[Game Thread] Chapter 2 [Outlaws]: Idiot's Array

[Melchior]

Unknown System, Unknown Sector, Hutt Space

After nearly two days of travel, the Emerald Flash dropped out of hyperspace into what looked at first to be an abandoned system. They were deep inside of Hutt Space, which would not have been most people's first choice of safe haven, but options had been at a premium and they had been forced to grasp at the first lifeline presented to them. It had been a choice between the Hutts and the Empire, and the Hutts at least were not actively trying to kill them. Yet.

Still, even taking that into consideration, their destination seemed an odd one. Anazider had taken them far off the beaten track. The system was not located near any of the useful star lanes which criss-crossed Hutt Space, and few star charts included it or even bothered to give it a name. Even those familiar with the region would have been hard pressed to come up with any cause to come here.

Still, Anazider must have had a reason to bring them here, and as the Emerald Flash limped her way towards the sole planet in the system - a ruddy, brown ball with no atmosphere and valuable resources save for dirt and ice - it slowly became clear that the system was not quite as empty as first believed. Orbiting the planet, just beginning to emerge from its shadow was the unbelievable - yet unmistakable - shape of an old Confederate Lucrehulk-class Control Ship. It was surprising enough to find one of the old ships still functional, let alone that they had stumbled across it in the middle of nowhere.

A massive glowing neon sign had been erected on the central control ball, proudly displaying the ship's name: Idiot's Array. A smaller sign just below that one had the words 'Casino' beside a glowing silhouette of Twi'lek dancer, though the C appeared to be on the fritz, periodically sputtering in and out of visibility.

While everyone else gawked in open disbelief, Anazider angled the Emerald Flash towards the derelict shadowport.

~~~~~~

"Anazider my boy, you have got to stop getting into these messes. My poor heart can't take the strain anymore!"

It was hard for Anazider to take Old Denurga's complaints seriously when his old mentor still looked almost exactly the same as he had when they had first met, save perhaps for a few more snowy white hairs amongst the mop of grey framing the aging Snivvian's face. His dark beady eyes were still as sharp as ever though, and he moved with the same energy of a man half his age as he looked over the Emerald Flash resting in the docking bay that had been cleared for their use.

"When I heard that you'd called the emergency channel, I could hardly believe it. Barungal said he heard shooting over the line," the old Snivvian's large snout flared in amusement, his eyes twinkling as he looked up at Anazider. "What was it, this time? Trandoshans again? Or did you just flirt with the wrong man's mate once too often?"

"Bah! It does not matter," he concludes, talking over whatever excuses Anazider might have had. "I couldn't possibly turn you away! And of course I will have my best mechanics see to the Flash. After all we've been through, your ship is my ship."

"Of course," the Snivian's snaggletoothed smile takes on an opportunistic edge. Anazider could already tell what was coming next. "There is the matter of... compensation. Parts are difficult to come by out here, and labor is not free."

"Nor are medical expenses..." he trails off, looking past Anazider to watch a pair of medical droids emerge from the Emerald Flash. The carried a stretcher between them as they made their way down the boarding ramp, on top of which rested the critically injured Alema. A few moments later, Nilam followed, being aided by her niece as she hobbled along. Her situation was not as serious as Alema's but she still required proper medical treatment.

[irishking7777]

Sev was shocked to see the old CIS junker still floating around. There was a time the sight of them had brought the excitement of the next mission, but here, and like this, Sev wondered if they would have been better off facing the Empire.

"A Trandoshan's mate funnily enough." Sev said from behind his helmet, it's mask hiding the look of drained life from those around. The truth of it might have been enough to get kicked off the station there and then, but that was a nest of sarlac's for Anazider to worry about with his old friend, Sev would do what he had to ensure Alema's survival.

"The slimy lizards didn't exactly give us time to empty the accounts before running us off, but an old station like this is sure to have some jobs that need hard to come by skills. I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement, yes?"

[Melchior]

"Eh heh heh heh," Denurga's eyes gave a wheezing chuckle when Sev put forward his explanation for why they'd been on the run. His eyes twinkled mischeviously as he looked back to Anazider and the his grin grew uncomfortably salacious. "Is that right, my boy? Never would have guessed it. You always preferred them a bit softer back in the day. Eh heh heh heh, well I can hardly blame you. I knew a Cyrillian girl once. Oh the things she could do with her tail..."

The old Snivian trailed off into nothingness and his eyes took on a faraway glazed looked as he stared off into nothing for several moments, leaving the rest of them standing in awkward silence as they did their best to get that particularly horrid mental image out of their minds.

Fortunately for their mental health, Denurga's reminiscence was mercifully short lived.

"Perhaps..." Sev's open admittance that they didn't have the funds to pay brought a small frown to the aging alien's face, and he brought up a hand to rub at his chin as he eyed them over. His beady eyes lingered especially long on Sev's armoured form and the blasters they all carried. "Normally I make a point of getting paid upfront, but as it happens I do a small matter which could use some... skilled resolution."

"We'll talk more in my office," The old alien turned and waved to beckon for Sev to follow him. "You too Anazider. Don't worry, I'll have someone look over the Flash in the meantime, so we can find out just how much you owe me! Eh heh heh heh!" The door to the hanger hissed open and Denurga nearly tripped over the small astromech droid that had been loitering in the hall outside. With a growl, the Snivian smacked the top of the droid's chassis. "I'm walking here!"

Faced with the angry Snivian's wrath, the little droid spun around and zoomed away, trilling loudly in panic as it went. Denurga shook his head as he watched it go, grumbling something about 'droid help' under his breath, but when he turned around to look back towards Sev and the others he was all smiles again. "The rest of you, feel free to check out the luxuries we have here to offer. If you're feeling hungry, our lunch-hour special is available all day. If you provide the number of your docking bay, you'll receive a complimentary kebab! And while you're at it, you can try your luck at the casinos. We have all the most popular modern entertainments, you won't be disappointed. Fairest games in the sector!"

