"A Pirates life for me!"

[Vindictive]

[This is a recruitment thread for the faction I'm trying to start (here), as well as a social thread for those not interested. For those who are interested, read over the link carefully to make sure it's something you think you'd enjoy. No need to make yourself unhappy, right?]

Spoiler: The Cityscape

Arbitium. A space station that also served as an artificial world for those who were too uncomfortable with planet-life, and a massive, interlane rest spot for the space traffic paths. It proved as a massive technological marvel that the Correlians built many years ago, and commissioned it for the outer rim territories. It was a Zion in the deep. The station, from the outside, looked like a half-moon, glistening in the starlight around it, while the inner workings, after making it past the many many security tunnels and checkpoints, was a completely peaceful artificial world where storms, destruction, and mayhem never happened. It was slightly disturbing, but also a perfect place to pick up recruits in Kenzie's mind.

"Hey, land in that docking bay in the heart of that one sector, got it?" She barked at the pilot, who grunted and pushed the throttle forward, making the shuttle speed up to its destination. To Kenzie, a place like this held too many people itching to get out of such a perfect society and cause some destruction. While everyone wanted to live in a perfect society, that much peace could drive a person mad. Kenzie didn't know what she would do if she couldn't ever use her blasters or her lightsaber.

She twirled around one of her very long braids of cyan-colored hair while her red eyes darted and bounced around the shuttle, searching for her long, black, hooded coat. She found it, threw it on, and clicked her lightsaber at her hip. Claiming to be a Jedi and using her mind tricks on the guards made getting in there with vibroswords and lightsabers too easy. If only they weren't so stubborn about blasters...

"Hey, cap'n! We're about tuh land! Get ye arse to the front!" The pilot yelled at her.

"Watch your karkin' tone with me, Kein! Are you the one finding recruits?! NO! YOU don't have to worry about the guards and security catching on to what we're doing! You just FLY THE KARKIN' SHIP!!" She yelled back at him as she jumped up to the roof and latched onto a bar that was hanging a bit. Within seconds, the bar lowered, and the blast shield, which also served as a big door to load on and off the ship, slowly slid open. She grabbed the safety bar on the side and stared down at the city, smiling at the hopes of finding more people to bulster her numbers in the fleet. She had high expectations.

"No need tuh yell, cap'n, geez! We'll be landin' in a sec or two," the pilot said over the comm. She chose not to respond, watching the city get closer and large as they neared the docking bay. Things couldn't go that bad, could they? If anything, once her and the recruits made it out safely, she'd just have the fleet bomb the shit out of the station and call it a day.

 

[RollingThunder]

Hannibal waited patiently for the large Ongree male to hand him his canister of wine back. The Ongree took a vicious swig of the drink, only half of it actually entering his mouth while the majority would dribble down his chin and onto his chest. Hannibal reached for the canister, hoping to salvage what was left of the watered down substance. The Ongree retracted.

"The human must wait his turn."

"You've been babysitting the damn thing for fifteen minutes now!"

Hannibal would often go to the docking bay in search of cheap goods, most of which were tax free. On this day he happened to run into a frigate that happened to have a ration of Correlian wine they wanted to offload. Hannibal was more than happy to oblige. Problem was his temporary partner was drinking up the majority of his wares. Hannibal shrugged and cracked open an untouched canister. Maybe the Ongree had the right idea. Before he took a drink he looked to the Ongree one last time.

"You better pay me back!"

 

[Vindictive]

The shuttle landed in the docking bay in due time, only barely missing the roof of the open garage area. They landed beside a frigate with two curious men standing beside it; one human and an ongree. Kenzie hopped out of the shuttle after clipping on her utility belt that had two sheathed vibroblades dangling from the left side. Almost immediately, one of the bay security officers approached her, his rifle strewn across his chest with his index finger on the trigger, ready to fire at a moments notice. Kenzie nearly giggled as her pilot jumped out of the shuttle in the same crude manner as her.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to surrender your arms. Weapons of any type are not allowed on the station," he said, holding out his hand. Kenzie cocked an eyebrow before biting her lower lip. She was partially hoping he would try to attack her, but knew it was against their protocol. Then she reminded herself; they weren't there for a fight. They were there to recruit.

"I have permission to carry my blades, officer. So if you would please, get out of my karkin' way," she spat. She could feel the anger coursing through the veins that popped out of his forehead. She was pulling strings and she knew it.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I wasn't notified. Until I am, you'll have to-

"Hey, ye nerf-herder, back off of the lassy! She ain't done nothin' wrong," her friend said.

