saw just the thing to draw the crowd’s attention. “‘Scuse me, mister… I think you need a hanky.”

The spectators all turned to look at the chagrian as, for a split second, he looked back at all of them in self-consciousness. It was just enough time to turn that +2 into a -1. A 19 wasn’t a 20, but it was better than bust. The best part of all of this was that her opponent really did need a hanky.

Someone handed him a handkerchief as he quickly refocused and gazed at her intensely. “I’ll raise you 20 creds.” He stated, smirking as if he knew he had her.

“Oh,” she sighed mopingly. “I’m outta money,” she bluffed. A stranger tossed a 20 spot into the pile. “Thanks mister!” she exclaimed. Thanks sucker! she thought. She glanced down at her cards, frowned slightly, then stared back at her opponent. ”Call…” she stated shyly.

The chagrian sneered his way into a smile. “You first.” He told her.

Oddi blinked innocently. “Okay.” And down went her hand of 19. The chagrian’s smile faded in disbelief. Slowly, he placed down his hand of 18.

Oddi kept the act going. “I won???” she brought her hands to her cheeks in “surprise”.

@TWD26

 

[Caran Malo]

What child plays a game of Pazaak? The former Imperial mused to himself as he leaned back in his chair, his hands hidden beneath the table and against the side of his hips. The small child had a knack for words, but it was clear to the former investigator that they were pulling a con job, and was attempting to cheat the Chagrian out of his credits. If the thug had any common sense he would have realized the absurdity of a child playing among the group of gangsters, gamblers, bounty hunters and smugglers--yet the fool gladly turned his head and was out of 60 credits.

"Girl.." His thick Imperial accent would echo against the table, causing the assortment of aliens to turn towards his direction. He would lean forward against the table his eyes never leaving the small human. "You sure have a way of words," he would muse, his brows raised slightly showing that he knew what she had done.

The sound of a fist smacking against the table caused him to turn, noting that the Chagrian had begun to slowly piece things together--the girl really stood no chance. "You fool! You think you can steal from me, you run down power converter!" The blue skinned alien would yell in huttese, as he jolted up from his seat. His hand reaching for a blaster at his side.

Caran would watch the alien's hand reaching closer for their blaster. Surely he didn't feel anything for the little street urchin, and it wouldn't have been the first time he had seen a child blasted before him. Yet, he found his own gripping his blaster beneath the table. Maybe it was the kid's spunk? Surely he could use such talents to navigate among the vast underworld, maybe he just felt bad--he wasn't too sure. The thug had his blaster pointed towards the defenseless child, the tension had brought a deep silence among the group of vermin--and then there was a bang, followed by a trail of smoke that came from the bottom of the table as well as the blaster hole that sat square in the thug's chest.

The thug would glance down towards the gaping hole, his hand trembled and the blaster fell from his hand as his knees gave out from beneath him; His head crashing into the table as his body fell cold. The rest of the gamblers would stare for a moment, collecting up their things. "This Imperial is an e'chutta..." Mumbled a small Chadra-Fan.

Caran would simply return a shrug towards the group as be brought his blaster onto the table, followed by his feet as he leaned back, "Want to tell me what's really going on here?" He would ask with a raised brow.

tag: @Zanna Black

 

[Oddi Xon]

“Girl.. You sure have a way of words," said a voice off to the side.

Oddi glanced over at the man… then up at his hat. What??? He’s Imperial??? she fretted within, as she tried her damndest to keep her proverbial cool. Poodoo!!! This is not a good day for me. She looked back toward the chagrian…

Oddi‘s face went from innocent happy face to mortified realization in 0.89 seconds when the chagrian pointed his pistol at her. “POODOO!!!” she cried out as she dove for the floor and attempted to roll out of the line of fire. Sure enough, a shot went off, and she grimaced as she shut her eyes hard.

Hold on… did he miss??? she wondered as she opened one eye to look around.

Her chagrian opponent and would-be-murderer was dropping his pistol… and keeling over quite dramatically. He landed with a crash on the game table as she looked on bug-eyed. As the other gamblers and spectators broke out of their gawking stupor to collect their things she heard a voice speak out above the others.

“Want to tell me what’s really going on here?”

She looked up to see the Imperial dude leaning back casually, placing his pistol back into the holster. What the… he shot the chagrian???