~~~~~~~

"These tables are rigged!"

Trix winced at the volume of the shouting as the large, angry Besalisk threw his cards into the center of the table and thrust a thick, accusing finger towards the other side of the table where a young human was pulling his winnings towards him. The Besalisk had thought himself the winner with a hand of twenty-one before the human had laid down his own of twenty-two. A last second Sabacc Shift had changed Trix's ten card to a three, leaving her own hand nearly worthless and she tossed it away into the center of the table for the dealer droid to collect them.

Like most of the people who wound up here, Trix Starling had come to Old Denurga's shadowport because it was out of the way, hard to find and relatively unknown. The perfect place to hide out for a cycle or two where she didn't have to worry about looking over her shoulder for bounty hunters every five minutes. It helped that Old Denurga and his employees rarely asked questions. And if she managed to make a few extra credits on the side at the tables, so more the better.

Unfortunately that wasn't working out as much as she might've liked; she was barely breaking even. The young human had won most of the hands so far, which was starting to earn him the ire of the the other players. The Besalisk rose from his seat, placing his four massive hands on the table as he leaned over it to glare at the offending human. Rather than quail under the much larger alien's anger, the human simply leaned back and smiled.

"Hey, hey. There's no need to hurl around accusations. We're all friends here, aren't we?" the human grinned around the table, teeth white against the darker skin of his face. His gaze lingered for an extra moment on Trix and his smile widened. It was probably meant to be charming, though the effect was spoiled somewhat by the somewhat scraggly youthful attempt at a mustache that decorated his lip. The boy could not have been more than fourteen or fifteen.

"Here. Why don't you let me buy you a drink?" he offered, which seemed to placate the angry Besalisk who huffed and returned to his seat while the human waved over a Twi'lek serving girl carrying refreshments. As the dealer droid collected the last of the discarded cards, the young human grinned again at the table.