"I'll have to ask you to calm your tone of voice," said the guard.

"Or you'll what?" Kenzie challenged. The guard went to grab her arm, probably in an attempt to arrest her, but was unsuccessful when she grabbed his wrist instead, put her free arm on his shoulder, and slammed him into the side of the shuttle. The rest of the bay stood still and watched in awe and astonishment. "Let me make myself transparently clear, officer," she started, "I have a fleet that will blow this station out of the fabric of space and time if any harm came to me. You're not in Imperial or Hutt space, therefore no help will come willingly. I am carrying my karkin' blades and my karkin' darksaber for karkin' self-defense."

With that, she rammed her knee into his kidney and let him fall to the ground. She watched as he held his side as if it would make the pain go away. "Pfft. Humans," she spat as she started to walk away from him, ignoring the eyes that continued to rest on her. They made their way to the desk beside the entrance to the terminals which led to the city and dropped a few credit chips in front of the Twi'lek girl, who sat there dumbstruck that she just witnessed violence in her perfect city. "Make sure nothing happens to the ship, honey," she said. She gave the bay one last look, her eyes resting on the human and the ongree. She couldn't understand why, but there was that hunger and thirst in his eyes. It was as if he hadn't eaten in days, and was desperate for some extra coin. Perhaps she had found her first recruit? Or a new ally? There was only one way to find out.

She casually strolled over to him, twirling her long, cyan braid once again before stopping in front of them. She popped a lollipop in her mouth before eyeing the human once more. "You hungry, guy?" She asked. The ongree looked as if he were about to say something until she shot a deadly glare at him. Her person of interest was the human, not him. Casually, she picked up a few of the cantines, had her pilot pick up a few, and laid down a few more credit chips to pay for them. "C'mon. I'll get you something to eat," she offered, popping the cap off one of the worn bottles and took a big swig of the watered-down wine. It tasted like fodder, but it still did the trick.

Without waiting to see if he followed, she turned and made her way to the door with her pilot trailing behind. She gave the man another glance, as if beckoning him to follow, the continued on her way. This was the first test to see how far he would go, if he were looking for a life like theirs...

 

[RollingThunder]

Hannibal wordlessly took the credits and shuffled to his feet. He shot a sly smile and the Ongree and started to follow the woman.

As he walked away he looked back to the Ongree one last time.

"Watch the merch, I'll be back in an hour or so."

He followed the woman. She was alright looking, but he could smell her crazy a mile away. She also didn't look like the charitable type. She probably wanted something. Maybe his blaster, maybe his wits. It didn't bother him none. He'll play her for now, get a free meal, then head back to his wine.

 

[Vindictive]

They walked through the door casually, Kenzie eyeing her new acquaintance once again, seeing if he'd be willing to join her crew. "You seem like you've had it rough," she finally said. They passed through the halls and made it to the large, open, beautiful lobby of the space port, where shuttles and rent-a-speeders could take you to any part of the massive station. She tipped the man at the front a few more cred chips for one of the speeders, and casually scanned her finger for identification.

"I've got something of a proposition for you, if you're willing and have what it takes," she confessed, leading them to the speeder garage.

 

[Bubák]

A blue skinned Twi'lek girl nervously looked around, hoping to see no security officer or the thugs she had lost a few minutes before. Her outfit consisted of tight black leather suit, gloves, black over knee boots, night vision goggles and a simple belt. The belt had a belt spat attached, trying to hide the holster sheathing her double-barreled blaster as well as a pouch full of credits. The girl looked like some sort of an assassin, an experienced killer, though that couldn't have been farther from the truth. The Twi'lek had not combat training or experience whatsoever, the blaster and the outfit only useful for keeping people away. It usually worked, but it did not help her with the guards after she docked with her newest ship. Sinya'forta originally intended to sell the ship for a very cheap price, then steal a new one and get away, but the security officer wanted her weapon. Without that, she was defenseless, like a prey waiting for it's end. Running past the guard deeper into the station, she left the stolen ship behind.

Sinya hated this kind of life, all the running away, but it was too late to turn back. Her first theft was supposed to be her only one, but the owner didn't like his ship being stolen by the teenage girl. Not only that, he called someone connected to the Hutts, and the young Twi'lek found herself pursued by two goons ever since, forcing her to be constantly on the run, stealing ships to confuse her pursuers before they found her again. The Wookiee and the Zabrak had proven to be real hounds, not letting their prey get away, which almost made her think they were playing with her, enjoying the hunt. Her quick feet always outrun them both, but there were times when the two mysteriously stopped when they could have gotten her.

