Ask This Title Is A Title

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

Spoiler: Music IC

Apart from sounding like a shot of espresso, Botajef was one of those ecumonopolis worlds where one side of the city was as good as the other and there’s your city, here’s your world. And here’s your Togruta wondering how the hett she got from there to here.

The young lady had been wandering the streets that morning, discovered a cafe, stepped on a shoe (it was soggy), bought a leather yellow jacket, figured it was time to set sail.

Leh'Min'Ayd wasn't a pilot in any sense of the word but she had an uncle who had a ship and it was in his will to give to his niece come the day of his death which was some twenty years ago but things don't always make sense at first.

“Excuse me, excuse me!” Frantic but hold the panic, Lemon was starting to regret that second shot of espresso. “Excuse meee!” She waved toward someone who looked like they worked in this zoo-alien spaceport given that he stood behind a desk looking her way.

Of course, as fate would force it, the girl had to negotiate her way through lanes of pedestrian traffic: this Devaronian heading toward that gate; that Duros carrying take-away from this restaurant; this legless Human juggling bowling pins outside that lounge (so not really part of pedestrian traffic but caught Lem's gaze all the same).

“Excuse me, sorry,” Lem caught her breath and leaned against the desk. “I’m looking for the reception customer service desk something or other.”

The man pointed up. Half-expecting a ship to fall from the sky, Lem squinted upward to read the word ‘Reception’ on a bright blue sign. “Oh.”

“How may I help you, miss?”

“I need to get my ship. Here’s the slip.” Slidey-slidey.

“Let’s see… The Cordabella…Gate 19…so far so good...just need to see the title, miss.”

“My whozitwotzit? There’s the slip for my ship!"

“Yes, miss, but I still need to see the title as proof of ownership.”

“Oh, so you got somethin’ against lekku, huh?”

“Um, I’m a Twi’lek, miss.”

“Well…well…” To be fair, the Twi’lek’s lekku were handsomely strewn. Like spaghetti over shoulders or…hi. “Well, maybe you got somethin’ against TOGRUTA lekku?” Lem jabbed a finger like the pointy part of a lightsaber. “You’re a Togrutaist!” Despite her passion, she was quickly coming to realize that she wasn’t making much headway here.

“Miss, if you fail to comply I’m going to have to ask you to step out of line so another customer can—"

“You don’t need to see my title,” Lem informed with a steady wave. “Proceed forth, proceed forth.”

There was a pause, the clerk blinking into the Padawan’s eyes. Heh. Gotchu. “Um,” piped said clerk. “So, yeah, that just happened, but I very much do still need to see your title. Please proceed to the back of the line. Next!”

“I… What the hett?” Lem hardly noticed the Herglic all but budge her aside, too busy blinking at her helpless hand. “...B-But…the wave…the Jedi Forceness…why didn’t… Is it ‘cause I skipped breakfast?” Wait…there was that donut… Was it pumpkin?

Whatever it was, Leh’Min’Ayd needed to find a way to get that ship and reclaim her noble right. It’s not like some fellow Jedi was going to waltz on up and rescue her from such a dilemma, right? The galaxy was big but what would the odds of THAT be? A billion to a zillion and ONE!?!?!??!?!???



@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

As luck would have it, on the way home to Yavin, Quin’s shuttle captain realized that she only had enough fuel for half the journey. What was more, when they landed, some part of their ship malfunctioned, and it was going to take a week or more to fix it. To top it all off, the captain had been forced to land on Botajef… in the middle of Sith space. Needless to say, Quin wasn’t in a very good mood that day.

He concealed his Force signature and his lightsaber out of necessity as he wandered the spaceport looking for anyone who might offer him a ride out. The last thing he needed now was a Sith following him. After all, what was a lone Jedi Padawan doing here? He knew what they would assume— he’d figure the same thing if he were in their shoes.

As he passed by a long line behind the reception desk, he noticed that a familiar looking Togruta was going on about some title. After trying a failed Force wave, the clerk had just her in favor of a Herglic, the latter of whom had simply pushed her aside. Well, that’s just rude. Even on his worst day, he wouldn’t shove someone aside like that.

