Ask A Tale of Two Accents

[Laeonas Tannaras]

The diagnosis came in relatively quickly, and the man couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Far from a shattered pelvis, there was a three millimeter crack in his tailbone. Also, he was still partially inebriated, but that was a much smaller concern. The treatment was an hour long bacta dip, which even than was a bit excessive for such a minor injury. Regardless, by the time he got out, it would be like he'd never even been injured at all.

It wasn't long after that the man was discharged from the hospital. Laeonas didn't know where his "friend" had ran off to, though if he were investigating, that meant he was most likely still in the hospital. Rather than head out the front door, the man would weave through the hallways, following signage until he got a proper sense of direction. Through the hallways, he'd eventually come upon a room "101", marked "patient filing." Reaching out, he sensed a presence inside-- and he would wait around a corner turn for the presence inside to leave.

As he waited, several nurses, doctors, or general attendants would pass through the hall. All gave him passing glances, confused by the presence of a patient who wasn't either being wheeled somewhere, laying in a hospital bed, floating in a tank, or actively leaving. One older doctor would ask, "what're you doing, just standing there like that?" To which Laeonas casually replied, "vibin'." The Zeltros were an easy going people by nature, so even the old crone of a doctor didn't bother pressing, simply adding, "make sure you don't stay for to long." before shimmying off.

When he heard the click of the door opening, the human pulled back, trying to look as casual as he possibly could. How stupid the man would feel as Senin walked right out, strolling off down the hall towards the waiting room. His jaw slackened a bit at the stupidity of what had just happened, but he pulled himself together. As he prepared to call out and catch up however, the man held off. Than, a smirk appeared on his lips.

Laeonas followed after the redhead from a distance, making sure to remain just out of sight as he followed after him. Only when Senin arrived in the waiting room did Laeonas close much of the distance. Finally, when there was only about a meter's distance between them, the man stretched out and arm and tapped his shoulder. "Ya've got shit peripherals." He declared, smirk widening into a grin as he slung his arms around Senin's neck. He simply held him there for a moment-- but gradually pulled away soon after it passed.

"...before Ai ask whatcha found out in tha filin' room, Ai gotta ask about... well, yesterday." He began, before clarifying, "tha actual yesterday." His tone seemed far more serious than it had just seconds earlier, as Laeonas would turn Senin around so he could face him directly. "Ya told me this mornin' th'at nothin'appened yesterday. Ai thought th'at Ai'd woken up tha mornin' after we got back from tha 'ospital." He explained, the human's expression growing much more concerned.

"...'fore Ai even ask why ya didn't, Ai gotta ask again-- did somethin' 'appen yesterday?" He reiterated, raising an eyebrow expectedly. It was clear that, this time around, Laeonas wanted the full truth. Senin had already been caught in a lie once today, and now, Laeonas was far to suspicious to let another one slip through.

​

@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

While Senin walked toward the waiting room, he had the sensation that he was being followed. He wondered if it was one of the Hospital workers that had seen him walking out of the archives. Although it really was one of them, the Acolyte was certain that they would have stopped him as soon as he appeared in the corridor.

In a busy place like a Hospital, it would be common to have people walking after you in a corridor. This way, Senin controlled his impulse of turning and punching the person on the face. So far, he wasn’t being threatened. There was no reason for him to be violent.

When he reached the waiting room, he felt that the person was closer to him than before. He was already prepared to turn and face them, but stopped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Laeonas’ voice. This explains who was after him. “Yeah, thankfully I have you too look at my rear.” Senin winked at the man. He didn’t forget how the man had pinched this part of him early this morning.

After Laeonas said that they needed to talk about yesterday, Senin nodded and sat on one of the chairs of the waiting room, inviting the older man to sit next to him. He was already planning to talk with him about it anyway. “Well, everything started after we woke up yesterday after our wonderful night together.”

Then he told everything. Their bath together, the problem with the concierge of the Acolyte’s penthouse, the second accident, their dinner, Laeonas calling his ancestors as cannibals, the Brentaalan running away and finally how he had found the older man so drunk that he told that he was dead. “At first, I thought that you had forgotten only about what happened at the dinner. I was going to tell you about it, but I wanted for you to recover from the intoxication first. Then you fell and we needed to go to the Hospital. When we arrived there I noticed that you drank so much that you forgot about everything that happened yesterday!”

“Look, I know that you are probably going to say why I’m still there after you said that about my ancestors and are probably planning to go drown in alcohol again. But you need to understand Laeonas that there is a thing called forgiveness.” it was so bizarre a Sith talking about it, but forgiveness was something that Senin’s mother taught him when he was still a child. After so many years, he still knew how

“I know that it’s something rare nowadays, but I forgave you! There is no need for you to run away and get drunk again. I care for you, I don’t want to see you die due to too much alcohol.” Senin had spoken this part a bit too loud and the other people at the waiting room were now looking at them. The Acolyte didn’t care for them, he only wanted to make his friend understand that he wasn’t mad at him anymore.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"What would ya do without me?" He coo'ed, a playful smirk flashing across his lips. His whole stay on this world was meant to be a vacation, and as he'd discovered, there was nothing quite as fun as vacationing with a... "friend." Ofcourse, disaster after disaster had gotten in the way of their vacationing, and Laeonas' shirk away from the redhead might as well have been a microcosm of the entire experience. There were times to play, and there were times to work-- and this was a moment for the latter.

