Ask The Night Markets

[Sabatha Sayall]

"Finest bantha meat, sticks gleamin' with the freshest, prime meat..."

"... datapads and communicators, previously-loved and working perfectly, all at a fraction.."

"Girl! You, girl!"

Sabatha stopped and pointed at herself. "Do you mean me?" she asked. The Besalisk merchant nodded eagerly, beckoning her closer.

"Yes! Yes, come closer girl. You see the latest in hookah designs from Nar Shaddaa?" He waved one of his generous arms behind him, over a series of intricately shaped, carved and decorated hookahs in a variety of tarnished materials. "Big thing for young people these days, helps relax you in stressful situations."

"I think I'm quite happy with my mental state, but thank you very much for considering it for me," Sabatha replied brightly before skipping off down the busy street, leaving one bemused merchant. The night markets bristled with people from everywhere. It was exciting to be out again, away from the Jedi life, even for just a little while. A quick shopping trip now her allowance credits from home had cleared. Sabatha moved between the crowds, the rich scents of spices and cooking food lacing the air. The chatter of a thousand different languages around her.

She wanted some seeds for the garden on Yavin, plus a few more obscure herbs for a side-project she was working on. However, there was just this irritating tingle at the periphery of her attention. Something close to a whisper. A tension. A tug.
This seems fraught with potential problems. How exciting!

 

[Zergo Rurik]

The night market crowd was an easy place to be invisible. However, it also meant that it could be as easy to lose a target. This was hardly an issue for a professional like Zergo Rurik, whose most important tools were a pair of sharp eyes and a keen intuition. When his client had provided him with an image of his quarry, the private investigator felt hesitant. It was a girl, practically a child. But when the client stacked his down payment on the table, Zergo threw all sentiment away and eagerly shook the man's hand.

Now here he was, getting squished in a sea of civilians while keeping a safe distance from the Jedi Padawan. As he walked, some pushy merchant blew a thick cloud of smoke right in front of him. Zergo cursed and passed through the cloud, rubbing fog off his goggles with a gloved finger.

"You look like you could use a puff. I have new flavors that will lead you to paradise..."

He got busy scanning the crowd before he spotted the robed figure by a row of food stalls. Just in time, there was a crackle in his earpiece, and then the voice of his client.

"My pickup crew is getting delayed. Do you have eyes on the mark?"

Zergo gave a plain response in Kubazian that the client had come to understood as a "Yes."

"You might need that stun blaster of yours if this takes too long."

The suggestion didn't sit well with the Kubaz. It wasn't part of his job description. He considered that it would be easy to slip into the crowd if it came to it, and it would certainly shorten the tracking work. Still undecided, he opted not to respond this time while he stayed on the Jedi's trail.

@Charndley

 

[Mr Ekko]

Night Markets. Also a good place to find a spot to perform. Today was no different. The Sith Acolyte would weave through the crowds, enjoying his particular breed of freedom. The air was cool, the streets were packed, and suddenly his attention was pulled by a skipping girl. He stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze shifting to follow her movements. Why was she so happy?

Something about innocence was a draw to him. Correllia had bred that out of him, and now, he was Sith. A killer, a galactic criminal. Thankfully, as an Acolyte, he nor his allegiance was known. Markets, especially those at night were not normally safe. So, he would do what anyone would do, he pulled his cloak around him a bit more and set off after his new quarry.

Various merchants would try to stop him to show off their wares, but they would be dismissed with a single hand or a "Silence." He would channel his Sith teachings to really assert himself. Life on the streets had taught him some good skills: blending into crowds, tracking, and maintaining a good distance. To an outside observer, it would just look like a picky patron navigating the market.

So when she stopped at one stall, he would stop several stalls down and engage the shopkeep, his peripherals focused on her. Feigning interest, he would inspect the wares, circling around the stall until he finally had a clearer view of the young woman. He wasn't sure why he felt a need to keep an eye on her. Perhaps it was to ensure at least one person in the galaxy could maintain their innocence? He wasn't sure. But he would continue his task.

