Ask The Million Crowns of Tion - Part III

[Trini Halrixien]

THE PLANET FORMOS...

Trini Halrixien, Galactic adventurer and PhD to be, reached up to flick a row of switches as Laeonas Tannaras' old YV-series transport descended through the atmosphere of the smuggler world of Formos. The Amaran vixen watched as the sprawling central spaceport spread out before her.

"They say Krates of Huronom laid out the grid of this spaceport!" Trini declared excitedly as the ship came in to land. "Most of the original structures are gone by now, but you can still see how the streets and sectors are laid out. Ancient urban planning isn't really my field, mind, but the layout is almost modern! Shame Xim had Krates killed after the Second Battle of Vontor..."

Trini tried to tamp down her excitement, focusing on helping to bring the ship in for a safe landing. She had come to Formos - long ago known by the name Xoloch - in search of something for more important and interesting than an ancient street plan.

"Professor Rasmassan said he would be waiting for us when we go here... and Zeezee said he would keep an eye on him until we go here." She said, changing subject. "Gods, I didn't think he would insist o being here..."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The flight had, for the most part, been a boring one. Laeonas had occupied himself with what he usually occupied his idle time with— that being working out, and listening to the news over the holo. The flight wasn’t long enough to justify copious drinking, and he didn’t really want to give the Amaran a bad impression. Most civilians were... put off by the man when he was so open about what it was that he did for a living, but the Amaran had watched him swing his saber around and only gotten curious.

Did her opinion matter beyond keeping the job? The answer was still a resounding no, but he had to admit that he didn't resent his client's company. She was at least engaging in conversation, and only ever bored him when talking about some obscure "bullshite." Like urban planning. He... honestly wasn't even sure of what she meant, and he wasn't about to start asking questions. The man just nodded along as he flew the ship into the spaceport he'd caught a signal from.

Once they'd landed, Trini spoke up on a more important subject-- that being the surprisingly naive old fart of a professor that had come to join them. "We've gotta find 'im quick. Loiterin' around ports might not get 'im in trouble, but 'e'll be eaten alive if 'e leaves tha port." He declared. The ports on worlds like these were usually run by a local syndicate or crime boss, and so long as people paid the docking fee... and an additional percentage... they'd be safe. But once someone left such ports, it was open season.

As the two headed off the ship, a shorter rodian began making his way over to them. "Keep quiet, Ai'll do tha talkin'." He declared. "<Greetings! Welcome to Formos spaceport.>" the rodian greeted the two in huttese, turning his attention towards the Amaran first. "<We're currently experiencing a greater than usual level of traffic in this port, so our docking fee has been increased to 95 credits per day.>" He declared. Laeonas quickly surveilled the port, noting that most of the landing pads were entirely empty.

"<We can pay.>" Laeonas answered, his huttese somehow even more incomprehensible than his basic. The Rodian turned to him, squinting a little so he could play the words back in his head. "<Wonderful! There is also the matter of the mandatory contraband sear-->" The man continued, but was quickly cut off as Laeaonas reached into his jacket and pulled out a small bag of credits. Pouring a few chips into his hands, he forced it into the Rodian's sticky palms. "<No search; buy something nice.>" He added. Laeonas didn't bother negotiating down the price or threatening the man; this was how business was done.

The rodian counted the credits, a satisfied smirk on his proboscis. "<...this does cover the contraband clearance fee, as well as the rest of your bill. Take care.>" He answered, walking off. "Ai'm surprised they take credits." Laeonas muttered, turning back to the Amaran. "C'mon, we gotta go find yer professor and get a leash on 'im before he gets 'imself killed."

​

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@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as Laeonas bribed what passed for a spaceport official. It wasn't unexpected; by all reputation, Formos was just that kind of planet. When the human commented that they should go and find her professor before he hurt himself, she readily agreed, nodding.

"Yeah, I was expecting them to want gold peggats or something... and yeah. Somehow I don't think the Professor is equipped to handle himself here..."

Trini glanced over at Laeonas. The human, on the other hand, could handle himself; she had watched him practice with a lightsaber during the voyage, and couldn't help but be impressed, even if the red coloration of the blade couldn't help but put her on edge given her experiences. Still, by human standards, Laeonas was plainly skilled, and not all that hard to watch, if she were honest with herself. Which she refused to be, at least until the current adventure was resolved. She pulled a comlink out of her vest.

"Luckily I do have someone keeping an eye on him. Zeezee! We've touched down, are you there?"

The comlink crackled briefly as it negotiated the sub-standard Formosan planetary network, before a mechanical voice replied.

"Trini! About time you showed up. I'm over on landing pad 96T, and Professor Rasmassan is threatening to go ahead of you if you and your friend don't get soon!"

Trini cursed in an antique dialect of Huttese, colorfully enough that a young Hutt slithering past in the crowd looked at her askance. Grumbling to herself, the Amaran looked up at a grimy spaceport map illustrated on a wall. Finding the T terminal, she waved to Laeonas.

