Log:Jedi: The Gathering Force II-I
The Gathering Force II-I
OOC Date: October 15, 2018
Location: Kafrene
Participants: Jedi Order: Rey, Zandra naMuriel, Ax, and Elrych Cometburn
Elrych did a relativly good job of setting up the safehouse for the Order to use. When those who were coming on the first round of missions reguarding finding this elusive yet well known group of Force Users and confirming that it wasn't some poorly executed elborate trap arrive, the Young Padawan (Who was actually only a year older than Rey, go figure) makes sure the get settled in before dishing out the goods. "They're in some slums down in the lower levels. At least that's what I heard. A bunch of families. Some of them are capable, others arn't, but it sounds like they're being exploited for their gifts in some way." He wasn't sure how, those details were sketchy. "Get down there and see what you can find out." Elrych was going to stay behind and keep an eye on things on the top level. Always need a good lookout.
~ Ax was only hear to serve as backup, and maybe a liason with the underworld if necessary. Currently, he was in his modified VCX-100, stretched out in the cockpit with his feet up on the control panel as he listened over the comms for any calls for assistance from him. This was Rey and Zandra's show, along with Elrych's. ~
Rey's dressed in a dark blue-grey robe set on this mission, hooded with sleeves that are short and baggy, ending at near to her elbows. Beneath that she has on darker blue robes and her brown leather utility belt and some calf-high boots. Over her face she has a dark blue veil pulled over her moutha nd nose, but her eyes are still visible. She doesn't have any visible weapons on her, but its likely she has something hidden away somewhere amongst her clothing.
After hearing Elrych's information she gives a look around and then nods her head softly a single time. She speaks though, the veil only partially muffling her words. "We can head in that direction then. I'm quite curious exactly what their capabilities are, let alone how they're being 'exploited' for them." She expected she wouldn't like the answer to that last part.
Zan is relatively new at this whole recon thing, but she's here. She's in her pilot armour, still not wearing any robes at all, for whatever reason. She has her helmet fastened at her waist, so she's not looking like bug lady from planetoid Z. She listens to the information Elrych provides, and then glances over at Rey. "So, we go down and see if we can find them?" she asks, with a little shrug. Her words are softly spoken, nearly at the same time as Rey's, and there's then a smile from the youngest member of this crew, except for the actual children.
Elrych gives a Thumbs Up and sends the pair on their way. "Ax and I are just a com call away." Hopefully there's nothing blocking the signal that deep down. As they make their way through the station and down level from level, the conditions of living become visibly worse. Not just that, that horrible smell increases too. People live in the Alleyways, not in apartments, but pop up tents and sometimes just a pile of damp boxes. Kafrene wasn't ideal on the topside but it was definatly worse down here. The Alleyways all lead to one spot. Seven alleyways in and out to a Square. There's a neon sign there that reads; Hell's Corner. There are a variety of Animals in the Squar, nerf and otherwise, picking at the flora for food. Prostitutes of varying species peddle their wares to passer-bys, male and female alike, at a Brothel. Out of all the shops and stores though, there is one type that dominates here. Gambling houses.
~ It's times like these that make Ax wish he'd worked on telepathic bonds instead of relying on comm systems. Just had to sit back and chill, without falling asleep, that's all. ~
Rey had looked to Zandra when she'd asked that and she responded to it by nodding to her partner on this trip. "We have to try to get these people out of here, this is... no place for them." She's made that assessment just by looking around this dank and wretched place shortly after landing within it.
Once the others had made their declarations of their own intent here today, she'd set out with Zandra and tried to stay close to her. "We don't want to get separated here." She'd found a moment to whisper to the other from behind her dark blue veil. Rey's visible eyes look all over the scummyness of the place, she keeps her hands together in front of her, she'd seen some religious pilgrims here all dressed in their ceremonial robes, and she wants to pass for something similar to that if at all possible.
"This is no place for anyone," Zan says a little tightly. She's just wandering about now, as Rey's pilot. Because ceremonial religious pilgrims need to get to and from this hell hole somehow. She has to breathe lightly as the smell gets worse, but at least she's not got a particularly queasy stomach. "Hell's Corner, is it?" she asks, as she looks over at the sign, once they get down there. Animals, beefcake - well, sort of, more animals, and then there's gambling. She cannot help but wrinkle her nose, shaking her head as one of the animals chooses to relieve itself about three feet in front of them. "Ugh," is her comment. "How do we decide which place to play?" she asks. Her words are soft, not really trying to draw attention, but mostly considering which gambling hole looks like it would be a good spot to start.