"Now, how about another hand?"

~~~~~~~

The casino was a hectic, noisy place, much different from the tranquil Jedi temple Towa had known in his youth; flashing lights and signs seemed to be everywhere, each one meant to draw the eye towards some other game or spectacle which was no doubt meant to deprive visitors of their credits. The bells and whistles of the games, the anguish of the losers and the jubilation of the winners all blended together into a dull cacophony that ultimately faded into background noise after a few minutes.

Towa sat at the bar, nursing a drink. The smell of cigarra smoke and alcohol seemed to permeate the entire ship no matter where he went, but it was stronger here closer to where the games sat. Old Denurga's promise of cheap alcohol, safe haven and plentiful gambling, as well as the staff's general willingness to turn a blind eye so long as everyone played nice, tended to attract a very specific sort of clientele to the Idiot's Array: rough men and women who were looking for a place to lay low for a while.

Not that Towa could really talk in that respect, since that was the very same reason he had found himself putting in at the shadowport. There were many places in the galaxy safe for a former Jedi these days, and the rumours he'd been hearing lately from his contact on Nar'Shadaa had had him looking over his shoulder more than usual. The Empire was up to something. No one seemed to know exactly what, but it was still reason enough for Towa to want to be as far away from Imperial space as possible. And a hidden shadowport in a nowhere system in the middle of Hutt Space was about as far as one could get these days.

Several nearby holoscreens were displaying various shows. Most were sporting events or holodramas for the entertainment of the patrons; one even seemed to by tuned in to the Galactic News Network. Out of the corner of his eye Towa thought he saw the words 'Corellia' and 'Jedi' flash across the bottom of that screen.

[Avner]

The beautiful Zeltran sat back and watched while the Besalisk almost took the shifty human's head off. The cards hadn't been falling her way that was for sure and if the human continued to win he'd be lucky if an angry Besalisk was all he had to answer to before the day was done. The whole commotion, and serious lack of any worthwhile winnings quickly diffused her temptation to continue. Of course there were always other games she could play.

"Sad to say... I don't think its in the cards for me." she said seductively as she got up and walked over to the human twirling his collar a bit. "I'm extremely parched and sabacc is boring me. Perhaps there will be something else to catch my attention at the bar if you care to play for bigger stakes... perhaps you'll join me." she teased before turnign around and walking off.

The last thing she wanted was attention and questions, but the young boy would be like puddy in her hands. If she could manage to hustle him good his winnings could be enough to get her by for a good while or at least get her hands on a ship the Empire wouldn't recognize as hers.

[Hound]

Jedi Knight Towa Ben The young man stared at amber coloured liquid in his cup. It was watered down and tasted of nerf piss, but it didn't matter. He was not there to drink, but gather information. As for how he knew what nerf piss tasted like, well... that was a hilarious story with a surprising amount of explosions for another day. Rumors of Jedi and increase Imperial Activity had brought Towa to this back water post, run by unscrupulous criminals. The kind of criminal animals that practiced slavery and other cruelties beyond words. The kind of place Towa would normally never be caught visiting. Yet strange times make strange bed fellows. As these thoughts and more raced through his mind, something flickered out of the corner of his eye, drawing his attention. It was breaking news on the Holonet, or rather the word Jedi to be more specific. Doing his best to remain calm, Towa called over to the bartender, "Hey, bub. Turn up the volume on the Holonet." As he waited for the bartender to comply, Towa took a quick glance around the room to see if the news was drawing the attention of anyone else. As he glanced around, he noticed a young Zeltran female. Quite unusual even for this region of space. But since she seemed to be engrossed in a game of chance, he paid her no mind and he continued to scan the room for trouble.

[Anazider]

"Hey, no- don't believe that! It's a Hutt Sector; that's not a good brag!"

Anazider shouts his warning over his shoulder to Nilam and the others as he follows Denurga out of the hangar bay. He has been mostly silent in the wake of his reunion with the old Snivvian; Anazider had almost forgotten the toll a nonstop string of ultra high stress-fueled exertions could take on the body. He allows the question of his various "appetites" to fly with little more than grunted string of half-hearted profanity.

He was tired as all hell. Still, the good Captain wasn't tired enough to let the grey-streaked charlatan get one over on him.

"Now hang on a parsec old man, I've got some creds and I know what is and what ain't broke on my ship! So don't you go tryin' to slide the ol' A completely fictitious and wholly made-up spaceship part used by crooked mechanics to boost repair costs.flux capacitor bantha poodooBP past me cause I know the trick. You taught me the trick!"

When Sev starts talking about agreements and old Denurga starts talking about work, Anazider walking a little faster while waving the suggestion away.

"No no no—kriff that—no. Just finished a job; almost got vaped by Palpy's favorite murder machine. Not for all the Hutt-sucking credits in this system. Nope!"

Anazider then points at Sev and then jerks at thumb over his shoulder at the rest of his "passengers" as they disembark the Emerald Flash. He's speaking to Sev and Denurga but his tone is purposely loud enough so that Parien and the rest can also hear him.

"Nilly's gonna pay me, we're gonna get patched up, then I'm gonna take her and niece somewhere safe. The rest of you nerfholes can go wherever 'hell it is nerfholes go, cause I did my part!"

[Megiddo]

Parien had spent the vast bulk of their trip into Hutt space secluded from the rest of the crew, and from the captain. He needed time to think, and to meditate. It took him some time to come to terms with the deaths and the destruction wrought on Corellia, but eventually, he was able to accept it as an extension of the will of the Living Force- a doctrine that had not always found favor in the eyes of the Jedi Masters, but that was prevalent on his homeworld. The Miraluka took time to explore the ship with his mind, and check up on all of his comrades- to be sure that he was able to know them all, and to see the layout of the ship from a distance.

Once he had centered himself once more, he reached out across the vast parsecs of space. He looked Ramos first. Oh, dear Ramos. The man had suckered Ariadne into coming to Corellia, and his use of her in a failed attempt to bait Vader to his death had resulted only in the death of more Jedi. Ariadne was gone, with a certainty, as was Ghen Vool. Kaenos had sacrificed himself against the inquisitor. And who knew what had happened to Tomav? Ramos had accomplished nothing except a very, very angry Vader. As the vision continued, Parien's anger at Ramos and his treachery reached a boiling point, just as the man seemed to meet his end. Good riddance, he supposed- but at the same time, might Ramos yet have had some part to play?

The man was a traitor. There was no doubt of that fact. But he was also a brilliant general, and sometimes, risky tactics are needed to succeed. Next time, Vader would be waiting.

Parien let his mind come back to himself before continuing his meditations and looking for Tomav. When he looked for her, he found she was dead. Kaenos, he could not find. Tarook, he knew was ransacking the Lovnos estate... and Ramos might also be missing. Or dead.

So make that count of dead at Ramos' feet five Jed until proven otherwise, and a countless number of civilians and innocent Corellian military personnel. Ramos had no doubt just succeeded in turning Corellia into a living hell, and the Selonians were likely going to be utterly destroyed because of it. And Parien could do nothing to stop it.

Shaking his head, the Jedi rose. He felt them arrive. There was no time to relay all he had found- not that it would likely be welcome news- but he sent a comm-message with the highlights to both Sev and Anazider. They had a right to know.

--------

Parien followed slowly down the ramp, his blind man's cane quietly tap-tapping against the durasteel behind the others while they spoke. He moved his way down, and grinned. "I've no desire for a return trip, captain. I'm quite happy to be here for awhile, as long as someone can direct me to the gambling."

[Melchior]

"I had to teach you that trick, because until I did you kept falling for it and I was getting embarrassed!" Denurga shot back when Anazider brought up the subject of flux capacitors. The old Snivian rolled his eyes and grinned conspiratorially over towards the nearby Sev. "This kid... hotshot pilot, This is not entirely a joke, BTW. Mechanics and Knowledge Tech are both trained only, and Anazider is trained in neither. He would have no idea how much is broken or how to fix it.but doesn't know the first thing about ships. Oh you can fly 'em better than just about anybody in the galaxy, Anazider, but I bet you still don't know which end of a hydrospanner you're supposed to hold on to."

"And I'm hurt that you'd think I'd stoop so low as to try and cheat you, after everything we've been through together," he added, laying his hands over his chest and putting on a heart-broken expression that was about as believable as a Hutt playing at modesty.

"But if you'd rather pay cash, who am I to deny you?! Eh heh heh!" the old alien rubbed his hands together like some sort of old holodrama character. When Parien hobbled forward to ask about gambling, old Denurga's face practically lit up brighter than the sign out on the hull of the station.

"Of course, Sir! I would be happy to show you to the casinos. Is there anything else I can do to make your stay with us more enjoyable? A seeing eye droid perhaps? Our hourly rentals are very affordable." The old jovial alien put an amiable hand on Parien's shoulder to guide him along out of the hanger. As they left, Denurga looked over his shoulder to flash a grin at Anazider, "I'll have my mechanics send you a bill once they tally the figures, my boy!"

Though before he left the hanger, he did look back towards Sev with a twinkle in his eye, "Though it sounds like my young friend here has cast you adrift, good sir. I might still have work for you if you're still interested?"