Blinking in disbelief, she shook herself out of her lingering stare, stood up, and dusted herself off. As she did so, she noticed her hands. Scaly and green. Uh-oh… in her panic she had lost her concentration and morphed back into her natural form! She glanced back at the officer, and a sheepish grin spread across her mouth.

“Heh… heh… um, Officer?” She began her verbal tap dance as she put her hands up in the air. “I can explain… ye see… I got lost, aaaaand I wound up takin’ a wrong turn, and I was bein’ followed by these HUUUUGE guys who wound up cornerin’ me in an alleyway and they said *impersonates a low tough guy voice* ‘Hey… we know what you are and we know what you can do, and yer gonna make us some money!’ *Normal voice* So I was afraid for my life, so I was forced to take th’ shape of a human girl so I could bring th’ money to them after I won, and… well… they’re not here now but they prob’ly ran out when you came in! Sooooo maybe if you run out now, you can catch ‘em?” she scrutinized his face, trying hard to find some sympathy on it somewhere. She kept the grin plastered on her face, trying way too hard to look friendly and honest.

Oddi… that was pathetic.

@TWD26

 

[Caran Malo]

The Imperial's eyes would narrow as he watched the girl duck under the table, only to emerge with patches of scales blobbed about her body. Interesting...is this one of those illusive Clawdites I had read about in the Academy? He would bring a hand to his greying beard as he tilted his head towards the girl's pleading and overall lack of a coherent story. She had the makings of a good con artist, but her innocence was clearly showing to anyone with a brain and some street knowledge.

The man would simply smile as he shook his head showing that he hand't bought her story at all. "An Imperial Officer gambling is a violation of Code of Conduct #2124B, in uniform is a death sentence." He would laugh, "And the shaggy hair and beard should have been a give away two things little one. That I am a poor excuse for an officer and had been banished or that I am an unhinged man thinking he's an officer within the empire. Regardless of the two, you wouldn't want to be caught messing around and poking them, would you?" He would respond in a harsh tone. He didn't want to hurt the girls feelings, but he knew that sometimes it took a good scare to wake someone up to the straight and narrow. "Where do you live? I'll see that you return home safely."

tag: @Zanna Black

 

[Oddi Xon]

Looking this “officer” up and down, Oddi could see his point. Although she didn’t know a lot about an officer’s protocol, she supposed that it might be against their rules to gamble. But she raised her eyebrows when he offered the possibilities of what he might actually be instead. Only the first one made sense. If it was the other option, why would an unhinged man only thinking he was an officer have knowledge of their code of conduct? Unless he was making that bit up, but her instincts… or something else… told her this wasn’t the case.

She lowered her hands cautiously and shuffled a little before making her way over to the corpse of the chagrian. She inspected his face, awed at the site of a freshly-killed being who had nearly annihilated her right in the eye. He’d obviously been caught off guard… his eyes were still open as if he was shocked that he was dead. No counseling was ever going to cure his trauma. She looked back at “the man”.

“So, if yer not an officer anymore,” she began as she slowly started to approach him, “then why do you still wear th’ hat? An’ I didn’t think the Imperials was th’ type of people that banished. They strike me as th’ ‘retirement-by-laser-blast’ type a’ group.” She pursed her lips as she visually examined him, but when he offered to walk her home, she burst out laughing.

“Hahahahaha! Okay, um, sorry to laugh, Officer Beardy, but I ain’t had a home since I was eight years old. An’ trust me, even then it was a sorry excuse for a home.” She had decided that this guy deserved a dose of the real Oddi. “This ain’t even my planet. But at least out here I have a chance without havin’ to kowtow to a bunch a’ slave-drivin’ merchandisers.” She hopped back up on the chair that she had previously sat in and leaned in toward the guy. “But, ya did save my life. Guess that means I owe ya…” she paused, as if in thought, then she looked back up at him. “But… why’d ya save me?”

 

[Caran Malo]

The former officer would glance towards the little girl, his emerald eyes narrowing as he pulled the cap lower on his head--hiding them from view. He wasn't an honorable man by any means, he had killed that taxi driver abandoned the Republica and had left it all, traveling for years within the Outer Rim and unexplored regions of space. He doubted that the Empire even remembered who he was, yet her question stung like a blaster to the chest--why did he continue to wear his old republica uniform?

