Ask Takodana Overshadowed

[Perun]

EPISODE 13
OVERSHADOWED

In pursuit of reviving Takodana's Jedi Temple, Knight PERUN ventures into Andui, a den of iniquity, with a fellow Jedi. Their mission: to safeguard the restoration efforts, ensuring no malevolent force disrupts the temple's rebirth.
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Ensconced in a shadowy alcove of a ramshackle cantina in the sin-infested metropolis of Andui, Perun reclined languidly, his hirsute, alabaster form partially concealed by the dim luminescence. The clamor of the den's patrons, the polyglot orchestra of negotiations, bluffs, and under-the-table deals, played an incongruous soundtrack to the Jedi Knight's introspective repose. His gold-flecked gaze, enigmatic and introspective, roamed the cantina's lurid landscape, finding scant interest in the rogues and rabble who comprised Andui's less-than-reputable demographic.

The clink of a glass heralded the arrival of his long-awaited libation, sliding to a halt on the weathered plasteel table with practiced precision. The waitress, a Wroonian with tattooed tendrils coiling down her vibrant azure neck, shot Perun a dismissive look.

"Better savor it," she quipped, her tone laced with tacit scorn, "That's the last of the Corellian ale."

Offering a cocksure grin, Perun retorted, "My thanks, madam. For such a rarity, a toast then, to your aplomb."

Left alone once more, Perun waited for his companion to arrive. He wrapped his robust fingers around the cold, dew-kissed glass, his mind surreptitiously slipping, cascading back to the memory-soaked ruins of Takodana's Jedi Temple. The sweet echo of victory against nature, of the Force bending the stubborn vines, and the triumphant surge of accomplishment still lingered, a wistful grin tugging at his lips.

He drained his glass, the robust flavors of Corellian ale serving as a poignant reminder of his purpose. To safeguard the temple, and to prove to the galaxy that the Jedi Order, like the temple, could rise from the ashes of the past, ready to illuminate the darkness once more.

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin had eagerly accepted the mission to Takodana. For weeks, the Pantoran had been restricted to temple duties - still recovering from the destruction of Ithor. The damage inflicted in his mind by Darth Raze was slow to heal, and it meant constant check-ups with the Circle of Healers and psychiatric experts at Brighthome. It was his first assignment back into the field, and the fresh air of Takodana already was doing wonders for his mood.

He didn’t know all the details - but had been informed of the attempts to rebuild the planet's Jedi Temple. Whether it was local criminals or something far more sinister, it would be their duty to protect the restoration efforts on the ground. In theory, it had the potential to be a very boring and uneventful mission.

Ferrin was adorned in his new Jedi Attire - a combination of armorweave and leather, with a yellow scarf pulled over his shoulders. The faint scent of cologne cling to his figure, purple hair messily styled into place. The hilt of his lightsaber hung freely at his belt, swaying with every step towards the cantina. The Pantoran felt entirely at home in the sketchy environment - far more than he ever did in some stuffy Jedi enclaves. Most of his adventures with Scrub Squad involved him navigating environments exactly like the one he entered at that moment.

Slipping past the entrance, Ferrin allowed his golden eyes to wander the cantina - until they inevitably fell upon Perun. He immediately flashed the Jedi a smirk, offering a kit of his chin as he approached the table.

“Damn,” He said, slipping into the seat just opposite of Perun. The Pantoran crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back into his seat. “Didn’t even save me any,” He grinned.

 

[Perun]

The entrance of Ferrin, resplendent in his new Jedi attire, was as unmissable as a supernova in the darkened cantina. His gold-specked gaze and roguish charm were as distinctive as his Pantoran complexion, and the jangle of his lightsaber hilt was a pleasant melody in the cacophonous symphony of the den. As he nonchalantly took the seat opposite Perun, the Ma'alkerrite allowed a smile to bloom on his lips, a playful spark igniting in his golden eyes.

"Well, isn't this a fine day," Perun quipped, leaning back, his towering form shadowing the dimly-lit booth. "They tell me a Padawan is to join me and I never know what to expect. One time it's a wide-eyed twelve-year-old, next it's a debonair Pantoran," he gestured grandiosely at Ferrin.

Perun took a moment to appraise the emptied glass before him, then nudged it towards Ferrin with a challenging smirk. "Don't you fret, my friend. When this mission is over, I promise you a glass of the finest ale this side of the Core Worlds. No decent Jedi should go thirsty."

His tone took on a more serious undertone as he leaned forward, reducing their conversation to hushed whispers amid the cantina's clamor. "Our primary objective is to keep the riff-raff at bay. With our special construction project going on, and we need to make sure no underworld tomfoolery interferes."

He paused, studying Ferrin's expression before posing his query, a test for the near-Knight. "Suppose you were calling the shots, Ferrin. What would be your strategy to ensure our mission's success?" Perun leaned back, folding his arms over his broad chest as he watched Ferrin, curious to see how the young Jedi would handle the responsibility before them.

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t help the sideways smirk that spread across his expression - golden eyes glinting with mirth. He’d worked with a multitude of Jedi Knights and Masters in the past, but the Pantoran could already tell that the he and Ma’alkerrite were going to get along splendidly. Probably.