"C'mon, we gotta hurry! My Professor is about to do something stupid!"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

"He might know a moneychanger or somethin'. Either way, it ain't our problem anymore." He declared, before adding, "This kinda business just ain't what... er, people of wealth are used ta?" The man stated, though he clearly wasn't sure on the kind of language he used. He wasn't sure if the professor was rich; for all he knew, the man could be living in a dingy apartment on the lower levels of a metropolis when he wasn't giving lectures, but he found the extreme... seriousness? Professorialism? Pro-- fessionalism? "Yeah, that's prolly tha right word." He thought to himself, not going any further down that line of thought any further. He should by a wordbook-- or... wordtionary?

The Amaran's chirp about her droid distracted him from his lack of vocabulary, and the man would glance down at her as her commlink lit up. The droid's emotive, response, though a little garbled by a connection that'd make the old holosignals back on his homeworld sound fantastic. Aquamarines would widen as the droid said that the old bag was going to leave the port without them. He heard what sounded like a very colorful expletive in huttese... but weird, before the girl ran over to a map and began frantically waving for him to follow her.

"Ai really 'ope this guy doesn't get far before we arrive!" He declared, speedwalking off in the direction that Trini was walking towards. This was a scenario that Laeonas had briefly considered, but he'd doubted that the old man would actually go through with it. Deus, he'd really underestimated the professor's stubborness and naivety. Fortunately, it didn't take them long to arrive at the landing pad the droid had directed them to.

The man immediately spotted what had to be the old man's ship, pointing and looking around for any signs of the old man.

​

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@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini sighed, weaving her way through the spaceport crowd. She was surprisingly nimble, the brush of her tail being all Laeonas had to follow most of the time. The diminutive Amaran was below head height for most of the aliens present.

"Not rich, I don't think... he's just hopelessly, incurably tenured!" She called back to the human. "I think the last time he was in the field was the Coruscant Foundation Excavation!"

No context was given - plainly the event was famous enough in Trini's circles that she thought others would know its details at first mention - but the high-profile excavation of an area of Coruscant's lowest, buried levels had occurred some 30 years before. The dig had produced a number of extremely notable artifacts, many now on display at various museums, but the environment had not been particularly dangerous, even given its location in the under-city, given the massive presence of Coruscanti police. It did, however, explain why the old man thought he might be able to handle himself in a place like Formos.

The Professor's ship, a rented AMS-8500, stood ticking on its landing gear as its drives cooled down. Next to it was a sleek, 2-seat starfighter, beside which was a diminutive droid, whose head turret was swiveling back and forth in agitation.

"Zeezee!!"

At Trini's approach, the droid turned to face the Amaran. It rolled up to meet her.

"Trini! Good to see you made it, but you're too late! Professor Rasmassan got fed up waiting and rented a rickshaw! Said something about meeting you at the local library!"

Trini let out another surprisingly guttural curse, and spun around, nearly running into Laeonas as she did. She bit her lip, then gestured to the droid.

"Uh, quick introductions! Laeonas, ZZ-4A4, my co-pilot. Zeezee, Laeonas."

The Amaran looked around, the swore again.

"Kark! Library... where in the seven hells would somebody find a library on a planet like this?!"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Tenured? "Tenyerd." He silently mouthed. Another word he didn't know, and one he wasn't about to ask the meaning of. She brought up some excavation on Coruscant of all places. He'd never heard of such a dig, and never really thought about it. "What's there ta dig on Coruscant? It's a giant city, it goes down ferev..." He began, before shutting his mouth. He recognized how stupid the assertion of a neverending city had to be; every city had to be built at some point. But Coruscant? Kriff, he'd never even thought about that. What had it looked like all those thousands of years before men started building there? Hell, who even decided to build all over it? Maybe one day his own world would look like that; an endless city, the ancient salt flats, mountain ranges and ice caps buried beneath hundreds of miles of durasteel.

None of these thoughts slowed Laeonas down as he ran beside the Amaran, deliberately slowing his pace so he didn't run past her. As they arrived in the hangar, he took in everything quickly, eyes running over the old starfighter, the light freighter, and the droid. He listened to it's vocalizations, letting out an exasperated "Kark!" Alongside Trini's own expletive. His hands clenched into fists, and his nails would've definitely drawn blood if he hadn't clipped them this morning. The frustration he felt now dwarfed anything he'd felt when the professor had announced he'd be joining them, but his low expectations kept him from emoting as loudly and violently as he had before.

While making preparations to curse the old man out the moment they found him, he didn't notice how the Amaran turning and moving until she was just inches from him. Aquamarines briefly widened as he looked down at the girl, blinking a few times as he awkwardly stood in place. His gaze turned to the droid as she gestured to it, brow furrowing slightly. He'd expected that Zeezee was just another student or helper of hers, not another droid. Sol, why did she name it?

When Trini asked about the library, the man refocused, putting aside any distracting ideas, like verbally abusing the elderly, naming droids, or how stupid he must've looked to the Amaran when he'd just looked down at her and blinked like a moron. "Ai 'aven't got a clue." he declared, genuinely puzzled. "There wasn't never a library close ta any block Ai grew up on... and this pit of a world makes me feel laike Ai grew up on easy street." He explained, whispering the last line as he looked around. "Nothin' on this world is free; if it's a library 'e's goin' to, it won't be a public one-- at least not one anyone can just walk in and out've without a fee." He declared, crossing his arms.