~~~~~~

Recognizing a lost cause and seeing an opportunity to make a little money playing a game she was much better at, Trix decided to abandon the sabacc tables for now. As she made her way over towards the bar, much to her amusement the Zeltron overheard the dealer droid trying to get the attention of the other players who had all stopped their game to watch her walk away, their cards forgotten on the table in front of them.

Trix found a seat at the bar, counting in her head as she waited. She hadn't even gotten to five before the young human practically jumped into the bar stool beside her, an eager grin on his face. All too easy.

"I've always found the enjoyment of Sabacc to depend on one's company. Now that you're not playing anymore, it would be pointless." he began in a voice that made it clear he was trying to sound suave despite his obvious inexperience at it. "Can I get you a drink, Miss...?"

The boy waved over the bartender, who raised an eyebrow at the gesture but nevertheless put a glass down in front of Trix, along with a flat, knowing look, before moving on down the bar to where Towa was beckoning for him to turn up the volume to be able to hear the news. The bartender complied, turning up the volume on the holonet screen in question.

“-dacious attack on the Corellian Legislature which is being called an act of terrorism carried out by fugitive members of the outlawed Jedi Order has left twenty-seven people dead, and dozens more injured. The bombing followed a similar attack on Selonia just hours before. These attacks have prompted the Imperial Navy to station ships in the sector. Senator Bel Iblis of Corellia protested the Imperial Navy’s action on the Senate floor today, but representatives of the army insist that the Empire’s forces are merely acting to ensure the safety of the citizens of Corellia. More as the story develops.”

"In other news, the Senate once again struck down a motion by the representatives from Antar to-"

"Space the Senate!" a rough voice from somewhere behind Towa shouted out over the din. "We're trying to watch the game here!" Several more voices shouting similar sentiments joined the first, prompting the bartender to mute the news once again, leaving Towa to mull over what little he'd been able to catch. A casual glance into the crowd to try and figure out who had shouted down the bartender came up with nothing, the bar area was crowded and Towa was probably the only one present who cared more about galactic news than the grav-ball semifinals.