"Be honest." Laeonas whispered, immediately following Senin's first line. He didn't need to remind Senin of how much he disliked being lied to, with the memories of the morning still fresh in both their minds. He could choose to tell the truth, or tell a lie and hope to get caught, which Laeonas had proven would be a difficult task. Either way, the man would listen carefully, intent to discern which choice Senin made.

But after hearing it, the man wished he hadn't brought it up at all.

At first, things were believable; a risque bath, a fight with some rude prick. All were things the man could picture himself doing, mostly because his memories of doing them were beginning to reemerge. Yet as the story moved from scantily clad cops to the man making culturally insensitive comments, the memories started to grow less pleasant. The man's expression, which had at that point been that of a furrowed brow and pursed lips, shifted to one of worried eyes and a look of genuine distress. Along with being told about his disgusting behavior, his mind was letting him relive it.

By the time Senin moved onto explaining himself, Laeonas had unconsciously taken a few steps back. The redhead's words flew right over his head, as it had become filled with images of bottles, and his "friend's" expression after hearing what the Brentaalan had said. "Oh gawd..." he muttered, placing a hand on his forehead. With them both standing near the entrance to the waiting room, the man pushed past Senin, sitting in a nearbye chair.

It was only after Senin uttered the word "forgiveness" that Laeonas bothered to pay attention to what he was saying again. As he explained how he felt-- about what Laeonas had done, about Laeonas himself, and about how he simply didn't want the man to die... it left him sitting, back hunched forward as his face was buried in his palms. Drinking was so much easier than this-- would death be to? That was a thought that had been cropping up more often as the years went by, and apparently, it was something Senin cared about to.

"...th'at... just ain't 'ow it works where Ai'm from." The man whispered, choking the words out, already on the verge of tears. "If ya wrong someone... ya pay 'em back, or they pay ya back. Ya don't ferget-- ya don't fergive, cus th'at makes ya either wrong... or a coward." He hissed, clenching his jaw as he sat still. "If Ai fergave tha people th'at wronged me, if Ai fergot what Ai 'ave, Ai'd be a weak idiot th'at didn't take what was owed ta 'im." The man finished, voice trembling between frustration and utter despair.

"...But yer not just... not just fergivin' me, yer... yer carin' fer me." He breathed, eyes widening a little, almost as if he hadn't recognized what had happened. "Yer givin' it without... any terms. Ai wronged ya, but ya still wanna be mae... friend." He went on, repeating all Senin had said just so he could fully understand it himself. "Not afraid of bein' taken' advantage of, or 'avin' it 'appen again, or... or anythin'."

It was such a simple idea; to give, without the expectation of something to be given in return. It was an idea that didn't exist on a world where profit was gospel, and breaking even was the first commandment. For a boy that grew up in the slums, fighting for everything he had... there was no forgiving what was owed, not unless he wanted to starve, or be taken advantage of again and again and again. He'd clung to those lessons like they were given to him by God, and now, they were being unraveled, right before his eyes. That it was he who'd taught himself, he who'd placed them at the apex of all he believed... it was a survival mechanism.

But... even God made exceptions.

"...if yer no longer mad... Ai'll... Ai'll still make it up t'ya." He stammered, rising to his feet after a few moments. "Yer fergivin' what Ai owe ya, but Ai ain't gonna ferget it." He declared, his expression a little less distraught. He paid no attention to the others in the waiting room staring at the two of them, or the doctors bustling past them. All that mattered in that moment was Senin, and whether or not he took Laeonas' promise to pay him back seriously.

​

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@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Senin watched Laeonas reaction to what he had said. The Brentaalan had walked away from him, stopping near the entrance of the waiting room. He had covered his face with his hand, making the Acolyte wonder if he was going to cry because of it. Considering what happened yesterday, it was very possible.

When Laeonas walked, the G”weneen was already prepared to run after to run after him like how he did last night. This time he would knock the Brentaalan out, without giving him the chance to get drunk again. However, rather than fleeing from the room, the older man sat in a chair. Don’t knowing how to react to it, Senin remained where he was, only watching.

Then he heard what the man had said about forgiveness and how the people in his homeworld dealt with it. This wasn’t that much different from how the Sith understood this concept. Only the weak forgive. A Sith never forgives who wrong them, they feel anger and turn it into power to enact their revenge.

Forgiveness was something that his mother taught him, she always forgave the others. Even when his father would arrive at home drunk and hit them, she never showed anger toward him. Senin always thought that it was silly of her part, even more after he joined the Sith. However, it seemed that he would sometimes do. At least with his friends.

After Laeonas finished talking, Senin walked and sat next to him, gently holding the older man's hand. “I understand that. In G’wenee, forgiveness isn’t something normal, too. However, my biological mother always taught me about it. So, I think that I still do it sometimes.” he smiled, while moving his left hand so his fingers were brushing against the Brentaalan's cheek.

