Survival, Dark Times 2

[Abby]

Jaskia stood with a grace betraying her long years of training, and her mere intimidating presence was enough even to make Nait shrink back slightly. She grabbed Erin by the upper elbow and hauled her to a seat on the opposite side of the room, depositing her not-so-gently on the hard floor. "I'm sorry," she said. "How clumsy am I. I hope you haven't broken a fingernail or bruised that nice little ass of yours. Why don't you stay there for a while and recuperate while the adults talk about the bad guys who want to kill precious Niat, okay?"

Her voice held the exact same tone she would use when talking with a child of three, not an adult of twenty-something. She bent down and held Erin's gaze, treating her like the baby she was. "And we both don't want Niat to go to sleep forever, don't we?"

[hk47fan]

Erin

"Ow!!! Would you let go of me?! I can tell you are in a bad mood...and this has all told me something...you really need a manicure...." I told Juicekia as I stared up at her and her horrible nails

[Abby]

Jaskia breathed in and out. She slowly let go of Erin, noticing how her nails had left red marks on her arms, and backed away. Turning around to sit back on Sora's desk, she asked, "Who invited that?"

[hk47fan]

Sora

I blinked "I'm starting to regret that I did..." I said as I scratched my head, trying to wait for people to calm down a little more

Erin

Once I stood up, I got out my nail filer and walked over to Juicekia and grabbed one of her hands, and began to give her my own special manicure "We'll start with this, then we'll decide what color we want to paint them."

[Abby]

Nait saw Jaskia's fist clench, and knew she was about to slug the lady in the face. He stood up quickly and planted a kiss on Erin's cheek--she smelled something between backed apples and watermelon, probably a new perfume--and whispered, "Erin, can you go down to the cafeteria and get me a some honyied ham? Go in the back of the kitchen and tell the cook it's a special order, with extra extra honey, okay? Can you do that for me? It's very important you put in two extras."

Jaskia withdrew her hand from Erin's, anger in her ice-blue eyes. Nait knew from experience Jaskia would tense up when others taught her, a survival instinct she must have learned after she left the crew to recruit Jedi. He had tried to surprise her once, and ended up doing a flip in the air and landing--hard--on his back. Erin only heightened the feelings of self-preservation, and Nait found that he didn't want to file any extra paperwork. He kissed Erin's cheek again. "Please?"

[hk47fan]

Erin

"Oh Niat, anything for you...." I said to him and then grabbed him and kissed him right on the lips

With that I ran off to the elevator, yelling "Oh cook person...we need millions and millions of meals!"

[Abby]

Jaskia's eyes were very wide, pupils small, and her face had gone a shade darker than normal. She closed her eyes, and Nait knew she was counting. "That girl will make anyone turn to the Dark Side just for the satisfaction of breaking her measly little neck..." Jaskia muttered, and Nait laughed.

When he had told Erin to find the cook and say 'extra extra', it would ensure she'd stay there at least three hours. He and the kitchen staff had made a deal weeks ago. As long as they kept Erin waiting, they could continue their meeting in peace...

He wiped Erin's spit off his lips with the sleeve of his jacket and sat down next to Jaskia. "Next time, Sora, you kiss her," he said.

Jaskia's snorted at the mental image and opened her eyes to flick a finger on Nait's head. "Thanks, Twinkle Toes," she said.

"No problem."

Jaskia cleared her throat. "We've got Jabba after us, and an Emperor's Hand or two. The next attack will take place in two days, and the next a few days after that. I couldn't get all the stuff out of the merc's mind, but it's partway useful, at least."

[Rain]

Olee Starstone

"Jaskia, Luke and Scout are the primary targets, but they will settle for any of us. Almost everyone will fetch a price." She turned and looked to where Erin had left the room. "Jaskia also mentioned th Emperor's Hands. We highly suspect that Mara Jade will be one of these, and possibly Vader's former apprentice Lumiya" Olee hesitated.

She sat down next to Sora.

"Oh," She said, turning to Jaskia, "Who did you leave in the interrogation room?"


