Ask The Million Crowns of Tion - Part II

[Trini Halrixien]

IN THE BARANCAR NAVAL ARCHIVES...

Trini Halrixien, graduate student adventurer, raised her eyebrows as an ancient, trundling bibliomech droid extended a dusty, equally ancient datatape toward the little Amaran with creaking manipulators. If a droid could be said to look incredulous, this one certainly did.

"Amazingly, Miss Halrixien, the tape was misfiled exactly where you said it would be. I myself was not aware that the archives had records of fleet movements from this period, but evidently the stacks are long overdue for a detailed audit."

Trini gingerly accepted the tape - an enormous, ferropolymer reel cartridge of a type that had fallen out of use even before the Ruusan Reformations - and held it with great care. She glanced toward a bank of little-used viewing terminals in one corner.

"Many thanks! I... guess my professor was more on the ball than I gave him credit for." She shrugged. "Do those still work?"

The droid inclined its head.

"Take as much time as you need. If you need me for anything, I will be in the A-1 stacks, looking for anything else that might be... misplaced."

With that, the bibliomech trundled away, leaving Trini and her three companions alone in the room. The Amaran felt a thrill of excitement looking down at the tape.

"So..." She said, a little hesitance in her voice. "Who wants to find out where Xim the Despot kept all the stuff he stole?"

@Darasuum @Tom @Kell Rook

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

The man in black had been standing besides the Amaran, staring up at the ceiling. He, the college student, assassin droid and teenager had been waiting her for several minutes. The human had never been to a library before-- the concept of a publicly available place of learning on Brentaal was laughable. Yet he didn't lament the absence of such a dreadfully boring place from his youth. He'd expected to be reading things, yet instead he'd been waiting for what felt like an hour as the Amaran and the droid had a back and forth.

When the ancient librarian droid came back, he expected it to confirm that the text was indeed missing. Instead, the automaton was carrying a datatape in it's "hands." Aquamarines widened, and as the thing spoke, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "Finally," He'd mutter, "Thought we were gonna be waitin' all day." He finished, not bothering to comment further. Towering over the Amaran, he leaned forward, looking down to see the device in her hands. It was old; archaic, even. It reminded him of the comically ancient props he'd seen at costume stores, like thos plastic cased, magnetic tapes apparently used hundreds of thousands of years ago.

Yet it clearly wasn't that old. Nothing was in the galaxy, save for the planets they stood on or the stars in the sky. Besides, even as primitive as it was, it was still recognizable as a datatape. One that the droid clearly thought could still function. When the Amaran asked the group a collective question, he’d arch and eyebrow. “Ain’t th’at what we’re ‘ere for?” He’d ask, before looking up again.

They had a lot to do, and the Amaran was already focused in on some holoviewers. “Is everythin’ in this bloody library ancient?” He said aloud. There wasn’t much he could do; it was Trini that had the tape. What she chose to do next would be up to her. Whether that was to just go over to the viewers or do a backflip, the human wouldn’t interfere. Instead, he started asking questions.

“So… we talked about it earlier, but ‘ow much did this guys steal exactly? From what it sounds he conquered a lot of shite.”

​

@AutoFox @Darasuum @Charles

 

[IG 55]

There wasn’t much need to talk. Trini and IG-55 were after the same thing but Trini knew more about the asset so IG-55 would simply follow her lead and keep her alive until he had said assets.

He still get uncomfortable with the lack of a blaster slung over his shoulder and luckily he could analyze and watch the others around him with his many sensors without the others knowing. If Laeonas had a lightsaber then he could most likely use the Force. A Mando was a Mando and could surely use just about anything as a weapon. The man who shot IG was probably not much of a threat anymore but IG wasn’t one to be cocky and still had his suspicions that he had something io his sleeve that could render IG-55 useless.

Paranoia was not what IG-55 was programmed with. Optimistic Pessimism fit better. It was in his job description to be prepared for everything and everyone to blow up in flames and turn on you.


…And now IG-55 was assessing any flammable or explosive material in the area…

 

[Jaecar Algyr]

Spoiler: Music

The small plastic rectangle in Jaecar's hands was worn and dented. The transparent 'screen' was cracked and occasionally glitched but it still functioned. The music from the old entertainment datapad played from one headphone while the other dangled in front of his chest and swung slightly with each step. The Deucalian had picked the device up from a street vendor that was moving other refurbished technology trinkets on the planet. The Togruta had assured him that there were thousands of 'tunes' and 'melodies' of all kinds stored in the device and she had a license to sell the items for such a bargain.

The chest armor of Jaecar shifted as he stood in the back of the group. Looking down, he saw the familiar red and black scaled head of Hraun. So far the baby Arkanian Dragon had remained hidden in the folds of the Deucalians clothes or out of sight and just nearby. Now Hraun snapped at the dangling headphone.