“I aim to please,” He said, leaning back in the cantina booth - casually running his fingers through his lilac hair. “Got to say - glad you ain’t one of the stuck up types.” He said with a grin. Ferrin had always pushed the limits, and had no qualms with airing his opinion on some of his Jedi colleagues. There was an abundance of the holier-than-thou types amongst the Order and he would always butt heads, wherever they opted to reveal themselves.

“I hope you realize I’ll be holding you to that,” He said smoothly, rapping his fingers against the table. The Pantoran wasn’t going to say no to free booze - especially if the offer was coming from top shelf. The glint of amusement lingered behind his eyes, up until the moment that Perun actually inquired how Ferrin believed they should handle things. He was silent for a long moment, considering the path ahead of them.

“Tried and true rule of the Galaxy; Nobody wants to fuck with Jedi.” He said after a moment, shrugging his shoulders. “The moment we rolled into town, people probably noticed - and it means they aren’t going to be stupid enough to our construction site in the night or try to overpower workers.”

“My guess? They’ll scope out the transports bringing material to the site and hit them on transit. Raid them quickly and escape along the airway.” The Pantoran paused for a moment, “Or, they’ll try to draw us away from the area. Create a distraction or crisis further in town, use the opportunity to take what they want while our back is turned. Depending on who we’re dealing with.. There ain’t no reason to believe they wouldn’t put civilian lives at risk.”

Ferrin leaned forward a bit across the table. “We need to be one step ahead of them if we’re going to prevent either case, though. If I was callin’ the shots? I’d spend the next couple hours scoping out anywhere the local syndicates tend to frequent. Cantinas, spice den, brothels.. Anywhere that we or someone else might have heard something. Then we can focus on actually preventing it.”

 

[Perun]

Perun listened intently as Ferrin proposed his plan, his astute gaze flicking to and fro, absorbing the Pantoran's rationale with intrigue. The Ma'alkerrite considered the words, his mind spinning with ideas and predictions.

Ferrin's plan carried the robust appeal of simplicity, but it was not without its perils. The denizens of the underworld were cunning and relentless, their methods everchanging. A proactive approach could potentially alert the more discerning criminals of their intentions, perhaps prompting a more radical retaliation. Additionally, the task of keeping up with the myriad spice dens, cantinas, and brothels was monumental, even for Jedi. And yet, despite these potential pitfalls, Perun could not deny the raw pragmatism of Ferrin's approach.

"Bar hopping, Ferrin?" Perun's booming laughter echoed off the grungy cantina walls. "You really are a credit to the Jedi Order," he teased, an amused twinkle dancing in his golden eyes. His playful banter, however, was momentarily eclipsed by a sobering thought. "I just wonder how many credits this adventure is going to lighten my pouch by."

After his playful banter, Perun swept his gaze around the dimly lit cantina they currently inhabited. It was a melting pot of galactic flotsam, a bizarre tableau of smugglers, mercenaries, and unsavory characters of all sorts.

A bulbous-headed Aqualish, his jowls quivering with each guttural laugh, was regaling his tale of an audacious heist to an unimpressed Chiss. His starkly red eyes flicked with a bored annoyance, his hands never leaving the secure grip on his blaster.

At the opposite corner, a Twi'lek dancer swayed rhythmically, her cerulean lekku undulating seductively. Her gaze, however, was predatory, sharp as a vibroblade, as it roved across the cantina, dissecting the crowd with a watchful wariness.

In the far back, a Rodian trader, his sickly green skin contrasting with a suit of an impossible neon hue, haggled heatedly with a Togruta over a dubious relic. Their animated exchange seemed to be teetering on the brink of violence.

Turning his attention back to Ferrin, Perun nodded subtly towards the various patrons. "Might as well start here. This place is a cesspool of interesting characters. Any of them catch your Jedi intuition? Any that seem potentially...informative?"

@Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t help the sly smirk that spread from one corner of his face to another - feeding into the amusement that glinted behind his golden eyes. The simple reality was that Perun wasn’t exactly wrong with his teasings. The Pantoran was convinced that his wardrobe, unorthodox methods and colorful vocabulary would’ve scandalized the Jedi Order of old.

He merely shrugged slightly when the senior Jedi mused about his credit pouch. “No price is too high for the pursuits of the Jedi.” He said with a voice of grandiosity, suspecting that Perun was already regretting his commitments.

Rolling his shoulders a bit, Ferrin reclined further into his seat - one leg casually crossed over the other. The Pantoran didn’t make an obvious show of glancing around at the individuals filling the cantina around them. Being Jedi already painted enough of a target on their back, without seeming like they were looking for something.

“Might as well,” He mused aloud.

Taking a while to gain his own lay of the land, Ferrin finally glanced back at the Knight. “Her,” He said without any directional indicator, but Perun could follow his gaze briefly in the twi’lek’s direction.

“She’s been watching everyone in this cantina like a Drayberian Hawk from the moment they walk in the door - and conveniently moves to a different stage every new song. Why?” He said smoothly, tilting his head towards the ape-man. “She could be putting her focus into the dancing or the others on that stage, but she isn’t. And nobody getting paid twenty credits an hour to shake their hips in a shithole Cantina cares enough to pay attention to everyone in the room.”

Ferrin paused for a moment. “So my guess is that she has more of a reason to care. Whether she works alone, for the proprietor or someone else - I’d wager she is being paid to pay close attention to anyone who comes into this place. Keep a close eye out for anyone in particular. Pay attention to the conversations they are having.”

Ferrin tapped his finger against the table. “Just a guess - but I would start there, personally.”