Ask Hammerhead Diplomacy

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera tapped her foot quietly to an unsung beat as she waited for Leon to arrive. Iktotch was a hard moon, a world considered inhospitable by galactic standards. However, the Iktotchi ground out an existence here anyway. It was inspiring to Hera to see the results of the horned sentient utilizing their innate precognition to improve upon the standards of their own lives. However, she had not called her Padawan here to simply take in the sights and appreciate the local's tenacity.

They had come here for assets. Specifically, three Sphyrna-Class Hammerhead Corvettes. Hera had a soft spot for ships based on ancient designs, she felt drawn to that old way of space life with smaller, more simple vessels. Unfortunately, the vessels Hera was after were not exactly for sale. But the Jedi Master hoped that she and her Padawan would be able to 'convince' the previous owners to change their minds.

The room she waited in was a large, underground hanger. The Durasteel doors above them were sealed shut as a powerful dust storm wracked the planet. She could hear the whipping of the winds buffeting the steel even from dozens of meters below the surface. Leon would be somewhere deeper in the 'spaceport,' making his way towards her from where shuttles dropped off passengers. She made sure that he found his own transportation to this world instead of just taking him here. Jedi needed to be able to navigate the galaxy on their own, keeping a low profile when necessary and not drawing unnecessary attention.

Making Leon figure it out himself was just one of the ways Hera 'taught' her students. Smiling to herself, she wondered if he had been able to keep his identity hidden, or if some random injustice had brought it out.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon Baudelaire was the very picture of what a Jedi should be… when he wasn’t throwing dice on a spaceport on Iktotoch. “Boom! That’s seven, credits in, credits in, credits in, c’mon, what are the chances I’ll roll another seven?” He barked, sporting his mischievous little smirk.

“Cheater!” wailed an Iktotchi in protest, The Padawan didn't miss a beat, “Sebby, baby, do I look like a liar?” asked Leon with a wounded expression.

“Roll them again!” barked the horned sentient.
Leon didn’t like his tone but shrugged his smile widening, “Am I hearing, double or nothing, Sebby?”
“I said roll’em!”
“You heard the man, right Terry?”
“I heard’em,” said a nasally voice twi’lek.

Leon cooked the dice a moment in his left hand then let them fly. The six-sided die bounced off the cardboard box, the first die came to a top on two, the second rolled once starting to roll again when it slowed, balanced on the edge for a breath, then fell landing with a five face up. Leon whooped, pumping his arm in victory.

“Woo-oof!” he muttered as his torso was bent over the dense flat face of Sebby. Weightlessness carried him into the rough embrace of the ground, but Leon was already reacting. He tumbled over his right shoulder then sprang to his feet and delivered a spinning back kick directly into Sebby’s sternum. It was Sebby’s turn to grunt as he stumbled a few steps back. Leon’s mischievous little smirk spread into a wolfish grin, “Where I’m from, challenging someone’s honor is enough to get you killed,” he sank into the force finishing with, “You’re lucky I’m just gonna settle for kicking your ass.”

Berchest, for all of the harm it caused, had sharpened his combat skills finer than he’d ever dreamed. Add that to his utilization of the Emryc Throne Routine and Elloran martial arts and Leon Baudelarie had rounded himself out from being a fine Adumari duelist into a very capable fighter. He could feel the force pulsating across his body. Leon moved.

Crackling sparks of golden electricity ripped across his hand as he started to punch, fear flooded his being, his connection to the force weakened and Sebby’s rock hard horned head collided with Leon’s chest. The wind was driven out with such severity that for a split second he didn’t think he’d ever breathe again, but his misstep wouldn’t end him, Sebby wasn’t a Sith Master. The Iktotchi swung with a wide right, Leon intercepted the attack and tossed the bigger guy over his hip. Sebby landed with a thud. Still in control of the Iktotchi’s arm, Leon slipped it into a standing arm bar and started to apply pressure.

“Alright, ALRIGHT! Argh– I give!” grunted Sebby. Leon let him go. The Padawan scooped up the winnings and wiped the blood from his nose. You could take the street rat out of the city, but you couldn’t take the city outta the Rat. “Nice playing, fellas. Terry tell your mother I said hello,” he counted out twenty credits and handed it to the Twi’lek, “Buy your niece something nice, huh?”

Leon straightened his blastvest, ran a hand through his wild hair, trying to push it out of his eyes, spit on the ground, gave a two finger salute and took off. As soon as he turned away the veneer of good fortune stripped away. What in the hell had that electricity been? Had he dipped into the dark side in that fight? Was he losing it? He grabbed the hilt of his lightsaber, hidden under his poncho and held it tight. The weapon’s warmth was a comfort as he made his way to the rendezvous point.