"Ai mean, when 'alf tha people on a planet are spice slaves, and tha 'other 'alf are addicts lookin' ta scrounge enough credits t'gether fer their next 'it, ya'd be a moron ta let people just come in and grab datapads and old books fer free." He said. Coming from anyone else and regarding anywhere else, it would've sounded like some pessimistic garbage to justify not funding a public service, but from a gangster whose first trip to a library had come just a few days ago, it was just common sense.

"Only people on this planet that've got taime and money ta visit and read from a library would be tha ones that own tha mines, and tha few th'at work fer 'em th'at they pay." He said, thinking aloud, his expression darkening. "...yer professor's about ta be readin' next ta slave overseers and spice moguls." Laeonas stated. He looked around, before spotting an exit sign. "C'mon! We'll grab a cab and track this guy down!"

​

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@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini blanched as Laeonas put the likely location of her professor together. She cursed again, turning to Zeezee, she briefly gritted her teeth before speaking.

"Okay... okay! Zeezee, come with us, we might need you for this!"

The droid gave what amounted to a dubious look back at the ships, before giving a mechanical sigh and swiveling to face the Amaran and the human.

"Understood! Lead on, the- hey wait up!"

The boxy navigator droid trundled after Trini and Laeonas as the two organics cut a swath through the crowd toward the exit. After a little way, they emerged on one of Formos' broad, dusty avenues, making a beeline toward a battered GoTech speeder painted in the colors of a local taxi that was at least a century old. Nevertheless, before the driver could object the trio clambered into the vehicle.

"Take us to whatever passes for an archive on this planet!" Trini snapped, already scrolling through a datapad for likely destinations, although she doubted the Professor had asked for anything more specific himself. "Sharpish! We need to meet someone there before they get themselves into trouble."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

As quickly as they arrived, the Amaran and Human-- and now, droid-- were off. Many an expletive was hurled at them as they cut through the mass of sentients to get to where they needed to go, with Laeonas doing most of the pushing and shoving. Any other time and he'd have waited, but the longer the professor was left to his own devices, the more likely it'd be that he'd wind up pissing off the wrong mafioso, bounty hunter or mercenary.

Hopping into the rickety old speeder, the pilot-- a male Aqualish-- wore a startled(?) expression on his face as the human, amaran, and... barrel shaped machine threw themselves in. It wasn't because of what Trini said or where she wanted to go-- no, the answer to his confusion would come in a "Chuba-- haku?" In a tone that the human could tell represented confusion. Exasperatedly, Laeonas replied, "Halanat! Doonta-paid, bibliotoonka!" He snapped, in broken, heavily accented huttese. The Aqualish looked a little less confused, before Laeonas added a quick "Boska!" in exasperation, finally causing the Aqualish to recognize what he meant.

"Aight, worse case scenario, 'e's managed ta piss someone off already. We'll be lucky ta get there and stop whoever's about ta disintegrate 'is arse." He said. "Best case, 'e managed ta avoid attractin' much attention ta 'imself and 'e's readin' some 'olo th'at'll get us where we need ta go next." Laeonas went on, wiping the sweat from his brow, as his eyes darted down to his hip, saber concealed in his jacket. There was a real possibility-- one he was almost always prepared for-- that he'd have to cut a few men down to keep the professor safe.

As they drove, Laeonas, Trini, and the droid whose designation Laeonas hadn't bothered to remember were able to get a look at the colorful character of Formos' streets. Of it's decades old, poorly maintained ramshackle dwellings. Of the obvious signs of widespread spice addiction, of the carbon scoring marks from blasterfire still on the walls. Not even the worst neighborhoods on his homeworld could compare to what was evidently a normal city block on this one.

Yet as they flew, the buildings became less decrepit, ever so slightly more modern, as they approached the quarter of the city where the spice overseers lived. Abruptly, they'd stop in front of a moderately sized three story building-- taller than most. Reaching into his pocket, Laeonas paid the Aqualish in credits-- but they were pushed back into his hands. "Sonova..." he muttered, before scooping around a little, and pulling out some crowns. The Aqualish shook his head again, prompting an exasperated groan-- and handing him a few more credit chips. The pilot still seemed reluctant, but with the amount in his hands, he must've figured that he could get something out of the fair. He'd wave them off, and Laeonas would curse under his breathe.

"Forty karkin' credits fer a faive minute ride. May as well 'ave 'eld me up at blastpoint." He spat, before glancing at the building. "Bibliotoonka" was emblazoned on a large sign over the main entrance. "A'right, 'ere goes nothin.'"

​

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@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini yipped as the taxi accelerated down the street, only to be thrown forward in her restraints by a rapid deceleration as they hit traffic. Dingy and Formos might be, but the district around the spaceport proper had about as much road congestion as any large city. The speeder weaved its way through; either traffic laws were extremely loose here, or the driver was ignoring them as much as possible; a combination of both, she suspected.

"Knowing my professor... gods, it'll be somewhere in the middle I'm guessing."

The taxi reached its destination, and Trini climbed out, helping Zeezee after her as Laeonas paid the fair. As she got the droid to the street, she heard Laeonas' muttering, and looked up with a start.

