Open The Stardancer’s Contract

[Rylan Vox]

In the bustling spaceport of Nar Shaddaa, the neon lights of various establishments cast an eerie glow on the crowded streets. Amid the chaos, the YT-1300 Corellian freighter known as the Stardancer rests, its loading ramp extended onto the landing pad. Rylan Vox, the ship’s captain, stands at the ramp’s entrance, scanning the bustling spaceport with a mixture of anticipation and caution.

Rylan Vox had received a message through his encrypted comm channel, a message that piqued his interest. An offer, a contract, and the promise of a substantial reward. It was the kind of job that appealed to a freelance mercenary’s sense of adventure and profit.

With a confident stride, Rylan descended the ramp, his black leather jacket flapping in the artificial breeze. He knew better than to walk blindly into any situation, and his years in the galaxy had taught him caution.

As he stepped onto the gritty pavement of Nar Shaddaa’s spaceport, he glanced around, his sharp eyes taking in the diverse crowd. Now, he needed to find the contact who had sent the message. But in a place like Nar Shaddaa, trust was a rare commodity.

The Stardancer’s loading ramp remained open, an invitation to those who might be interested in joining the crew on this new venture. Whether you were a fellow mercenary, a smuggler looking for work, or someone with a hidden agenda, the message was clear: the Stardancer was ready for a new journey, and Captain Rylan Vox was at the helm.

 

[Riya Deabla]

Nar Shadaa was just another dirty port to Riya, but it was also full of opportunity. Ships came and went every minute and many of them would be looking for a temporary hand along their journey. She held her backpack close to her, aware of the other scoundrels present in the area and looked around the port.Her boots were inaudible against the chaos of the port. She was small enough to slip around the crowds and hopefully go unnoticed until she was ready.

The first ship she came across was barely held together. The rodian underneath seemed to curse as a panel sparked and she had to cover her mouth to confine her uncontrolled giggle. "No, Definitely not," she says to herself and moves on. The next seemed mostly abandoned except for the Trandoshan who stood by the ramp. "Oooh, he looks mean," she says with another shake of her head.

A man in a billowy, black leather jacket walked passed her and she looked in the direction he'd come from. "Hm, Corellian," she hums, knowing that that planet had some semblance of money. Perhaps the owner could use an extra hand. She'd scrub the floors if it meant she could see the galaxies. Carefully, she moves to the bottom of the ramp, flicking her red ponytail over her shoulder to her back. Did the man in the jacket on this? Should she chase him down and ask? Or should she just hop on board and ask for forgiveness later?

Glancing back to the man in the coat, she makes her decision and slowly begins to walk up the ramp.

Spoiler: OOC Info:

Bio link in signature. If you need me to change, let me know!

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox had been surveying the spaceport, his eyes scanning the crowd for any signs of his contact when he noticed a red-haired figure making her way up the Stardancer's ramp. His gaze sharpened as he watched her approach, a mix of curiosity and caution in his piercing blue eyes.

As the woman ascended the ramp, Rylan leaned against the ship's hull, his arms crossed casually over his chest. He waited for her to draw closer, assessing her with a discerning gaze. Her boots had been silent amidst the chaos of the port, a skill he could appreciate.

When she was within conversational range, Rylan spoke in a voice laced with a hint of amusement, "Impressive. Most people don't just stroll up the ramp without asking questions first." He gave her a crooked grin, sizing her up. "Looking for a ride, are ya?"

 

[Riya Deabla]

Riya Deabla had been admiring the attention to detail, so to speak. The Stardancer seemed to be in better shape than most ships she'd found herself (stowed away) on. She hovered her dirty, gloved hands over the sleek metal, careful not to touch though she was eager to see the ship in action. If she could fly, she might have attempted to steal it, but past transgressions and a light scar just above her brow reminded her that flying was not her speciality.

So involved with admiring what she could see, Riya failed to noticed the man had seen her and was sizing her up. His amused tone made her jump high enough she almost landed at the base of the ramp and placed a hand over her heart.