Jaecar raised a hand to the headphone trying to tuck it out of the young drake's reach. A relatively meek cry sounded in protest from the orange eyed Hraun. <"Hush Hraun"> None the less it retreated back into the folds of his armor and Jaecar tightened the cloak of pelts around himself a little more.

The time spent waiting for the library machine to leave and come back was long enough for Jaecar to listen to a few different songs and get the hang of the device in his hands. The young deucalian was probably still a luddite in galactic terms. Even archives of knowledge like libraries were something that the kid had little to now experience in. Thus he remained the quite teenager who was plugged into his music player for most of the wait time.

His eyes watched eagerly as Trini was given the findings. The taller man with the lightsaber asked a follow up question to the Amaran's though Jaecar had already raised his hand. "Oooh, like whole fleet of star destroyers?" He said with a flaring fire behind his eyes. Tales of the Battle of Exegol had reached his people. It was an inspiring event and the teenager's own imagination at what they could find seemed to grow exponentally with each passing moment until the vulpine scholar gave her answer.

@AutoFox @Charles @Tom

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini carried the datatape toward one of the consoles, grunting as she lifted the heavy cartridge and shoved it into a reader socket on the front. There was a heavy thunk, followed by a series of clicks and whirs, and the large cathode display on the front of the console hummed to life. A data directory began to load.

"Probably more like a few Barancese Hidromons, if there's a fleet protecting the place." The Amaran responded to Jaecar. "As for how much he stole in general... well, bear in mind his main trove was discovered on Dellalt a little over a century ago. Most of that was actually stuff that's pretty worthless these days; beam tubes, kiirium ingots, mytag crystals... things a warlord of his time would value."

The console chimed, and Trini typed in a time index. The tape drive spun up, clicking and whirring as the read head moved across the ancient plastic.

"That's not to say he didn't collect treasure, of course. He was a pirate, originally, and he ruled an empire that stretched from the Radama Void to the Maw at its height. They say his palaces held the loot of a thousand worlds; jewels, aurodium, works of art... he kept that stuff on display. If you were rich and powerful back then, you kriffing well showed it off."

The Amaran sighed ruefully, watching as the console indicated the file was loading.

"The problem there, of course, is that when he died at Vontor, all of Xim's servants and subordinates helped themselves once it was plain the empire was collapsing. Xim's personal wealth would have made a trove the likes of which the Galaxy has seldom seen, if it had all stayed in one place. Alas, that didn't happen."

The screen lit up as the requested file began to buffer. Trini crossed her arms.

"We're after something that isn't... quite as grandiose. But only slightly less so."

The file was an old pre-holographic video, the picture quality blurry and occasionally obscured by lines of interference. In the center of the screen was a figure seated in what looked to be an ornate command chair, possibly on the bridge of a large ship. The figure was human, but wore an elaborate martial uniform of a cut which had not been seen in millennia; standing to either side of her were the towering figures of Guardian-class war-robots, their upper torsos out of frame.

The figure spoke.

"Reporting, Katepano Lepratas, IXS Continuence. Given recent reports from the Hutt Front regarding the recent third battle at Vontor, I am executing standing orders imparted by my Daritha. IXS Continuence will take on special cargo and depart for Xoloch, where we shall await word of succession, or move on to a secondary site if the worst should happen. I obey Xim! Whose Fist Shall Enclose the-..."

The figure on the screen trailed off, and looked genuinely saddened, before she continued.

"...Whose... Whose Name Shall Outlive Time."

There was another brief pause before the figure continued.

"This is a dark day for the empire. Fate willing, it shall not be its last. End transmission."

The video dissolved into brief static, then ended. Trini stared up at the screen, rubbing her chin in contemplation.

"Xoloch... that's a planet, I believe. Let's see, these days it would be called..."

Trini's ears suddenly drooped, and she turned to the others.

"...any of you been to Formos before?"

@Darasuum @Tom @Charles

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

Walking alongside the Amaran, he'd watch as she tried to insert the ancient looking datatape. Without any prompting, he'd aid her with one of his own hands, guiding it smoothly into the port. As the ancient display began to load, his brown would furrow. Between the odd curvature of the screen and the magnetic degradation of the tape, the archaic nature of the whole exchange was unsettling for whatever reason. The information they were about to receive was old; older than he could practically comprehend. Yet just as unsettling, there was fascination that began to grip his heart.

The comment about a fleet and the reply snapped him out of his brief focus. "A ship needs a crew. Anythin' fer conquerin' needs a big crew." He'd respond, not bothering to continue his reply from there. Despite how crude it came off, Laeonas' point was simple; the likelihood of encountering a whole fleet of fully crewed, destroyer or cruiser class ships defending an ancient, undiscovered cache, was minimal.