"Forty credits?! Hey, hold o-!"

The taxi sped away with a whine of turbines, and Trini gave an exasperated sigh, turning back to the "Bibliotoonka" that loomed above the street in faux-Hutt Imperial splendor. The Amaran put her hands on her hips.

"My guess is there's a fee to get in, too... barbarians." She muttered, then reached into a pocket to feel the credit chips she kept there. "Let's go, I guess. I'll handle it..."

The building had a long, broad ramp leading to the massive doors, rather than the usual stairs. The angle had Trini's ankles burning by the time they reached the top, and when they did, an eyeball-like gate droid popped out of a small hatch. Before it could speak, Trini held up a fan of credits, which the droid scrutinized, before nodding toward a slot in the wall beside it. Trini muttered again to herself as she started dropping in credit chips, until there was a deep clunk, and the doors began to open.

The trio entered, Trini looking around with raised eyebrows at the massive, vaulted space, lined with towering shelves of datacards, tapes, holocubes and even ancient printed books and scrolls. She hesitated only a moment, however, before she cocked a broad ear at the murmur of excited conversation from down one of the aisles.

"That way." She indicated. "Hopefully he hasn't gotten into trouble already..."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Even if "the middle" was a nebulously defined set of parameters, whatever situation they found the professor in, it'd probably fit. It'd be difficult for anyone to wind up getting themselves hurt or killed within 20-30 minutes of touching down on a planet, even one as dangerous as this. Likewise, it'd be even more difficult to wind up not facing a single serious inconvenience, or to go about their day completely unmolested. "Ai'm 'opin' it's tha kind'v middle where Ai don't 'ave ta bash a guy's 'ead in." Laeonas replied, in an almost frighteningly casual tone in regards to what he'd just described.

Their ride concluded, and Trini seemed to have a serious problem with the fair. Laeonas did as well, but he found that money was an effective solution to throw at some problems. Besides, he'd probably just paid the guy more fair today than he'd seen over the past two weeks. As it turned out it wouldn't be the last fee they paid today, but that wasn't unusual. He was surprised that Trini mentioned the word barbarian, a word he'd usually hear being thrown around by old men in bars complaining about a lack of jobs or to much crime. Ofcourse, Trini was describing an archetype, while said old men were describing anyone who wasn't from his homeworld. "Ai mean, everyone 'ere is. No 'elpin' it." He declared, shrugging as they'd walk inside.

The library itself was unremarkable, though there was a distinct flare to it that reminded him of the Hutts. Whether that was the wide ramp for an entrance way, the front droid and massive door similar to a palace, or the insides with their high vaulted ceilings and winding corridors. It was clear that this place served a very special class of people-- that being the fat, massive crimelords he'd come to hate. His ponderous thoughts were interrupted as the Amaran pointed towards one of the aisles, the human picking up on the sounds of conversation.

"We'll see about th'at." He declared, cracking each of his knuckles as they wound their way down through one of the aisles. The muffled chitter chatter would grow clearer and louder as they approached. He could recognize the distinctive, stereotypically academic sounding tone of the professor. What he was talking about was unclear, both because Laeonas wasn't actively listening, and because he wasn't educated enough on the subject to know. "Oh Eire' karkin' pophryge-" He cursed, speeding up and turning into the aisle, keeping the Amaran close by.

​

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@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini followed quickly behind Laeonas, looking around in wonder at the massive amounts of information on the shelves around her. While their culture had descended into a series of baroque criminal syndicates, the Hutts were a profoundly old species, and they had amassed a truly impressive collection of knowledge, some of which they deigned to share with outsiders - for an appropriate fee, of course. What surrounded Trini was the barest fraction of what there was to know...

One day, she thought to herself, we'll have access to the real Hutt archives, and good gods, what secrets they will tell!

They turned the corner, and Trini muttered a silent curse.

Professor Rasmassan was an older human male, grey haired and wrinkled, but possessed of a vitality that seemed like it should belong to a much younger individual. He was holding a dusty volume in one hand, leafing through the flexible metallic sheets that served for pages with a gleeful smile, and gesturing excitedly to the contents. He was not alone; a small group of individuals stood around him, their expressions ranging from genuine interest to barely concealed greed.

"...and you can see it here quite clearly! At the start of the war, the number of military ships in port drops precipitously; they were all at the front, you see! By the end of the Empire, the presence of such a vessel is a notable occurrence, and-"

Abruptly, the old man looked up, catching sight of Trini, who was staring in disbelief at him.

"Trini! Well it's about time you got here! I got tired of waiting and so I decided to start without you. We must really work on your punctuality, young lady."

Trini took a step forward, her expression a fixed grin that did not match her eyes.

"Professor Rasmassan! I am... sorry I could not meet you at the spaceport! What, um... who are your friends??"

The old human looked around, noting the others present as if seeing them for the first time. His brief confusion was replaced quickly with a beatific smile, and he closed the book.

"Why, these fine sapients are fellow scholars! They were very keen to know what I was looking for; you see, I figured it would be best to start with shipping records from the approximate date you described! We can see if the ship carrying the Cr-"

Trini cleared her throat loudly, looking around at the group of "scholars" that had assembled. The Amaran hated to profile, but each of them had a look that screamed "well off syndicate enforcer" in its own uniquely frightening way. Trini grinned in a manner that seemed closer to a grimace, small, sharp teeth showing as she regarded the others.