@Charndley @Iyan

 

[Kyp]

"Unless you hired a bunch of invisible Defels, I don't see the rest of the crew." Kyp angrily muttered in the comm channel to his client, the same one shared by Zergo. Although the Lepi Mandalorian was fairly without scruple, beating up a child and handing her over to someone else wasn't exactly high on his list of favorite mercenary jobs. The deal was sweetened a bit when Kyp was informed that his quarry would be a Jedi. Having been pretty soundly beaten by a team of Jedi in the mines of Ossus, he was eager to get a bit of revenge in a rematch.

"I told you, there's been a delay with the other two members of the team." the client's voice sounded off. The Lepi scowled underneath his helmet.

"In this crowd, we're bound to lose the kid if they don't get here fast. Bughead, you down to run interference? I can nab her when she's distracted but I want what you would have paid the other two - I wasn't supposed to be to getting up close and personal." Kyp replied angrily. He was supposed to just provide covering fire while the other two nabbed the Padawan. No matter. More money was more money and he'd faced off against and fought with enough Force users to know a bit about taking them on. He walked down the stairs from the belltower he was currently perched in and started making his way quickly to Sabatha's location, her back facing him.

@Rhogar @Charndley @Iyan

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex was not a mother…except she was. The Order trained all comers, but most made their way to the Jedi as children. Those children mostly still had families with real mothers and fathers. Yet, the young Jedi spent a majority of their time with the older members of the Order. So Alex wasn’t a technically a mother but the Padawan’s sometimes need guidance. Young Sabatha Sayall had wandered off from the Temple. Alex would not have normally followed the young Jedi. The Padawan’s were trusted to an extent. It just happened that young Jedi Sayall was a...space case. She was gentle, kind, and compassionate. Everything Alex hoped to foster in the younger generation of Jedi.

Sadly, it made her vulnerable. The galaxy was an unkind place and the war only made it worse. Sabatha was not ready for that cold horrible life. Alex would protect those innocent youngsters as long as she could. The war must not touch them all.

The night market crowd was an easy place to be invisible. Alex’s robes easily concealed her sabers and armor. She was just another wanderer in the crowd. Her hood was up, and the Force concealed her face, casting a constant shadow. An nondescript helmet accompanied her armor. She would be unrecognizable, her Force signature suppressed to a pin while her mental walls stood high.

The Jedi Councilor kept her distance. She did not want to ruin Sabatha’s free time. It was important the Padawan have time away to learn and grow. She did not want to intrude on the girl, just keep her safe. She suddenly noticed a fully armored Mandalorian marching towards the young Jedi. Her eyes snagged on another figure trailing Sabatha and yet another eyeing her across the stalls. What was going on. Her mind snapped out to Sabatha. “Come towards me…quickly.” The Padawan would know immediately who spoke in her mind and see the image of Alex in the crowd. Luckily, the Force was not radar and her touching minds would be undetectable. She began to ready the Force in herself. They would find her not such easy prey.

@Charndley @Rhogar @Fantasy Liver @Iyan

 

[Megaera]

It had been a little over a year since Meg had left Dathomir, and even after all this time she found the Galaxy had ways to surprise her. She had visited street markets, even the crazy bazaars they had on Tatooine, so she had thought she knew what to expect from a night market. Heck, she had visited this same market the day before around noon, just how different could it be? Boy oh boy was she wrong. The night market had a life of its own. Every stall looked different, lit up in crazy and ostentatious displays to attract customers. The crowd, that had felt suffocating under the light of the sun, seemed to flow and invite her in under the night sky. The cool breeze that guided her steps just another subtle change that made all the difference.

So she walked with a slight smile on her face, taking in the sights, and smells, both good and bad. Along the way she purchased a small red fruit that the vendor had called an apple. He claimed it had magical abilities, and warded diseases. Meg wasn't sure how true that was, but she couldn't deny that it was delicious. She was enjoying her apple when she noticed something that caught her attention. A fully armored figured stalking through the market, a Mandalorian, and not too far away was another. She had heard about them, but never really seen one, and now she had run into two. She didn't know if they were up to something or if both being there was just coincidence, everything she had heard about them painted them as big time loners. So seeing two together was probably interesting enough to take note. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything else to keep her occupied. So she leaned against a wall a dozen or so feet from the girl the Mandalorian was tracking, though Meg had yet to make that connection.