Quin had nothing better to do, so he made his way over to… “Lemon?” Every inch of his face betrayed his surprise. “What are you doing here?”

@Die Shize

 

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

So if it wasn’t because of forsaking breakfast then maybe it had something to do with the caffeine and that’s what screwed everything up? Maybe I just need some practice. Find some four-year-old, take his candy, hand-wave piece o’ cake Lol’s your uncle.

Lem learned life can throw you lemons so you just catch them and eat them and someone just called her name. “Hum?” She looked up to see a suspiciously familiar dude. Of all the places, there stood none other than Lin Queonkri. Lem never forgot a face and was an expert with names.

“I…uh…something something dead uncle…legless juggler…lovely lekku…it’s a long story.” It was going to be a longer one depending on how long her stay in Sith space was but fortunately her little Jedi hand trick had failed to impress.

Like a Sith, Lem’s eyes flashed wide and she sprung upon her contemporary. Hands snatched for a collar and began to violently shake the young man with compensated acceleration.

“Tell me Lin have you seen a title shop nearby maybe a coffee shop for a latte maybe upstairs maybe downstairs because I really need a title Lin I have to get that ship, my uncle’s ship, Lol’s ship, get that ship, Lin, gotta get that ship GET IT GET IT GET IT”

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Quin blinked a couple times, trying to process what in the world Lemon was rambling on about. The furious shaking wasn’t helping either. Dead uncle? Legless juggler? Lekku? And who’s Lin? Regardless, it seemed that she was looking for a title for her ship. At least, he thought so.

“Whoa whoa whoa, calm down.” Quin quickly stepped back and gently took her hands off his collar to give him some respite from the dizziness clouding his mind. Once he’d regained his balance and the world came back into focus, he was able to think of a couple things they could do. If Lemon had a ship, he had a way off this planet. “Okay.” He took a breath. “A title. Do you have any proof that it’s yours? Naming your belongings on the ship, some kind of signed document from your uncle saying that it’s yours?”

In all honesty, Quin had no idea how to get one, but it was the best he could think of.

“If you, uh, need help, I’m more than happy to assist,” he added with a hint of a smile. Seeing a fellow Jedi Padawan had brightened his mood, and he felt a little better about his current situation knowing that he had a partner in all this.

@Die Shize

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel strolled through the streets of Botajef, occasionally stopping to look at what a vendor stand was offering. He would visit the planet when he felt he needed to relax. The first thing he had done after setting out in the morning was to visit his favourite diner. The booths there were great for people watching. Ever since he was a child, he had enjoyed observing people. Once he had finished his breakfast, he headed towards a marketplace that he liked to frequent. The marketplace was near to the closest spaceport, so cutting through the port provided a shortcut of sorts.

It was while walking, through the port, that Thel spotted someone that held his focus. A togruta. They were arguing with a customer service worker. Even though he couldn’t hear everything being said, their gesticulating and flustered demeanour somewhat amused him. Thel had stopped to watch. He pretended he was searching for something in the pockets of his cloak, observing the disagreement out of the corner of his eye. It was what the togruta did next that really caught his attention. They gently waved their hand out in the direction of the worker behind the desk, as they spoke to them. A seemingly innocuous gesture, but one he had seen many times before. The worker’s bemused reaction added to Thel’s suspicion.

He continued to observe as the togruta was pushed from the queue, but he also realised that he had been stood watching for quite a while. He didn’t want to be noticed. Seeing a bench, Thel made his way over to it. He took out his comlink and pretended to tinker with it. Continuing to watch the togruta, he could see that they had now been joined by someone. A young brown-haired male, who the togruta shook aggressively. Thel could not sense any great presence in the force from either of them, but there was something. They did not have the aura of practitioners of the dark side. He decided that he would follow them. The marketplace could wait.