“I’ll wait for the moment that you will pay me.” he would not argue about it, Laeonas’ face showed clearly that he would not accept a no. Then, Senin would give the older man a peck on the lips. “Well, I think that we gave a show to everyone there.” the G’weneen looked around the room, making several people that were staring at them turn away. “What do you think if we go back to your place and read something? I found some articles about speeders that can be very interesting.” the Acolyte winked. He believed that the older man would understand what he was talking about.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

It seemed that both took a lot of inspiration from their mothers. It was just another thing the two men had in common, and that list seemed to get longer every day. The feeling of his hand on his cheek didn't change much; he felt nothing but the relief that came with the self acceptance necessary to not drown in his guilt. No warm fuzzy feelings, no newfound appreciation for the man outside of his capacity to forgive. All there was was a man who'd taken the first steps off a path of constant retribution.

The peck on the lips did finally cause him to crack a smirk though. Looking around, it seemed their observers had gone back to what they had been doing. That much was a relief; the man could barely stand the drama that came with his "friend." If some stranger got involved, he was liable to strangle them. Regardless, he didn't want to spend another minute in this hospital, and at the offer to return home, the man gave him an immediate nod of approval.

"Let's. Ai'd rather we not come back 'ere fer a third taime this week." The Brentaalan stated, before noticing the expression on the redhead's face. At that, Laeonas would raise a single eyebrow, an aquamarine bulging out as he looked at Senin. "...'aight." He replied, a smirk tugging at his lips. "C'mon, let's go grab a cab." He'd add, finally heading out the waiting room, quickly hailing a speeder to take them back to his ship.

The loading ramp closed, and once again he and the G'weneen were alone on his ship. "Aight, so were ya just teasin' about speeders so we could kriff, or did ya pick up on somethin' back at tha 'ospital?" Laeonas asked, turning to face him. "Either way, ya'v got mae attention--Ai remember 'ow badly Ai wanted ta figure this shite out." He said, an inquisitive look on his face.

"So, what're we dealin' with? AI's gone 'aywire? Corpo-sabo-tage? Lay it on me."

​

​

@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

With this situation solved, Senin followed the Brentaalan out of the hospital, where they picked a cab. The Acolyte had lost the count of how many times he had entered in one of these since he arrived on Zeltros. Probably he used more cabs the last few days than in an entire month on G’wenee.

The trip back to the older man’s ship was fast and without any problem. Once he walked through the loading ramp, Senin turned to hear what Laeonas was talking about. “I found something very interesting. I found out that all the vehicles were built by a company called DrawSpeeds. I also searched about it and discovered that it’s relatively new and the speeders produced by it were not only self-piloting, but also eco-friendly.”

“Apparently, the Zoober started to use speeders from this company as part of its new policy of protecting nature. The DrawSpeeds was created by Cilan Draw, who is a Zeltron.” these facts weren’t all that important, but what he was going to tell now was probably the most mind blowing part of the search. “Now comes the most bizarre thing of this entire story. All the survivors of the accident said that they heard a strange noise, like a whistle, before the speeders crashed.”

“I have the feeling that it can really be an act of sabotage, but I thought that we should search if there is any rivalry between it and other companies. This type of thing always appears on the Holonet.” tabloids could be very useful for that. Between the lies that they made, there could always be a bit of truth.

“After we do it, we can visit DrawSpeeds. Its headquarters isn’t far away from there. What do you think?” Senin had no idea if this plan could work. He never was part of an investigation, so everything that he was saying was improvisation. The Acolyte would happily hear any better idea that Laeonas could offer.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"Eco friendly?" The man replied, frowning a little bit at the unfamiliar term. He'd heard it a few times before, mostly in advertisements on the holo about making commitments to lower pollution. Usually, those advertisements were paid for by the corporations who operated the factories that choked Brentaal's skies with dust and smog. More than anyone, he knew of the realities of what corporations cared about. It was the same thing he cared about, the same thing his old gang bosses cared about-- the same thing everyone cared about.

Money.

"Mae guess is th'at their change 'ad less ta do with 'em bein' all about savin' trees, and more about cuttin' whatever costs they could." He said in response to the statement about "protecting nature." "Plenty'f merchants act laike they're doin' ya a faver or th'at they're doin' somethin' nice by sellin' ya somethin', but all they care fer is linin' their pockets." He added, returning to focus on what Senin would say next.

At the mention of a whistle, however, Laeonas' interest became more than a little piqued. "...huh. Th'at's weird." He muttered, stroking a stubble of facial hair on his chin. "...nah actually, th'at makes total sense." He suddenly declared, making sure that he was facing Senin so that he took in all he said next. "Ai took a factory job once when Ai was 17. Shite broke down constantly, and always there'd be somethin' tellin' ya th'at it was about ta blow. A rattlin' sound, a rumble-- anythin' out'f tha ordinary."

"It's... it's probably a problem with 'ow they're buildin' it. Yeah, that'd be it! They prolly wanna make up tha costs fer bein' tree 'uggers by cuttin' checks, or some shite laike th'at!" He declared, excited about how quickly he'd come to a conclusion-- but, the man paused, brow furrowing. "...but we ain't got any proof. It's all speculatin'." The man conceded. He may as well have said that the wills themselves had made the speederbikes crash; he didn't have proof for either, and until he did, all his hypotheses would be unconfirmed.