"Professor... perhaps we should not, er, jump to conclusions so quickly?? I really think we should find the materials we need and perhaps take them to-"

"...du private study?"

There was a deep, throaty chuckle, and Trini went utterly still as a thick, slightly slimy hand came to rest on her shoulder, another clapping Laeonas on his. The Amaran turned around slowly, coming face to lips with a creature that made her freeze in brief shock.

The Hutt, by the standards of his kind, was not large, only a little over 2 meters in height and lacking the immobilizing obesity that was common to older individuals. This almost certainly marked him as a younger individual, perhaps only a few centuries old. He looked between Trini and Laeonas, huge tawny eyes show a cold curiosity, before taking his hands off their respective shoulders and giving a small bow.

"Good day Tah Uba. Jee am Jonnir Nojull Gloal. Jee am Ta keeper of this archive since Ta passing of Ma progenitor, Hraan Nojull Gloal."

The Hutt smiled, a uniquely unsettling expression, especially as Trini realized that the creature could swallow her whole if it wished.

"Sa La anything specific Uba seek Tah learn?"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

As they rounded the corner, coming upon the professor, Laeonas wasn't entirely sure of what to expect-- but the sight that greeted his bright eyes was perhaps the last thing he wanted. While the Amaran tried her best to hide her obvious discomfort and suspicion behind a fixed, "friendly" expression, Laeonas didn't even try to hide his shock and contempt. Contempt for the naive crone of a professor, and for the fat, slimy xeno that he was speaking to. He said nothing, silent as he tried to process his options. He was half tempted to choke out the hutt until he passed out, but the two enforcers would likely disintegrate him before he could finish.

However, the sudden motion of a hand to grab his shoulder took him out of his thoughts, instinctively shifting back into a combat stance as his hand flew for his jacket. The enforcers reacted quickly, levying their blasters, and Laeonas' hand, as quickly as it had moved, froze, before gradually lowering back to his side. Amongst the radiant aquamarines of his eyes, one might be able to notice the slightest flecks of amber burning through, but more obvious than that would be the burning hatred in his expression.

The Hutt had momentarily looked alarmed, though as Laeonas' hand lowered, he quickly fell back into his analytical expression, introducing himself in a lengthy and elaborate fashion in a mix between heavily accented basic and some huttese. The enforcers didn't take their eyes off the man, even as they holstered their own weapons. Laeonas eventually refocused on his party-- first on Trini, who looked utterly petrified in the presence of the Hutt, and at the old professor. His expression shifted from genuine hatred back to a less outwardly hostile, but visibly peturbed look.

"Professor." He addressed, walking around the Hutt. "We've spoken over 'olo. Ya can call me Laeo." He declared. "Ai suggest ya grab whatever materials ya need, and than we'll 'ead out've 'ere." The man "suggested," though it was delivered more like an order, if anything. The old man had already demonstrated that he was incapable of recognizing obvious threats and signs of people taking advantage of him. He was a liability that Laeonas would not afford the freedom to create more issues.

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@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini was about to speak in affirmation of what Laeonas had said, when the Hutt gave a deep chuckle, shaking his massive head. He regarded Laeonas with what seemed a genuine if calculating interest.

"Mee am afraid da will nopa be possible." He said, before throwing up his hands placatingly. "Hagwa misunderstand! U um do friends are free tah come um bolla tuta myo archive as u like. However, doe material housed noleeya this building cannot be taken beyond its walls. U seem trustworthy folk, but doe city..."

The Hutt gave a disapproving look toward the doors, then shrugged as he turned back to the small group.

"Myo archive has private reading rooms, um myo librarians will be happy tah koose u kickee material u require. Choy? Sa it da u waba tah learn?"

Trini was about to speak again, opening her mouth and causing the Hutt to look down at her, when she was interrupted once more, this time by her professor.

"You are quite right, Mister Gloal! The environment outside is no place for ancient documents. I would be quite happy to study any material you might have here."

He paused, and Trini though she might get a word in edgewise, but the Professor started up again before she could.

"My friends and I are looking for information regarding the coming and going of ships. Old ships, from as far back as Xim's time, if such records exist."

Trini suppressed a whimper of frustration as the Hutt replied with interest.

"Doe Despot's tee-tocky! Da sa indeed do long tee-tocky ago, even by hutt reckoning. But jee-jee may have such information. Myo archive sa old, um grancha. Follow je, mee shall show u konchee such things are kept."

Trini looked helplessly at Laeonas as the Hutt turned away and started slithering off down the aisle, beckoning for the trio to follow. The Professor, smiling in self-satisfaction, followed after the slug-like alien with a veritable spring in his step...

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Coming from anyone else, the concerns the librarian raised would've been received as valid. But this... wasn't anyone else. This was a Hutt, and the default assumption Laeonas had of any and every decision a Hutt could make was skewed heavily towards the negative. Was it fair? Ofcourse it wasn't, but neither was anything on this Godforsaken world. Besides, it wasn't like one's family got rich enough to set up a library of all things on a world like this without some serious exploitation being involved. Hell, noone on this planet could keep chains off of them without doing a little wrong.

