Only The Beginning

[Noire]

NABOO // THE MARINA DISTRICT // SUNSET​

Bypassing security was a headache Alak Qel had not adequately prepared himself for.

The security measures were discrete, easily missable by an untrained eye, but far and wide. The Marina District was teeming with a variety of exuberant faces, milling about in their wardrobe's best, and shuffling into Club Foomba as flashing lights crossed to and fro in the nighttime sky. Of course, Alak mused as he observed the socialites from a stone balustrade overlooking the greater section of the District. He could not fault the Naboo for whisking themselves away and enjoying their dreamland regardless of how much of an inconvenience it was to the task at hand. This was, after all, a scene of normalcy for the Naboo. A galaxy swept into chaos seemed a distant concern on a planet so exceptionally gorgeous and comforting.

If circumstances were different - starkly different - perhaps Alak would have whisked himself away too. But there was a war on. One that, since Chandrila, Alak had deliberately found himself inching closer and closer towards, and one that he could not so easily ignore. As he began his journey down a spiraling staircase his gaze fell upon a luxury starship descending from the clouds toward a landing pad atop Foomba.

Omas would be onboard.

Though Alak could never quite explain it - not well at least - he could sense Omas's presence just as distinctly as he could the presence of his Chitlik versus his Voorpak. Regardless of how small or subtle the difference was it was there. It existed. At the last step, Alak became one with the ebb and flow of the crowd, blending in as though he were of their creed. He wore simple fabrics, certainly agreeable with the taste of the socialites around him, but not expensive enough to regret by morning's light. It was at the door of Foomba where trouble reared its ugly, ugly head.

"You won't be entering tonight without a special invitation," said the more 'meatier' of the two guards. For every word that left his lips, it was as though the scars that crossed his face mocked him, moving in a manner that Alak hadn't quite had the displeasure of witnessing before.

"And who's handing those out?" Alak asked, grimacing as he spoke, and peering at the name across the man's chest. "...Korto is it? Yes, Korto. That's a nice name."

"I don't have the time nor patience to deal with scum like you. Please, move aside." Korto ordered. The folding of his arms signaled that, yes, he meant business.

"I was only joking. Please, here." Alak said as he offered a thin card. Korto, warily as a Loth-Cat, accepted the card and inspected for a fraction of a nanosecond before a frown spread across his face.

"This is clearly fraudulent. And from that glint off your belt, I can see that you're trying to enter Foomba armed. You must take me for some kind of fool."

"Oh," Alak muttered. "Now where would I have gotten an idea like that from?" The muscles in Korto's jaw clenched, his eyes becoming small and beady as they narrowed at Alak, his frame looming over the smaller man like that of a shadow as he took a step forward. Great, Alak thought, taking a step back.

@Relent

 

[Logan]

A change of scenery was always good.

For Sena, that meant standing on a Nabooian sidewalk staring down the flashing neon signs of Club Foomba. A much different sight then what she had been subjected to for the past few weeks or so, which was the mindbogglingly dull, vanilla walls of a Jedi prison. She had been tasked with overseeing the the prisoners there, seeing that the guards weren't up to any skullduggery and other tedious busywork. Her last day on the job had been anything but tedious though, the story behind that the reason for her uncharacteristic wanderlust.

She had just taken the first puff from her last cigarette when she raised an eyebrow. Even from across the street she could see that a young looking, brown haired man was having a rough time getting access to the club. Sena rolled her eyes when she saw him hand the bouncer a card - it taking every second of no time at all for a grimace to split his lips and his meaty frame to loom menacingly. Sighing like a mother seeing her kid get in over his head for the umpteenth time, Sena hastily crossed the street, tossing her cig behind her as she went.

"Ah, thanks for waiting for me!" She said, waving one of her hands in greeting at the brown haired stranger. Obviously she wasn't sure of his improvisational skills, but hopefully he was smart enough to play a long for long enough for Sena's plan to work. Or he wouldn't and would probably end up with some fresh lumps on his skull from the bouncer. "When I said I was running late I didn't mean to be this late." An airy laugh, like the kind between good friends.

Turning her attention to the bouncer, Sena stared him in his thick eyes, if you could describe eyes like that. He really was meaty. "Sorry for the confusion, I'm sure if you look at my friend's card you'll again you'll see it's fine." It was a subtle application of the force, the Jedi mind trick. But oh so useful, especially on dimwitted nightclub bouncers.

The bouncer took Alak's thin card again and eyed it for a few moments before muttering something under his breath that sounded like I guess it looks fine. He'd receive another quick flash of a smile from Sena and a thank you before he moved aside to let the two of them through.

"Ready to go?" He'd either follow her or he wouldn't, Sena would be going inside either way. She had plans to have a good time, new friend escorting her or not.

@Noire

 

[Noire]

Eh?

Alak's brows stitched together, masterfully engineering a look of pure bewilderment on his face, as Korto moved aside. The card was fraudulent - that simple fact had not changed - and yet the bouncer accepted it as though it had become genuine in the span of a few seconds. It was strange and more than suspicious, but Alak possessed a purpose still. After all, it did not matter 'how' he gained entry; that he had gained it at all was of the only importance.

"Ready to go?" The strange woman asked. On the surface, it was posed as a question, sure, but her body language expressed she would be entering the nightclub regardless of whether or not Alak gave her a 'yes' or a 'no'. He scanned her face once more, whoever she was, for any trace of recognizable features as they entered Foomba. Her beauty exceeded that of those he usually encountered so a former flame was clearly out of the question.

So who was she?

Foomba, on the inside, was even more animated than the outside. Drinks splashed, names were cursed, music blared through both speakers and instruments, and Omas scurried around somewhere like the rodent he was. It was the kind of scene Alak was more accustomed to watching on the HoloNet than being a part of. He cast a glance over his shoulder, checking to ensure he was out of the earshot of Korto, before turning his face back toward the woman.

"Seems like you're a lot better at making friends around here than I am. Let's say I buy you a drink or two and we call it even?" Alak offered, leaning onto the colorful bar.

@Relent