Han Solo

A furry fist smashed straight into the face of Kane Negreet. It was incredibly powerful but was aimed in a certain area so as he wouldn't be knocked unconcious.

"Alright Chewie, that's enough" Han said calmly

"<Whatever you say>" The Wookiee growled.

Han turned to face Kane.

"Alright you better start talking. I know that you know alot more of the inside buisness than these punks." There was a silence as the too men stared at each other.

"I said talk!" Han reinforced.

Once again, silence.

"NOW!" Han's patience was running thin.

"Go to hell!" Was the response that he recieved.

"Sorry. Been there. Wasn't for me, now talk. Believe me it's in your best interests. Would you rather have Jaskia come down here and start toying with your mind? Huh?"

Han could see the doubt on Kanes face. He was beginning to break.

"Chewie... I think he wants some more."

"Alright! Alright! Stop! Ill tell you..." Kane stuttered, "I'll tell you everything I know!"

"Well we know when you guys are going to attack us, we just want any other info you got." Han stated.

"Y-You do?"

"Yes. Why? Is there something else you're hiding from us?" Han questioned, "Well?"

It only took but a slight glance toward Chewbacca to get Kane to open up.

"We were told the wrong information-"

"How do you know" Han suspiciously queried

"I-I overheard Jabba, talking with a woman about it, uhhh... Lumira or Ludiya or something... thats all I know! I swear!"

"Thats all I need to know. You need some rest" And with that Chewbacca knocked the man out with a single strike.

Han was deeply troubled by what Kane had told him, whether or not to trust him was a different kettle of Cannoks. If what he said was true however and Lumiya really was after them, they were in serious trouble.

He had to let Jaskia know. He switched on his comm.

"Han Solo here, requesting permission to join your 'talk'. I've got some things that I'm pretty sure you might wanna hear..."

[Abby]

Jaskia was about to anser when her comlink beeped. Sighing heavily, she plucked it from her belt and held it to her lips. "Paine in the ass, at your service," she said dryly.

"It's Solo, requesting permission to join your little talk. I've got some things I'm pretty sure you'll wanna hear..."

Jaskia rubbed her temples and nodded to herself. "Fourth floor, room 405 starboard," she said. Sora's quarters were--thankfully--not too far from the interrogation chambers. She closed the connection and shook her head. "Probably got exactly what I just learned..."

"Anyway," she said, cutting to the point, "Scout and Luke won't have the bounties on their heads. I've been making everybody think that I've done it, to keep them safe. If they assassinate me, Scout or another one of the Jedi can take over.The only people who know who really killed Palpy is everyone in this room, plus Darrina and Ni. Fi and Sanji can probably guess."

"You're sticking your neck too far out," Nait argued. "These mercs coming for you will just get smarter. Think about it: the Hutts want control. You've basically created a fourth party in all of this. There's the Hutts, the Empire, the Rebels, and the Jedi, and the Jedi are the biggest threat. He'll take all of us down first if he got the chance."

"I'm giving him the chance," Jaskia argued. "He won't be placing any more bounties, anyway. You told Fi about him, right? Yeah? Then they'll find a way to deal with it."

[Rain]

Han walked up and into Sora's quarters.

"You mean you didn't kill Palpatine" Han exclaimed. "It was Scout! Luke!?"

Olee Starstone stared at him. She sighed and looked at Jaskia.

"I suppose you were the one on the comlink"

"Got it in one!" He replied sarcastically

Olee couldn't help but smile, Han smiled back. "So what was it you thought we should hear?"

Han explained what Kane had told him. The room went silent.

"Not even a thankyou?"

[Mandalorian]

Wey sat playign a game of Rudian Poker with his two new bunkmates. He felt the force presences of almost all of strongest ghosts in one quarters not to far away Probabbly a meeting he thought about going in and crashing the party, but decided against it mainly due to the fact that he was at the moment winning.