So, when the Hutt spoke up about his rules, Laeonas' sharp jaw clenched and lips pursed, teeth grinding together before he let out an audible sigh. "Tha city won't be takin' anythin' we don't 'and ta them. Ya don't gotta worry about us gettin' robbed neither." The man declared, "Me and mae... associate can 'andle ourselvles." He explained, glancing down at the Amaran. He couldn't remember if she still had that blaster pistol on hand, but since she wasn't an idiot he assumed it was tucked away somewhere.

As the Hutt went on and explained that the library was free to them, Laeonas prepared to give the floor to Trini... and than the professor began chattering away, and the man let out another sigh. If he thought this place would be free of wrongdoers, he clearly hadn't been paying much attention to the company he was currently keeping-- and that included Laeonas himself, ironically enough. As smart as the professor apparently was, he seemed to be utterly incapable of judging character or keeping his mouth shut.

Laeonas only realized how truly awful he was at the latter when he, without a hint of hesitation, openly blathered about what they were looking for, in the most detailed way he possibly could. Laeonas visibly froze up as he stood, holding his breathe as he slowly turned his attention to the professor. His eyes were wide, trace hints of amber within aquamarine, but he didn't hold his gaze for very long. Turning away, the human took a long, deep breathe, before turning back to the group.

"...what he said." the man repeated, glancing back down at Trini. There was nothing they could do now that the cat was out of hte bag. Sure, Laeonas could take out the guards and threaten the hutt's life to get him to be silent... but assaulting a Hutt and his retenue on a world like this was a surefire way to get thrown into the spice mines or into the lair of a pit beast. As the hutt "graciously" offered his help, Laeonas glanced back down at the Amaran... who was glancing up at him as well.

As they followed after them, Laeonas would trail a bit behind, tugging the Amaran back with him. "Yer gonna do tha talkin' from now on." He whispered. "Ai'll keep tha professor occupied so he doesn't blather anythin' else."

​

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini nodded tensely to Laeonas, before glancing furtively around. The trio was being escorted deeper into the library, eventually entering more confined hallways, until they came to a room. It was sumptuously paneled in wood, and contained a reading desk, as well as a data terminal and a variety of media players.

Before Trini could say anything, several large carts piled with archaic datatapes were pushed into the room, The Hutt spread his arms magnanimously.

"Wompa of myo finest reading rooms. Um unko! All jee-jee have of doe era which u seek tah study. Please, let je know do progress!"

The Hutt looked to the cart, wringing his hands briefly, before nodding.

"Mee shall leave u tah it."

The Hutt slithered out, beckoning for his guards to follow. Trini breathed a deep sight of relief.

"Okay, so, now what?"

The professor grinned, holding up a tape.

"Now we look to see what sort of a flimsiwork trail a Xim-era warship would leave."

Trini winced, looking around. The room had to be bugged.

"I see..."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

While the Hutt presented the room, and the two academics discussed what it was that they'd be doing, Laeonas' eyes wandered over the shelves and datareaders, as well as the furniture. Aquamarines studied every nook and cranny as he walked around, looking for signs of a wire that was obviously present. He'd done searches like these on many an occasion, usually when he was in the process of buying or selling large quantities of illegal substances or other such contraband. His hands would wander along shelves of datacards, under the rims of desks and benches...

And he found nothing.

Well, he hadn't found anything yet. The police of his homeworld were a uniquely corrupt, lazy bunch, so their skills at planting bugs were laughable when stacked against even a moderately skilled police force offworld. That the Hutt outdid them wasn't a high bar to... slither over. With shutting out eavesdroppers no longer an option, Laeonas had to return to his first idea.

"Hey, uhh, professor," he called, sliding his way between the two academics like he hadn't been searching the room like a madman just a few moments before, "Ya mentioned some bunk about mae family awhile ago on th'at call where we first met; what was th'at all about?" He asked, forcing a painfully fake smile as he tried his best to make smalltalk with the grey haired, loose lipped liability. The professor had already begun searching through old documentation and the like, so when Laeonas interrupted him he looked a little bewildered for a moment.

"Oh, well, when you mentioned your surname I just happened to remember a few names that popped up while writing my thesis on the post imperial republican period. Konstantinas Tannaras-- one of your ancestors, I assume-- was Senator of Brentaal and Archon of her assembly for several decades. Quite the influential politician; people copied his rhetorical style and dress for centuries after his name had been consigned to the history books." The professor answered, before turning back down to his work, obviously expecting that the answer would satisfy the "curious young man."

"...well, ain't th'at neat? What else 'ave ya got ta tell me about mae family?" Laeonas asked. He'd barely followed a word that the older man had said-- something about dressing up politicians. The grin on his face looked glued on, the pale, well maintained skin of his face stretching back to reveal a set of teeth that were surprisingly white... and noticeably crooked in a few places, with one or two golden molars in the back to replace those that had been knocked out in various fights and beatings in his early youth. The professor, visibly frowning (and a little uncomfortable thanks to the bright eyed boy in black's staring) turned up to face him again, a sour grin stretched across his face as well.