The follow up about the ancient cache and how most had already been discovered caused Laeonas' to perk up a bit, glancing down at the Amaran. The mention of the main trove being discovered caused his heart to skip a beat, but the panic was soothed as she explained the worthlessness of it's contents. That she reassured all of them about the treasure itself caused the human to settle. "So Ai 'aven't been stickin' around fer tha galaxy's most borin' 'istory class. Good." He thought.

Trini's follow up about how Xim's followers had so quickly turned on each other caused the man to scoff. "No surprise there. Back 'ome, if a gang boss dies, it ain't long before all his capos start tryna claim bits of 'is base or 'is wealth fer 'emselves." He commented, amused at how familiar the story went. It made perfect sense that Xim had started out as a criminal. Watching the screen, he'd visibly cringe as the cathode ray display showed a buffering sign. "Fuckin' 'ell, speed up!" He'd exclaim, hitting the right side of the display with a back hand.

As he did so, the file would suddenly boot up. He knew not to expect a hologram from the monitor, yet seeing a video being played on two dimensions was... jarring for him. The magnetic interference was similar to the interference he'd get when the connection to the holonet was bad; not when going over prerecorded messages. Everything about the medium through which the message was displayed was alien to him. Yet, nothing appeared more foreign than the message was displayed.

The main focus was on a human woman, clad in an outfit unlike anything Laeonas had seen before. Golden tansels ran over a red, cloth based uniform. Her leg-ware consisted of plain black pants, as well as ornately adorned lower leg guards. The most striking feature was her helmet; a number of ornamental metal plates, attached to a singular, bowl like top, with a final, thick metal slab running up the middle like a mohawk. Everything about the uniform was utterly bizarre, and it came in the form of such a familiar visage. A simple, human woman.

The human in question sat in what essentially amounted to a throne, and was flanked on either side by two very tall, very bulky battle droids. Laeonas was no technician, but even he could recognize just how primitive their designs were. Given how utterly impractical her outfit was for both melee and ranged combat, the droids still served a practical purpose. All of it conveyed a single message, ofcourse; that being authority. For a moment, he wondered if this was Xim. The thought was shattered both by her acknowledgement of superior orders, and Laeo's recalling of how Xim was a male.

The melancholic end of the transmission prompted a frown that stuck to Laeonas' face. Not from any pity he felt for the woman who had turned to dust a thousand lifetimes ago. In spite of the valuable information she'd just provided, he couldn't help but be bothered by what she'd mentioned. It was a single, innocuous line. A caveat, a clarification for what would change her current marching orders.

"...we shall await word of succession..."

"Await?" He'd say aloud, utterly baffled by what she'd said. "Does... does th'at mean Xim didn't pick someone t'take command after 'e croaked?" He'd ask, turning to Trini with a look of utter shock. "'Ow tha... wha... what kinda moron... did 'e think 'e was immortal?!" He continued, rubbing his temple. The entire time he'd assumed that Xim went the way any other tyrant or king or strong man did; he'd been beaten by another tyrant or king or strong man. The idea that his empire collapsed because he hadn't picked an heir was utterly bewildering.

The man who was entirely apathetic to galactic history, or most academic interests, found himself utterly transfixed with the idea. Even the lowliest bosses picked number 2's, and while there might always be a power struggle once a boss croaked, only the stupidest, most incompetent, short sighted, self serving fools failed to put someone in a position where they could take command once they died. The idea that someone who'd conquered a few dozen city blocks was more competent than someone who'd conquered a few hundred star systems caused Laeonas' head to ache.

Yet he found himself able to refocus once the mention of a world was brought up. Laeonas' knowledge of the placement of planets was... limited. Yet anyone who was in his line of work knew the name of Formos. "Ai... met a few people from there." He'd answer, not wanting to give anything away. "They 'ad some business partners in tha system. Ain't nothin' Ai can do with th'at now though; been a long kriffin' taime since th'at deal went through."

​

@AutoFox @Darasuum @Charles

 

[IG 55]

IG-55 did not feel anything.

But he felt very underwhelmed by the fact that the Bounty Droid still wasn't clasping onto a blaster right now- especially after the information Trini relayed to the others. IG would've made an audible sigh of annoyance if he had a mouth and raspatory system. The assassin droid had never been to Formos nor Xoloch, but he immediately began research on this 'Xim the Despot' character and his fallen empire of pirates.

<Nothing.> The droid thought worriedly. There was no new information other than what Trini had just recently shown him. It made sense to IG-55 that this hopefully-dead warlord left behind a few traps for would be tomb raiders and treasure hunters, but he wasn't quite sure what they would be whether it would be a simple buzz saw that sliced intruders in half or the literal raising of the warlord's dead crew out of the grave to hunt down and eviscerate any would be thieves.

Regardless of the peril they were to find themselves in, in the near future, IG-55 still wanted a gun within quick-drawing reach. "I have got a bad feeling about this." The droid said aloud in his blank and monotoned voice. "I suggest we retrieve any and all lost weapons. The calculated survival rate of each of us without armaments is 3,861 to 3. The calculated survival rate with each of us fully armed is only slightly higher- but I prefer the latter odds compared to our first option." IG-55 then turned to face Laeonas, "I have no record of Formos. You are our best bet at navigation to and on Formos. Sadly."