"No, no" she started, frantically looking around. For what, she was uncertain. The plan for stowing away and asking for forgiveness later was now gone and now it was time for option B. She just didn't have one. "It's a fancy ship. I was admiring-" she starts before pointing an accusing finger at the dark haired man, "You should really lock up. You never know-" Riya cuts herself off again and sighs, her shoulders deflating. "Yes," she admits, almost bashfully. "I can work! I'm tougher than I look!" She said, flexing a flimsy muscle. "And I'm good with tech. But if you don't need that, I can clean better than any droid! And program your droid to do it better!" She said. "In fact, I'm a fast learner, you won't find a harder worker than me." Riya rattled through her words faster, not giving the man a chance to speak and after bragging on herself, she resorted to begging without even giving him a chance. "Okay, look. I know I don't look like much, but just until the next stop if you like, okay? I'm certain I can find a way to pay my way, I just don't wanna stick around here anymore. Too many sticky, dirty hands! You know!" She glances at her own before stuffing them behind her back.

@Rylan Vox

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox watched the young woman's reaction with a bemused expression, one eyebrow arching slightly as she fumbled through a flurry of explanations and offers. Her frantic gestures and rapid speech painted a clear picture of desperation, but Rylan had encountered his fair share of individuals seeking refuge among the stars.

He let her speak, only interjecting once her stream of words finally slowed. With a knowing smirk, he pushed himself off the ship's hull and approached her, leaning in slightly as he spoke in a hushed tone, "Easy there, no need to wear yourself out with the talking." He winked, trying to put her at ease.

Rylan considered her words for a moment before nodding slowly. "You've got spirit, I'll give you that," he said, studying her closely. "Alright, you can stay on board, but just until the next stop. And you better be as good as you say you are with tech and cleaning. No freeloaders on the Stardancer." His tone was firm but not unkind.

He extended a hand toward her, offering a handshake. "I'm Rylan Vox, by the way, captain of this ship. Welcome aboard, at least for now."

@Riya Deabla

 

[Riya Deabla]

Riya's shoulders drooped even more at his comment about her talking. It wasn't the first time she'd been told she talked too much, but it was certainly one of the more polite ways. She took in some much needed air as he spoke again and as soon as he finished, she was running her mouth again.

"I promise I can be of-" she cuts herself off. "Oh, you said yes. You said yes!" The redhead fistbumps the air in excitement before realizing the man had introduced himself and was holding out his hand. Oh right, manners. "Of course!" She said, taking his hand in both of her smaller ones before shaking it enthusiastically. "Whatever you need, I'm your gal, promise. Name's Riya Deabla, but that's kinda a mouthful. Can just call me Riya, or red. Nice to meet you Captain Vox. You won't regret this, I swear!"

She finally remembers to drop his hand and puts both of her own back into her pocket. "The Stardancer. I like it. Pretty name for a pretty ship. Your crew here too? Where we headed?"

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox couldn't help but crack a smile at Riya's boundless enthusiasm. Her energy was infectious, and he found himself warming to the idea of having some extra help on board. He nodded in response to her introduction and handshake, appreciating her eagerness.

"Likewise, Riya," he replied. "And thanks for the vote of confidence." He gestured toward the interior of the ship. "Let me show you around. The Stardancer has a few tricks up her sleeve." With that, he turned and started leading the way up the ramp.

"As for the crew, well, it's just you and me for now," he explained. "I tend to take on jobs and crew members as I go. Keeps things interesting." Rylan paused for a moment as they entered the ship's interior, the sound of the ramp closing behind them. "As for our destination, we're headed to the Outer Rim, but the specifics will depend on the jobs that come our way. Ready to get started?"

@Riya Deabla

 

[Riya Deabla]

Spoiler: OOC:

I keep forgetting to put colors for my 'saying.' Sorry

Riya did her best to contain her excitement but as the man turned his back, she did a little jump of excitement before following after him. As Rylan explained they were the only two to this upstart crew, she'd look at him in surprise before ultimately shrugging. She'd joined a crew with less information. At least the captain seemed confident, and nice enough to let her on board.