On the other side of the room, an old Snivian who everyone could recognize as the proprietor of the establishment - his smiling picture was pasted all over the ship, usually with some sort of message or piece of 'advice' printed underneath - entered through the wide doors, escorting what appeared to be a blind man judging by the cane his companion carried.

~~~~~~

"Bweeeeeeweeweeweeweewee!"

The trill sound of an R2 unit's distress echoed throughout the hangar as the little droid scampered along as fast as it could towards the Icarus. Deep in the belly of the ship Cross could heard Casper's approach before the sound of his little droid's wheels came rolling up the loading ramp, signaling that the R2 unit was back from its rather short-lived exploration of the space station.

The muffled sound of conversation drifted through the walls of the ship, and Casper's cries died down. That was probably Kelev calming Casper down. The captain was a kindhearted woman, who had an easy ability to provide comforting reassurance, even to fussy droids. Though it was still difficult for Cross - for all of them really - to wrap his head around the fact that Kelev ha taken over as captain after Barnacles' passing. That was partly the reason she had brought them out into the middle of nowhere: a safe harbor where they could take some time to come to terms with recent events.

Cross heard the sound of footsteps approaching and looked up in time to see the bothan's furry face appear in the door frame. Her matronly features were marred by the small frown she wore as she looked down at Cross.

"Are you still in here?" she chided. There was a soft whirring sound and Casper peeked around from behind the bothan, his glowing eye flicking around the room. "Darius, you haven't left the ship since we arrived, and you've barely left that computer screen."

[irishking7777]

While the host took Brighteyes by the arm to lead him into the casino, Sev took the moment to have a small aside with Anazider. "Look Captain. I'm grateful for your help, I really am, but you've done nothing but complain about all the trouble we've brought to your door since we met. You want to make space dust, go for it. You have my thanks and I'll do what I can to help with the repairs to get you outta here ASAP. But you need to understand two things before you decided which way to run."

Sev looked around before continuing, one could never be too sure of evesdroppers on a station like this. "All of us are tagged by the ISB now. I'm sure by the time I check the Hunter net, I'll see bounties for every one of us... and I don't have the protection of being a card-carrying member. As scary as ..." Sev paused, unwilling to relive the memory the name would bring, "... as HE is, there are others out there that wouldn't bat an eye at collateral damage if it meant a big payday for them... and WE" Sev gestured to everyone still in the hanger, "we are on the top of that list now."

"The second thing... If you think we can hide out here, you're having a laugh. The moment we walk out of the hanger, it'll only take one set of eyes and a holo call. Empire will be down our throat faster than you can say 'bantha poo-doo'. Only chance we have at keeping our cover is to be more useful as tools than cash in his pocket, and we're starting out a few thousand in the red. This is his turf, we'll need to play by his rules for a bit until we figure out our next move."

Sev's posture calmed down a bit, realizing he'd played the 'get your act together, soldier' rather than something more tactful. Diplomacy was never something covered in his training, other than the aggressive type. "Just think about it, Captain. Like it or not, we're in this together."

Sev then moved along to follow Denurga and Parien, pondering how long this hideout would last before going to the rancors. He would have to prioritize getting Alema back on her feet, so when the time came, she'd be able to move.

[Xian]

Darius Cross Darius looked intently on the screen as he worked his magic to get access to the old Confederate Lucrehulk-class Control Ship's computer system. It was not as easy as a task as it sounded because some of the antiquated systems required more creative work arounds, but luckily there was a mix of new and old and systems that kept the aptly named Idiot's Array afloat... only the truly foolish or those that wanted or needed to fly under the radar would come here. Which is exactly why Uncle Barnacles probably had this place ear marked as potential "safe" house or refuge... Cross thought in sadness as he called the passing of his surrogate father not too long ago. They all said that he died from natural causes and a respectable old age, but Cross still felt responsible for it. Because of him with his sensitivity to The Force, Uncle Barnacles had to pass on good number of jobs, even the legitimate ones, to keep him off of the radar of the Imperial fascists that seem to have it out for anyone that showed the slightest sensitivity to The Force. Uncle Barnacles was always quick to downplay or characterize the jobs he turned as "no good", but deep down Darius knew... his Uncle and Kelev had to work in backwater space and shite jobs to keep him off of the Inquisitor's radar and living in holes like this one was not likely good for a man of Barnacle's age. Cross still had no idea why the old smuggler just did not drop him off at the first way station, like he had promised to do when they first met. A promise that he reminded Darius of jokingly at every opportunity thereafter. Cross clenched his fist at the thought... if only he didn't have... "this"... or The Force did not exist then he and more importantly those he loved and loved him would not have to suffer. In his life, The Force and his ability to sense it had been the bane of his existence and reason that anyone he had come to care for ended up dead. First it was his brother, then his entire family, his childhood friends from the planet that Kelev and Barnacles fished him off of... and now it would probably claim his new "family" one by one, starting with Barnacles.... probably with the exception of Casper because that droid had a remarkable knack for getting out of tight squeezes and nothing in the verse seemed to be able to "kill" him. Originally Posted by Casper Binary: Crooossss! What kind of a cut rate, back water, Hutt's rectum hole did you bring us?!!"Bweeeeeeweeweeweeweewee!" "Ahhh, think of the devil and he shall appear...! Now, Casper be nice... it is not good to judge a book by its cover." Cross exulted as he accessed and now "owned" the ship's computer system and put the final touches on the keyboard of his customized deck with pseudo flair and motion of completing a masterpiece piano concerto. Darius took a quick read of the manifest of the docked ships and the brief snapshot of the history of ships to make sure that there were no surprises, Inquisitors, or bounty hunters lurking around somewhere. Secondarily, Darius began to look for things that were potential work... the honest kind... that was required around the station in terms of repairs and other services that he could provide to pay for the repairs on the Icarus and maybe even turn a profit... legitimately of course. "Binary: Like hell I can't... you can take that noise and cram it up your booster chute!Beep Woop Woop Weeee... Beeeewoop Woooo Keee Keee Woop!" Casper retorted noisily as he flipped out his tool arm out of his chassis and began work on the Icarus. "Binary: So are you just going to stand there and gawk or are you going to give a droid a hand?Beee Wweeee Wooop Woop?" "You do know that I am smarter and more skilled than you, don't you?" "Binary: Whatever. My tool is bigger AND I'm better looking. Seriously, how I am I supposed to work under these conditions? I bet they don't even have a proper parts bay...Whoop Whoop Weee Hoop woooo. Beeee Woot Wooo Keee Woop Woop? Weeep Wooo Beeep Beeeweep...." The banter of the pair was thankfully interrupted by the timely arrival of the matron of the Icarus as she came into the cockpit and saw Cross at his console. Originally Posted by Kelev "Are you still in here?" she chided. There was a soft whirring sound and Casper peeked around from behind the bothan, his glowing eye flicking around the room. "Darius, you haven't left the ship since we arrived, and you've barely left that computer screen." "Well, mother... I was only checking to make sure that it was safe for us to disembark and perhaps land a legitimate job or two, so we can make some money and retire from this life of squalor." Cross said with as reassuring of a smile. "Just give me a moment, while I go over the data... I am cross referencing the manifests of the ships that are docked here with both official and unofficial ship registries to make sure we don't get any surprises. " OOC and Dicerolls Use Computer Check result (38)