The Padawan had already been on numerous missions and any naïveté about the galaxy had been stripped away before he’d ever left Adumar. He rounded a corner and hopped on a rail heading the direction he needed to go. He rode for a few stops, then connected to the next and got off just outside the hangar. He poked his head into the vast room, spotted Hera and made his way to her.

“Master,” he said with a bob of his head. Just like anytime he felt awkward, Leon crossed his arms and picked at the “X” shaped scar on his cheek.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera smiled as Leon entered the hangar, walking over to him as she would anyone else. Then, quick as a flash, she flicked his fingers picking at the scar on his cheek, "Leave it alone or it won't go away properly. There are creams for those things you know!" At that, she laughed. She hadn't even noticed that Leon arrived late to their meeting. If the Jedi council thought that Hera was going to put some discipline into Leon, they were sorely mistaken.

Hera was many things, and among those many things, she thought there were qualities of a good Jedi. Some of those things would be passed on to Leon through their training and interactions, however, punctuality and a general sense of urgency were not something Hera was capable of teaching. Can't teach something that you have no concept of, after all. Beckoning him to follow, she headed towards the back of the hangar where a small door lead to an elevator that could take them to the surface.

As they walked, she described the plan, "Iktotch, wonderful planet, virtually inhospitable on the surface. So the surface is where we are headed! There are three Hammerhead Corvettes up there, part of some rich Iktotchi's personal collection. They're not in use and they're just being weathered away by the duststorms of the surface. Seems like a waste, right? So we're going to convince him to sell us the corvettes or give them away as a tax-writeoff to one of my mercenary organizations. "

As she walked, her lightsaber hilts clacked gently against her green armor from beneath her Master's cloak. That green armor she wore almost everywhere was a staple of the smiling master. Hera personally felt more comfortable in it than in anything else anyway, there was something about the feeling of armor weave that gave her joy. Looking over to Leon, she asked, "Leon! Tell me, I don't think I've asked you this yet. Why do you want to be a Jedi?"

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

”Ow, get outta here!” he yelped swatting at her darting hand like a pesky fly. He didn’t want the scar to fade. Adumari culture revered warriors with scars. It was a testament to survival, to tenacity. It was proof that you could suffer and survive. At least that’s what his dad used to say.

As they walked Hera hit him with a rundown on the locale and the purpose for their being there.

“Sounds easy enough,” he said considering her words. He’d not been on a single mission where diplomacy hadn’t escalated to lightsabers, but who knows maybe this one would be the exception. Yeah, and Mustafar had a beautiful winter.

“Wait, you own Mercenary companies?” That was pretty cool, he wanted to ask about that more, but he wasn’t really sure what his role as a Padawan under a master meant. Was he just a designated battle buddy? Or was this more? So far his crash course in all things the force had been taught by several different instructors. To be honest, if it weren’t for the Scrub Squad he wasn’t sure he’d even still be with the Jedi.

So, when Hera asked him why he wanted to be one, he just kind of shrugged, “Uh, it was better than being an orphan?” he cleared his throat and said, “I didn’t really have a choice on Adumar. It was, leave to protect my family, or be discovered by the Sith.” Leon pretended to be interested in anything other than Hera’s face as he finished, “My Dad was the leader of a resistance group, and I was a liability. It was the smart choice.”

Knowing she’d swat his hand if he touched his scar, he cupped the lightsaber he’d found on Christophisis with Dash. The Light always seemed so close when he held the weapon. “What about you? Why did you become a Jedi?”

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera laughed as Leon swatted her off, deciding not to push him further on the scar. Then, grinning, added, "Of course!" in response to his question about mercenary companies. In truth, Hera only held a majority stake in one, but that company also served in conjunction with a shipyard. The perfect place to fix or retrofit a trio of hammerhead corvettes.

When Leon's response came in, Hera's smile began to fade. Nodding solemnly, she decided to answer his question before making this a 'teachable moment' for him. "I was abandoned by my biological family before I could even form enough memories to remember them by. The Jedi raised me, I see the entire Order as my family and they're the only family I know. I want to protect my family, so I'm a Jedi. The helping people, learning about the force, on and on, all just tools that might help me better protect those around me."

Hitting the button on the elevator, Hera stepped inside and beckoned Leon to follow her. Once inside, the Jedi Master waited until the doors closed before continuing, "Being a Jedi is the greatest and heaviest responsibility you could have. More than the lives of random innocents, you hold the lives of your friends in your hands every time you step into a mission with them. I want you to think, Leon, of why you really want this lifestyle, if you want this life at all. Even if it's for selfish reasons, you should have a reason. Because when our jobs become tough, when we fall short or cause unintentional harm, we must have a solid foundation to fall back on. Without that foundation, we risk, well, a thing most quiet."