Senin's suggestion of checking out the Drawspeeds headquarters quickly caught the attention-- and his immediate approval. "It ain't enough t'just guess off what we already know. We gotta dig inta this, find out what's goin' on, and fix it." He stated, pausing, before he added, "...and maybe we can get a bit out'f tha leadership ta keep quiet a'bout it?"

​

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@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Senin nodded in agreement. What Laeonas said made sense. The Ravelo Family had several companies in G’wenee and while he studied to be its future owner, the Acolyte had read how it was common for businessmen to use seals like that of eco-friendly to trick customers to buy more expensive products, but that were of a bad quality.

When the Brentaalan said that he worked in a factory, the Acolyte wondered how many jobs Laeonas had. He was going to ask about it another time, now they have an investigation to do. “What you are saying makes sense. Perhaps the sound that the people are hearing is due to the mechanism that is going to break, being the signal that the speeder is going to crash.”

“We need to see one of these speeders.” Senin said. However, this plan had a problem. How could they investigate it? They wouldn’t be able to find the speeders that crashed. If the company was really the one guilty of these accidents happening, they would have destroyed it to cover their error.

After Laeonas agreed with Senin’s idea to visit the DrawSpeeds headquarters, Senin smiled. “Cool! I read that some parts of it are open to visitors to see how the production is made. Once we are there, we can find a way to look at the parts that they don’t want to show.” the two would probably need to use the Force, but since they now know that they are both capable of doing it, this would not be a problem.

“We will need to call a cab to go there, I think that it isn’t…” he stopped abruptly, finally noticing that they could do something else. “Gato, are you good at dismantling speeders and looking at their parts? We could simply call a self-piloting Zoober and look inside it for the part with problems. Unless you prefer to visit the company.”

If the older man knew how to do it, they would need to call a self-Piloting Zoober and steal it to dismantle. However, if the Brentaalan preferred the visit to the company, Senin would call a cab that would bring them there and once they arrive, they would be able to be part of a group of visitors.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

That was a good starting point. If they were going to find out what was causing the speeder's to crash, they absolutely needed to take a look at one. "If they've got manufacturin' on this planet, we oughta be able t'find what's goin' on." The man noted. Senin would reply with an immediate mention of a production line, and Laeonas felt as if he could kiss the man-- so, he did. "Look's laike we've got ourselves a plan!" He exclaimed, grinning like an idiot.

At the mention of a cab, Laeonas fished around in his pockets, frowning when he realized he didn't have his commlink. "Ai'll call one, 'old on." he asked, turning to head to his room, but he stopped when Senin asked his question. Slowly turning, the man arched an eyebrow, looking as if he were lost in thought for a moment-- before he burst out laughing. When he calmed a little, Laeonas would slowly shake his head, adding, "Darlin', if Ai were steady enough ta learn 'ow ta take apart a speeder, Ai wouldn't be tha scumsuckin', pretty boy kriffin' man standin' 'ere."

With that, Laeonas would head back to his room and grab his comm, walking back out as he'd dial the number-- only to find Senin already on. He opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it. Not long after their cab arrived, the would hop in, and off they'd go to the wonders of the Drawspeeds headquarters. Arriving inside, the lobby would be full of people, mostly in suits that would be considered oddly tight on any other world. Laeonas was starting to notice a... trend when it came to Zeltron fashion.

After waiting on line to reach the receptionist at the front desk, they would arrive, and she'd provide them the same, "Welcome to drawspeeds incorporated headquarters, how may I help you today?" as she had with every preceding guest. The two humans were dressed in more casual attire, distinguishing them from the staff and executives that filled the lobby. "We're 'ere fer a tour." He replied, though the receptionist frowned a little. "Pardon? I can't quite understand your... dialect." She spoke with such barely contained disgust that the man before her's expression would morph into what could only be described as murderous.

Yet the wide eyed human closed his eyes, took a deep breathe, and leaned forward. "Me-and-my-friend-are-here-feeeoooor-a-tour." He slowly sounded out, glaring daggers at the Zeltron before him. She'd looked slightly intimidated when he first looked at her, but her composure had slowly returned as she sat in place. "...ofcourse, sir, and will that be in corporate, or-"

"Production." He cut in, arms crossed. "We're interested in tha company's new eco-friendly initiative especially, and we'd love ta see 'ow yer engineers put everythin' t'gether." He remarked, barely concealing their true intentions behind a mask of tourist excitement. "Ah, that's unfortunate. Our tours in production are currently closed at the moment." She declared, before quickly adding, "would you be interested in any others, or shall I help the next in line."

He took another long, deep breathe. "...Are ya sure there aren't any open?" He'd ask, reaching into his pocket, and placing his palm on the desk. He opened his fingers just slightly, the glint of a credit chip visible-- with it being obvious that there were several.

"I'm afraid there aren't." She'd declare, putting on that slickly smile that drove the man crazy. "Will that be all, or shall I help the next in line?"