@Tom @AutoFox @Darasuum

 

[Trini Halrixien]

IN THE BARANCAR NAVAL ARCHIVES...

Trini began to close down the terminal, sighing at Laeonas' words. She shook her head, her own sense of history settling on her as the familiar "what if" scenarios flashed through her mind.

"Honestly? It wouldn't surprise me if Xim did think that way." She replied. "He was probably the most egotistical human to ever live, short of Emperor Palpatine maybe. Of course, it didn't help that he conquered the equivalent of several sectors back in his day, and not only by brute force, but also some damned clever political maneuvering and just plain trickery. If he'd lived, he might have conquered at least a serious chunk of Hutt Space, and the Galaxy would look very different today. I doubt he ever even considered that he could be killed, let alone what would happen to his empire if the worst should happen."

She sagged in her chair.

"Maybe the Tion Cluster wouldn't be the fractious chain-ship wreck that it is these days..."

At IG-55's words, the Amaran looked up.

"The authorities said we could collect all our weapons at the spaceport when we leave the planet. Which we'll have to do, now." She replied. "And you aren't the only one with a bad feeling. Formos is... it has a reputation, let's say."

Trini stood as the tape cartridge ejected from the terminal, hefting it over to a nearby return cart.

"Regardless, I need to keep my professor in the loop on this; he wanted to be informed if I actually found something. I suppose I have!"

@Darasuum @Tom @Kell Rook

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

"Most egotistical human to ever live" was a title that Laeonas had never heard before. "Egotistical" wasn't even in his vocabulary. Ego was, and he knew of Palpatine's reputation, so it didn't take more than a split second for Laeonas to recognize the meaning of the word. Still, it was a bold claim. Laeonas had met plenty of proud, self obsessed individuals. To an extent, he was one.

The possible scenarios that the Amaran brought up about what could've happened if Xim had lived went completely over Laeonas' head. He had no formal education on history; he didn't have a formal education in anything at all, as a matter of fact. All she'd told him was that Xim had power, that it went to his head, and that he died. If the man believed for a second that he couldn't, than he was more a fool than the uneducated criminal watching one of his captains pretend that the empire she served wasn't collapsing.

"Karkin' fool's what 'e was if 'e thought 'e wouldn't wind up laike tha rest of us." He'd snap, brushing his hair out of the way as he looked down at the amaran. "Guess when yer at tha top, it's easier ta ferget th'at everyone's equal at tha end. We all get ta be worm food t'gether." He'd grimly remark. That men as prideful as Xim could rise to power in the galaxy was a testament to how fundamentally "kriffed" the entire galaxy was.

At the IG's words, Laeonas scoffed "Ya feel somethin'?" The man would reply in a mocking tone, looking back at him with piercing aquamarines. His mentions of calculations annoyed the man; what did 3,861 to 3 even mean? Was it just saying that them surviving was unlikely? Why didn't it just tell them that? "Karkin' droid..." he thought to himself, before saying aloud, "We'd probably 'ave 'em if ya didn't threaten t'blow us ta 'ell." He wasn't in the mood for the assassin droid's commentary.

Yet Laeonas couldn't deny that some of the machine's words did make sense. Getting their weapons was absolutely necessary, especially with their destination in mind. Formos was a planet you wouldn't want to be on at any time, much less without weapons. From what he heard, the only civilization on the planet made even the roughest neighborhoods of Cormond look like prosperous, crime free paradises. At the IG's mention of how it was on him, the man could only raise an eyebrow.

So far, it had been the Amaran simply stringing the rest of them along while she did most of the actual work. The only thing of substance that Laeonas had done was flash his lightsaber around and posture. That a part of their journey now rested on his knowledge and connection's was... new. This wasn't exactly a job, and even if it was, these people certainly weren't his normal clientele.

"Ai... gueeeeess th'at Ai might be some 'elp? Ai can see if some of mae old contacts are still active. We'll prolly 'ave t'get a cover, unless ya wanna waltz on t'Formos actin' laike normal civilians." He'd say, before glancing at the assassin droid again. "Course, th'at'll be a bit 'arder fer some of us."

Looking down at the Amaran again, he'd glance at the massive datatape. "Ain't every day ya get ta watch a woman older than dirt speak." He'd comment, referencing the find in question. Historians seemed to love details like these. Laeonas briefly imagined the Amaran yapping to her professor-- probably another Amaran, he didn't know-- about the whole experience.

He couldn't help but giggle.