He dealt the next hand of cards and barely kept hismelf from grinning when he saw his hand Pocket Aces He put down a small 25 token, and the others matched it. The river went down and it was a 3, 3, and a Ace. He was haveing some trouble keping a straight face, he put down another "lure" bet and watched as they matched adn one doubled his. he then matched that and the fourth card went down a King. Some more small bets, adn then the final card went down a queen. One of them went all in, Wey thought for a moment about just readign the others emotions but chose not to mainyl becouse it would make the game boring. He matched the guys bet, adn showed hsi hand "read them and weep" the man smiled and laughed and dropped his cards "I win, two four of a kind threes."

Wey laughed ok, well i'm out then, I'll go for a short walk. he stood up and walked otu the door and began to head towards the ghosts force signs, he wondered what they where talkign about.

[Abby]

Jaskia put her head in her hands and shook her head mutely. “Not good…” she heard Nait mutter. She had half a mind to get up and leave the room and forget about it all, to leave the others to do the work. Jaskia was a fighter at heart, and she could take on Lumiya any given day. But where Jaskia’s strength was in weapons and combat strategies, Lumiya’s was in long-term planning. Always fifteen steps ahead of her prey, Lumiya was a manipulator, a twister of words and thoughts.

Jaskia remembered the fateful day Luke had confessed to her he had fallen in love with Shira Brie, a young hotshot pilot for the Rebellion, in truth spying for the Imperials. After Luke himself shot her down accidentally, Vader and the Emperor had done something too her, had made her a cyborg, trained her in the ways of the Sith.

Jaskia hated Lumiya just as much as Palpatine. She would’ve liked Jade better. At least that one had a reason for being the Emperor’s loyal pet.

Jaskia scratched her head thoughtfully and gazed unblinkingly at the white walls of Sora’s quarters. She could hear Nait talking, but it seemed distant, a hollow ringing in her ears…

“We need to organize,” he was saying. “The most probable assault would be during the attack on Coruscant, but she’s probably already thought of that by now. We need something more, something better.”

The human mind is a funny thing, Scout had said once. It’s harder to look on the bright side of things, when all you see is the longer road ahead. Those words, said so many years ago during a conversation after a particularly grueling sparring practice with Cin Dralling, had never really went away.

Jaskia had to look up at the bright side, at least…

“Han,” she said slowly. “Ask that man everything he knows about Jabba’s plans and motivations. He sounds like a wimp to break so easily: Lumiya chose well. She wanted us to know she’s after us. These mercs? They were all pawns, every single one.”

“From now on, no Jedi is to walk alone,” Nait said, picking up on her thoughts. “Nobody is, not even our allies. Check-in’s every thirty minutes, the usual. Send out the alert.”

“Message Fi, too,” Jaskia said. “Tell her what we know. Make her scare Jabba into giving us all the information.”

Nait smirked. “I have that covered…”

--

The Trandoshan’s head slammed into the wall with so much force that the scaly outer skin cracked. Sanji took the thing by the chin and made him turn to gaze into her wild, intense stare, gritting her teeth with frustration. “The informant,” she hissed. “What’s his name?”

The Trandoshan made a squeaking sound, and Sanji reversed her grip, slamming the reptilian creature into the wall once more. “Where’s Jabba’s Palace?” she demanded.

--

A week earlier…

Mara Jade sat comfortably in front of Jabba, Nick Rostu at her side. He was eying Jabba’s food bowl with something of a cross between revulsion and pure horror, and Mara was once again glad she didn’t glance at whatever he must’ve been seeing. She focused on Jabba’s bulbuous orange eyes, calmly waiting for the overgrown snake to speak.

[You claim you are on my side, Lumiya… But I know of the Emperor’s Hand. The last one I met nearly shut me down two years ago. You’re lucky I have let you live this far.]

Mara smiled. “You must be talking about my colleague,” she said, her words coming out of her mouth like a silver stream. “We are not all as alike as we seem. We served one man, but that would be where are similarities ended.”

[Loyalty to a Master such as yours in unnerving,] Jabba replied.

“It’s not something you can buy,” Mara replied. “Merely the fact that I’ve considered allying myself with you is showing my high degree of respect for you. You offer no threat to the Empire now, in this state. Let me help you. I have the highest connections possible, Jabba. I can drop all your charges with a single order.”