 

[Rrodossk]

The crowd of people in the shipyard began to churn as news reporters rushed forth, not an army of them like many big name celebrities but a few dozen was still more than enough for the Senators liking...

Rrodossk stepped forth from his ship, the Eternal Huntress, and immidiently his aura was palpable in the air. He was confident, powerful, and utterly ruthless. Yet today these flavors were diluted by joy, seen most in the lizard's ugly, toothy smile. From ear hole to ear hole it spread, the reason why only known to himself. Today he had a mission: to gather the prototypes of his ships and see the production run.

His guards were outnumbering the Senator seven to one, yet none of their bulky frames kept Rrodossk out of sight as he towered over them. The seven foot tall reptile answered a few questions, handing out meaningless answers or one's that were for show. This somehow was enough to satiate the reporters, as after they had his answers and some photographs of his arrival they melted into the crowd.

But that is when he noticed the commotion between the Twi'lek and the Togruta. His large frame, clad in his traditional black furred cloak, almost glided over to the much smaller being as he saw a near by human began to talk with her. His sensitive reptilian ears picked up something about needing a deed, just as he approached.

"Ssssso.... you require a deed to a ship? I believe I know ssssssome placesssss near by asssss long assssss you have written proof."

 

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

Spoiler: Music IC

The music changed and a bug crawled on the wall. Bereft a doll to shake to death, Lem settled for snapping her fingers—zig-zag-snappy-snap—as an outlet for her bubbling energy. Bubbling like the bubbles in a coffee pot, cupcake!

Meanwhile, Lin deserved a pat on the head. He got a hand on the shoulder. “Mhm, mhm, assist you shall, mister, happy or not.”

Trading smiles, Lem hoped bouncing a finger off her chin would help with recalling proof to her cause.

“Well I had this ship slip I slipped to the clerk but it wasn’t enough ‘cause he was a douche’wala and I’m starting to wonder what pigeon pie— SABADAAAA!!”

Lemonade can’t quite define “sabadaaaa!!” but it was the first exclamation she could think of upon the abrupt arrival of a towering Trandoshan.

Recovering from her hasty retreat, which was little more than a frantic backstep, the Togruta bounced back.

“Written proof, huh!?” She reconsidered treating this one the way she treated the clerk. “I mean hummmm not on me but maybe at my uncle’s place? Only hummmmmmm it’s in a gated community and I don’t have the power to get in sooooo I’m Lem and this is Lin.”

Lem thrust her right hand forth for a most appropriate handshake (hoping she'd get said hand back) and would in turn stretch Lin’s right hand toward their new friend if he failed to comply. Don’t mess with the Trandoshans, Nan always said.


@Sicadorito @Issachar
@DMCK

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Quin was following Lemon up to the point of “sabada”, upon which he was utterly confused. However, it was the look on her face that made him turn around, his eyes widening when he realized he was standing right behind a huge Trandoshan. What was more, the man had a cadre of bodyguards around him, and if he hadn’t wanted to attract attention… well, it was a little late for that now.

Fortunately, Lemon seemed willing to do the introductions, and Quin didn’t have the heart to correct her when she introduced him as “Lin”. At least the man knew what the gist of their problem was, and getting his name wrong in a place like this wasn’t actually a bad thing now that he thought about it.

“We would appreciate your help, sir…” he said, glancing over at Lemon before she admitted that she didn’t have the document on her. “Well, that could complicate things.” His hand that had been discreetly trying to fold his lightsaber deeper into his tunic was suddenly yanked forward by Lemon. To his horror, the weapon slipped out of his grasp and clattered on the floor, and within a second or two he had picked it up and stuffed it back into where it was before. However, the damage had been done, and he was certain that anyone within a few meters would have been able to see it, despite the noise of the spaceport. His face red, he forced himself to go on with the handshake and tried to act nonchalant.

“Um… what about the physical evidence aboard your ship? Do you know what’s on it?” he asked Lemon, his voice higher than usual.