​

@AutoFox @Darasuum @Charles

 

[IG 55]

Laeonas's comment made a circuit whir inside IG-55's "Tactical 'Terroagtion" protocol. He would not be insulted by a homeless man with no class- well, he did have class; Lower class to be specific. The bounty droid raised his arm to back hand the fool, but stopped just before making contact to make Laeonas flinch instead of inflicting actual pain. "Swine. And you wonder why I threatened to use explosives to calm you all down. I'd do it again, given the chance, knowing the likes of you would be blown to bits. Respect is earned- and you have yet to have any of mine." He muttered and jerkily put his arm down at his side.

Then, IG-55 began to circle around his small silver ball in his clawed metal hands like a child would to calm itself down. IG-55 wanted the boy to hit him and break his fingers upon impact, then it would give the droid an excuse to break the fingers in his other hand. The group only needed Laeonas to be able to give directions and nothing else- so IG could snap off his legs, rip out his arms, and carry his torso on his back, and even then, they'd still have a guide.

IG pushed that calculation to the side after he remembered the brief kindness the amaran should the droid earlier. Maybe...ripping and tearing wasn't the way to go about the job. Why were they still debriefing? IG-55 was edging to mash something apart with his bare manacles.

@AutoFox @Tom @Darasuum

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

What came from the droid as a reply to his words were... unexpected. The sudden backhand of a manacle caused him to toss his head back, but as it turned out, it wasn't necessary. The IG united drew his claw back an instant before it otherwise would've made contact. What followed the attack that might've otherwise shattered his jawbone was a brief, but otherwise scathing rant. Laeonas was left dumbfounded by the passion that the droid's otherwise monotone voice managed to convey.

It was a machine; a technological creation build and programmed for a predetermined purpose. It was supposed to be dispassionate, without emotion, and yet here it was, insulting him. Laeonas' shock was evident, but as the seconds went on, his suppressed anger began to boil to the surface. Gritting his teeth, he'd reach out with the force, intent on crushing the droid's frame with a thought; but he'd stop himself almost immediately. The only thing the droid would detect would be a momentary pressure on it's central chasis.

"Ai've been born with a connection ta... well, everythin' alive. If Ai concentrate enough, Ai can feel everythin', and as time goes on and Ai learn more, Ai feel even more of everythin'. Ai can feel tha amaran, tha ginger. Ai could feel those cops th'at knocked us out. Ai could feel tha mando who left." He'd explain, words especially enunciated.

"But Ai never felt you." He'd say, the last word dripping with venom. "Ai felt tha danger ya posed, and Ai nearly felt what it was laike when ya nearly murdered tha lot of us. But ya'v got no presence in tha force; yer a shell. Yer value's tha same as tha datatape, or tha monitor, or tha peelin' plaster off a wall, or a pile of rat shit in a public 'fresher." He spat, placing a finger on the droid's chasis.

"Yer not alive. Yer not a person. Yer a thing." He would declare, Standing on his tip toes to look the droid straight in the photoreceptors. "And if ya ever vocab-ulate laike ya just did again, Ai will personally introduce ya t'tha ground-- and than, tha nearest trash compacter." He'd finish, finally taking a step back. He was prepared for any responses that could come from the droid, and they would be met with a blast of power that would hurl the several hundred pound hunk of durasteel across the room.

"Ai'm sick of this. Formos, and 'opefully a pile of riches th'at could fill this place t'tha roof, are waitin' fer us." He'd exclaim, backing away from the killing machine and glancing over at the Amaran. "If we're takin' mae ship, Ai want 'im locked in tha cargo 'old. Alone."

​

@AutoFox @Darasuum @Charles

 

[Jaecar Algyr]

"Hmm." Jaecar's young voice deepened slightly as he thought about what treasures Trini recounted being discovered already. His shoulders lowered a bit because he wished to find something worth while. But as a Deucalian he was not so quick to dismiss what he was looking for as being unattainable. Even rudimentary items and technology could be used to great affect in the right hands. Not to mention he was wanting to learn about weather changing technology. After all, the young deucalian wanted to create a new Deucalia for his people. Jaecar felt it was his calling to find such creations and use them to create a new planet for all Deucalians.

"Never been." he replied regarding the named planets. The inexperienced youth was not that well traveled and often simply sought information when it became important. These days however, Jaecar wondered how much of the galaxy his parent's knew about and if they intentionally kept certain aspects from him. These doubts mixed with the teenagers hormonal biology led to his face turning to look like he was sucking on a lemon. Half of the things the three he was with went over his head. Jaecar unintentionally tuned some of it out or it was said too quickly. It didn't help the droid lacked lips to read.

When things started to get heated between the saber jocky and the murder machine Jaecar's instincts brought him back into focus. He was glad, because Leonas mentioned a feeling, or rather several. The young deucalian looked at Trini with a glance to see if that meant something to her. Such a thing had been felt by Jaecar as well. But Leonas was still a stranger and 'the ginger' was ignorant of a great deal. For the moment his hand would stay near his vibroblade while his other imagined pulling back his energybow should things become violent again. He was fine dropping both of them in self defense. So far only the Amaran seemed to be pleasant company.

