Many Facets

[TweedPawn]

Finally, some fresh air.

Gaunerei was on a mission with a few face, new scenery, a possibly a fresh clump of credits thrown his way, or he would get to have pets again. Both of these were good. The acolyte didn't seem too depressing either. An oddly quiet fellow. He didn't seem nearly as psychotic as the kriffers Gaun had to talk to lately. At the rate things were going, Gaunerei was getting ready to throw himself at Geist and beg him for sanity. Almost. Kriff that guy.

But there was a cluster of Force crystals stolen by smugglers, and Gaunerei had been selected to fish them. There was the possibility that such a concentration would attract the likes of his archrival, or would already be orchestrated by the fellow. Gaunerei himself had a few ideas on what to do with them, mostly involving lava pits or shoving them up the ass of the next sith who started lecturing him on immortality's darkness.

Gaunerei looked at the newbie-sith. He was starting to like this guy. Hopefully, he could be reasonable.

 

[Srota]

The Kel Dor's mask kept his expression hidden, thankfully. Because had it been visible, his fellow acolyte might just have seen the utter confusion which he prompted from Pol, instead, Guanerei would only sense pain. Pain and anger. They radiated palpably from the Kel Dor with every single step that he took. It was obvious that the injury was recent, and he probably should not have been out walking around on the leg, especially while he was undergoing bacta treatments for it, but he didn't care. Any chance to get out, to prove his worth, and to perhaps get some information on the whereabouts of the man who had ruined his leg. At least he didn't need a cane, thank the force for that much.

He was motivated at least, that was the only reason he had been allowed to take on this mission. Had this not been the case, he was certain the High Arcanist would have had quite a few punishments for him. He didn't like that. But they were worth it for him to learn from someone with the skills and powers of someone like Sin'ryk. Slowly, he began to breathe heavily, and he reached out with the force, letting his presence seek out that of his fellow acolyte and slowly pressing into the man's own mind, seeking to speak without the annoyance of over-complicated hand signs.

"So... What... Else... Can... Tell... Me...?" Guanerei would be able to feel the inquisitiveness, the eagerness to get underway and the ambition. Oh there was so much ambition, he wanted so much for himself, to achieve something... something big. With that the connection would be closed with a snap, and feelings and words would seem to be cut in two as Pol hobbled up closer to his fellow acolyte, his head turning to look at the man, tilting to one side slightly, indicating his curiosity.

 

[TweedPawn]

Gaunerei wasn't ignorant of the pain the Kel Dor was in. It just didn't shock him. Sith were rarely long lived. Kel Dors themselves were particularly more squishy as they were walking asthma commercials. The limp this guy had was a sign of future bad things. This guy either needed to get fixed up or start writing a will. Then again, the sith's idea of fixing up their own was rather gruesome.

"Bastion, hustla'." Gaunerei replied, trying his best to not be pissed off by the mind invasion. That was a big "no-no" with him. But it allowed Gaunerei to piece together something obvious. His war buddy was a mute. He would allow the telepathy, provided that he didn't try to pry into the Rabbit's head. This kiddo was ambitious though, and Gaunerei would be ready to teach him some respect.

"Specifically, some crystals were yanked from a refining facility. Empire's property, ya know? Personally, I wouldn't be shocked if it was an inside job, but they want us to get these things back, or get the reinforcements needed for the job. They're not exactly expecting us to go charging in with gun a'blazing."

"You got a name? I'm rather fond of calling yo Hustla'. Biggie-Gee is warming on me too."

 

[Srota]

"Pol... Pol Vonn..." Gianerei could feel the grudging thanks through the mental link before it shut down once more and Pol began to limp, moving in a circle, almost as though he was trying to get a feel for the new gait with which he moved, and it also gave Guanerei a better chance to see how the Kel Dor was attired for the mission. First was the armor, standard Centurion armor from the imperial Armed Forces, as well as a few grenades on the belt, but most intriguing of all was the long staff slung across Pol's back. For those at a distance, it would seem as though it were just that, a staff made of some type of metal, but Guanerei would notice that Pol's weapon contained the controls of a lightsaber as well as an emitter at the top of the blade. this would be somewhat of a surprise, because Guanerei would easily have noticed the second blade dangling from the Kel Dor's belt.

Pol was lost in thought by this point, thinking over the mission and what part he would play in it, especially with the rather odd person he had been partnered with. In his studies, he had read about an ancient Jedi named Quinlan Vos, and Pol got the impression that this one was very similar to him. The flippant attitude. especially, was key to this comparison, and this put Pol a little on edge. Perhaps due to his condition, he tended to be rather somber, and uneasy in social situations, though with the right people, he could be rather vocal, and his hands would be flying through the signs a mile a minute. But this one, he barely knew, and certainly did not trust.

 

[TweedPawn]

"Pol Vonn. Mind if I call you Pol?." He studied his travel buddy, noting the extensive weaponry. Gaunerei fully understood why they were paired up now. Gaunerei was severely handicapped by not being allowed anything other than a blaster rifle. Even so, they paired him with someone who could take a few shots, yet wouldn't be so overpowering that they would try to treat the Snamreg like a slave.

Poor guy seemed miserable under all of the war crap. And that limp, sheesh. They were really sending him out on a mission.

"We should come up with a game plan." Gaunerei said as he pulled out a piece of chalk. He started to sketch out a few crude images.

"We aren't exactly the prize picking of the Empire right now. The more we accept that, the smarter we'll act. So what does this mean? Well, I doubt we're being thrown as intentional cannon fodder. And you'll have to trust me on how I know that. You seem like a good quiet type, and I can be similar, but quick. You look like a heavy hitter, and I ain't gonna be fooled by that little limp you got there. You're packing enough heat to fry tatooine." He started drawing out himself and the Kel dor.