Through the crowd of people, she spotter a familiar figure. The big, brown furred Wookiee towered above most people, which made him instantly recognizable. Sinya turned on her heels, springing away, pushing through the mass of people, knowing she could not go to the security as they have probably already discovered she was wanted for theft. Several, actually. And there she was again, running away from her problems. The teenager wanted to get to the lobby and 'borrow' one of the shuttles, but she bumped into the second familiar figure, the brown skinned Zabrak with scary tattoo in his face. "There you are, young lady!" grinned the man at the shaking Twi'lek. With the Wookiee behind, he was the only thing standing between her and freedom.

"You have a wrong sentient," she said, trying to persuade him, but her voice shivered just as much as her body. The Zabrak put his hands across his chest, grinning. Sinya noticed he did not have a weapon. Not like he would need it, the Wookiee could tear her apart with his bare hands. The imagination roused the teenager to reach to her hip, quickly pulling out her gun and aiming it at the Zabrak. "Get out of my way, kriffer!" she yelled, her hand shaking, struggling to pull the trigger. She was a mechanic, a thief. Not a killer. Her indecisiveness gave the second pursuer enough time to finally reach her and grab her from behind, his strong arms lifting the girl and making her drop her weapon in surprise. The Zabrak quickly picked it up and hid it, noticing the strange looks of everyone who saw the scene. "She is an Imperial spy," he explained, "We're taking her to an interrogation." That was enough to make people lose their interest.

Taking her into a corner, away from the prying eyes. The Wookiee let her go and blocked the way with the Zabrak. "You have been a very bad girl, Twi'lek. Stealing and lying. Such a bad girl needs to be punished," snarled the Zabrak, pulling out Sinya's gun, aiming at her head, "But killing someone with such a fine body would be a waste." The man glanced at her breatsts, "Although you would run away, right? Well, we'll have to ruin your body a little bit to educate you out of that nasty habit." The blaster now pointed at her left knee. "It's over, Twi'lek." Sinya closed her eyes, holding her breath as she expected the blaster to fire any second and rip off her leg. She heard a click.

Opening her eyes, she saw the thugs staring at the gun in surprise. What happened? "That blasted thing is not even loaded!" yelled the Zabrak, searching his pockets for a blaster pack while the Wookiee just stared at the blaster, still not understanding why the weapon did not fire. Using the moment to push through both thugs and race towards the shuttles. "Get back, bitch!" said the Zabrak's voice, followed by a shower of blaster bolts coming from the gun. It hit and wounded, possibly killed a few people between the two thugs and Sinya. That did not stop the teenager, she kept running for her life, the Wookiee and the Zabrak behind.

 

[Vindictive]

Commotion could be heard off in the distance. Unusual. Typically, the guards who were armed to the teeth ran to the scene, hiding behind cover as the ones firing, she assumed, did the same. Curiously, she cocked an eyebrow. "The proposition may have to wait, if you were considering accepting. Who knows, maybe you won't be alone either," she said to their guest. Without waiting for a response, she ran towards the scene, drawing the two vibroblades strapped to her hip. She twirled them, adjusted the balance, then rested them in reverse-grip.

Carefully, she shoved a few of the running crowd out of the way until she bumped into a blue-hued Twi'Lek who was running full force. She was knocked on her rump. She stood back up casually and eyed the girl. Her eyes were frightened, her heart was racing, and her features screamed that she was the one who the peace-disturbers were after. Kenzie simply grinned. "Pick up your blaster, girl. I'll need some cover fire," she said, stabbing one of the guards that ran by and calmly kicked the blaster rifle over to the girl. Once they left, that station would be no more.

Without delay, she rushed into the heat of the violence, artfully dodging stray bolts as they soared by. She sliced any who stood in her way, which were mostly guards, before coming up on a whole brigade of them which were blocking off a small alley. One by one, they got picked off by blaster fire from deep in the alley. These guys were worse than clone troopers when it came to aiming. She decided that it would be an appropriate time to have a little fun with her saber.

She pulled out the glistening hilt and hit the grey button close to the top, and grinned as the black core of the darksaber emerged, glowing bleach white all around. She twirled it, letting it sing a tune almost, making it sound different than any lightsaber seen in years. She dashed forward and started to play hack-and-slash with the guards, forcing the pieces and limbs of their body to fly through the air like a lasmower cutting bushy grass on dantooine. She finally made it to the last man, and the shots from down the alley stopped. He backed away until he was by the wall. Her grin became evil as her free hand twirled her braid around.