@AutoFox @Charles @Tom sorry for the late reply

 

[Trini Halrixien]

IN THE BARANCAR NAVAL ARCHIVES...

Trini sighed heavily at first IG-55's outburst, then Laeonas'. She dropped the tape cartridge onto the cart with a clatter, and glared at the group.

"Alright, look. We're either all going to work together on this little adventure, or I'm going to leave everybody here. Also, they already took all your weapons, let's please not give the authorities in these parts an excuse to actually jail us?"

Trini removed a small holo-pad from her pocket, and walked back to the table, setting it down in the center. She tapped a few buttons on a small keypad, then waited for it to spin up the connection, motes of holography swirling above it.

"Anyway, unfortunately it won't just be us. Like I said, my professor sent me here, and he's going to want to know what I found. Everybody... best behavior, please? My doctorate might be at stake."

@Darasuum @Tom @Kell Rook
Deepest apologies for the wait, everybody!

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

As it turned out, the Amaran wasn't... pleased by the man's outburst. In a display of bravado that surprised the Brentaalan, she would loudly drop the old tape and begin laying into both him and the droid verbally. Notably, she didn't take much of a side-- only insisting that they calm down and avoid getting arrested. Even he couldn't argue with that point, though he found the idea of her traveling to Formos on her own comical. Random civilians simply didn't travel to spice world's on their own-- not unless they wanted to be killed, robbed, or enslaved.

Glancing up at the machine, he frowned, but nevertheless, he turned back to Trini and gave her a quick nod. "...fine. Ai'll keep calm. If either of us starts tryna kill each other, nobody'll say Laeonas shot first." He declared, giving the IG a final dosage of side eye before refocusing on what it was they were supposed to be doing. That was when she brought up a professor-- and any semblance of calm abruptly shattered.

"Yer bringin' a TEACHER? Ta FORMOS?!" He loudly exclaimed, ignoring the inevitable "quiet please" from that ancient droid attendant behind the counter. "Wh-- it's an entire planet of slavers, scum and spice! It's--" he started, before cutting himself off, noticing the holo in her hand. "...oh. Carry on." he muttered, taking a step back. A bit of red flushed across his cheeks, the embarrassment over his assumption silencing him-- for the good of everyone's eardrums.

In all these, he hadn't paid much attention to the redheaded teenager. Giving him a glance as the man tried to find something to keep his attention, he noticed the defensive posture that he held, hand hovering over his vibroblade. He'd been ready for a possible conflict; a good sign that he might actually be of use. The IG would certainly come in handy, though Laeonas didn't feel as reassured by that fact as he was by the presence of the only other person with a weapon in the room.

​

​

@AutoFox @Charles @Darasuum

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini shot Laeonas a warning look as the holoprojector whirred to life, an image coalescing above the table. There was an initial burst of static, then the S-thread resolved itself into the face of an old human male, who blinked sleepily at those assembled.

"Trini! Force, it's the middle of the night... what is it?"

The cleared her throat carefully, looking into the hologram. It was, she reflected, either awfully early or awfully late, depending on how one counted on the planet Rudrig. She mentally chastised herself for forgetting the time difference, but then the professor had given her fairly specific instructions on what to do if she found something.

"Professor Rasmassan, you told me to call you as soon as I discovered something useful. Well, I got it in one, or I hope I did."

The professor blinked, no longer sleepy but curious. He adjusted his glasses.

"Did you...?"

Trini shook her head, but grinned.

"No, not the treasure itself, but I have a lead. A primary source, actually! I'll send you a copy if I can. Regardless..."

Trini leaned forward, enthusiasm brightening her expression.

"Xoloch, professor! Formos these days. If I'm interpreting this right, that's where the crowns were taken! Even if they're not still there, it's a lead! The first real one in millennia!"

The professor looked shocked. He shook his head.

"Good gods... that's incredible news! Oh, er..."

The professor looked past Trini, spotting Laeonas.

"...who is your associate?"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

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As the holo flashed to life, he'd be greeted by the sight of an absolutely ancient looking human. He couldn't quite tell his age just by looking at him; he didn't exactly have much of a frame of reference. When most people you knew didn't live past the age of 60, anyone older than that blended under a "greyhaired" category you just didn't bother questioning. He certainly acted the part of an old man; that being a cranky, tired prick who seemed reluctant to give them the time of day.

That was, until Trini brought up something valuable. Laeonas couldn't help but hold back an eyeroll. "Typical cranky old shite. Acts laike yer wastin' tha little bit of time 'e's got left before 'oppin' in tha grave, until ya bring up somethin' they can make money off." He thought to himself. His mother constantly told him that the elderly were to be respected, but they always proved to be just as rotten and unreliable as everyone else. Ofcourse, he wasn't exactly young anymore, sitting at 26 years old, but the man wasn't going to go around asking for brownie points after not dying in his youth.