Those last few words escaped her almost like a whisper, and the implication of it was clear. Though, of course, if Leon didn't catch Hera's meaning, she would explain further. At that, the elevator doors 'Ding!'ed and opened for them at the surface. The dust storm had just now subsided, and Hera moved over towards a cliff-face off to the right of the elevator. The shaft was no more than a single tube riding up to the surface, and there was nothing else around them other than the rapidly retracting elevator.

At the rocks, Hera revealed where she had stashed two Swoop bikes behind some rocks. Other than a little buffeting and a few scratches from the weather, they were ready to ride.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

”Wait, what do you mean, “Of Course,” Is it, like, super common for Jedi to have those?” Leon wasn’t about to let that little tidbit slide. Hera owned a mercenary company and was a Jedi? He’d always just assumed Jedi… well, that they were all poor space hobos.

Leon considered Hera’s response. She’d become a Jedi to protect those she cared about. That was noble, but knowing what it was like to be dropped on the Jedi’s welcome mat then thrown into training and missions made it a little tough to agree with her. Maybe if he’d been a kid and The Order was the only thing he’d ever known he’d agree, but right now he just wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be a Jedi at all.

The Padawan had spent months reading old Holonet articles on The Order’s past, and honestly, it wasn’t great. He could honestly, say they always tried, but the follow-through was rarely met with any form of success. Not to mention the amount of Jedi that had betrayed The Order in recent history. Word around the temple was a former Shadow was the one who led the attack. What did it say about the Jedi, that even their own trusted members sought to tear them down once they escaped their clutches?

As they came to the elevator, Hera continued. Flashes of The Sith Master unleashing lightning at him and his friends, The OoowhatchaSay warriors on Kashyyyk dabbling in the dark arts, even the murderous intent from the flame throwers back on Chandrilla, poured into his mind as the gravity of Hera words rang true. He was pretty sure he had his answer, but if he’d learned anything on his adventures since joining the order, it was always better to think before speaking.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Master,” he said keeping his face impassive. A skill he’d picked up from Ezra.

Leon threw a leg over the swoop and fired it up. Hera was very much the lead in this mission, but she’d shared the coordinates with him and he’d put them into his personav, so once he knew she was ready he’d take to the air and make for the Ship dude’s place. Maybe, just maybe this mission would wrap without the need for combat. Of course, that sentiment had no idea what was in store…

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

"Oh no, not common! Just that you shouldn't be surprised that I have one! It's me!" Hera responded to Leon's question and, at that, Hera laughed heartily. She thought herself very funny all things considered. If Leon was going to continue being her Padawan, then he'd need to get fairly used to the fact that Hera didn't fit the mold of 'typical' when it came to Jedi. From owning a majority stake in a mercenary company, involving herself in the training of nearly a dozen padawans, and being willing to do whatever it took to succeed, Hera was anything but normal.

Getting on the speeder and flying off in the direction Leon moved, Hera quieted herself through the Force and let her perpetual smile slip away for a little while. Leon didn't respond to her teaching with a quip, that must mean he was thinking deeply about her words. Or he was disregarding them entirely. Either way, Hera said her piece, Leon would either apply her teaching to his worldview or discard it, it was his choice in the end.

They traveled along the battered surface of Iktotch in relative silence, their destination was not far anyway. However, as they approached the coordinate location and observed the rising crests of the Hammerhead Corvettes, another vessel could be seen among the three landed ships. A large vessel, larger than even the corvettes, was set down a little ways off from the trio of vessels. As they came closer, it was clearly a Quasar Fire-class, but it was adorned in a thousand and one small modifications.

A grin spread across Hera's face and she shouted to Leon, "Pirates!" with entirely too much enthusiasm.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Baudelaire had a soft spot for bad jokes and Hera’s laugh was infectious, so begrudgingly he chuckled and shook his head.

Leon kept to himself as they covered the craggy landscape on their speeders. The Padawan thrived behind the controls. His Adumarian roots ran deep when it came to piloting. Before the Sith took over, he worked alongside his father making repairs and testing specs on his star ship. One day, Leon would have a ship of his own, and then he’d finally be able to take control of his destiny. Or at least have the choice.

Hera’s voice cut through his introspection, but that didn’t mean he had any idea what she’d said. His gaze followed her gesture and he cursed his angst. Then he frowned, did they need to mess with the pirates? Weren’t they on a mission to like, get some ships or something? Was Hera just pointing it out because it was cool? He wasn’t sure, but he did fall in behind her and follow. When in doubt let someone else lead, that’s what he always said.