@Issachar @DMCK @Die Shize

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel believed that it would be fairly simple to follow the togruta and the young male. He was to be proven wrong almost instantly.
Approaching them was a figure that Thel recognised: senator Rrodossk. This was Thel's first time seeing him in the flesh. He was particularly large, even for a trandoshan. The trandoshan appeared to be greeting them. Thel continued to observe discreetly, remaining seated on the bench.

As the trandoshan shook the male's hand, he pulled him off balance. Thel's eyes widened slightly as he saw what the male dropped. A lightsaber fell to the ground. The man scrambled to pick it up and conceal it. It was too late though. He must be a jedi.

Thel was still tinkering with his comlink. He was curious to know what the jedi was doing on the planet. His mind was made up; he would follow them. Even if Rrodossk's presence did complicate matters.

@Issachar @Die Shize @Sicadorito

 

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

Spoiler: Music IC [Recurring]

As hands passed like plates of sushi, Lemon blinked down at a suspiciously familiar object lying on the floor. Oopsy. Lin was quick to correct his mistake and it was all the pair could do to move along.

Lem looked from the floor to her friend but wondered what happened to Lin Queonkri. This other kid sounded like someone stepped on his nether regions. “Hummm you are blushing brighter than a virgin Zeltron right now.” Finger bounces on chin. “As for physical evidence…well, hett, I don’t even know what this Cordabella novella umbrella looks like! OH OH OH”

Lem was certain there was a lightbulb buzzing above her head. “I don’t need to access the ship to get it or go to my uncle’s pad! I just need a copy of his title which I can prolly download from a kiosk but I need his account privileges and I bet a senator could help with that otherwise I’ll have to validate my relationship which could take time but there’s a cafe nearby so hummm”

Either approach would work. Whatever Trandoshan senators did in their spare time, Senator Rrdossk could probably pull some strings if he was feeling sentientarian enough. If not then Lem would just have to wait longer which meant another cappuccino. And another and another and another.


@Sicadorito @Issachar
@DMCK

 

[Quin Leonkri]

A virgin Zeltron? Quin tried to take his mind off his blunder and Lemon’s remark, but it only helped to make his face even more red. He was hardly listening when she went on about a Cordabella novella umbrella, instead fidgeting his feet and keeping his hands tightly behind his back as if it would erase what just happened.

As Lemon went on, though, he felt himself start to calm down a bit and actually spare his friend some of his attention.

“Alright. Where’s this cafe?” He couldn’t help glancing at the Trandoshan, though. Would a senator, someone seated in such a high position, really help with something small like this? From what he knew about politics and the people that spent their entire lives consumed by it, the answer was no. But, everyone was different, and maybe Rrodossk was someone after his own heart, however unlikely that would be.

@Issachar @DMCK @Die Shize

 

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

Spoiler: Music IC

Lem slapped both hands on Lin’s shoulders and squeezed them like they were tomatoes so basically like his face. “That. Is. THE BEST. Question. EVER.” Spins Lin around, points past a shoulder. “Behold THE CAFE Oh wait wrong way.” Spins Lin again. “There’s the cafe.”

There it was—'Cafe Resole'—in beautiful beige. Hmmmm cappu… Lemon didn’t really care who was following her anymore as she all but left Lin’s service and marched along like a security droid toward Cafe Resole.

Inside said Cafe Resole there was a chocolate brown interior, a cozy jukebox playing music of the same name, and more than one Shistavanen server.

The sights were one thing but the insatiable scents were quite another: The bold smell of a dark roast, the creamy hints of a white light, or the elegant sweetness of pecan muffins and vanilla cupcakes.

Snapping her fingers to attention, Lemon found purchase at a table with a white gold tablecloth that belonged on her bed. She heard the clink of cup upon cup and beckoned a passing Shis for her own. “Uno cappuccino, amigo! Make it a grande excellente! Yay!”

“We don’t serve that, sorry.”

“Oh… Then make it a big one!” She happily emphasized with her hands.

“And for you?” Mr. Shis (that was actually on this Shistavanen’s nametag) beckoned of whoever decided to follow the local teenage Togruta Jedi Padawan caffeine addict chick into the cafe.