The Amaran and her professor would go back and forth for a little, excited about the prospects of what they'd found. Even he couldn't deny that what they'd found had to have some importance; even if it wasn't going to lead them to riches, it was ancient. That alone would give it some value-- though the value of what they'd found didn't seem to lie in credits, at least with how these two treated it. Standing beside the Amaran, the man's expression wouldn't change from a look of neutral, quiet observation.

That was until the old man addressed him.

Blinking, the man's eyes widened a little. He'd point to himself, than glance to his sides. "Erm." he muttered, before glancing down at Trini for a moment, finally clearing his throught. "Ahem; I'm Laeonas of the house Tannaras." He declared, leaving it there. That was all he felt like he needed to say, but the reaction from the professor wasn't the usual "Oh" or "okay" or in the case of anyone from home, scrutiny or laughter. No, instead the man's brow furrowed, as if he was lost in throught.

"...Tannaras? As in... Julias? Theodora, Morgias... err, Andronikas and..." he began listing names, the last of which actually caught the man's attention. "Yes, Andronikas is mae father." he stated, realizing how awkward it sounded. "No no, that'd be Andronikas LXXIX, I mean Andronikas VII? Archon of the Assembly in the years 5810, 5799 and 5788? The man who helped champion the universal suffrage of naturalized citizens to vote in the elections for assembly? He's a pretty noteworthy figure in the writings of "Brentaal's Democratic Traditions," which is basic primary school reading for most-"

"OKAY, Ai get it. Thanks fer remindin' me about mae own family." Laeonas exasperatedly replied, brushing the man's trivia off. "Ai'm 'elpin' Trini get 'er ands on yer crown jewels, or at least 'elpin' 'er track where they might've been at some point. Th'at's gonna wind up takin' us ta Formos, which Ai think someone as smart as ya would know is a pretty dangerous place." He declared, arms crossed.

"Ai know mae way around places laike th'at though, which is... mainly why Ai'm 'ere." He explained, before finally stepping back.

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[Trini Halrixien]

Trini quirked an eyebrow as she looked over at Laeonas, listening to her professor speak. She didn't think the human had mentioned his family name, but now that he had said it, she could see what had caught her professor's attention. Could he be...?

When Laeonas changed the subject, the Amaran straightened.

"Er, he's right, Professor. Formos is... well, if there's any planet that looks like the holodrama generalization of an Outer Rim syndicate world, it would be Formos."

The hologram of the professor raised his own eyebrow.

"Oh? And how would you know what a syndicate world looks like, Trini?"

Trini opened her mouth to speak, then hesitated, before finally gritting her teeth in silence. The professor, meanwhile, adjusted his glasses.

"So, the trail leads to Formos. Mister Tannaras, we shall rely on your no doubt excellent guidance to ensure our safety on this planet. I myself will meet you there... after such a long career in Ximology, I could hardly miss this!"

Trini opened her mouth to say something at last, but abruptly, the hologram flickered out. Trini blinked in surprise.

"...he's not my favorite professor, but he knows Xim and his empire better than anyone since S. V. Skynx. He'll help us find what we're looking for..."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

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It didn't take much for the man to notice the expression on the Amaran's face when Laeonas and the professor had their trivia moment. It was an odd expression, one that the man could recognize as a mixture of curiosity and... something else? He didn't address it as the man began speaking about what he'd be doing, and he'd nod along at the Amaran's interjection. Her analogy wasn't entirely right; Formos looked far, far worse than most Holos could depict it, but she managed to drive the point home to her professor.

Ofcourse, his skepticism at her words showed that in spite of what she'd said, the man seemed to doubt his student. Laeonas was about to speak up in her defense, but than the professor decided he'd continue on speaking. More than that, he revealed that he planned to join them. Laeonas' eyes practically bulged out of his head at the suggestion, two aquamarines pointed and staring in a moment of stunned silence. When he was finally ready to start screaming his head off at the professor's idiocy, the man promptly flicked off.

The two were left blinking in surprise, the Amaran out of sheer shock, and Laeonas out of a boiling rage. "Not yer favorite?! Really?" He repeated, grinding his teeth together as the force shed off of him in waves. "Ai 'ave 'alf a mind ta sell 'im ta tha slavers maeself once we all get there-- assumin' they're willin' ta buy 'im fer more than tha meat on his bones. Not even sure they'd be willin' ta process 'im inta slave feed." He'd go on, rage slowly draining from his voice before he glanced down at the Amaran.

"...Ai'm not actually gonna do any of th'at, and Ai certainly won't let them do th'at if Ai can stop 'em, but fuckin' 'ell." He went on, wracking his hair with his hands in frustration. "Ai-- this is gonna be so fuckin' 'ard. It was one thing ta walk around pokin' our noses around a shite'ole laike th'at with a civ in tow, but now Ai gotta do it with two, one of which is old enough ta 'ave lived through tha fuckin' rebellion!" He exasperatedly exclaimed, groaning loud enough to prompt another shush from the librarian droid.