"You've been a naughty guard, haven't ya?" She said, glaring down at him. He shot a couple of bolts, but they were deflected to the ground by the darksaber. When Kenzie was close enough, she slowly ran the saber through his gut, the fire in her eyes brighter and brighter with each pain-staking scream. Finally, he fell, the blade cutting a path through his limp body. The mess was fairly clean. No blood. All wounds cauterized.

Then the instigators of the whole fight appeared. A zabrak who looked as though he were too dumb to understand the word no, and his wookie companion looked like quite the challenge. "Thanks for saving us back there," the Zabrak said, eyeing her up and down. She cringed in disgust.

"You can keep your thanks, karkin' pig," she spat. The wookie growled angrily. She looked back at the blue Twi'lek girl and motioned for her to come over to her. "You giving this lil' lassy trouble?" She barked, keeping her saber at the ready. "Let's hear it from her," she said, looking over at the girl.

 

[Bubák]

The local security reacted to the shooting, actually helping her this time. They did not see a thief, they saw a girl running away from two individuals shooting at her. For the first time in her life, she felt grateful. The two Hutt agents stopped going after her, having to focus on the security. It looked like she'd steal a shuttle entirely unnoticed...

Everyone moved out of their way, or more precisely, everyone without a security uniform started running in the same way as her. Everyone, except one person Sinya'forta bumped into. The teenage girl would have apologized and kept running, but then she noticed the vibroblades. Since she didn't have any uniform, the young Twi'lek firstly assumed the woman was just another one sent to find her. To her surprise, the pretty lady told her to grab a blaster, killing a guard running past them and tossing it to her. Sinya flinched as she saw the act, hesitantly grabbing the blaster rifle. Seeing the ease the woman killed with, the teenager did not dare to protest, her grasp on the weapon growing stronger as she turned around, aiming somewhere. With her inexperience, she did not know how to aim properly, nor she wanted. With the barrel of the rifle pointing towards the floor, she mustered up enough courage to squeeze the trigger, the blaster firing wildly into the floor until Sinya retracted her finger.

It did not hit anyone, yet it still served it's purpose. Most of the guards did not know where to look with shots raining from both sides, and that moment of hesitation was more then enough for the mysterious woman to kill them. The teenage Twi'lek stood there, completely shocked at the display of violence. The woman's swords sliced through any standing in her way, blood pooling all over the floor. Sinya'forta violently shook at the sight of it. She was used to blood, often seeing the butcher from her town working with dead animals, what she was not fine with was the concept of killing. It took her a while, but she realized she was actually helping the woman murder the guards, which made her an accomplice. Heck, she was responsible for all lives lost this day just because she set her foot on the station.

All of that made her feel sick, but the feeling quickly disappeared as she saw the woman pulling out something that looked like a lightsaber. Many thoughts about these weapons started racing through the teenager's mind. Did it work underwater? What was it's power source? How did the hilt not melt so close to the plasma blade? Excitement and curiosity replaced Sinya's fear, she wanted to get the lightsaber so she could take it apart and study how it worked. Stepping forward, carefully dodging pools of blood and intestines, she studied one corpse of a guard hit by the weapon and severed in half. It looked cauterized, but blood and entrails soon gushed out through the delicate crust. Gross! Squeaking and jumping away, she quickly turned to the more important matter, the Jedi (or so Sinya assumed) dealing with the two men who started the massacre.

With the blaster rifle pointed at the Zabrak, Sinya walked towards them, keeping her distance if one of the two decided to attack. It was a weird feeling, looking at them with little to no fear. "You!" hissed the teenager, "You wanted to shoot me and rape me!" Her anger started taking over. The Zabrak tossed away her gun and raised his hands in defense, "No, girl! We were just supposed to teach you a lesson! Just to scare you lil' bit! Now that we saw what you can do, I am sure the Hutts would take you in...along with your friend here!" he nervously glanced at Kenzie.

Sinya'forta threw away the blaster rifle and picked up the double-barreled gun, moving closer to the Zabrak and aiming at his chin, frown on her face. She could end his life right there, finally stop the man from chasing her across the galaxy, having revenge for ruining her life. If she pressed the trigger, the man would never bother her again. Her life would be free of him, and she could finally live her dream, not having to steal and worry about getting caught by him. On the other hand, such actions would only anger the Hutt, possibly resulting in being tailed by a more dangerous group. The Zabrak's death would not solve anything, really. She'd still be hunted, but she'd be no longer innocent. The Twi'lek's body shivered with both excitement of finally having the option to permanently remove the thugs and fear of becoming a murderer. Sinya'forta sighed and lowered down her gun.