He pulled up along Hera, “That’s a huge ship, and I’m guessing a lot of pirates—” he started before a couple of starfighters peeled off the hull of the bigger ship and began heading their way. Leon’s mischievous little smirk settled on his lips. Well, it looked like this mission wasn’t going to be as boring as he thought.

“Here they come!”

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera could sense them approaching before Leon even called out, though the timing between her sense and his callout wasn't too far apart. Four swoop bikes with two pirates apiece, a rider and a gunner, sped in their direction. In an instant, Hera's lightsaber flew to her hand. With a hearty laugh, she ignited the dual blades of death, orange light illuminated the dust that kicked about her swoop.

The pirates started firing at the two and Hera's blade moved to block blaster bolts. It was difficult as most of the pirates concentrated their fire on her, and only one targeted Leon. However, she was able to redirect the bolts that came in her direction into the ground, but she wasn't able to redirect them back at the pirates yet. Laughing even more, she shouted at the pirates, "So you have chosen death!"

At her voice, three of the bikes sped up to begin firing in earnest, but one turned and fled instantly. A little too quickly, Hera thought. Perhaps to bring in more reinforcements? Looking toward Leon, she added, "Try to disable their speeders! That'll take them out of commission faster!"

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Blaster fire erupted from the Pirates and Daybreak sprung into Leon’s hand in an instant. The pale yellow blade conflagrated into existence just in time to deflect a blaster bolt into the air. The Padawan pulled his heavy blaster and fired twice before reupholstering and taking the controls. The first shot and the gunner of the bike chasing him dropped. It wasn’t long ago that killing someone shook him to his core, now…

Leon sent his bike into a barrel roll as the remaining pirate pulled a blaster and fired. The bolts passed through the space where The Padawan had been and shot harmlessly through the air. As Leon completed his revolution he swung his saber out, slicing the passing swoop in half. The bike exploded.

The Padanwan spotted the speeder hauling it back to the huge ship, and Leon punched it! He leaned forward getting as close to the body of the machine as he could, doing his best to knock off as much drag as possible. He pulled his blaster and fired three times. The first shot went a little wide, alerting the pirates to his presence, the second hit the back, knocking the guard plate from the repulsor engine and the third disabled the swoop. Leon’s little smirk settled into it’s usual place, as he banked back to Hera.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

The other two bikes, following Hera, began firing in earnest. Hera concentrated and tried her best not to kill the pirates as she focused on redirecting their bolts back at them. One bolt she sent careening back their direction slammed into the speeder and killed the engine. Smiling, Hera thought she was successful for half a second before the nose of the speeder hit the dirt and flipped- instantly killing the pirates.

Grimacing, she gunned her speeder and turned towards the last pirate. Flying at him like a psychotic game of chicken, redirecting blaster bolts into the sand, she swung her blade and swerved at the last second to cut the front of his speeder off. Hoping that would slow him down gently, Hera turned and started after the fleeing pirate. An explosion from behind her told her she was unsuccessful.

Slowing down, she waited for Leon to join her before speaking, "Well, they know we're coming. Let's dive headlong into it, how bad could it be?" At that, she laughed and gunned her speeder forward.

As the pair approached the set-down vessel, they could clearly see a line of over a dozen speeders formed into some sort of barricade. Behind the speeders, dozens of pirates waited with their guns trained on the approaching Jedi. They did not fire, however, they only waited. A single pirate, dressed extravagantly in at least three coats and too many belts to count, waited in front of the speeders. Hera, slowing down her vessel as she approached shouting range, yelled with a grin on her face, "Is that Old Man Dire-Hard?!"

The pirate, the tallest Rodian that Hera had ever seen, laughed heartily and responded, "The one and only! Is that Hera The-Fucking-Joyful?" At that, Hera sped up to approach and hopped off the speeder once she came within walking distance of the Rodian. Moving up to him, she embraced him like an old friend and he reciprocated. "Sorry, I think we killed a few of your men." Hera spoke, remorse echoing through her voice as she stepped back.

Waving his hand in the air, the rodian didn't seem to care as he said, "Ain't that just the way. Happens! You thought they were coming to kill you, and they were! Ha ha! But now-" He stopped, turning towards his men, "You are my honored guest! Joyful Hera and her companion are not to be bothered or harassed any further! Come! Let's drink!"

[abox3]

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon’s grin spread into a smile as Hera recommended a frontal assault, sure, what could go wrong?

“After you!” he called back with a smile. As soon as she took off, Leon followed right behind. They both pushed the speeders to their limit, closing the distance in no time flat. Unfortunately they were met by a welcoming party.