[Hound]

Towa The Jedi glanced around the room, wary of anyone taking an interest in him taking an interest in the news. He hadn't thought things through. Asking to hear news on Jedi? How basic could Towa get? Yet as he kicked himself he scanned the crowd, searching for anything that stood out. Yet as he scanned the crowd the only thing that caught his eye was the Zeltran. Why did he feel drawn to her? Certainly she was beautiful, but this was different from sexual attraction. There was a strange spark firing in the back of Towa's mind as he fought to recall some distant memory. It was as difficult as trying to grasp water with bare hands, yet he still he tried to recall her. Then it hit him like a lightning bolt. It was so obvious! It was Trix! He hadn't seen her much near the end of the Clone Wars. The Jedi order was spread so thin, Towa sometimes went weeks, even months without seeing another Jedi. So the last time he really saw Trix, she was still flat as washboard. She had since obviously hit a growth spurt. Good for her. Towa quickly turned away and grabbed his drink. He had been nursing it for an hour and it was still mostly full, but suddenly he had the urge to drink. He drunk deep from the cup and set down when it was empty. Did he go over and talk to her? It might seem like he was flirting, but that would draw the attention of the entire table. They would have no privacy and he'd have no way to explain who he was or why was talking to her without drawing attention. Towa needed a safer plan. He could wait but there was no telling how long they would play. She seems to be winning and she probably won't walk away till she takes everything worth taking. There is a risk someone might notice Towa is waiting on her. They might even suspect I am helping her cheat. They would find nothing but it would draw attention to them. Next plan. Towa could open himself up to the force and reach out. If she's the Jedi he thinks she is, then she would feel it and notice him. There's a problem though. There is a chance, a very small but very real chance, there was a Sith with in a parsec or two and meditating. Sure, the odds were good there wasn't one. But you never know? Still, it was the best choice he had. Making up his mind at last, the Jedi Knight began to focus as he opened his mind to the force, and instantly he felt connected to the universe once more, it was an indescribable feeling. It was wonderful and he missed it, but Towa wouldn't dawdle. He had to establish a connection quickly before he was detected. Towa pushed out with his mind into the crowd, only force sensitives would feel him. Towa knew the Zeltran was Trix. She had to be. This wasn't some delusion. He really found her. ...Right?

[Avner]

Trix As Trix sat at the bar she waived of the bartender when he approached. "Give me a few seconds."she said with a smile before she she counted silently to herself. In three..two... one... she thought just as she hit the last number the young gambler was right by her side. Still got it. she thought as she turned to give him as mile. "Yes, good company is so hard to find these days." she responded. "By all means an Ithorian Mist if you don't mind." she said with a smile. "On the rocks, wouldn't want things to get too.... hot." she said slightly licking her lips after the gesture keeping the young man's complete attention. "So tell me, who are you and what brings you to these tables? Surely you aren't looking for good company alone?" she asked as they waited for the drinks to be served. She wasn't sure who this boy was or what sort of influence he wielded, but he had creds, and creds ran the galaxys. She knew if she could at least get her hands on some of his winnings that would help her out with her own motivations for the time being. Outrunning the bounty hunters was going to cost enough on its own. She needed some insurance and perhaps this poor Batha brain could be just that. Just as Trix was contemplating such things she suddenly felt a chill up her spine. Not really a chill to be honest, it was more of a warm tingling deep inside in a part of her she had used in a long, long time. The chill came after that, when she realized exactly what was causing it.. the force. Right there in her mind she felt the presence of someone.... Towa?? That was his name right. Quickly she sat up abruptly and knocked her freshly served drink to the ground. "Oh excuse me... I am so sorry. I am such a..."she said as she turned to feign cleaning it up. It was no accident of course she had feigned the maneuver to take a quick view of the room. Well I'll be a saralac's snack.. she thought to herself. It is you... she concluded. Standing up she turned to her companion. "I'm sorry stargazer, I'm not feeling like myself. I'm afraid you'll have to keep yourself free for the next poor sabacc player." she said with a smile. "I apologize for the mess." she said to the bartender throwing him few creds. Turning around she walked out of the bar taking a very specific route to make her way next to Toma giving him a quick glance and brushing his back as she went. A keen signal to follow some place where their interaction would be more discreet.

[Hound]

Towa For a few, short, excruciating moments, Towa mentally recited the Jedi Code as he waited to see the fall out of his actions. Amazingly blaster fire didn't start raining down upon his head, Sith didn't bash through the front door, and the entire station didn't explode. Things seemed fine. Towa did his best to use reflective surfaces to watch as Trix faked spilling her drink and excusing herself from the group. Her movements were fluid and casual, nothing seemed particularly out of place as she approached the bar. Without drawing unwanted attention she performed the trusted Squeeze-by. Despite there being ample room for her to get by, she purposely came close enough to brush him ever so slightly. To a casual observer it was so small, so quick, it would hardly matter. To Towa it was the confirmation he'd being waiting for. She was Trix. Not a look alike. Towa flipped his empty cup and set it down on the bar before tossing a few credits down. "Thanks." He grunted like a tired and worn out worker. With a fake grunt, as if standing was too hard on his worn out joints, the Jedi stood up and casually walked toward the entrance. He kept a distance that should prevent people from thinking he was following her, but didn't allow her to slip out of sight. He wasn't prepared to lose the first Jedi he had seen since... since the day of reckoning.

[Melchior]

With his piece said, Sev left Anazider hurry after Parien. Eydis had wanted to accompany her aunt to the medical bay, but Nilam had assured the girl she would be fine and encouraged her to enjoy herself. After some hesitation, the younger woman had agreed, dragging a surprised Kumac after her as she rushed off to catch up with the retreating party. Old Denurga's bombastic boasting faded away as they left, leaving Anazider alone in the hangar to stew in his thoughts as he listened to the Snivian's engineered clomp around inside the Emerald Flash.