@Sicadorito @DMCK
@Issachar Tuloc

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Being spun around this way and that, Quin finally caught sight of the cafe. Who knew it was possible to get motion sickness on the ground? Shrugging mentally, he followed Lemon into the cafe, instantly taken in by its warm and inviting atmosphere. While he didn’t drink coffee often, he did love the smell, and he sat down across from her as the Shistavanen server came over.

“A small Gatalentan tea, please,” he said with a light smile after the server addressed him. Mr. Shis jotted down the order, and he immediately turned to Lemon.

“You have a datapad on you that you can verify the title with?” He jumped right into it— he didn’t want to stay at this spaceport any longer than he had to, even if this cafe was cozier than most. Who knew who had their eyes on him now, especially after his slip-up? If Lemon could get her title quickly, they could fly out of here and get back to Yavin as soon as possible. Only then would he be able to fully relax.

@Die Shize @DMCK @Olwin

 

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

Lem nodded. “Indeed I do!” She pulled out her device, cracked her knuckles and went to work. “Okay so maybe this won’t take long if I get no processing delays so lemme just go typey-typey here and hello sir thanks for that!”

The cappuccino came quickly enough. Lemon was tempted to get a straw but coordinating typing with sipping worked well enough. One good thing about so much caffeine was getting things done fairly quickly despite so narrow a focus of purpose.

“Okay ping-a-ping-ping let’s see if the skinny man wants to sing and Nan’s your nanny and this pretzel gets dipped into that cheese sauce and I don’t like lemonade on a cold Saturday and—”

The rapid mumbling ensued as time passed by and then Lemon looked down at an empty cup. “Okay we’re gonna need a Plan H.”

“Need to get your title?” Mr. Shis came by to collect the empties but got shot a look from his Togruta customer. “Sorry, wasn’t dropping any eaves, miss, just glanced at the website there. Pretty common to surf there in a spaceport!” That made sense enough so Lemon listened.

“Yeah I’ve helped quite a few customers with long lost documents. My brother works the business, got an office just yonder, down the corridor as a matter of fact, much better lookin' fella than me that's for—”

He went on for some seconds as Lem shot Lin a look. Thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’? Force Persuade? She would do it herself had she not failed with that one clerk.


@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“Great. Let me know if you need any help.” Quin smiled and settled back into his seat as Lemon began to type. Soon the drinks arrived and he was sipping his tea as his friend worked. When Mr. Shis came by again to collect their drinks, he made quite an interesting comment about his brother down the hall. He noticed Lemon looking at him, and the thought occurred to him to maybe ask the Shistavanen to take them there.

“Would you mind showing us where your brother’s office is?” he queried, looking at Mr. Shis. The man shifted on his feet.

“Well, erm, I’m not supposed to leave the cafe,” Mr. Shis responded hesitantly, two cups in hand. “I’m going to get in trouble, see, and I sure wouldn’t want that to happen—”

“You won’t get in trouble. You’ll take us to your brother’s office,” Quin said, his gaze focused on Mr. Shis’ as he attempted to bend his mind with the Force. Their server blinked, stayed still for a moment, and then nodded.

“I won’t get in trouble. I’ll take you to my brother’s office. Let’s go.” He gestured for Lemon and Quin to follow him as the latter let out an inward sigh of relief.

Spoiler: Roll

14

@Die Shize

 

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

Spoiler: Music IC

“Mr. Shis,” Mr. Shis acknowledged the other Shistavanen behind the desk. The office was less classy than the cafe and that’s all Leh’Min’Ayd needed to know.

“Mr. Shis,” the other Shistavanen acknowledged his brother. It made sense that they shared the same last name. “Thanks, bro, I’ll take ‘em from here.”

The two men waved goodbye and Mr. Shis folded his hands on his desk. “I hear you guys are looking to recover a title?” Discussion ensued until: “Sorry, but two days is the best I can do. Things are kinda crazy at the port right now.”