Leon slowed pulling up next to Hera as she called out. An eyebrow shot up as the pirate smiled at her? Bruh, what in the force was going on? Hera, like, personally knew pirates? Pirates with a big ass ship. This was straight up blowing his mind right now. His perception of the Jedi being humble peacekeepers was rapidly changing.

Their exchange was brief but brimming with recognition and affection. They were obviously old friends. Leon was stunned. So, stunned that he only snapped out of his mental implosion at the mention of drinks. He guarded his excitement carefully, if he was lucky he’d be able to sneak one or two while his master wasn’t looking.

As they were being led into the massive ship, Leon would whisper, “Uh, anything you’d like to tell me?”

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

The other pirates seemed a little off-put by their captain's orders, but if anyone held any secret doubts they were not voiced. A primal fear could even be seen in a few faces when they looked in the direction of Hera and their captain. Moving away from the pirates guarding the border, it could be seen that they were clearly the minority of the true group size. Nearly two dozen fighters were strewn about in various states of maintenance.

The pirates were clearly set down for the long haul, but as the pair of Jedi moved closer to the vessel and deeper into the murky waters of this pirate territory, it could be seen more and more that these weren't ordinary pirates. True, most of the men and women were lightly armored Weepuay and Phindarians, but they seemed to be stuck as guards, maintaining ships, and serving the ones that really looked in charge.

Dressed in furs, thick armor, and helmets of a hundred different designs, the real powerful pirates watched the trio closely. Their chain swords, strange symbols, and nomadic lifestyle gave them away no matter where they went. Despite most being of a dozen different species, whether or not someone was human mattered little to these raiders. Even if Leon only had a smattering of knowledge of different raiding gangs, he would know who these people were.

Deucalians.

Hera, leaning into Leon before entering into the Quasar with him, whispered quietly, "Stand tall, show no weakness." Instantly, the trio was greeted with song and shouting before they could even see the pirates inside. Three dozen warriors in animal skins, heavy armor, and exotic weapons danced and drank around a large wooden table placed in the center of the Quasar's hangar. Upon 'Old Man Dire-Hard's' entrance, a cheer went up amongst the raiders alongside the Rodian's shouting, "Continue the feast, for we have guests! Show them a proper welcome!"

Patting Hera's back, the Rodian gestured that she should follow him. Hera, leaning toward Leon, remarked, "Go on, drink, party, it will foster goodwill if we can show them our strength in feasting as well as battle. But try not to get drunk, you'll need your wits." And, without another word, moved to follow the older Rodian into a backroom. Unceremoniously leaving Leon alone in a room filled with some of the most ruthless and violent raiders the galaxy had ever seen.

What could go wrong?

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon blinked, “I’m sorr—,” but Hera was already following her advice. Being told not to be nervous immediately made him nervous, but he stowed the fear. Leon relaxed. He was struggling to understand how they’d just gone from killing one another to… well to drinking, but he wasn’t one to look a gift eopie in the mouth.

The huge blast doors to the cruiser slid open and all of Leon’s worry melted away. Song, dance, food, and drink, this had to be the best mission he’d ever been on. He wiped a tear from his eye, thanking the force for the favor it had shown it’s silliest goose. Hera ACTUALLY TOOOOOOLLLDDD HIM TO DRINK!?!?!?!? WHAT WAS HAPPENING?! Leon reached down and pinched himself.

Then she left. His master had just encouraged him to drink and party, was this a test? He hoped not because he was about to fail spectacularly. His mischievous little smirk spread into a wolfish grin as he watched Hera follow the Rodian.

“Oy! Boy-o, fancy a drink?!” a space viking about his age sporting a similar expression approached holding out a dark frothy ale. Time froze, a spotlight came on and the beer sloshed in slow-motion as Leon’s new best friend passed it his way.

“Yes, please!” he said, snagging it greedily. They cheers’d and proceeded to chug! Leon wouldn’t, couldn’t stop until the other guy did, luckily the fighting earlier had opened plenty of drama from him to drown. The other guy choked and sputtered, coughing as ale dripped from his nose. They both laughed hard. The kind of laughing that was so good it almost hurt. Out of nowhere the young man grabbed Leon behind the neck and slammed a fist into his gut.

The air was driven from his lungs and he let out a super tough sounding, “Oof!”

The surprise attack caught him off guard, but his training was razor sharp and put his body into action even before he was conscious of it. The pirate was a brawler, he was still drawing back to deliver a haymaker when Leon attacked.