"Watch where you walk, will ya?" She shouted at a pedestrian who accidentally bumped her feet with the bags he carried, putting a little bit of a swagger behind her words, trying to sound like a local but not really pulling it off with a mouthful of apple impeding her speech. She could hardly tell if it was fear of her words of fear of getting sprayed with a mouthful of apple that scared the man away, but he moved to give her a wide birth and continued along his way, leaving her to continue observing the Mandalorian.

@Valen Pelora @Charndley @Rhogar @Fantasy Liver @Iyan

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

Sabatha was entirely unaware of the growing collection of disparate people within the crowd. Instead, she slipped the herb packets into her bag, trying to ignore that tugging feeling again. Something was calling to her, but she wasn't sure what. Almost absent-mindedly, she strolled further down the market, through the crowd. Noticing all sorts of strange people around, from Gamorrean guards, hanging around the doorways, to goggle-wearing Kopaz to... were those Lepi ears she spied? Fascinating. A true melting pot.

She paid for a couple of candied skewers, marvelling at the sugar-encrusted shapes on the sticks. Already starting to nibble on one end, she took notice of the peculiar crystal that shimmered from the next stall over. It was small. Perfectly formed, almost. When it caught the light, it gave off a faint, coral pink...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden message from somewhere. Come towards me, quickly. The voice was clear and distinct, recognisable in an instant. Sabatha looked up and around to see Alexandria in the crowd, looking quite serious. Had she been followed? Sabatha was sure she hadn't broken any rules. With a curious look on her face, Sabatha regretfully pulled away from the crystal to move towards the other Jedi.

"Councillor Voran, I didn't know you were here too," Sabatha said brightly as she approached through the crowd, "is something the matter?" As she asked, she looked over at the sticks in her hand. "Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me. Would you like one?"

@Iyan @Rhogar @Fantasy Liver @Valen Pelora @Wit

 

[Zergo Rurik]

No pickup crew, no word on when they would arrive.

Greed fueled Zergo to continue his job, functioning as the eyes of the crew before the others do the dirty work. It had been a while since he reported that the target was walking alone, and that should have been their opportunity to nab her off the streets. Now, his report may no longer be true.

"Wait...more problems." His spoken Basic was...basic, but worked well enough to communicate with the group.

The first time he saw the hooded figure, he paid them no mind. There were all kinds of characters in these kinds of places, and plenty of them kept their faces hidden for various reasons. When he noticed the same figure for the second time, he slowed down to give false attention to some stalls while he observed not just the young Jedi now but the rest of the market crowd. It didn't take long for his suspicions to be confirmed — their target now seemed to be speaking to the hooded figure.

Just as Zergo caught a glance at their interaction, something stumbled into him, and he was instantly blinded by the glare of bright flashing colors. "Watch it, snout-face!" The insult came from a horned merchant carrying stacks of glow rods on his shoulders, never mind that he was the one that bumped onto Zergo, who turned away before he was yanked on the shoulder.

"Hey, you break it, you buy it." Some curious eyes shifted to the Kubaz and the merchant, who was now waving his arms at broken glow rods on the ground and cursing away. With Kyp's complaints going off in his comms, Zergo was barely able to pay attention to the demands. He only knew he needed this walking strobe light of an alien out of his way. Mostly certain that he's been seen in the commotion, he didn't hesitate to push the merchant off balance before reentering the sea of shoppers. There was a slight hope that Kyp was able to take advantage of this same commotion, if the Mandalorian was even close enough already. But Zergo did not think this was a good idea.

While making sure his face was turned away from where Sabatha and her mysterious companion had been standing, he gave a brief update through the comms channel: "There is company."