"We have a source that says the smugglers are going to sell in a hotel run by cockroaches and bad dreams. We know this because previous intel managed to fool the guys into thinking that we're buyers. What our overlords want isn't really the crystals as much as information. They want to know who stole the crystals in the first place. Getting the crystals back is a formality. Everything golden so far?"

 

[Srota]

Things seemed to be shaping up well, despite his initial reactions and impressions, Pol's fellow acolyte seemed to have a better grasp on things than he did. Perhaps it had been because he was too new to be trusted, or perhaps his silence had put people on edge, but the idea of being rather lower in the pecking order than he had thought he was put him on edge, and he visibly stiffened at the comments. Even so, he found himself relaxing some more around the easygoing sith, and he even felt a smile come across his face at the compliments paid to him.

"Everything... understood..." came the mental reply to Guanerei as Pol looked down at the artwork the man was preparing. He chuckled inwardly at the simplicity of it so far, even as it grew more complex. The Kel Dor nodded slowly before turning to look at Guanerei, his eyes widening with the smile that his breathing mask hid.

Humor... Bantering... Laughter... Guanerei would suddenly feel these as he stod there, and it would seem at odds with what was happening until he heard the words that followed the feelings. "I... will... just... stand... there... quietly... and look.... intimidating..."

 

[TweedPawn]

Gaunerei smiled broadly. This was a wonderful surprise! A sith with a real sense of humor! Maybe they hadn't destroyed this fellow yet. Gaunerei chuckled.

"I like you. You don't say much, but you never fail to use your humor when the opportunity arises." he replied. He started to tie his long black hair into a braid. Then he secured the braid into a bun. It look silly, but it kept opportunistic hands from grabbing. He looked out the window os the vessel they traveled in. Bastion loomed closer. Gaunerei felt a tinge of spite try to creep in.

Long ago, Sith tried to bring some younglings here to be forced into the system. They had come from Gaunerei's home world and he never forgot it. None of the children who made it to Bastion lived. Oh, what Gaunerei would give to...

Kel Dor. Mind invasion. Right. Stay focused.

Gaunerei needed the Kel Dor to help dock into the proper shipyards. Gaunerei's status granted him as much security clearance as a teenage janitor intern. But The kel dor granted them the access to the imperial docks, and Gaunerei was given a cheap plastic wristband to allow him to use the bathrooms, vending machines, and dial for help if needed. He couldn't blame them.

From there, it would be a rendezvous with an officer about the hotel's location. A dry affair, mostly used to remind Gaun and Pol where they stood in the grand scheme of things, not to wave their weapons nilly willy, and to not try anything fishy (that was mostly directed at Gaunerei). Gaunerei couldn't help but smirk. There was a reason the Jedi had been even more strict with him than the Sith. There were many ways to turn sugar into napalm.

They were given civilian clothes, which Gaunerei loved. He now sported a pair of blue jeans, white undershirt, and a leather jacket. A beaded headband he had made added a nice sporty look, and he loved the way it rested over his forehead. The Kel Dor was allowed a more military look, since he was playing the role of bodyguard.

"Let's do this." Grinned the Trickster.

The hotel really was a dump. Mystery stains covered the walls and carpet. A few cockroaches scuttled, thought Gaunerei was certain that the rodian manning the front desk was actually a costume filled with a million insects. There were two men in the lobby, Gaunerei suspected them to be the sellers. He nodded at Vol.

 

[Black Noise]

"I don't like this, got's me a bad feeling don'cha know?"
Oh he knew, of the two men standing in the lobby, Tomra was the quiet one. It had its perks, not talking that is. He heard more, understood more, and strained himself less than anyone else he knew. But Force Kriffing damnit if Kess did not shut up about his 'bad feelings' then he was going to break silence and explode on the poor fellow.

Kess didn't like taking the crystals, Tomra didn't understand why. It was the simplest job they had ever done; they walked in, were given the crystals, and they walked out. Someone on the inside had worked it out for them, then they saw to it that the two smugglers got themselves a buyer. How could life get any easier? When Tomra questioned their contact on his motives, he expressed a hatred for the sith and left it at that.

Tomra couldn't blame him, lots of people hate sith. Now, two guys looking like street bums showed up. Seeing as these two had been the only ones to enter the dump all day, and it was meeting time, Tomra guessed they were their contacts.

"We have the goods if you've got the cash." Kess called out, eager to get this over with. Neither of the two men had any idea what was about to be in store for them.

 

[Srota]

He was dressed like a bum, well, as much of a bum as one could be while still seeming to have some semblance of competence as a fighter. Then, of course, there was the blaster pistol on his thigh, sitting there as an ominous reminder to the sellers that these two were not to be crossed. Finally, there was the lightsaber, hidden in the small of his back, where he could use the force to still access it, but it would still be hidden from sight. The only thing fancy on his person was the breather mask and the goggles that covered his eyes. After all, one could not expect a Kel Dor to be found off of there homeworld without such amenities.

What a dump... The Kel Dor thought to himself as he saw the hotel where the meeting was to go down. Slowly, his head shook from side to side, a look of condescension crossing his face. He looked to Guanerei, and then to the entrance and strode forwards, taking point as any trained bodyguard would do. He might have looked shabby and disgusting, but he was supposed to be the bodyguard, and he was going to play the part! His eyes scanned the room, lingering on the features of the men they were supposed to meet, and on the rodian at the check-in desk. After looking over the sellers, he stepped forwards, allowing Guanerei to enter after him, and to respond to the comment from Kess.