From his doubled over position, he flung his head backward smashing the back of his head into the guys jaw, “Herk!” came the bit off response as the Pirate stumbled back a step. The back of Leon’s head hurt like a motherfucker, but the grimace on this prick’s face made it worth it. With snake-like agility he stepped in, striking light and fast. Two punches smashed the worm. One landed solid on his kidney, the other popped his nose. Tear’s flooded the man’s eyes, but he still managed to fire off a counter-hook that glanced off Leon’s “X” shaped scar.

Leon’s right foot stepped forward catching his weight and he drove a savage knee right up the middle smashing into the Pirates gut. It was his turn to give up the ghost for a moment as Leon’s knee sent him backward to the ground. Baudelaire’s hands were up, and his eyes were wild, expecting attacks to start raining in from all directions when he heard a chant filling the room. “Jee-Dai, Jee-Dai, Jee-dai!”

Confusion stampeded across his face as he lowered his hands and looked around. The warriors surrounding him stood facing him and beat their chest in rhythm with the chant. The guy he’d knocked down was starting to get to his feet and Leon went back on the defensive, “I yield, ya devil!” shouted the other guy. “I had to take a swing atcha, ye. Kill’d my brother afterall,” a pained smile spread across his face. Leon felt ashamed, his ears were hot, and he couldn’t meet the guy's eyes.

Leon’s eyes swept the room as the sudden assembly observed the happenings. The guy stood up and brushed himself off, “Ye beat me in a drink, and you whooped my ass,” his lips spread into a bloody smile, “So, you must have given my brother a hell of a death!”

Obviously, there was no way for Leon to know which of his kills had been this guys brother, plus, Hear had killed just as many as he had, but that hardly seemed important right now. The Padawan had no clue who these wild people were, so he was thoroughly confused, but he wasn’t being attacked, so he took that as a sign they were making progress.

The other guy grabbed two more horns of ale. He offered one to Leon, “Thank you, may his soul rest in our homeland.”

Leon nodded reverently then lifted his horn, “To the homeland!”

The crowd went nuts. Leon blinked with confusion, but drank all the same. Maybe if he got drunk this shit would make sense. He felt a tug on his shoulder, so he turned and was met with a pair of beautiful blue eyes and a voluptuous muscular frame. To Leon’s credit, he didn’t say the first thought that came to his head, “Ma-ma,” instead he cleared his throat and asked, “You’re not gonna hit me are you?”

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

At Leon's response of "To the homeland!" A cry went up amongst the gathered raiders. "DEUCALIAAAA!" They practically screamed before continuing to drink and party. It was at that point that the woman approached him. A little taller than Leon and built as if she were chiseled from marble, the blue-eyed woman brushed a few locks of silvery hair from her face before speaking, "So, this is the Jee-dai? No, haha, I'm not going to hit you."

Picking up a horn of ale, she slammed it back faster than most of the gathered men before laughing as she tossed it onto the floor. Looking back to Leon, then looking him up and down, she continued speaking. "You don't look like a Jee-dai to me. I think there's too much warrior in you. You should stay after the celebrations- spend time with me." Her voice was sultry, her accent thick, and it would be overtly apparent what she meant by those words. While her face was hard and scarred, she could not have been a day older than Leon himself.

Another warrior, laughing, would attempt to lay an arm around Leon. "Careful now!" He cautioned, "She's former Ramund. They build their women differently in that clan!" While the warrior would laugh again the woman would not. Instead, she rested a hand on a nearby table and continued to mentally undress Leon.


-------------------------


Hera, unfortunately, was not greeted by a party. As she entered the backroom, she sighed heavily at the sight before her. "Dire, what did you do?" She bemoaned. An Iktotchi man, clearly in his late fifties, was tied to a chair in the middle of a nearly empty room. His face and body were bloody. He had clearly been beaten and Hera could sense him barely clinging to life through the Force. Around him stood two other pirate leaders, though they would be more accurately described as 'chieftains' from their armor and symbols.

One of them spoke up, "Dire-Hard, who's this bi-" Before his companion smacked him, answering the question, "Do ye not recognize Jee-dai Councilor Hera Da Joyful? Watch yer tongue, lest she tears it out!" Rubbing the back of his head, the first man didn't speak anymore. Hera moved toward the Iktotchi man without looking at either of them. Placing her hands upon his body, she started the process of stabilizing him using the Force, easing the pain of his wounds and closing what lacerations she could.

Dire-Hard, embarrassed, spoke up as Hera knelt by the tied-up man. "I'ma admit, we were a little too hasty, a little too overzealous. But we've got a good reason! This man here tried to sell all three of our bands the corvettes, and knowin' you- he was also tryin' to scam you! You know how it is? We had to rough him up a lil, but we went overboard. He's got the codes for the ships, but won't give em over. And ya know, if he dies, we will have to do a looootta extra work to get em runnin'. Can you help us?"