@Rhogar @Fantasy Liver @Valen Pelora @Wit @Charndley
[link to unfortunate dice roll]

 

[Mr Ekko]

Well now, now. Wasn't the market starting to get even more lively. The more he kept a protected watch over the girl, the more figures he had seen. Mandalorians weren't odd to him, he felt he had seen them a fair amount of times in the galaxy. But the one he did notice seemed to also be noticing the young woman, who was now talking to a robed figure. Trouble?

Then there was a lightshow. But not in the good way. A Kubaz was making such a scene, but then again, he would too if some guy nearly blinded him. So that wasn't so much a thought to him. But the Mandalorian heading for the women was. Tugging his cloak about him, he would weave back into the crowd using his years of street craft to bend and merge with the crowd.

His target was now the Mandalorian. Bunny ears? No way. This guy definitely needed his own breakfast cereal. With the cloak around him, he walked as if he were just an average pedestrian. No mission, no focus. Though the whole time his hidden hand rested on his stun baton. If somebody was bad, they were going to get the naughty bonk.

@Fantasy Liver @Charndley @Valen Pelora @Wit @Iyan

 

[Kyp]

Kyp scowled as the Kubaz didn't answer him on the commlink. Looks like he was going to have to take point on this disaster of a mission himself. A testament to poor planning and needless risk, Kyp was quickly regretting even taking this assignment. Fortunately, where his client's planning had failed, the Lepi's ruthlessness might succeed.

Raising his rifle in the air, Kyp hit a human in front of him with the butt of his rifle and then fired two quick blasts with his rifle in the air. The sounds punctured even the loud din of the night market crowds and, predictably, this sent the crowd in a panicked rush as they rushed and bustled to get away from the Mandalorian. Now switching his aim to the dazed human in the ground in front of him, Kyp coldly lowered the barrel at the man's head.

"Give up the blonde one and we can all go on our way." Kyp said to the older woman, keeping a neutral tone underneath his helmet.

@Rhogar @Charndley @Valen Pelora @Wit @Iyan

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Oh Sabatha, you sweet child. Alex should have been clearer in her message. She was used to Maiko, Crix, and the others steeped in the trials of war. The young blonde Padawn did not have such harsh edges. Her eyes were momentarily drawn to commotions a little behind the Mandalorian. Glow sticks were flying which led to pushing and shoving. A decidedly suspicious figure detached from the stall to tried and disappear in the crowd. She marked his visage. The Force rang with wild fear. “Get beside me dear, we’re in danger.” Alex could only hope Sabatha moved quickly.

The Force’s warning rapidly came true. The Mandalorian realized the jig was up and took action. Alex kept her eyes open for the suspicious stall figure. She watched as a human was hit with the butt of the rifle. The Morellian Master acted immediately. As the shots were fired into the air, and the crowd began to scatter, the Force ripped forth wrapping around the gun and yanking as hard as she could. The panicked crowd and position of the rifle would hopefully send it flying towards her. The Mandalorian would never have the chance to threaten the poor man on the ground.

“She will not be coming with you but there is no need for violence…perhaps we can reach another arrangement.” The Force hummed within Alex. Her body ready to react at any moment, her sense spread wide in the Force. They would not have Sabatha, they would not harm civilians. If they sought violence…well she’d meet that violence of her own.

@Rhogar @Charndley @Wit @Iyan

 

[Megaera]

Meg was observing events unfold as she enjoyed her apple, taking a mental note to go back and buy a few more. She didn't interfere, she didn't really have a horse in this race, and she had learned it was best to stay under the radar unless absolutely necessary. So as the light show went off and people started scrambling she just watched on, but then things got exciting. Another armored figure walked up to the girl who seemed to be target of the Mandalorians, and started drawing on the Force. And that changed things.

She pushed away from the wall, and eyes still on the figure, taking one last bite of the apple and regretfully tossing it's husk away as she stepped up to stand besides the duo. She too started drawing on the powers from Dathomir, and green mist started gathering in her hands, spilling down to the ground and started to pool around her feet.