~~~~~~

"And here we have one of our lovely game rooms!" Old Denurga swept an arm to encompass the spectacle, despite the fact that Parien was nominally blind and couldn't see it. For his part, Sev, - trailing behind the two of them - might have wished he actually was blind also, as the flashing lights and garish displays that decorated the room hurt his eyes to stare at for too long, even through the filter of his helmet. Kumac - who had spent most of his life until recently underground in the Selonian Warrens - seemed to be having similar thoughts, squinting his eyes painfully against the glare, though Eydis seemed quite taken by the excitement.

"In this room is our card tables. Sabacc is a favorite of mine, if you couldn't guess, Eh heh heh! But we also have tables for several otehr games: Liar's Cut, Sakresh, Crocks. We even have a Pazaak table set up near the back. If that's not what you're looking for, you'll find the slots here as well, and the dice games are just through the door over there. We here at the Idiot's Array pride ourselves on catering to a wide variety of our clientele's preferences. We have games to scratch whatever itch you might be feeling."

"If you're so interested, perhaps a complimentary drink to start you off? Any friend of Anazider's is a friend of mine, and I've always found that a nice spirit is the perfect accompaniment to some friendly gambling." Old Denurga offered with a snaggletoothed grin. Eydis, at least, seemed eager to take the Snivian up on the offer, dragging Kumac off towards the bar before anyone could stop to remember if the girl was actually old enough to drink yet.