​

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@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Senin laughed with Laeonas comment about not being able to take a speeder apart. “Then, we are going to pay a visit to the DrawSpeeds.” the Acolyte was satisfied with it. This would be more interesting than simply stealing a vehicle, with the opportunity for them to have a small adventure. He really missed something like that.

He noticed how Laeonas seemed to be a bit annoyed with him calling the cab. “Sorry, Gato. I did it so many times these last few days that I didn’t even pay attention anymore. But you are going to pay this time.” the Acolyte gave a smile to the Brentaalan. Senin doesn't mind paying for it, but he thought that the Brentaalan could feel bad for having the red-haired doing it all the time, as if he couldn’t afford it.

After a brief trip on the cap, they would arrive at the DrawSpeeds. It was the typical building of a company, like the ones that Senin visited with Maxim. The only difference was that the people wearing suits there seemed to be going to striptease or to work in adult movies. The clothes were so tight that he doubted it would be allowed to be used in companies on any other planet.

The two waited in a line for some time, until they were finally attended by a receptionist. Senin remained in silence, only watching the interaction between her and Laeonas. Her disgust to his friend made the Acolyte furious, he wanted to Force choke her. However, he limited himself to holding the older man's hand, trying to calm him. After all, they couldn’t attract attention for them.

When she refused to agree with Laeonas, the Acolyte decided to try convincing her. “How unfortunate, I was hoping to see the production. My family had heard about your eco-friendly policy and we are hoping to become an investidor on your company because of it. They sent me to visit and maybe make a deal.” Senin said, talking like a businessman. “Maybe we can still see the corporation. Or perhaps we should go visit NexusTransportations, I read that they were going to start a similar project. After all, they care for transparency in their business.”

Then he looked directly into the woman’s eyes. “But first I want to make a complaint to your boss about how you are treating the fianceé of the heir of the Ravelo Family so poorly.” his voice was cold and it would shock the attendant. May Laeonas forgive him for saying that they were engaged, but he was certain that it would make the woman feel worse. She needed to pay for being rude. He only hoped that the Brentaalan would play along with him.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

When Senin made his quip about Laeonas paying the fair, he gave him a neutral stare, hiding the little bit of amusement he felt. Even if he'd taken the whole "paying him back" bit seriously, he couldn't deny that there was humor in the man's joke. "This wasn't what Ai meant, but a'right." He replied, reaching into his pocket and pouring what was due into the till. "Ai swear if ya make a joke th'at bad again, Ai'll... kark, Aidunno, get out." He muttered, shooing his "friend" out of the cab.

--------

"Dialect?" He thought to himself, that seething voice in the back of his mind just stoking his rage. "Yer speakin' basic, not some mongrel 'uttese from tha midrim! Who tha' kark is she ta talk ta ya a'bout not understandin' what ya sound laike?!" The thoughts went on. It took all his self control to keep his thoughts private, and further, to keep his face steely.

It only got worse when she mentioned how their tours were booked. "Ah yeah, Ai'm sure they're closed. Th'ats why ya waved those karks in a couple t's and a blouse off with some cheesily dressed pink fuck just a minute ago, eh?" He thought. Why bother with this? Why not just jump across the desk, grab her by the throat, and demand she personally present them with the speeder in question?

The answer to that question came with the squeeze of his partner's hand. The silent reassurance that he was there, that he endured this as much as he did. The basic reminder of comradery in such a moment of near white hot anger. As simple a gesture as it was, it caused the man to relax just a little bit, lowering his head into his "friend's" neck before he continued. Even still, as the final bribe failed, it didn't work. After taking one last deep breathe, he intended to let the woman hear it--

But once again, Senin stepped in to pull him from the edge. But it wasn't to hold him back-- no, it was to do it himself. In a display that was absolutely cathartic, Senin-- politely-- tore into the woman. He vicariously drank in his "friend's" satisfaction that must've came with putting her in her place. The slow transition of her expression from smug condescension, to concern, to genuine fear was so absolutely fulfilling. He was going to have to do something nice for Senin when they got home; perhaps a-

“But first I want to make a complaint to your boss about how you are treating the fianceé of the heir of the Ravelo Family so poorly.”

"Thafff--FFf--fFFF-" He'd sputter out, practically doubling over as he heard the words. The woman's expression twisted when she saw him emote, but the man near immediately regained his composure, though his pokerface had shattered, the man quickly played it off, forcing a smile. "D-darlin', ya... really should've told me earlier!" He gasped, before sputtering out, "Tha answer is yes ofcourse!" Before forcing a kissing-- not before biting down on Senin's lip as the man looked his partner in the eye. A few people around them began to clap, while the receptionist looked on in a mixture of horror and shock.

When Laeonas finally pulled away, he was looking back down at the receptionist, a look of incomprehensible emotional turmoil in his eyes. "Tours. Please. Now." He requested, that forced smile still on his face. She nodded, waving them over to a now waiting tour guide across the lobby.

"Hello! Welcome to Drawspeeds, today you'll be getting a tour of our production line!" An enthusiastic attendant in a midrim t and denim short shorts answered. There were a few others with them; a morbidly obese twi'lek in a mobility scooter, a middle aged aqualish couple wearing Drawspeeds merch, and large family of Rodians with a bunch of yapping kids.