"Sounds mysterious, and exciting. Might I suggest not getting a Trandoshan? They smell like fish and it gets worse in space," she shudders. Her hazel eyes look anywhere and everywhere, eager to take in the atmosphere. "What kind of jobs do you typically do, Captain? Or if you have something you need me to look at, just point the way. I even brought my own tools," she said happily, patting her bag.

Even as she waited for him to speak, she moved over towards the panels on the wall. She'd pull it apart, but Rylan would likely kick her off. "Had any issues coming out of hyperspace lately? Or going in?" She rocked back on her heels before eagerness got the best of her and she quickly slid open the panel. Grabbing some tape and what looked like a bobby pin, she'd dive back in. Just as quickly, the redhead shut the panel. "Humming's gone. That might help!

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox watched Riya's animated curiosity with a mixture of amusement and appreciation. Her enthusiasm for the ship's workings was evident, and her offer to help didn't go unnoticed.

He chuckled at her Trandoshan comment. "Noted, no Trandoshans. I'll keep that in mind," he replied with a grin.

As she inquired about the types of jobs he typically undertook, Rylan thought for a moment. "A bit of everything, really," he explained. "Smuggling, courier runs, occasional retrieval missions. The galaxy offers a wide range of opportunities, and I'm not one to turn down a challenge."

He was about to reply to her offer to help with the ship's systems when she took the initiative and opened a panel. Rylan watched her work, impressed by her resourcefulness. When she closed the panel and mentioned the humming was gone, he raised an eyebrow.

"You certainly don't waste any time, do you?" he remarked with a smirk. "Looks like you might come in handy around here. We did have a bit of a hiccup in hyperspace recently, so your timing couldn't be better."

Rylan walked over to a nearby console and pulled up a star chart. "Our next jump will be taking us to a remote outpost in the Outer Rim. It's a straightforward delivery job, but it can get a bit hairy out there. You up for it, Riya?"
@Riya Deabla

 

[Reach Valarian]

Reach was on an undercover mission on Nar Shaddaa. His mission was to get information about a mysterious smuggler group stealing goods like light and heavy weapons from the Empire. His idea was, that the smuggler must have an insider in the Empire who's giving them information about the cargo, but he was unaware of who it could be.

Last evening, ISB got the information that another cargo is coming and that these smuggler planned on stealing it. Reach was send with a hand full of Stormtroopers to arrest the smugglers and get more informations about their group. As he and his troopers arrived, they were send directly into a trap. The ISB must have gotten wrong information, perhabs by the spy himself. After a long fight, Valarians troops were nearly completly gone, when he decided to flee into a nearby forest.
Knowing that there were smugglers all round, he took of his clothes and changed them into normal civilian clothes from a nearby house he broke in. After disguising himself as an civilian, he needed a plan - or better a ship - to escape the smugglers. Unfortunately the smugglers destroyed his comlink and ship amongst the fight. Reach fought of taking a civilian transporter to the nearest Empire outpost. As he was catching up to a transport, he saw smugglers nearby, forcing him to change his plan.

To his luck, he saw an Corellian freighter standing nearby without any person visible. As he came closer, he noticed voices from inside. He quickly went abord the ship and was hiding in the ships' hold.

He took a quick look outside, but no smuggler visible. He must have escaped them. Now, he just needed to find out which ship he was aboard, where it was going and who the voices where. He was able to identify them as a male and a female.

But the most important thought was: How do I get to contact the Empire?

 

[Riya Deabla]

Relieved that she was already making herself somewhat useful, Riya followed closely behind Rylan. "I try not. Things to fix, I only have a short time to fix them," she beamed as they walked over towards the star chart. Outer rim? She wondered if it would be easy to get a ship at their next stop. Of course, if she made herself useful enough, maybe Rylan would bring her back.

"Aye Aye Captain! I was born ready." She offered a smart salute before movement caught the corner of her eyes. By the time she blinked and looked towards it, it was gone. Oh no, not now, she thought and rubbed at her eyes as she peered towards the ramp. Perhaps she could play it off if nothing was there, but she had an odd sort of feeling.