"...whatever. We've got what we need, don't we? Let's 'ead back t'tha police precinct ta get mae weapons and credits. We can 'ead ta mae ship from there." He declared. If the Amaran had no further objections, they'd leave the library and head out to take the next tram to the station. The man would sit in silence for a moment, pondering everything that had happened. The fight with the droid, his drugged out lunch, the recording of that very, very ancient woman and her droids. this was unlike any heist he'd been a part of before.

Yet there was one question gnawing at the back of his mind as the tram came to a stop. Turning to Trini, he'd regard the academic for a moment. Than, calmly, he'd ask, "Why'd ya look at me laike th'at when Ai mentioned mae name?"

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[Trini Halrixien]

Trini remained silent through Laeonas' tirade, briefly opening her mouth to speak once or twice but deciding to keep whatever she had to say to herself. She gritted her teeth briefly, then let out a sigh.

"I don't think he lived through the Rebellion... maybe the First Order-Resistance War, though."

As she gathered her things, including a datacard copy of the tape they had viewed, the little Amaran rolled her eyes.

"And I'm not that useless... you know I was at the Sector Ranger Headquarters bombing on Coruscant? I bit what I'm pretty sure was a Sith on the arm! I can take care of myself. As for Professor Rasmassan... hell, I don't know when he last did field work. Not since I've been working for him, at least."

They made their way to the tram station, and at Laeonas' question, Trini looked up curiously. She answered as a tram came to a stop before them, and they climbed aboard.

"Tannaras? Oh, well, it's a very famous name, especially in historical circles. The family produced a number of famous generals, admirals and politicians... Andronikas was considered a major democratic reformer in this part of the Galaxy. There's a chance you're related!"

She grinned.

"You're lucky. As far as I know, all I've got in my family tree is a Back Spiral pirate who threw in with the Confederacy during the Old Republic days."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

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Through the tirade, the man would make occassional glances at the Amaran. Only by the end did he recognize how... aggressive it might sound. When the woman spoke up in her own defense, the man wanted to cut in to say something along the lines of, "Well Ai didn't mean ya were useless, just th'at Formos was dangerous." But her line about "biting a Sith in the arm" erased any thoughts of conciliatory reasoning. Instead, he let out a loud, rather harsh laugh before shaking his head. He did pause to think for a moment, but than he only laughed again.

"If th'at were a Sith, ya wouldn't be standin' 'ere right now." He declared, smile fading as he looked down at her. "They're not laike ya and Ai; they're brutal. They wouldn't 'ave 'esitated ta cut ya down fer so much as lookin' at 'em, let alone bitin' 'em." He explained, trembling a little as his mind flashed back to his duel on Bespin. "...Ai didn't get mae saber from fightin' and killin' one. Ai got it from a dyin' woman in some 'utt treasure vault. She shoved 'er 'and through a fuckin' ray shield, and last Ai left 'er, she was still breathin'." He declared. Trini probably had very little understanding of fighting and battle, but anyone with any technical knowledge would know that the injury he described should've caused instant death.

"Yer... professor... 'e's definitely more learned than Ai am, but 'e ain't got a fuckin' clue what tha galaxy is really laike if e's ready to start runnin' around on Formos laike it's a vacation ta Zeltros." He declared, letting the words hang for added effect. "It's gonna be... difficult protectin' tha lot of ya. If ya don't mind, before we leave, we oughta buy ya a blaster." He asked, "Ai'm not askin' ya ta use it if ya ain't comfortable laike th'at. Just th'at ya 'ave it, and wear it fer all ta see once we're on Formos."

Whether the Amaran abided by his request was entirely up to her. Laeonas had always understood the reluctance to bear arms, but demonstrations of very basic strength would make their time on Formos a lot safer.

When they'd moved on to the topic of his family, Laeonas would listen. A number of feelings manifested as she spoke; the faintest bit of pride, but more than that, there was bitterness and anger. Not at the Amaran herself, but at... well, everything else. "Lucky?" He'd ask in a bitter tone. He heard what she said next, frowning a little bit as he looked down. "Mae grandpa's a jeweler. Made nice things fer rich folk; usually old, lecherous cheaters tryna give their mistresses baubles. Than one day mae ma came 'ome, and 'e saw 'er wearin' a necklace he'd been commissioned on a few weeks earlier. One he'd sent out."

The man let the Amaran do the rest of the legwork in figuring out the implications of what he'd just said. "If ya couldn't tell, Ai didn't grow up ready ta be a politician, or an admiral, or whatever it is those pricks in tha senate do all day." He finished, the tram coming to a stop. "I s'pose it ain't all bad, seein' as Ai can... well, lift shite with mae mind."

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