"Some things are more complicated than they look," he would offer as he bit down on his bottom lip as his face formed a small frown at the mention of never having a home. If this girl thought the throne of the Empire was good for her, then he could only imagine the kriffing stink-hole she must have come from. He would let out a soft sigh, "Take my advice kid, get as far away from this Empire...as far away as you can. There is nothing here for anyone, only death--even for its own people.."

His words carried weight of the genocide and destruction that the late Emperor Elix had brought upon the Mandalorian people, the civilians and his own troops and men. The crimson orbital bombardment still burned into his eyes. Then the question of why he saved her came up--it was a good question.

"I'm just trying to make up for the past." He would slide his officer's coat over his shoulders as his head tilted towards the crowd that had built up around the door. "I'm a smuggler, traveling around the galaxy, doing jobs and building a crew." He would exhale, "And trying to avoid the sort of folk that come with the force...You'd be safe with us, I could take you anywhere you wanted to go. Though no where is really safe..."

He would pull the girl's scaly hands, pulling her from her seat and to a position behind his back. A pair of white armored men would enter into the Cantina, their blasters hanging idly by their side as they huddled around a group of aliens, who had begun to point and speak within their tongue. Oh good...they're on us. "Stay close and let's try to get around them."

tag: @Zanna Black

 

[Oddi Xon]

Oddi’s face reflected confusion and worry when he warned her about the Empire. She sensed that the Republica wasn’t exactly a desirable government, but were they really that bad??? She was about to make a wisecrack about the Emperor when she noticed that look on the man’s face. There was no conniving in his eyes. Or joy, for that matter. He seemed so pained… so… sad…

“Wow… yer really not kiddin’, are ya?” she asked rhetorically as she shifted in her seat. She listened carefully about his reasoning for saving her, and his need for a crew. Wait… it sounded like he was offering her a job! Really??? Her eyes lit up at the thought of it, but then he mentioned his distrust of folks that “come with the Force”. Ohhhhh… of course there was going to be a glitch in his offer.

Oddi was only just learning about this mysterious power in the universe. She had come across a human in the Uscru district with this ability and he had inferred that she had that same power. And it must have been true… she felt that power around him upon meeting him. When she decided to find information about it on a datapad she found snippets of information about this power called “the Force” and that there were people that wielded it with great potency and accuracy. She hadn’t gotten very far before that datapad broke. (Ah well… she had stolen it anyway.) However, she hardly knew how to use this power, nor did she know of any teachers. Would this smuggler count her gift against her?

Oddi cleared her throat. “I won’t lie… I very much need a job. An’ as long as there’s food an’ money involved then I’m happy to join. However, there’s just one thing I gotta ask. When you mentioned folks that ‘come with the Force’, did you mean…” Her voice trailed off when he reached out for her hands and began to pull her off of her seat. Oddi blushed. “Now waaaait a minute… this ain’t what I had in mind…” She halted that train of thought when she wound up standing behind him… and then she saw why.

“Ohhhhhh boy. Here we go…” she mumbled, as she morphed back into the form of the brown-eyed chestnut haired little girl. She tugged on the man’s jacket. “Hey… if they question you tell ‘em you’re my uncle and you was lookin’ for me to bring me home, ‘kay?”

 

[Caran Malo]

The former officer would glance down towards the girl, who had taken shape of a little human girl, her eyes wide and twinkled with an innocence that would have even fooled him. She seems concerned about the mention of the force, he would analyze to himself as he took a deep breath. "I meant the Sith," he would whisper as he pulled her along away from the table and towards the door.

The two would attempt to blend in with the crowd, but it seemed that today the force wasn't on their side. He could hear the sound of a Rodian singing away and pointing towards the two of them. The White Armored soldiers would glance to each other, and then towards their direction--the leader of them beckoning with his head as they approached the two of them--their white boots clanking along the metal grates that made up the floor.

"Halt..." The Captain would respond, as he approached Caran, glaring at him with his souless black visor. The group would surround them, looking them over.

"Former Imperial..."

"Maybe he's an impostor," another would retort with a bit of a laugh, "This is nonsense, let's just tag em' and bring them back to the Barracks..Have Lord Harkin have some fun with them."