"So you were looking for a crew, Captain. Any chance someone took you up on your offer yet?" She asked, backing up and continuing to look where she had seen the shadow. Please be seeing things again, she thought to herself.

@Rylan Vox @Reach Valarian

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox had just finished explaining their upcoming job to Riya when she playfully saluted and expressed her readiness for the mission. He couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. "I like your spirit, Riya," he said with a grin.

As he was about to reply to her question about the crew, her change in demeanor caught his attention. She seemed distracted, her gaze fixed on something near the ramp. Rylan furrowed his brow, his senses on high alert. "Not yet," he replied to her question, keeping his voice low. "Still waiting for the right people to come along."

He followed her gaze toward the shadow, his hand instinctively moving closer to the blaster at his side. "What do you see?" he asked quietly, his eyes scanning the area around the ramp.

@Riya Deabla @Reach Valarian

 

[Reach Valarian]

Reach is hiding behind some sort of cargo chest and containers in the hold. He is able to hear the mysterious people talking, but is not able to understand what they say. He decides to remain silent and just wait until they stop, to get off that ship asap and contact the Empire.

Hopefully they will not catch him in that time. He begins to think about an excuse if they catch him...
Would it be advisble to tell them of his empirial rank? Should he tell them his real name and that he has a mission to accomplish? Maybe he should just take their ship in the name of the Empire to continue his mission?

Question that remain unanswered, for that moment...

 

[Riya Deabla]

Riya's lips flashed briefly in a smile at his compliment but her grey eyes were still locked towards the ramp. What if nothing was there? Rylan would certainly kick her off if she was hallucinating, though she wasn't contagious. She brought her left hand up to tap at her bottom lip, briefly deciding how to go about it before turning back towards Rylan.

"I thought I saw someone on the ramp, you know, like me. I can't be the only one thinking of being a stowaway. If you hadn't caught me, I would have hidden myself," she admits. "A downed ramp is just an invitation for whoever! You're lucky it was me! It could have been a big old Trandoshan. Then the smell would get you before you knew he was there," she nods before walking towards the ramp.

She peers out and doesn't see anyone and crosses her arms. How sure was she? She didn't know. When was the last time she slept? Okay, could be hallucinating. "Nar Shadaa isn't the nicest place you know," she says, though this time Riya seems more distracted than accusing. Afterall, this Rylan certainly knew how to take care of himself.

@Rylan Vox @Reach Valarian

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox continued to keep a watchful eye on the ramp as Riya explained her earlier distraction. He couldn't help but grin at her colorful description of the potential stowaway alternatives. Her candidness was refreshing.

"I appreciate your vigilance, Riya," he said, his tone a mixture of amusement and genuine gratitude. "You're right; Nar Shaddaa can be a rough place, and it's always better to be safe than sorry."

As he watched her peer outside once more, Rylan couldn't see anything amiss from his vantage point. However, he trusted Riya's instincts enough to remain cautious. "Keep an eye out, but don't take any unnecessary risks," he advised. "If you see anything unusual, let me know immediately. We'll make sure the Stardancer stays safe."

Rylan couldn't shake the feeling that their encounter with the mysterious figure on the ramp might not be their only surprise on this journey.

@Riya Deabla @Reach Valarian

 

[Riya Deabla]

Riya tugged her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on the small muscle in thought. At least Rylan didn't think she was crazy. Even if she was seeing things. For now, she was still useful and would offer a nod and a smile to the man before heading back to his side. Her eyes would go back to the map, but Riya couldn't help but glance towards the ramp occasionally.

"So Captain, where do we find more crew? Are you planning on picking them up here? Or shall we find somewhere else?" Riya really liked this ship and it would be sad to see it go. However, while she was here, she would keep it safe. Her instincts still told her something felt off, but since she couldn't place her finger on it, she would ignore it for now.

"I'm certain if you put up an ad, you'll get several people who work for cheap. Though I suppose you didn't put up an ad and found me," she looks down and hums thoughtfully. "Your cargo, is that what we're taking? Or we planning on picking it up? I don't plan to look, it's not my business, but I can make sure nothing touches it."