"You know," she addressed the would be assailant with a smile on her face, "it's not nice to threaten an unarmed child. Why don't you try someone your own size?"

@Valen Pelora @Charndley @Rhogar @Fantasy Liver @Iyan

 

[Sabatha Sayall]

Things seemed to be moving at a more fretful pace than Sabatha had anticipated. First, Councillor Voran warned her that they were in danger. Confusion washed over her features as she moved, obediently, beside her. There was a lot of commotion in the crowd as Sabatha searched for potential danger. Then the shooting started.

Sabatha bristled, pushed back a little as the crowd fled in fear, leaving just the both of them and the would-be assailants. Councillor Voran drew on the Force with a power that Sabatha had never really felt before, leaving her in awe. Sab looked around for anything she could do, anywhere she could go. This was becoming sub-optimal. All she'd wanted was some herbs and sweets! The skewers dropped to the floor as Sabatha looked at a stall beside them. One that held spices, beautiful mounds of multi-coloured powders from across the Galaxy...

I'm so sorry for this, mysterious stall owner.

From behind Alexandria, Sabatha reached out with the Force. She tugged at the stall with all the energy and half-trained power she could muster, causing the stall to wrench out from it's position and fling towards the middle of the street. A cornucopia of rich, beautiful colours erupted in the middle of the market, turning everything into a spicy, eye-watering and throat-wrenching haze, just a little in front of the two Jedi.

"Councillor Voran... I suggest that we... flee," Sabatha suggested, taking in a couple of deep breaths, a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

@Iyan @Rhogar @Fantasy Liver @Valen Pelora @Wit

 

[Zergo Rurik]

A silence rang in Zergo's ears after he saw the Mandalorian easily disarmed by the hooded figure. It was three of them now on the side of the target. The third faced Kyp as a green mist surrounded her like poison. That was when he heard the voice on his earpiece.

"What the kark was that?!" No doubt, their employer had heard the commotion, the shots fired. There were not supposed to be any, not yet.

"I hope you two hear this well." A sinister tone entered the voice. "Get the Jedi and you get the credits. Mess this up for me and I get both your heads before you can even take a step out of that market!"

So it was either face these three — whose powers were clearly beyond Zergo, or face the lowlife screaming at his ear from a safe hiding hole. Of course this would happen the one time he agreed to work with a crew. Should he really have expected anything else? Too late now.

He made a choice for himself and the Mandalorian — who'd have a better chance of hunting Zergo down than their clients if he ditched the job alone. Grabbing the pistol from under his cloak, he marched through the crowd towards Kyp and the Jedi. In panic, the bystanders cleared away from where they stood. He emerged with the blaster on his side. Before the others noticed his arrival he signaled to Kyp with one shake of his head and removed the earpiece.

His gestures were interrupted by an explosion of colors at the center of the confrontation.

Zergo instantly aimed at the Dathomirian's knees, firing a blue stun bolt, in the hopes that it would buy a moment for the Mandalorian to move.

@Rhogar @Fantasy Liver @Valen Pelora @Wit @Charndley

 

[Mr Ekko]

Oh man. Things were really starting to get sporty. Apparently the older woman was a force user, now some blonde was too? And the girl. He wasn't sure who or what they were, but he did know he didn't want to fully reveal himself.

But a promise was a promise. He had vowed to give anyone naughty a bonk. And the bunny had begun to be naughty. People screaming and fleeing amidst blaster fire was actually a great way to really move silently.

He wasn't sure what the plan nor reasoning was, but what he did know was that he now had the element of surprise. Stun batons could bleed through some armor so he looked for something not plated to strike. Then he noticed something white. An ear? Bunny ears. Better yet, exposed bunny ears.

There was a clever smile as he prepared himself for the action he was about to take. He would slip the stun baton free and with the yelling and yoinking of the gun and orders from the women, maybe he would be heard? Here goes. Stun baton would be fired up and aimed for the ears in one quick and fluid motion. Or so he hoped.