Caran's hand would squeeze tightly against Oddi as he peered towards the group, "I served in the 13th Legion...Stationed on Mimban during the days of the Republica," he would lie to the captain. He had really been a member of the Imperial Policing and Terrorist Activities Units, a group of special forces soldiers who were tasked in hunting down suspected rebels throughout the galaxy.

"The Mud Jumpers?" The Captain would crack, "You boys gave them hell down there in that mud hole. Did you wash out?"

Caran would do his best to narrow his eyes, as he huffed. "I took a blaster bolt to the ribs...and it washed me out, but there isn't a day I wish that I hadn't left, to serve the glory of the Empire. To serve the true Empire...the Republica," his voice would crack with a bit of emphasis at the end.

"Good man," the Captain would respond, "You look like you've seen better days soldier...so tell me what happened?"

Caran would glance towards the table where the dead Alien still laid. "With my brother's death, I was asked to watch his daughter," he would glance towards the small girl, "It seemed while getting my Astromech repaired she had run off to watch the gambling and to see the races of the galaxy." He would turn back to the Captain, "I got him putting his hands on her..So I shot him."

The Captain would glance towards his men and then towards the alien and back to the two of them--the tension was thick in the air. "Do we really want to handle the holo-work over a scum alien and a washed up soldier?" One of the soldiers would snap over the com.

The Captain hesitated for a moment, "Mud Jumper, we didn't see either of you here..." He would command as he turned around, "Don't come back."

Those were all the words the former officer needed, he would give a quick nod before hurrying out from the door and a few meters away from the cantina. He would let out a soft sigh of relief as he glanced down towards the girl with a smile, his hands placed on her shoulder as he bent down to be her height. "You did good kid." His eyes would peer towards the large towering structures of the undercity, watching as cars flashed all around them. "I don't know much about the force...but if you want I can take you to find somebody who won't corrupt you and turn you into the beings that make up this Empire..."

tag: @Zanna Black

 

[Oddi Xon]

Oddi kept quiet as the man told an interesting story that somehow meant something about “jumping in mud” to the troopers. They must be referring to a special division? she guessed. Anyway, if he hadn’t just told her that he had been banished she might’ve believed him herself. It was an educated con, but still a damn good one. Oddi was impressed! Knowledge makes for a more convincing story. I’ll keep that in mind…” she noted.

After he lead her away from the establishment, he knelt down to her level and made another offer… to help her find a teacher. She blinkingly stared at him… as if she was caught off guard. “So you already know what I was gonna say…” she looked at him incredulously as she said this, “...but I don’t sense any of that energy around you. Yer pretty damn insightful. Or experienced… which makes folks insightful so… yeah. That word still works.” She scratched the back of her head, eyeing him up and down. “To tell th’ truth, I don’t know very much about th’ Force myself, or how soon I want to learn to use it or not. Up till now I was just lookin’ for ways to survive until I could find myself some kind a’ stability in my life… that doesn’t involve more indentured servitude, that is,” she stressed. She began stroking her chin, as if making a decision.

“Tell ya what… I’ll join yer crew for now. An’ if we encounter th’ right kind a’ Force user along th’ way I’ll talk to ‘em and make my decision then. Deal?” She offered her hand to shake. “Name’s Oddi. Oddi Xon. *Important-sounding voice* of thee Sulturian Xons. *Normal voice* Actually no one cared who my family was there but I like soundin’ more important than I actually am. It’s fun.” She smirked at him.

@TWD26

 

[Caran Malo]

The Imperial would smile as he pulled his hat from his head and placing it upon her own, as he stood up to look towards the vast city that seemed to stretch beyond the eye. There was so much in this galaxy to see, so many places they could go, but they needed credits. Luckily for them, he had formed a few contacts within the Corporate Sector as well as a few minor hutt gangsters who were looking to hit the prime time. It probably wasn't the life that one should bring a child into, but it was better than nearly getting blasted by drunk thugs; he could at least protect her for a bit.

"I'm not insightful," he would respond as they walked along the city streets, "I just know what it feels like to be a kid, to desire to learn things you never did," his words would come out soft, as if he was recalling days long past at that very moment. They would make their way past several shops and stores, the man contemplating her words as they neared the spaceport.