This was going to be great.

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@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Senin didn't need the Force to notice how Laeonas seemed to be uncomfortable after he heard his lie about them being engaged. The way that the Brentaalan kissed him and looked at his eyes, showed that he wasn’t happy with it. “Gato, I’m so happy! It was going to be a surprise, but someone forced me to do it now.” he said, looking at the woman.

Then, he hugged the older man. “I’m sorry for that, but it was the first thing that I thought to humiliate her and to make her stop talking with you this way. We can talk about it later.” Senin whispered at Laeonas hear, before kissing him tenderly and letting go of the hug. He turned to the attendant. “Now, I really want this tour, please.”

They were guided to where a group of other tourists were waiting for the tour to start. Looking at the people around them, Senin noticed that he and Laeonas were the ones that didn’t match with them. Two young men surrounded by a bunch of tourists that seemed to have come from a comedy holomovie. There were even a bunch of excited people wearing all the merchandise of the company, as if this place was some sort of theme park.

After their guide announced that their tour was going to start, Senin followed her with everyone else. The group would walk through a large door, which was the entrance for the production part of the factory. When they entered there, the group would be able to see several droids working in the first stages of the montage of the speeders.

Alongside the droids, there were also some sentient beings working on it. So far it wasn’t so much different from any other factory. Senin leaned in Laeonas. “We need to pay attention to anything strange happening there. What is happening to the speeders can be due to any small problem there.” he whispered in the older man's ear.

Their guide was going to start talking about what the DrawSpeeds used to do at this place. This made Senin turn his attention to her. After all, even what she was going to say could be useful for their investigation.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Playing along with the performance was probably one of the most agonizing social experiences of the man's life. Forcing smiles, a friendly tone that would cause his voice to crack against his desire to start screaming, and a genuine unease at even the thought of such a commitment made the entire thing worse. Despite it, he had to admit that the performance was an effective one; the receptionist was either so terrified or confused by it that she let them go on their tour without question. But that didn't help make it any less unpleasant.

As Senin whispered in his ear, Laeonas would wait a second to respond, before whispering, "Never pull th'at again." In a tone that could only be described as lethal. Pulling away from the embrace, they would head off with the tour guide. Their investigation could finally begin in earnest, and it didn't take long for things to start getting informative. After all the fluff about the company's founding and some of their early innovations, they'd be presented with a detailed explanation on production-- and a front row seat for the assembly line.

The whole time, Laeonas was silent, lips pursed as he took in every bit of information that he could. It wasn't stuff he would remember, so the man would stay typing on the notes function of his flipcomm. Every painstakingly boring detail about how their speeders functioned and the production process was scrawled across his screen. He'd pay special attention to details on proportion, power, and the actual workings of the engines and any built in GPS. Anything could play a roll, but they were logically the most likely cause of any issue.

Ofcourse, all the while, Laeonas was paying close attention to what the tour guide herself was saying. It was admittedly difficult to keep his focus on the production line, her words, and her assets, so he tried his best to ignore the latter. "Recently we've begun implementing new policies to reduce the environmental impact of production..." She'd suddenly begin, this time grabbing the man's full attention. "...these include several modifications to the design of our new lineup, include a new, superefficient battery-"

"A battery?" The man spoke up, raising a hand. The woman gave him a quick smile, clarifying, "Yes! After several years of research and development, our R&D department put together a battery twice as efficient as some of our competitors! As a result..." she'd go on, blabbering some corporate speak the man quickly tuned out. There it was, a battery-- such a simple answer to their problem. It was the first component anyone might fault for an issue like this one.

Turning to Senin, he'd lean in and whisper, "All we need ta do is nab a battery, and than find someone th'at can crack it open and take a look." The plan was simple, but first, they'd need to figure out how to get their hands on a battery. More specifically, how to do that without getting caught.

​

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@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

While the guide talked non stop about the wonderful things that the DrawSpeeds made at this place, Senin reflected about what had happened early. He didn’t expect that Laeonas would be so pissed with it. His reaction to it was worse than he had expected. The way that the older man whispered to him seemed like a murderous threat.

After this brief contemplation about these events, Senin's attention returned to the tour. The guide talked about each part of the production of a speeder, describing each innovation that the DrawSpeeds added to their products. The Acolyte barely was able to maintain his concentration on what she was saying, because it was all really boring.

The only part where he really made some more effort to pay attention was when the guide talked about the new eco-friendly batteries. Perhaps it could be responsible for the accidents. When he heard Laeonas ask the woman about it, the Acolyte was certain that the older man had thought the same. He wanted her to talk more about it, but she soon returned to the litany about the product and he lost interest again.

While the guide continued babbling about uninteresting things, Senin heard Laeonas whispering his plan in his ear. It was good, but there were some complications. “I agree, but how are we going to do that?” stealing a battery would not be easy. They would still need to find a way to leave this place with it without being caught.

“Do you have any idea of how we can do it?” he whispered back to Laeonas. They were trying to solve a possible crime, the Acolyte didn’t want to end up in a prison because of it. This would be a great irony. “Perhaps we could make some distraction, pick the battery and flee while no one is looking.”