She couldn't allow them to walk away just like that though. Aiming at the Wookiee's right leg, she fired both barrels, the recoil almost knocking the gun out of her hand. It served the purpose though, ripping off the Wookiee's leg, making the roaring giant fall. He suddenly did not look so threatening. The teenage girl then moved her arm to the right, the weapon touching the Zabrak's left knee. Slight smirk twirled her lips, watching the fearful expression of the Hutt lackey. It apparently wasn't as much fun to taste his own medicine! Staring at him for a while, thoughtful expression on her face, the young girl gripped the weapon tighter and her hand shot up, shoving both barrels into the Zabrak's mouth and pressing the trigger.

Boom!

His head disappeared in a bloody explosion, spraying blood, pieces of skull and brain tissue behind him. The dead thug slumped to the floor and Sinya'forta sighed. The kill made her feel much better, but also uncertain of her future. "Thank you," the blue skinned Twi'lek whispered, holstering the gun and turning to the 'Jedi', "Thank you for giving me the strength to do it. Is there any way I can repay it? I am a mechanic, or rather was before he," she glanced at the bloody mess, "Started hunting me."

 

[Vindictive]

Kenzie grinned wildly. This girl had the makings. She was capable and seemed willing, if given the right push. "There is something, perhaps," she said, walking over to the moaning Wookie she had shot earlier as he gripped his leg tightly. She simply dug her heel into the wound, then kicked the Wookie as hard as she could in his face. Satisfied, she turned back to the girl. She eyed her carefully, taking in her physique, the passion and desperation in her eyes, and the skills she claimed to have. She seemed unsure, but that was something Kenzie could fix after a few raids.

"Places like these tend to hold some of the galaxy's most vile beings, wrapped and hidden in robes of innocent flesh. It's just a matter of making a small spark that can grow into a wild fire. See, My friend and I," she said, pointing back at her pilot companion with her thumb, "are... freedom fighters. Though the technical term for what we are is 'pirate.' I lead the Du'Sondae'Vagh Pirates, which is the only fleet around these parts."

She began to pace around the girl, not trying to fight or make her feel awkward, but because she couldn't stand still. It was her ADHD nature. "I'm always looking for fresh faces for the fleet. And with you being a mechanic, one of the four factions of the fleet is in need of a leader... A king or a queen, as the title would be," Kenzie explained, twirling around her braid again. She snickered, thinking of ways to make it sound more and more appealing. She knew not everyone immediately wanted to be a pirate, but she knew what being a pirate meant. She knew what being free meant. And she wanted others to know what it meant, whatever the cost.

"It won't be easy," she explained. "If you want to hold such a high seat within the Du'Sondae'Vagh, you'll have to be trained and refined. And we'll have to get you more accustomed to that display of blood lust you showed earlier. Trust me, honey, I know when someone's never killed before. You've got the potential. You just need the courage to pull the trigger," she said. Finally, she stopped and faced the girl, placing one hand on her hip while the other was still twirling the braid.

"What do you say? Wanna give the pirates' life a go?"

 

[RollingThunder]

Hannibal crawled out from under an old dilapidated pylon he had been using as cover, his head still swimming with wine. He walked towards the two women, slipping in a glossy pool of blood on the way. He regained his balance, but he failed to regain his composure.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL SOMETHING TO EAT?!"

He frantically began running his hands through his hair, trying to rid it of flecks of coagulated blood and flesh. He'd had his fair share of firefights and barroom blaster brawls, but this was a bloodbath. An arm lay not ten feet from where he stood.

He poked the pirate woman in the chest.

"I get it. You're crazy."

He then noticed the Twi'lek, he looked at her a moment, perplexed.

"Who are you?"

Then he looked back to the woman with the saber.

"And who the hell are you?"

 

[Vindictive]

Kenzie knew it would be wrong to laugh, but she just couldn't help herself. She nearly cried herself tired from laughing so hard. Once she regained her composure, she said; "Glad to see you weren't hurt. I nearly forgot to extend you an offer to join my scurvy crew." She proudly held out a hand, covered in blood, with a wildly huge smile on her face. "I'm Kenzie Owens, Pirate Lord of the Du'Sondae'Vagh Fleet," she said. She then remembered her original intent of having him follow her.