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox appreciated Riya's vigilance and willingness to keep an eye out for potential trouble. He was beginning to see her as a valuable addition to the crew, someone who took initiative and cared about the ship's safety.

"Good questions, Riya," he replied with a nod. "As for the crew, I usually keep an eye out for skilled individuals on various worlds, or sometimes they find their way to me. It's all about timing and opportunity. We'll need to pick up some crew eventually, though."

He walked over to the star chart once more, considering her question about the cargo. "We'll be picking up the cargo at our next stop," he explained. "It's a delivery job, and the less you know about the cargo, the better. Just know that it's valuable and probably of interest to others in the galaxy. Your commitment to keeping it safe is exactly what I'm looking for."

Rylan turned to face her with a genuine smile. "Looks like we've got our work cut out for us, Riya. Let's make sure the Stardancer stays in one piece, shall we?"

@Riya Deabla @Reach Valarian

 

[Riya Deabla]

For someone who had told her that she had better be useful, Rylan was making a point to include her in everything amd give her the opportunity to be useful. Riya appreciated that, but it didnt mean she would slack off either. If anything, maybe she could pick up a few more skills and make herself useful for the next sentient.

"Timing, I'm starting to appreciate mine," she teases woth a chuckle. The skin on the back of her neck still crawls at the shadow she saw earlier but she's determined to put it behind her. "And consider my questions about the cargo gone. You say I shouldn't know, then it's none of my business boss. Just know I'll keep it safe anyway."

Riya made a mental note not to sound so desperate. She was, but that didn't mean she should let Rylan know just how bad she wanted to get off this planet.

"Just tell me what needs fixing, and I got you. We'll get there in one piece, I promise. "

 

[Rylan Vox]

Rylan Vox appreciated Riya's willingness to adapt and her commitment to keeping the ship safe, even without knowing all the details. He could tell that she was determined to prove herself, and that was exactly the kind of attitude he valued in a crew member.

"Timing is everything in this business," he agreed with a knowing smile. "And I have a feeling your timing is spot-on."

He nodded at her offer to help with ship repairs. "I'll be sure to let you know if anything needs fixing," he said. "We make quite the team, Riya. Now, let's focus on the job at hand. Our next stop awaits, and who knows what challenges the galaxy has in store for us."

With that, Rylan turned back to the star chart, making final preparations for their upcoming journey. He was beginning to see the potential in Riya as not just a crew member but a trusted ally in the unpredictable adventures that lay ahead.

@Riya Deabla @Reach Valarian

 

[Riya Deabla]

Us. If Riya dared to admit it, the idea of actually belonging somewhere sounded nice. A home aboard a spaceship, flying wherever she wanted or dared to go had been a dream of hers since she was little. As Rylan turned back to the starchart, she stared at his back. They were still strangers. Had it really only been twenty minutes that they'd met? Seemed like they'd worked together for a life time and yet... She'd been burned before. Literally. She'd keep her guard up and watch him closely, but she wasn't getting any negative vibes from him.

Shrugging to herself, Riya turned on her heel. The short tour did nothing to quell her curiosity and there was bound to be something else on the ship she could take care of. At least she could find her bearings a bit more.

"Mind if I toss my bag down boss?" She asked though she was already walking towards the back of the ship before he could answer. She passed the ramp once again and gave it another cursory glance before moving onward. As she passed towards the cargo area, she thought she saw one of the boxes move. Stopping, Riya took a step back.

"Oi girl, ya loosin' it," she said to herself, placing her hand against her forehead. "C'mon, it's just dumb. Just your brain playin' tricks on ya." She took another step towards what she hoped were the living quarters before stopping again. "All right," she continued, still talking (arguing) with herself. She stomped her foot downwards in a huff and turned towards the cargo bay. "I'll prove it to you Riya. No weird shadows in here." Inhaling deeply, she worked up the nerve to step inside. Slowly, she moved over to the boxes.

@mataldematt @TimLan