Hera, without skipping a beat, responded, "I'll see what I can do, but no promises. Either way, all three of you and your bands will give up piracy and come work for me. This is not a request, think over your 'options' while I work on our friend here." At that, two of the three pirates sighed deeply. The third, the same man that spoke up first before, remained quiet.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon was shook. He played it off well, but downing another horn of ale as Marble mama did, but that only seemed to fuel her desire. He felt like a mouse being hunted by a cat. Her predatorial gaze practically undressed him as she nibbled on her lower lip. He swallowed. This universe was going to ruin it’s most adorable silly space wizard. He sighed, Oh well, he thought.

“Oh yeah, what would we do?” he asked coyly.

The guy who’d punched him earlier sat down next to him and proffered a warning about the woman. Leon glanced his way wondering if he was about to get caught up in a weird space viking love triangle, then decided he wasn’t going to be here long, so what the hell did he care. Maybe this was the ale talking?

“Uh, they look like they did a damn good job,” he chuckled, giving the silver-haired woman a look of his own before asking, “So, we bringing names into this or?”

The woman smiled. The warrior beside Leon did a weird hand gesture then kissed his fingers and sighed, “Best of luck to you, Lad. The Snu Snu is nothing to take lightly.”

“The wh—AH!” yelped Baudelaire as the woman literally picked him up and put him over her shoulder. “I can walk you know,” he tried to say to the woman, but she just laughed, “No, you’ll need all your strength, Jee-dai.”

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

It would be several hours later, the planet's sun falling completely below the clouds and just barely beginning its rise once more when the trouble began. The warriors of the Deucalians and assorted pirates would be awoken where they had fallen asleep, some in their cots, some simply on the floor, with the sounds of shouting. From the backroom where Hera had entered the night before emerged all three chiefs and the Jedi councilor.

Emerged was, perhaps, the wrong word. As Hera's body was thrown through the door, her armor scraped along the durasteel floor of the Quasar's hangar bay. Standing up, the councilor shouted back at whoever had just tossed her, "Getting violent won't change my mind Ragna! You will bend your knees or I will break them!" A Deucalian, six feet tall and nearly fifty pounds thicker than Hera, emerged from the backroom spitting and raging, "I will tear your arms off and beat you to death with them before I bend a single inch!"

"Then you are a fool!" Hera shouted back, her lightsaber springing to life in her hand as the chieftain drew his own blades. The warriors had risen at this point, roused from their slumber by the shouting. Instead of helping their chieftain, however, they formed a circle around the two and began beating on the ground with whatever they could find. Weapons, metal rods, and feet stomped and stamped as Hera and the chieftain began circling.

Hera looked visibly exhausted, though her opponent barely looked any better. Then, before either one could rush at the other, a chant began from the back of the warriors. "Iron! Iron! Iron-!" More joined in, "Iron! IRON! IRON!" Then, every single being, pirate and Deucalian alike, chanted, "IRON! IRON! IROOOON!!!"

The circle widened, and Hera deactivated her blades. As each combatant stepped back further and further with the spreading of the crowd, the Rodian Dire-Hard stepped into the ring. Holding up his hands for silence, he began to shout, "A Law of Iron had been declared! Hera Albion, and Brutus Hell-Borne, shall choose their champions! The issue on tha table- whether or not we's gonna give up our piratin' ways and become 'onorable mercenaries workin' for Hera! Or whether or not the Jedi be leavin' in disgrace, her blades given up to Ol' Brutus!"

Hera, looking around, called out -a little too quietly- "Leon? I'm sorry, I need you."

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Hours after he’d absconded with Penelope, Baudelaire found himself slinking out from under her tender embrace, the warmth of her thigh, and the ivory wampa fur blanket. She murmured something and he froze. He wasn’t sure why but he didn’t want to wake her.

Carefully he pulled on his trousers and boots, he couldn't shake this feeling in the back of his mind that something bad or intense was about to happen. He hated how frustratingly vague the force could be. It seemed like the all knowing power required hindsight to interpret, but Leon always found his need to decipher far less imperative after the fact. He heard Penelope stir behind him, a stretch inspired groan escaping her lips, as she twisted about. She was still naked, and Leon found his desire to leave was diminishing rapidly, but then he felt it.

Leon, I need you…

“Fuck.”
“Again?” she teased, her thick accent beckoning him closer.
“No!” he blurted in a tone way harsher than he’d intended.
“No?” asked Penelope, confusion and a tinge of hurt in her voice.
“What? OH, NO-I mean- wait, aw… shit,” Leon tended to forget that people that weren’t force sensitive couldn’t feel the swelling emotions churning around them. It wasn’t possible for her to feel the anxiety outside her makeshift hut.