"C'mon. Let's go get some food. I think you both might be hungry after that fight," she said, once again leading the way through the open, semi-quiet streets of the residential districts. Guards rushed by to the scene to figure out what happened, completely missing all of them. Kenzie had used the force to conceal them physically by bending the light around them. She then deactivated the darksaber and srapped it back into her jacket.

"I do believe I haven't gotten either of your names. Would ye do me the honors?" She asked in a funny accent. She figured it would do no good putting on a fake persona for them to believe was her personality. She was spontaneous. It was her nature. It was caused by her chaotic and checkered history. It was why she couldn't function under the control of oppression such as the empire, alliance, republic, or even the old republic. It made things too... Boring.

 

[Bubák]

Pirates! Having heard plenty of them, Sinya hoped not to run into any at the beginning of her journey. Of course, she had not expected Hutts to hunt her, or the need to steal. If anyone else approached her with the offer of joining such a group, she would have refused. The pacing woman's words made her realize that even a female can command a large group of the most dangerous men in the galaxy. She suddenly felt more confident at the proposal of becoming a queen of one of the fleet's factions. Working with other mechanics to upgrade ships, never running out of resources as she could always take more, seeing her designs in action and having a good look at the galaxy's most advanced ships and technology. Hell yeah! Sinya'forta only worried about her lack of training, but the woman's next words scattered even that problem.

Briefly glancing at the corpse when the pirate leader spoke of blood lust, she frowned. Was it blood lush what had driven her to kill the man? Or a simple revenge? It did not matter, really. She felt really good, as relaxed as she had not felt in years. Whether it was out of shock of actually doing what she did, or that her blood thirst has been quenched, she decided she liked the feeling. Before answering the woman's question, she considered her offer. If she joined the pirates, became a 'queen', she'd never have to fear the Hutts. She'd be able to travel all over the galaxy, doing whatever she liked, having fun and plenty of adventures and even more credits. Bound by nothing but herself, she'd finally start living, enjoying life by full sips, experiencing everything it had to offer. On the other hand, if she chose not to join the pirates, she could as well jump out of the airlock. The pirate leader might not like her not taking the offer, cutting her down on the spot, the Hutts would love to make her their slave, and nothing would change the fact she was a killer now. In the end, it wasn't a choice at all. Freedom or damnation?

Another man, possibly the pirate's associate, appeared on the scene. The young Twi'lek couldn't help but giggle when she saw the man has been hiding behind cover the whole time slipping on the pool of blood. The scene was extremely gory, but the man's reaction was just as amusing. The way the man talked suggested he had already met the pirate leader. The woman, Kenzie, was apparently looking for people to join her fleet. Following her, she noticed the guards just ignored all of them, but quickly remembered the woman had that Jedi magic. If only technology could do that! "I am Sinya'forta," she introduced herself, walking alongside Kenzie, "And I take your offer. Freedom, credits, adventure. Heck, that's all I've ever dreamed of!" she cheerfully exclaimed, completely ignoring what had happened behind her back. She almost felt like a new person.

 

[Zach]

The Arbitium was one of the most advanced space stations Aleyah had been privileged to lay eyes on. The sleek city structure, the open and sunny synthetic atmosphere almost deceptive in nature as the architecture folded over itself in an encased flap of the drifting behemoth. The residential area was a broad term of definition for the area the former Jedi Youngling found herself, seated at a local cantina not far from the docking ports she'd arrived in not even a day before. While she hadn't found lodgings of any kind or attempted an major trading with the few remaining supplies aboard her stolen freighter, the surviving former slaves under her care needed a period of recuperation from their recent travels away from Hutt Space. It was along the Corellian Trade Line that they escaped the murderous clutches of the Hutt Empire, just before the much more frightening and devastating Sith blockaded the entire hyperspace route. It was a wonder they hadn't been able to seal off Manaan since their renewed declaration of neutrality, holding the origin of the precious medical kolto as ransom for their sustained involvement in the galactic war. It was much like older times in history when the aquatic Selkath species began to trade to both sides of the conflict, much like during the Mandalorian Wars so many thousands of years ago.