"Sadly life never gets stable," he would quip as he placed his hands into his pockets as they ducked past the guards and into the large opening of the port. "You just have to learn to make the best of what you're giving," his hand would pull down on the officer's cap that sat on top of her head, "While you're with my team, you'll be a fed and paid member of the crew, and you'll always be free to leave at anytime you want." He would smile as they made their way through a set of thick blast doors--revealing an expansive hangar.

There were only a few ships within this wing, many of them large and grand in design. He could only imagine the excitment that was on the girls face as they passed by each one. They were all beauties in their own right, but they had nothing on the ship that he had called home for the past few years. They would make their way towards a beat up VT-1100 Light Freighter that had been stripped of some components on the top, while large blast holes covered several of the panels of the ship. He would turn towards the girl, "Well Oddi Xon," his hands would raise into the air as he pointed towards the ship, "I'm Caran Malo, Captain of the Centennial Convor," he would wave his hand as he a small button--drawing down a small bridge that lead to the entrance of the ship.

"There's a group of people I want you to meet," he would call out as he made his way up the ramp and onto the ship, where a whole new world awaited the young girl.

tag: @Zanna Black

 

[Oddi Xon]

This hangar was a dream for Oddi. Well, not the hangar itself, but the treasures that it contained. Spaceships such as these always symbolized a life of high adventure for her, and she wondered if now she was going to have that sort of life as well.

A smile came across Oddi’s face as they approached the ship. This is definitely the smuggler’s ideal, she observed. She noted the blast holes. Bet I could patch those up…

She heard him mention a group of people to meet. “A group? Is it th’ rest of yer crew?” She stopped to glance at the ship’s underside as excitement built up within her. Is this really happenin’? Am I really finally done with the days of scrapin’ for food an’ money just to survive without bein’ someone’s property???

She watched Caran disappear into the ship and she picked up her pace to follow him up the ramp. Wide-eyed, she stepped inside, hoping that this was indeed where her future lies…

@TWD26

((Sorry this one is so short.))

 

[Caran Malo]

The pair would make their way through the winding corridors of the freighter, the once white walls that lined the interior had fallen into stains of faded yellow and and black--with stains of grease and oil stretched across the canvas. Some of the panels had even dawned hologram projects of movie promotions from years passed, though the strangest was the vile and pungent smell that clung to the air as they entered the main compartment of the ship.

"No..no..no, that's now how you play you stupid Gizzak!" Yelled out an orange furred Ardennian who was in the middle of using three of his hands to pull away a series of cards and slipping it into his bright green flight suit--his victim a bushy white coat Gigoran who threw his hands up into the air, letting out a roar in anger.

Caran couldn't help, but groan as he quickly shuffled the kid out of the common area and down another hallway, "The Ardennian is Tyio Marnell, co-pilot, and the white furball is Junmo weapons expert." He would pat the girl on the shoulder as his eyes narrowed at the sound of sparks emitting from one of the rooms.

He would pause for a moment, his finger pessing against the door to reveal a small robed creature, his hooded head shifting to the attention of the newcomers--his orange eyes glowing in the dark as his powercutter lit up the tools that covered his small robed body.

"Chutuni..Wutani!" The little Jawa would chant out before throwing his hands in a dismissive wave towards the two, before turning back to clank an astromech back to life.

"That's meeps," he would smile, "Engineering and Droid Expert. I found him on the remote outpost, Yaroshi Station." He would quickly point the way towards the far room, "This is where you will be staying."

It was a tightly cramped room, with a single bed that had been built into the wall, several boxes and areas to place her things down and to make it her own. "It's not much, but you're free to do whatever you want with the room." He would smile as he took a look around the room. "It can be loud, but were as close of a family as this ship can get."

"Family and children..." A soothing feminine voice would purr from behind the door, "You're getting soft Malo," the pink skinned woman would make her way into the room. Her body was slender, dawning a vibrant silk top and bottoms that conformed around her figure. Her eyes were a vibrant purple as her thick blue hair fell down towards her back--her whole appearance gave away that she surely didn't belong with this crew of rag tags.

"Yunari..." The former officer would groan, as he turned back towards Oddi with a slight eyeroll, the young Oddi was in for an earful.

The Zeltron would step past Caran, "Yunari Zardriver," she would respond in a short response towards the girl as she bent down to examine her fully, "You might know me from the movies," she would smile as she looked her up and down before forming a small frown, "This won't do...we'll need to get you a real wardrobe...not these rags."