An awkward moment spread between them, then Leon cleared his throat and said, “I-uh- I gotta go,” then scrambled to gather his things before rushing out the flap of her tent as she started hurling random bullshit in his direction. The outskirts of the gathering area were sparse, but he could hear the rumbling voices echoing the Deucalian’s. Now he knew something was wrong. He reached out with the force sifting through the crowds and felt Hera.

“I’m here,” he projected through the force while making his way toward her.

Leon stepped up beside her. The stark contrast in the space from just a few hours ago was grim. Baudelaire calmly clasped his hands in front of him, but a small crackle of brilliant electricity jumped between his hands.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera stood up, trying to make herself look intimidating and powerful as Leon arrived. However, the Master really only looked tired. Grasping Leon's wrist, Hera raised it and shouted, "I declare Leon Baudelaire, Jedi Warrior! He shall fight as my champion!" Simultaneously, Chief Ragna grasped the wrist of a warrior he had called to his side and shouted, "I declare Ymir Fire-Blood, Raid Party Leader! He will kill the champion of the Jeedai!"

At that moment, the warriors stepped back and formed a slightly larger circle for the pair to fight. Hera stepped back, but not before handing Leon his 'weapon.' The warrior across from them, a seven-foot tall orismer, was given similar sticks of iron. As Hera retreated, she attempted to gently speak to Leon in his mind.

"The Law of Iron, an ancient practice that changes from Deucalian group to group. In these clans, it reflects an establishment of truth. If two parties cannot agree, they fight with iron, the winning opinion is taken as the new truth. One plus one can equal three, as long as you're strong enough."

At that, the Rodian shouted, "Fight!" and the fight indeed began. The Orismer charged toward Leon with both bars of metal raised above his head. He was attempting to simply start wailing on Leon from above, using his size to his advantage.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

If anyone had asked Leon what this mission was going to be like yesterday he would have never in a million years been able to guess how it actually turned out. Now, as he circled Ymir Fire-Blood in a ring holding two crude pieces of metal he realized the immisty of the mystery that is the force. He didn’t feel like a Jedi, he felt like a barbarian, but that didn’t change the present.

Fight!

Ymir lunged, Leon deflected the first hit, then was forced to block the second which slammed into the metal in his hands with surprising forces. The jarring clash could be felt in his bones and his fingers went numb for a second, but he didn’t have time to think about that, because Fire-Blood was still coming for him.

Leon dropped into a dodge roll, and swiped out at The Deucalian’s knee. His rod made contact and Fire-Blood buckled. Baudelaire was on his feet looking to capitalize on his hit, but Ymir was ready. Even from his back and on a knee the massive pirate was able to deflect and parry Leon’s assault. Frustration colored Baudelaire’s strikes and he made a mistake. Ymir parried a stab and reposted, jabbing Leon in the chest hard enough to drive him back a couple of steps.

The crowd roared for Ymir as he got to his feet. “Couldn't even cull me while I was down Jee-dai,” jeered the massive pirate.
“Can’t beat you too fast, wouldn’t be a show,” quipped Baudelaire as he shifted into an adumarian fencing stance. The same one he’d adopted when fighting Hera back on Brighthome. His path became clear and that clarity brought him to center. Baudelair’s little smirk settled in on his lips.

“Shall we?” he asked before launching into a devastating attack. The force and Leon were one as he moved. Ymir was caught flat footed and overconfident. He just managed to get his rods up to defend as Leon crashed into him. The clang of iron on iron rang out and the on-lookers jeers dried up like a well in a drought. Leon could see fear in Ymir’s beady black eyes, but his fate had been sealed.

Leon pivoted, swiping down with his right and slamming into his femur while his left came down on Fire-blood’s nearest wrist. The simultaneous crush of iron smashing bone ripped a blood curdling scream from the hulking pirate. He dropped his weapons and collapsed to the ground and wailed in agony as his leg folded unnaturally, and his wrist flopped against the ground.

Baudelaire bowed the way he would following a tough match back on Adumar and began walking toward Hera. The fight was over, there was no way Ymir was standing. Leon pitied the guy, even with modern medicine that leg was never going to be the same… and for what? Some ships? For their loyalty? He didn’t always agree with the council and how they did things, but he couldn’t help but wonder if there had been a way to avoid this. He pushed the thought away. Maybe he would have believed that before Berchest, but right now as the crowd that had cheered for his demise bellowed triumphantly in his victory he knew that power was the real ruler of the galaxy.

He stood beside Hera. He wasn’t proud of what he’d done, but he wasn’t ashamed either. He’d done what needed to be done. That was it.

@Black Noise