"I'd be happy to educate you on your own family's history after we find what we're looking for." The professor answered. He'd scarcely been able to look back down at his documents when the Brentaalan loudly replied, "Oh, Trini's doin' plenty of tha work on 'er own! Yer prolly a little tired from tha trip, and Ai'm curious! Shouldn't just be work work work with ya, should it?" The man asked, taking a step forward to lean over the much, much older human. "Ai mean, sounds like yer tha expert on this sorta thing; Ai didn't get much of a chance ta learn things all to good," Laeonas began, to which the old man muttered, "I can clearly see that."

Whatever words Laeonas had cooked up to keep the man occupied fell back down his throat, and that plastered on smile fell off just as quickly, his brow furrowing slightly and his lips curling downward. "What was th'at?" The man asked, cocking his head. The professor's eyes widened slightly, to which he answered, "Oh, nothing; now please, if you'll excuse me--" The old man had wanted to say, before Laeonas cut in, "Nah, nah, ya said somethin', couldn't quite catch it. What, somethin' about seein' this or th'at?" He asked, taking a step forward.

The professor glanced across the desk at Trini, a concerned look coloring his face. "I... it's just that, clearly you lack an... education on the subject is all." The man backpedaled, obviously avoiding the real implications of what he'd said. Rather than press him on the obvious lie, Laeonas cocked his head again, replying, "Real nice observation-- th'at's why Ai was askin' ya, professor. If Ai knew all about mae family 'istory Ai wouldn't be interested in listenin' ta yer bore me ta karkin' tears explanation about fashion and kriffin' rhetora- rhetori- whatever tha fuck th'at word means!" He snarled, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation.

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@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

Trini, meanwhile, quickly saw what Laeonas was attempting, and quickly gave him a nod of thanks when the Professor looked away. She clambered up into the seat of an ancient reader console, loading a tape cartridge, scanning its header and then returning for another. She cursed silently to herself in exasperation; ideally, she would have wanted to scan the documents before her at length; even seemingly unrelated sources could sometimes turn up useful information. With the talkative Professor present, however, her only hope of not having the greatest Tionese archaeological treasure since the discovery of Xim's lost vaults be stolen by Hutt thugs - not to mention not having the three of them be quietly disposed of once their usefulness ended - lay in finding the necessary information before he did.

As Trini scanned through tape after tape, her resentment grew. Her track to a respectable doctorate had been derailed after her old professor's disastrous expedition to Raxus Prime. Picking up classes had been difficult; she had been forced to take a hiatus for a year, and then the only professors willing to take on what they saw as a washed-up grad student with delusions of being Corellia Antilles. Professor Rasmassan was her last hope; he had agreed to give her the academic credits she needed to graduate with a doctorate, if only she would help him on this little research project...

And he's a hack! She thought to herself as she read another header before ejecting the tape. Aside from this, all his theories are decades out of date! The university only lets him teach because-

Suddenly, something belatedly clicked on Trini's awareness. Spinning, she went back to a tape she had already scanned, slotting it into the drive. She keyed a section in the directory, and the player whirred as it recalled the data.

The Amaran nearly dropped the datacard she slotted into the machine in her haste to copy the data that was on the screen. After doing so, she ejected the tape and the card, sighed in relief, and pocketed the latter. Then she slotted in a few more tapes in succession for appearances' sake, before pushing back her chair.

Laeonas was berating the Professor about something or other when she cleared her throat.

"'Fraid this was a bust, Professor!"

"Now see here young man! I-... what?"

Trini spread her arms as the Professor looked back at her.

"There's nothing. These records do go back to Xim's day, but if the ship we're looking for ever came here, it wasn't recorded. More likely, our information was bad."

The human blinked, briefly perplexed, then sagged, crestfallen. He heaved a heavy sigh, and shook his head.

"Blast... we were so close, I had thought!"

Trini shrugged, hopping down from her seat and returning the tapes to their cart. She did so in such a way as to make it look like she had gone through far more than she had.

"Don't feel too bad... it was the best lead anyone's had in years. But I doubt there's anything more to find here. We should go back to the ships."

She winked at Laeonas out of the Professor's sight, patting one of her pockets.

"You agree, Laeonas?"

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

Aquamarines continued to bore holes through the professors skull, the expression on the Brentaalan's face contorted into a look of anger and frustration. The professor, meanwhile, still wore an expression of shock, stammering a bit before he finally seemed to crystalize into solid indignation and anger. "Now see here young man! I-" he began, to which Laeonas prepared himself for the verbal onslaught to come. He'd heard it all before; bottom feeder, baseborn scum, lowblooded moron, illiterate shitstain-- all things those more privileged than he had called him over the years.

It didn't matter that he'd never been able to afford school, that he'd spent most of his waking hours not worrying about passing tests, but worrying if he'd be able to eat the next day. It didn't matter that in spite of that struggle he'd taught himself how to read, taught himself how to do proper math, taught himself the fundamentals of a very, very basic education. All they ever heard was the voice of a poor street rat from a planet whose underclass was so neglected that, even while being at the crossroads of two lucrative hyperlanes, spoke a dialect of basic that left most outsiders unable to understand a word that they said.