She would stand up glancing towards Caran, "And she won't be getting designer tips from you...just look at that uniform." She would scoff before storming out of the room, leaving the two of them alone once more--his emerald eyes widened at the sheer chaos that he had brought the girl into.

tag: @Zanna Black

 

[Oddi Xon]

Oddi looked about the corridors of the freight ship, her eyes scanning over its well-worn interior. It’s lived in… that’s not really a bad thing, she noted, scrunching her face, but Ai Mabara it stinks! She wasn’t judging Caran or his crew about that though… it was more humorous to her than anything. Besides, she was just glad to know that she had a home for the time being, even if it wasn’t going to be on solid ground for a lot of the time.

When she heard the caterwauling of the Ardennian she noticed that Caran seemed a little embarrassed, but she didn’t know why. This type of boisterous behavior was something she was quite accustomed to amongst the fence merchants and keepers that oversaw the work of Oddi and the other indentured servants on Zolan. The only difference was that she didn’t feel threatened here. Besides… she couldn’t help but wonder what card game they were playing. Pazaak? Sabacc? But as Caran continued through the ship she didn’t get a chance to find out. She listened to Caran as he told her their names, and she filed them away to memory.

When the door opened to reveal Meeps, Oddi really began to pay attention. She had once discovered the hard way that walking the streets of Coruscant in the guise of one of these creatures only seemed to bring attention to her instead of deflect it, especially since it was a very rare sight to see a Jawa in an urban setting. And yet, here was one right before her. She sooooo wanted to know what he looked like under that hood. How did his eyes glow like that???

Then he lead her to another room toward the back and opened the door. She stepped inside and saw the bed. An actual bed. She pointed at it. “That’s for me??? I get to sleep there???” She walked over to it and examined the mattress. “Ai Mabara… I’ve never gotten to sleep in a real bed before!” She hopped up on the mattress and bounced on her bum several times before that pink female… what was she??? I probably shouldn’t ask yet, she told herself.

The pink female motioned toward herself. "Yunari Zardriver," she said before bending down to her level. "You might know me from the movies," she told Oddi with a smile.

Oddi blinked in surprise. “Yer a movie star??? Wow. I’ve only gotten to watch movies since I got to Coruscant last month, and I usually have to snag th’ bootlegs. I hope I get to see one of yours soon!” Her face faded a bit when Yunari began to inspect her clothing, but lit up a bit again when she mentioned new clothes. She didn’t know what to say. New lodgings, new job, new clothes… she did not expect so much in one day! Between this, and the kindness of two new human friends that she met in Uscru several days ago, she was finally starting to have a little faith in others.

After Yunari left, Oddi looked at Caran. “I gotta tell ya… this is more than I was expectin’. Actually, I didn’t know what I should expect. But it’s kinda funny. Havin’ that chagrian almost shoot ma face off might’ve been th’ best thing ‘ta happen to me.” She laughed a little at her own joke. “Jus’ let me know what sort of jobs ya need done and I’ll do it. I can fix stuff. I’m pretty good if I don’t say so myself. I just got one question… what exactly do you smuggle, anyway?”

@TWD26

 

[Caran Malo]

The quality of life that this little girl must have faced, to constitute staying with a group of total strangers in a dirty ship, drifting across the galaxy in search of something. It was hard to say, but the former Imperial knew that they were all running away from something, for him it was the past that never seemed to escape him for too long.

"This isn't an easy life," he would explain as they made their way through the door, he didn't really have much of a choice he felt--he had to bring her. "Things break all the time, and you'll be helping Meeps, learning under him." They would make their way into the commons area, his fingers snapping to Tyio--causing the monkey like alien to pull up from his table and head to the cockpit.

He would take a seat, his hands flicking on the controls as hues of red and blue bounced around the controls--the vast dense blackness of space was clear in their viewpoint. "Make for the Taris Sector...we have a job," he would respond to the copilot. Both of their hands latching down against the controls. Shooting the ship into hyperspace. The Imperial would turn around to peer towards the girl. "We smuggle whatever the job needs..." He would lean back in the worn captain's chair, unknowing of the adventures and tragedy that would await them.

/End Thread

@Zanna Black (I'll start our mission thread soon)