@Fantasy Liver @Charndley @Valen Pelora @Wit @Iyan

 

[Kyp]

"Yeah? If you had the muscle to get our heads, you wouldn't be hiring us tonight." Kyp said dismissively to the client over the comm so that Zerg could hear as well. Fortunately, there was a long-needed piece of good news as the shots in the air had evidently alerted the other two members of the kidnapping squad - the ones that were supposed to have grabbed the Jedi in the first place. The two of them were a pair of Caphex; one of whom carried a vibrocleaver and the other one wielded a nasty looking pair of blaster pistols.

Kyp saw the two sneaking up behind the two Jedi and Kyp decided to keep the Jedi's attention fixed upon him as they crept up towards Sabatha. His rifle having been grabbed out of his hand, the Mandalorian was still not without his weapons. Leveling his wrist-mounted rocket launcher and leveled it at the civillian's head in front of him.

"I got a hair trigger! One move from you Jedi and this guy gets it! Just hand the girl over!" Kyp shouted.

@Charndley @Valen Pelora @Wit @Iyan @Rhogar

 

[Alexandria Voran]

Alex would not retreat. She had been pulled from Taris when exhaustion overtook her body. That regret lived deep in her heart. That failure driving her forward. They sought to take a child…a child. She would not ignore the moral corruption seeping through the market. Luckily, the command in Alex’s voice awoke some of Sabatha’s training. The young Jedi obeyed quickly and sent a stall flipping into the street in an explosion of colors. She smiled softly at Sabatha’s suggestion. “My speeder is at the edge of the market, take it and return to the Temple. Tell Master Venn where I am and what has happened. He’ll send the Temple Guards.” Alex’s mind had been spread out across the market. As the shots rang out towards the Dathomirian she felt the nefarious intent bubbling behind her.

The kidnappers’ minds were not the iron fortresses of the Sith. With the market clearing, their thoughts were an open book as they moved towards the Jedi’s backside. They were henchmen...easily pliable. Alex struck out without second thought. Her mind wrapped around them in an instant. “Sleep.” They slumped to the ground.

In all the commotion the Mandalorian seemed to have missed the stun baton aimed for its head. The strange creature would very likely crumble to the ground before it could ever aim the launcher at the civilian. Regardless, she kept her eyes trained on the brewing mess, her mind still questing through the market. She’d take no chances with Sabatha’s safety.

@Charndley @Wit @Iyan @Rhogar

 

[Kyp]

OOC: I actually had to really struggle thinking about what would happen if a giant bunny-man had a stun bolt hit his ears. They're so long that I don't know if you could count them as part of his "face." Let me know if you all have problems with it.

Kyp grunted with pain as a coursing pain that he immediately recognized as a stun bolt hit his ears. His giant rabbit ears drooped down, with pain and the sounds of the market grew dim for the Lepi Mandalorian. Recognizing a lost battle from his years as a soldier of fortune, Kyp tried turning tail and running, not even sure who was attacking him anymore as the stun baton hadn't seemed to have come from the Jedi.

/ExitAttempt

@Charndley @Wit @Iyan @Rhogar

 

[Zergo Rurik]

The entire commotion was an easy opportunity to ditch the scene. After hearing Kyp's message to their employer, Zergo turned around only to find a pair of approaching Caphex. The two were meant to be the combatants of their group. But the Kubaz and the Mandalorian might find themselves at their crosshairs instead if the kidnappers realized their intentions to flee.

Before he could think any more, both Caphex dropped unconscious on the ground. There was no time to hesitate. Zergo shoved into the market crowd, pulling a civilian behind his path to provide instant cover. His pace didn't falter until he was back in the sea of shoppers where he disposed of the commlink, which was instantly crushed under pedestrian boots. With a hood over his head, Zergo left the main streets.

Now he'd have to lay low in case the client comes looking for his credits. After all that hassle, there was no way the Kubaz was handing it back. He'll take the money home, along with a new lesson learned about the Jedi.

/ExitThread
@Charndley @Wit @Rhogar @Valen Pelora