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Senin's mind was in the right place; how was now the primary question that needed answering. Getting their hands on a battery would undoubtedly be difficult; there was security everywhere through the building. Still, the man had a long history of heists under his belt. Sure, the success rate was... low, but he knew what worked, and what didn't. This would perhaps be the most high stakes heist of his career; a thought that brought a slight smirk to his face.

"We've got a good cover; say we got lost in tha middle of tha tour," The man opened, stopping intermittently, "so we won't get arrested unless they catch us in tha act." He whispered, stopping again. The guide showed no signs of suspicion, but she'd doubtlessly pick up on constant whispering if they kept it up. Spacing it out made that all the more difficult for her to notice.

"We'll start fallin' behind." He whispered, waited, than added, "Than, when she doesn't notice, we'll go down another path." They'd been walking along a catwalk above the main production lines for some time now, and many of them were sectioned off, but weren't actually left guarded. Over the next few minutes, the man would walk slower, putting a meter's distance between him and the group, than two, than five, than ten. Once their tour guide wasn't paying attention, he bolted off to the right side, expecting Senin to follow.

The signage was remarkably easy to follow, and they encountered nobody throughout the entire production facility. The entire area was automated, completely emptied of sentient presence. They'd be looking for a few minutes before either would follow the signage to an actual exit. "Finally," The man whispered, before his heart sank. "Sonofa schutta, it's passlocked!" The Brentaalan snarled, angrily banging his fist against the glass.

"We've either gotta find another way, slice it, or wait fer some dumbass with tha right credentials ta walk through tha karkin' door!" He snapped, grasping at his hair with both hands. "Ai knew somethin' laike this would go wrong, Ai knew it, Ai knew it-- KRIFF!" He exclaimed, smacking the glass again. The man would clench his teeth and exhale, frustration radiating off of him in waves. It was such a basic barrier, and yet the man had absolutely no skill in slicing. But...

Slowly, the man turned to his friend, wearing a pleading eye. "D'ya... d'ya know 'ow ta slice?"

​

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@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Senin paid close attention to Laeonas' plan. It was a bit dangerous, there was still the risk of them being caught by someone. With the two being Force users, they could find a way to escape. However, if it happened they would need to completely abandon this investigation. The Acolyte decided to trust in the older man's idea.

While he had committed some criminal acts when living on the streets, Senin never participated in a heist like the one that Laeonas was planning. This way he followed the Brentaalan instructions perfectly, starting by falling behind the tour group. The Acolyte would stay next to Laeo, while walking slower like the other had instructed.

Soon, the distance between the two and the group would have increased. While their guide was distracted explaining to tourists how the DrawSpeeds had the most efficient production line of the Galaxy, Senin saw Laeonas run toward a corridor. Without wasting time, the Acolyte followed him through it. No one had noticed them.

They would follow the signage without any problem. With the entire place being automated, there was little risk of them being seen by someone. "Excellent plan, Gato. The guide didn’t notice us staying behind." he praised Laeonas, but maintained his voice low. "I would never have thought about doing it." he wondered if the Brentaalan had done this type of thing before.

At the end of the signage, they found a door locked with a pass. Before Senin could say anything about it, he watched Laeonas get angry and start to hit the glass of the door. In his head, the scene was funny. The Brentaalan looked like a little boy that was mad because something went wrong.

After the older man calmed down, Senin looked at him with a smile on his lips. "Gato, before you break this glass, I want to show you something." then he pulled a wallet and an identification card from his pocket. "I picked that from one of these guys in tight suits in the main hall. No one noticed." after seeing everyone using one of these cards, he had decided to pick one for them. It could be useful for their investigation. The Acolyte picked the wallet because he wanted some credits.

The Acolyte passed the wallet to Laeonas, while he continued holding the card. "I think that this card can open the door, but we still need the code. See if you can find it inside the wallet." hopefully the guy would have this code writen somewhere. If not, they tried.

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Positive reinforcement was always something he appreciated, and he especially appreciated it from Senin. There was just something about the way his "friend" praised him that stoked the flames of his pride. Perhaps it was how excited the man managed to sound, or the specific way Senin had elevated Laeonas on a pedestal above himself. Even the man himself didn't know why it just felt so empowering to hear Senin sing his praises.

That didn't help to overcome his frustration as he angrily pounded against the glass though. Praise wouldn't open that door, and smashing the glass would be a sure fire way to get thrown in prison. "Ai ain't tryna break tha glass, Ai'm just pissed off!" He snapped at his partner, turning with a frustrated expression plastered across his face-- one that melted upon seeing what was in the man's hand. Eyes widened, and lips curled up in a mix of surprise and joy.

"Perfect." He'd whisper, holding back the urge to shower the redhead in praise. Naturally he'd immediately start rifling through it, ignoring the various credit chips, flying license, insurance cards, and any other bits of identification that were irrelevant. As expected, tucked in there was an access card, one that when swiped opened up the door into the next area. "Kark yeah!" He exclaimed, unable to not give him a quick embrace. Had Senin not grabbed the card they'd have probably had to loop back to that skimpily clad tour guide and try to snatch any access she herself had. Thankfully, that wouldn't be necessary.