As Aleyah sat at the bar, she spotted a man that almost seemed stunningly familiar, standing out as a dead ringer for a bounty hunter she'd made the brief acquaintance of in the recently established neutral territory. They'd met for only a moment on Manaan, scoping each other out in the thought of what they were worth to each other; Aleyah, a possible bounty, and Hannibal Foth, a possible contact in reaching the Rebellion. It was here on this station that she continued her search, having left the lowly established civilian resistance coups of Terminus. This place wasn't much like the starport city she'd just seen, considering the cleaner and maintained machinery, the civilized passers that went about their daily routines without needless conflict. It was almost as if the slums didn't exist on Arbitium, though she was sure some region of the Residential District had to be less wealthy than that of the impressive spaceport plaza she was in now.

It was as the young woman began to appreciate the far-off view of distant support beams and mechansims that maintained the structure, faded by the haze of the artificial atmosphere that allowed people to inhabit the entirety of the station. It was almost like the horizon of mountains in the far distance, though no sun peeking over the edge to illuminate the sky in transcendent illumination - only the distant stars sparkling so much like the intoxicating angel dust she'd seen among the slavers in Hutt Space. Those twinkling lights just before meeting the edge of a straw or the heat of a lighter. Whether the substance was smoked, snorted, or even injected, even form of the drug held a certain glint to it with an irresistible pull to anyone's attention it grabs. Just like the distant stars, ready to consume any explorer or desperate crew looking for the slightest hint of sanctuary.

It wasn't long before a scuffle had formed in the crowd dispersing from the landing bay, two scuffy individuals not bothering to keep their pursuit less than obvious. It was almost laughable as a Wookiee, large even for its species, towered over the crowd with a Zabrak bounty hunter - or mercenary, but who could tell - chasing a young Twi'lek through the crowd. With a light, but solid slam, someone rose from behind the other side of the bar and tossed the girl a blaster, drawing her own blades in a sudden effort to defend the little girl. Numerous security guards had taken up arms as well on surrounding sides, placing shots carelessly in the clustered crossfire, but avoiding unnecessary casualties. Only a handful of civilians were injured by the time the area cleared, most harmed by the initial conflict of the firefight. Without a clear view, Aleyah repositioned herself on the other side of the cantina, watching earnestly as the pair was brought forward.

Surprisingly, the security guards hadn't bothered to disarm or repossess the weapons that had been displayed, despite the local rule of neutrality. Supposedly, the more intimidating few could get away with bringing their personal protection with them at all times, but for a young girl, Aleyah had no choice but to forfeit her only blaster pistol, though it couldn't do much more damage than a bad candle burn. Still as she watched, she could tell the security guards held a certain amount of respect for the ongree, almost impressed at her effort to save the child from such cruelties awaited her. If none had intervened, and the bounty hunters caught their mark, it surely would not have been a pleasant ending - except for them, if a bounty reward was involved, but Aleyah had her own bounty to worry about. Keeping a low profile and a level head would do wonders more than involving herself as a glorified hero.

"Places like these tend to hold some of the galaxy's most vile beings, wrapped and hidden in robes of innocent flesh. It's just a matter of making a small spark that can grow into a wild fire. See, My friend and I are... freedom fighters. Though the technical term for what we are is 'pirate.'"

The words rang out from the real hero's mouth, catching the immediate attention of the former Jedi. She'd never had any special training, so she couldn't be considered part of the Order, but her mission now was to find any part that remained of them or the Rebellion. Words like 'grow into a wildfire' and 'freedom fighters' were exceptional leads in what she sought. "Would the technical definition happen to carry on for those in need of such relinquished justice?" Aleyah asked suddenly, her voice projected with a source of strength she had not anticipated from her own mouth. In the moment, the twenty-year old girl had little options but to make contact, and hopefully avoid suspicion from any prying ears looking to round up loose remnants of the Rebellion's supporters. "I might not be a pirate, but I can tell you I know how to handle myself in tight situations," she offered lightly, baiting any of the three individuals near her to take interest and question her motives in speaking out. It could be no surprise after the public display they'd all experienced, but they might take it as an interest in starting up piracy. In her mind, the worst case scenario would be making yet another enemy to hunt her, while the alternative was making valuable friends that could lead her closer to finding the very Rebels she sought. After all, Aleyah saw a better relationship behind the gun, rather than in front of it, lest she end up like the crippled wookiee or the decapitated Zabrak.

 

[Vindictive]

Kenzie smiled as she heard Sinya's confirmation upon her request. Sinya had agreed to join the fearless fleet that stood against all opposition to the right of freedom granted at birth to any living sentient. Kenzie had to stop herself from going into philosophical thoughts on birth-rights and murders, which she found herself doing quite often. "Welcome to the crew, Miss Sinya," she said.