It was quite the spectacle to be sure, but Parien's attention was somewhere else entirely. So sooner had the Miraluka stepped foot into the casino had he felt the stirrings of the Force moving around him, catching him unaware. While it was true that the Force existed everywhere and in all things, this was something more than just the omnipresent ambiance of life. Someone was actively calling out through the Force. Parien's attention was drawn to one man in particular, sitting at the bar on the other side of the room next to a Zeltron woman. To his Miraluka 'sight', the human was practically glowing, in the same manner all those who wielded the Force did. That was remarkable enough to find, in such a place such as this, but what was even more so was that Parien recognized him. A memory flashed through the Jedi's mind, Both Parien and Towa were at the First Battle of Geonosis, and among the few survivors. So was Ariadne, actually, so Towa would have known her too.of a battle in a desert Colosseum as they faced down a legion of Seperatist battle droids. Though he had changed outwardly much in the years since, the Force was not so easily fooled.

Parien watched as the Zeltron rose from her seat and began making her way towards another exit on the far side of the room. A moment later, Towa rose from his seat to follow in the same direction.

At the bar, the young man Trix had been playing with watched her abruptly leave with a comical mixture of confusion and sorrow on his face. "Was it something I said?"

Still his disappointment was short lived. Eydis settled down on Towa's now-vacant bar seat, and the young man was quick to shift himself over onto the stool next to hers, adjusting the short cape he wore. "Hello beautiful, allow me," he said, sliding the replacement drink he had already ordered for Trix in front of her.

Leaving the bar behind, it did not take long for Trix to make her way through the crowd of gamblers and slip out of the card room into one of the adjoining halls. It was quieter out here, away from the main gambling, though the soft sound of distant music could be heard drifting down the hallway from. A sign at the far end of the hall advertised daily shows by something called the 'Siiruulian Phantele Experience'. She waited in the vacant hallway until Towa caught up. It didn't take long.

~~~~~~

Kelev's eyes flicked to the screen of Cross' computer.

"I don't think you'll find much 'legitimate' work by slicing into their systems," she said with a click of her tongue as she shot Cross a look, though there was a trace of an amused smile on the Bothan's face. She shook her head, knowing better than to try and dissuade him. "As long as you're careful. The owner here is paranoid and smarter than most. If he notices that you've been going through his files, it'll cause problems."

"There's some business I have to attend to, so I'm heading out," she said. Before she left, she spared another concerned glance for Cross. "You should try to as well. It's not good for you to keep yourself cooped up in here."

As the soft sound of Bothan woman's footsteps retreated down the hall again, Cross turned his attention back to the information he'd managed to dig up. Cross-referencing the dozens of ships berthed in the various hangars across the Idiot's Array with existing official records had taken a fair amount of time, but he'd managed to get a working idea of the sorts of people they were likely to encounter during their stay.

Most were the sort of rough-around-the-edges space trash that one might have expected in a questionably-legal establishment such as this: ships with known smuggling records and other minor criminal offenses. A surprising amount appeared to simply be legitimate spacers and freighters, or at least those who were good enough at it to avoid a criminal record. Near the bottom of the manifest, a recent arrival was listed as the Emerald Flash, a name which tugged at Cross' mind, though he could not immediately place where he had heard it before. The ship had been put up in a private hangar on the direct orders of Denurga, the 'captain' of the spaceport, though, which stuck out since very few other ships had been afforded such special treatment.

Lastly, there were a few ships which Cross noted might be cause for concern. A handful were registered under bounty hunters. Kelev had informed him when they'd arrived that the owner apparently had a strict prohibition against bounty hunters operating onboard his ship, but that only protected them so long as the hunters actually followed the rules, and did nothing to prevent them from identifying targets and collecting once they had left. Besides the bounty hunters there were a few ships that belonged to owners with more significant criminal records, including a few death marks. Many of these had known syndicate affiliations: the Pykes, the Crymorah, the Perlemian, the Whitescar and the Black Sun.

[Hound]

Towa Up till now, Towa had felt like a Loth Wolf chasing a Speeder biker. He never actually imagined catching it, and now that he did, he had no idea what to do with it. Pushing past the awkwardness, Towa relaxed and offered a smile. "I'm glad to see you in one piece. I..." He paused for a moment. There was a chance someone was listening in on them, after all, in a slum zone like this, information was very valuable. One wrong word in the wrong place here and you could lose everything, even the shirt off your own back. "I don't wanna assume why you're here, but I've been looking for anyone from our old gang. I was beginning to fear I was the only one who lived. I really mean it when I say I'm glad you're alive." Towa shifted his weight as he did his best to keep an eye on the surroundings. "Have you seen anyone else?"