Slipping inside, the two men would walk down the main hallway they'd wound up in. The hall was lined with doorways that led into different rooms. Laeonas would do a quick survey of each one, peering into offices, a janitor's closet, and a breakroom. It was all so shockingly mundane that the man could only wonder why an access card would be necessary to get into such a place. It logically followed that there had to be something of value in here.

Before either could explore further, the sound of footsteps would push Laeonas to throw himself through one of the doorways. Whether Senin followed him in was of no consequence-- it was an automatic movement. Regardless, he'd allow the figure who he'd see through the tinted windows pass through the hall, swipe a card, and walk out onto the production line that they'd just been on. Than like that, the two would be alone together again-- ready to continue their search for the battery.

​

​

@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

Senin had a smile on his lips while Laeonas still continued hitting the glass. He knew that the older man was frustrated for not having the codes for the door, but if he turned around and looked at him, this frustration would disappear. The Acolyte could have at his hand the way to open this door.

The Acolyte’s smile grew when the Brentaalan finally turned to look at him and saw the wallet in his hands. “Yes, Gato. I know that I’m perfect.” he said, considering the older man’s comment as if it was a praise for him. “If it wasn’t for my perfect and fast hands to pick it, this investigation was going to end now. I hope that you will remember it, when we return to your place.” Senin winked suggestively.

After Laeonas’ opened the door, he embraced Senin. He wasn’t expecting that, but happily accepted. “Even if I would like to stay close with you, we need to enter there. Someone can arrive and see us.” then, they walked down the hallway. The place wasn’t so different from the other parts of a factory. He thought that it was anti-climatic. Senin expected that there would be something important in this place.

While he looked at the doors of the corridor, the G’wenee saw that one was a storage room. Perhaps they could give a look at this one first. Before he could say it to Laeonas, Senin heard footsteps approaching. He followed the Brentaalan through one of the doorways, where they silently waited for the person to pass.

Once they were alone again, the two returned to the corridor. “Gato, this room is labeled as storage. I think that we could start looking at this one.” would make sense if they hide the batteries there. This would explain why this part of the factory had such security. “We could also see if there is something useful in the offices.”

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Laeonas sure as hell wasn't going to forget Senin's contributions to the heist so far. Between the less appreciated bits in the form of his "proposal," or the masterful demonstrations of skill like his pickpocketing, all of it had been exceedingly useful. Whatever they got out of this, or whatever they gained-- the man would make sure that Senin got his dues. "Obviously you'll get whatcha deserve, darlin.'" He'd reply, biting his lip as he grinned at the other man.

Once the footsteps had passed, the two would remain in the office for a few seconds. Stepping back out, Laeonas would cautiously scan the area, ready to yank Senin back in if anyone else showed up. When nobody did, he slowly slipped back out into the hallway-- while Senin moved past him like they hadn't just nearly been caught. He couldn't tell if that was because of inexperience, or naive bravery. Either way, he'd whisper, "Careful. Move laike ya aren't 'ere."

As Senin pointed out the storage room, Laeonas would give him a nod, but would add, "Can't check to many rooms. We've gotta be out'v 'ere quick, and we can't make it obvious th'at we're 'ere." He explained. It was a fundamental principle in any theft when one was trying to keep a low profile. As the thought crossed his mind, he'd glance up at the ceiling, searching for cameras. He breathed a sigh of relief as he didn't spot any, but he'd whisper, "if we gotta go deeper inta this place, watch out fer cams." The man whispered again.

Opening the door to the storage room, Laeonas would begin rummaging through the shelves. His disappointment grew by the second, as he didn't find any speeder parts. In fact, he seemed to only find office supplies. Datareaders, digital notepads, and all sorts of junk that had been stowed away. "Shite, this is just an office section! We're gonna 'ave ta go deeper." He exclaimed, the frustration in his voice all to obvious.

​

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@LouJoVi

 

[Senin Ravelo]

”I’ll be careful.” Senin said, nodding at Laeonas. He never participated in a heist or an infiltration like this one before. So far, his missions as a Sith never required that he would need to do some stealth. The G’weneen usually would only need to use the Force and his lightsaber. This investigation was a new experience for him.

Now walking carefully, the Acolyte guided the older man to the door marked as a storage room. Senin allowed Laeonas to enter first and start to look around, while he stayed in the corridor to see if someone would arrive. He had decided to follow the Brentaalan’s advice and be careful with their surroundings.

However, when he heard Laeonas saying that there was only office supplies in this storage, Senin abandoned his position in the corridor and entered the room. The Brentaalan was right, the batteries weren’t. “Merda, after we found this locked door, I thought that we would find these batteries there.” he said, while he looked at some digital notepads. “Why do they have such security for a simple office?” the Acolyte would understand if there were some guards, but a passcode was a bit excessive.

“We need to leave this place and continue looking, then.” Senin was frustrated that they found nothing there. They lost some good time at this passcode door when there was nothing useful there. “There is one last door at the end of the corridor. Do you think that could be something there?” if Laeonas already saw it and found nothing interesting, the G’wenee would walk with him out of this place and continue exploring other parts of the factory.

@Tom