Nope. Lem sighed. Waited long enough. Jedi and Sith space don’t mix, Mr. Shis! “You…” She swallowed, suddenly weighed down by the tendrils on her head, then she remembered Lin. ‘You won’t get in trouble. You’ll take us to your brother’s office.’

“You want to help us, get us to the front of the line, that way we can get to where we need to be.” The Padawan spoke firmly but gently.

“I want to help you,” Mr. Shis smiled. “Get you to the front of the line. That way you can get to where you need to be.” Just like that, he picked up a comlink and made a call.

Lem smiled her thanks, gave Lin a smile too, and then the pair made their way to the front of the line.
Title in hand, they bid that same clerk farewell and made for the ship bays. Lem turned to Lin.

"I dunno how I managed it, def need to practice at it, but I guess sometimes people like us see what needs to happen and we just karkin' make it happen! Heh!" Fist bump.

Spoiler: Dice Roll

Result: 17
Reason: Force Persuade on Mr. Shis (words are hard and I forgot what it's called)

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Quin watched as Lemon tried out the same technique as him, this time much more effective than the first. When they were out of earshot, he turned to her and gave her a friendly nudge on the arm.

“Hey, that was great!” he commented with a grin, fist-bumping the Togruta back after her remark. “You’re right. Do what you gotta do, and it’ll happen.” Most of the time it did work, in his experience. Somehow, winging it usually ended up better than planning it.

He would follow Lemon to the ship bays, glad that they finally had the title they were looking for. They were on their way out of here!

“So which one of these is yours?” he asked as they approached the hangar. Ships of all shapes and sizes were parked inside, and at the entrance were a pair of security guards verifying papers.

“Identification and permit, please.” The Pantoran couple in front presented their respective papers, and the guards waved them in. Next up were Lemon and Quin, and he knew that while they had one thing, he definitely didn’t have the other. Uh oh.

@Die Shize

 

[Leh'Min'Ayd]

Spoiler: Music IC [Recurring]

“Sir? Yes sir, understood." The guard shifted attention from his earpiece to the pair of teens. "You two are cleared. Let them through. Next?"

Lemon didn't think too much about it and entered the hangar while whispering to Lin. “I guess Mr. Shis can pull some strings after all, hum?”

Moments later and a dock hand escorted the pair to Lemon's claim. "Here she is!" Suddenly the universe froze. “M..M...” Lemon couldn't believe it.

The starlit behemoth called a starship was, quite simply, nothing short of magnificent. "Mag-nificent!" She stepped forth, lifted her arms, pinched her fingers. “...In place of a Dark Lord you would have a queen! Not dark but beau—”

“Nope, nope,” the dock hand sniffed. "Sorry. Clerical error. It's this one."

“Hum?”

He pointed to the real Cordabella and his datapad confirmed it. "I'll take it!" It was a step down from galactic conquest but she had no complaints. My own ship!? Potentially she would learn from its contents why her uncle gave it to her in the first place. My own SHIP!

Coming to terms, Lem propped an arm on Lin's shoulder and painted his eyes a vision with her other hand. "The stars are the horizon, Lin, and we're headin' to 'em! The adventures of Lem and Lin!"

[EXIT LEH'MIN'AYD]

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

The guards let them through just like that, and Quin couldn’t help thinking that Mr. Shis really had the run of the place if he was able to bypass protocol so easily. Maybe a good thing to keep note of if we ever come back. He certainly wouldn’t want to, but just in case.

“Whoa.” When they approached the first ship, Quin looked up at it in awe. “Your uncle left you that?” But soon the dock hand dismissed it as an error and off they went to another. This one was slightly smaller and less grand, but a ship was a ship nonetheless. As long as it could fly, the Padawan would welcome it.

“It’s all yours!” Quin grinned just before Lemon put an arm on his shoulder. He could almost see the rosy image she described of them flying to the stars even without any actual Force persuasion as she waved her hand. At least, he thought so. But whatever lay ahead for them, Quin was ready and waiting for it.

[Exit Quin]
@Die Shize