But before the professor could properly respond to his verbal assault, Trini interrupted with some... surprising news. "Wait, are ya serious? We came all this way and it just... dried up?" He asked, as surprised as the professor and fairly disappointed as well... though for entirely different reasons. When Trini suggested they go back to their ships, Laeonas nodded, glancing down at her... and that's when he saw her wink. Aquamarines lit up with recognition, widening before he glanced at the professor, back down at her, down to her pocket and back up at her.

The subtlest twitch of his lips upward was the only indication that he recognized what the Amaran had done. "...Yeah, th'at makes sense. If we're gonna look anywhere maybe we oughta retrace our steps; go back t'th'at archive we came from, right?" Laeonas suggested, a disingenuous tone in his voice, but given the fact that most people could barely understand what he said, he doubted most would be able to read his lies or not. "We can all 'ead back there, 'opefully we can find more info." He went on, speaking very plainly and very loudly so that their listeners could pick up on it.

"Ai guess you'll go back on yer own professor, and me and Trini'll 'ead back t'mae ship. Th'at alright with ya?" He asked, though it wasn't a request. The professor looked back up at him, brow furrowing slightly at the mere sight of the Brentaalan, but the man seemed to demoralized to bother making any petty objections. "...yes yes, that should work." He replied.

"Good," Laeonas answered. "Well, guess we better 'ead out." He suggested, walking over to the door of the study and swinging it wide open.

​

@AutoFox

 

[Trini Halrixien]

The Professor nodded dejectedly as Laeonas laid out a plan. "Of course... of course. Perhaps there is something we missed. I'm sure the authorities on Barancar will be willing to help us again, though! Come along, young ones!"

Trini suppressed a nervous grimace, given how much trouble she had gotten into the last time she had been to Barancar, but it wouldn't be an issue, she was sure. She looked up in alarm as Laeonas keyed open the door and the Professor immediately pushed past...

There was no-one outside.

Trini blinked. She was certain the Hutt would have stationed some of his flunkies outside the door, if for no other reason than to make sure he knew when his "guests" chose to leave. Instead, the only thing in the corridor was a disinterested bibliomech droid, rolling past with a twitter and balancing an alarming stack of tape atop its head.

Aside from other patrons of the archive, nobody stopped or even tried to talk to the trio, until they reached the entrance.

"Myo friends! Did u have kickee luck finding doe information u seek?"

Trini started at the voice. Looking up, she saw the Hutt and one of his bodyguards behind a circular desk near the entrance. The Hutt looked as if he had been reading a book, and had just noticed the trio. The Amaran swallowed nervously, then shook her head.

"Unfortunately not, sir... your records are extensive, but I fear the notation we sought must have been destroyed some time in the last few millennia. We must go back to our source to see if there is another path we can follow."

The Hutt, Trini thought, looked genuinely saddened to learn that his archive was incomplete. He shook his head sadly.

"Mee am sorry tah have failed u. History, ironically, sa seldom kankee tah itself. If u ever have need of myo records again, however, no equivalent in huttese, ap-xmasi hesitate tah wamma je do call!"

Trini, still suspicious of the archive's proprietor, gave a respectful farewell. Before long, the group was back on the streets of Formos.

"Alright! That actually went well... let's get back to the ships and I'll show you what I found while nobody was looking."

@Tom

 

[Laeonas Tannaras]

​

The agreement of the professor was a bonus, and an effective one at that. He'd be headed back to Barancar... but he didn't intend to bring Trini back with him. Not unless the information she'd found required them to return. Otherwise it'd be a great way to distract the professor by sending him off on a wild goose chase, while the two of them got back on the trail. "By tha time Trini picks up tha commlink, we'll be swimmin' in a pool of gold and jewels." He thought to himself, a smirk spreading across his lips.

That nobody stood to greet them was... a surprise, but definitely a welcome one. Any listening that had been done was over the bugs... which he hadn't found. Clearly they'd been very well hidden... by a bunch of thugs working for a librarian. A librarian who'd been nothing but courteous to them. "Don't start thinkin' laike th'at ya daft prick, there ain't no way someone laike 'im scraped t'gether enough cash ta keep this place runnin' legit." He reminded himself.

As they made their way to the exit, the librarian would greet them again, and the exchange left him further conflicted. He'd never once seen a Hutt look so genuinely dejected and disappointed before, their usual expressions ranging from smug confidence to fake-friendly smiles. A pensive expression colored the Brentaalan's face as the three made their way out, running a hand through his hair before he looked up to spot a cab.

"Ya can go on ahead back ta yer ship. Me and Trin'll 'ead back ta mine." He declared, gesturing for the professor to go ahead. The older human gave him a slightly skeptical look, but finding no reason to protest, he simply headed off on his own. "Jerkoff." Laeonas hissed as the cab sped away. "Actin' laike Ai'm slow cause Ai 'aven't read as many books as 'e 'as." He muttered. Laeonas had put on an aggressive, domineering demeanor when things had gotten serious, but when Trini looked up at him, she wouldn't see a righteously indignant, confident man... but a visibly shaken, obviously sad boy.

"...Yeah, let's 'ead back." Laeonas finally replied, raising his arm to hail for a cab.

​

@AutoFox