Jabba shrugged. He was playing his role perfectly, Mara noted. Even the expression of indifference in his eyes told her that he had practice with these kinds of roles before. [Who rules the galaxy now? The Emperor is dead, and the Rebellion will launch an attack on Coruscant before soon. Nobody knows anything anymore. Besides me.]

“Relax, Jabba,” Mara said soothingly. “Let me ally myself with you. I will be your eyes and ears. I will kill Jaskia Paine. As a gift. I care about the Empire just as much as you care about your… organization. If we combine together, we can both expand.”

[You’ll double-cross me,] The worm said.

“Yes, I might,” Mara admitted. “But you would, too. Face it, you need my help to repair Jade’s damage. This man I’ve brought with me is of Ghôsh Rostu on Harrun Kal, a highly-capable worker. He’s been trained by myself personally, away from the eyes of the Empire. Rostu, introduce yourself.”

Nick gave a comical salute, but his voice was submissive and fragile, “Greg Rostu, sir… It’s a pleasure.”

Mara scowled at him. “You may sit,” she said. She turned back to Jabba. “We’ll kill Paine for you, but we expect an alliance to be made, to be terminated at any time after our deal. Until then, you will supply me with a ship, two men, and a probable location of their next course of action.”

The silence stretched on for minutes, and Mara glanced at the closed door, aware of the man listening just outside. [Yes,] Jabba agreed. [We will ally with you.]

Mara let out a triumphant grin. “Good,” she said crisply. She gestured to the door with a small gesture, then a ‘wait’ signal. “I’m looking foreword to our partnership.” She found the presence outside the door—Kane something-another—and slowly pressed for him to leave. When she felt him leave, she gave a thumbs-up. “The seed is planted,” she said. “The pieces are moving.”

“I thought only Jedi used metaphors,” Nick Rostu whined.

Mara shook herself out of it. The plan had been simple: Paine wouldn’t kill any of the assassins sent on her ship. She’d interrogate them, and Kane would break first. I’m not Lumiya, she thought. Only better. “Shut up, Nick.”

“I’m going to be hearing that a lot…”

[Rain]

"Believe me, we got all we are gonna get out of him!" Han replied to Jaskia's order. "And he will be out for at least another half a dozen standard hours."

Olee stared at him.

"Chewie," Han confirmed

Olee smiled again. Han always knew what to say and when to say it. Her thoughts raced back to Lumiya. She would com for Olee, and that would only endanger the others. There was only one thing for it.

"Jaskia... could I have a word after this meeting?" She asked, "I have a few things I want to discuss with you"

[Abby]

Jaskia nodded, silently wondering when she had become the leader in all of this. "Han, I'll need to examine the guy's mind before we jump to any conclusions. I'll need to know what hallways he was in, which door it was, how he got there, et cetera. It'll take at least a day for me to get all those details pulled out, but after I do we'll send them over to Fi and Sanjii. Their next stop's Jabba. They had to be in some sort of private quarters or something."

OOC: Rain, FYI, Lumiya's not in the RP. I went along and said Mara is trying to deceive everyone else. I forgot to tell you. Lumiya was only a suggestion in the beginning. Maybe she could come in later on in the RP.

[Rain]

Olee walked out the doorway, hinting Jaskia to follow.

Once they got out Olee opened up.

"Jaskia," she said, "I'm leaving the group. Lumiya will come for me not you, and we stand a far better chance if we try and split up her and Mara, if she is out there also, which she most likely will."

They looked at each other. Olee spoke again.

"You can't change my mind Jaskia. For the benefit of all of us, I'm leaving."

Olee turned and walked away.

Behind the doorway, the ever curious Han had been keping an ear open to hear the pairs conversation. He couldn't let Olee get her self killed like that. He ran out, ignoring Jaskia, until he reached Olee.

"You can't leave!"

"I can and I will, besides that wasn't meant for your ears!" She rebuked

Han paused

"Fine" He said, "I'm coming with you-"

"No"

"Yes"

The pair stopped walking.

"Alright, but I'm not going to be responsible for your safety." She finally gave in."

"Meh...safety ain't my style. I'll get a group together."

OOC: I know but the characters don't do they