Then, something caught her by surprise. Another girl, seemingly close to Kenzie's age, had approached them and mustered some courage to talk to them after, she assumed, watching the bloodbath that occurred just moments ago. What surprised her most was that she picked them out as if they were in plain sight, even though she had been using the force to cloak themselves from the naked eye and to plain sound. It was an interested curiosity that drove her to try and probe the girls' mind for answers, but couldn't break through the mental barrier, whether she intentionally tried or not. This girl was either Sith... Or a Jedi.

Either or, her question still peaked her interest. Her immediate force abilities also caught her eye. "So... That little fiasco's caught your eye, eh?" She asked in response. "I'm sure we'll find out how well you can handle yourself. But if you're wanting to join my company, you have to be willing to pay the price," she explained. "In case it wasn't obvious, you'll witness a lot of innocent people dying. Such is the price for being a pirate and living outside of oppressive rule. Can you watch shit like that happen, and be alright with it?" She asked. She had a feeling this girl was going to get her fleet of lowly pirates down a road in which they will never be the same...

 

[Zach]

Aleyah's mind began to drift sullenly, almost as if she was no longer even a part of the involvement. She heard the pirate's words, but put no meaning to them aside from those that stood out as potential contacts for the Rebellion. Without the formal training before separated from the Order as a youngling, Aleyah could not focus her connection with the Force to a point of accurate measure. With her only mentor dead and only the skills with which to survive, she only found solace in meditation. Before arriving on the station, it was in one of these trances that drew her to Arbitium in the hopes of finding more information. "So... That little fiasco's caught your eye, eh?" she asked cooly, sizing Aleyah up before continuing. "I'm sure we'll find out how well you can handle yourself. But if you're wanting to join my company, you have to be willing to pay the price. In case it wasn't obvious, you'll witness a lot of innocent people dying. Such is the price for being a pirate and living outside of oppressive rule. Can you watch shit like that happen, and be alright with it?" Aleyah didn't know if her offer was intentionally a cold one, but she knew the pirates' must not have kept around the safest occupational living standards. Still, they seemed to be a type of those who knew how to handle their work - and a job from the right people could save lives.

She strengthened her resolve in the face of the intimidating pair before her, not quite shielding herself, but refusing to succumb to the instant urges her nerves were screaming. She'd just witnessed a straight out execution in broad daylight. It was just, in its own way - but fell far from how the Order would look upon acts of justice. "I'm young. That doesn't mean I haven't seen plenty of death," she said confidently. Her loss of Tyrion when escaping Hutt Space still throbbed at the inside of her chest, her expression never changing from the solid sheet of ice she kept on display. "The Sith saw to that when they practically destroyed Coruscant. They saw to a lot more once they moved to the Corellian Trade Line," she pointed out in flow, moving her stance of experience in death to a more tactical route that the pirate might find a particular interest in. "Jobs might not be as easy to come by with Imperial patrols all over the blockades. Then, there are those that find work in making way around those emplacements," she concluded, refusing to hint any more at her intentions. There still may have been ears in every corner, and Aleyah didn't have a comfortable enough feel for a sense of security. If they were to continue their engagement, it would need to be brought elsewhere.

Aleyah eyed the captain and her newest signed addition to the crew, hoping they wouldn't cast off her interest as a mere ramble of current galactic events. If they took the bait, she might even be willing to invite them aboard her own ship at a professional courtesy, but hoped they would retain the classic desire for home-terf. The stolen freighter wasn't exactly designed with a dining room hologram, rather filled with numerous former slaves still recovering from either sickness or injury. Their time on Manaan improved their casualties, however those that survived still seek for lives to pick up somewhere to be considered safe from the Sith or Hutts.

 

[Vindictive]

Kenzie failed to hold back a sly grin. Either this girl had connections to a bigger picture against the ruling body over the galaxy, or she had just found her next crewman. She could feel the determination in her voice, the stubbornness that wouldn't allow her to give up. "Alright. We'll test your mettle," she said. She turned and faced back towards the hanger that they just came from. "If your ship is nearby and you don't want to let it be destroyed, I'd suggest going to it and meeting us at these coordinates," she added, handing a datapad to her without looking back.

"Alright, young and new scurveys! Let's get to the fleet and blow this place off the galactic trade-route!" She announced to her companions that were walking with her as she led them back to her ship. She had enough of the government-raped peace that plagued the station.



[Sorry it took so long, mates! I had gotten really busy! The faction is still happening, so everything wasn't done in vain!]