Askith and the Force shall Givith, can I get an Amen?! AMEN, Reverend! Halleluyah! As Zandra brings up the puzzeling question of which Gambling Hall to enter, a Three-Foot nothing Bith with his big head and beady eyes is being tossed out of the one called; Credit Grab. "IDiots! Indeed, Idiots!" HE says, climbing back into the wheel-chair as the beefy Gamorean Guards block the entrance. "That BOY cheated. There is no possible way he could defeat the MIGHTY DIOT LIZ and his superior intellect." A white Twi'lek, sharp teeth, and a snobish attitube peeks out from the guards. "We do nooooot, Cheeeeeat here at the Credit Grab." A Teenage boy is with him and keeps his eyes pointed away.
"This isn't the last you've heard of DOIT LIZ, Omnicient Being! Your puny mortal brains won't COMPREHEND what you've got coming to you." He finally hops back in his wheel chair, unable to use his legs and it Zooms off in the other Direction making a THHHHHHHPPPPPPTTTTT sound. Rey is about to respond to Zandra when that Bith gets tossed out and she watches that whole scene unfold before them, keeping her hands together, with her fingers laced together in front of her lap. Once it plays out, the young human in the blue-grey robes looks over to Zandra and raises her dark eyebrows up above her brown eyes. "Guess that one?" She says to the other, with a light nod then, Rey starts toward it and where the twi'lek and that teenager were. She HOPES to just stride right on inside the Credit Grab but on her way in she looks back to Zandra. "I don't have any money on me, do you?" She asks, Rey wasn't the most experienced at carrying credits even almost a year after leaving Jakku. She'd never grown up with a 'credit mind' about her.
Zan actually does, though not a lot. "I have a bit," she says. "I don't know what they will be needing though, so I might not have enough." She truthfully has less than a thousand credits on her, definitely not much at all. "But maybe enough so that we don't get kicked out?" Sounds good anyway, and she glances over at the Credit Grab, tilting her head. "Guess they're honest about taking everyone's hard earned credits, huh?" she murmurs. "And yes, it's as good a place as any to start, I agree. Shall we go see if the place is too rich for our blood?"
The Gamorean guards eventually move out of the way to go back to their previous duties once the troublemaking Bith has taken off. This leaves a good opportunity for Rey and Zan to slip in and check the Credit Grab out. It's filled with credit slot machines which are loud clashing with the shouting and voices of other gamblers, but there are a few betting tables of Galactic Expansion and Sabbacc. That one teenager who was with the Twi'lek Matra'dee is being dragged by his ear by the snobby Lekku head, sitting him back down at the table. Harsh words and warning are given to the teenager before he steps away. A light comes on at the table, a Galactic Expansion table, indicating it's back open for players to join. The Boy sighs deeply and waits.
Rey shows Zan a grin but the gesture is lost because of her face covering of course. "It should be plenty." She reassures the other as toegether they move into the Credit Grab, her eyes now looking from one Gamorrean to the other... that is an intimidating species she'd not seen before and her dark eyebrows are raised up some due to it being the first time she'd seen them. She's quick to look away though when she saw one of the piggy-men's eyes coming over to look at her, not wishing to make eye contact with anyone really...
The hooded Rey continues on inside and glances back to Zandra before. "I have no idea how any of these games work." Rey loudly whispers now to Zandra next. "I've seen some cards played before, and Elry is trying to get me to get better at another game he enjoys... but... I'm the worst." She huffs out a heavy sigh then but continues to roam and search, its a bit of a visual overload for her though... there's a LOT going on in here. Shades of Maz's castle memories come flooding back into her mind, only, more gambling.
Oh, this may not work so well, all things considered. Though Zan's grin can be seen. "Guess we're easy marks then," she says. The light coming on is probably what catches her attention, a table coming open. The place is pretty crowded, and there are lots of people here, there and everywhere. So, it's hard to find anything. Zan starts to drift through, side stepping a couple of really intent nautolans as they play at the slot machines, and making her way to one of the tables. Because they're obviously going to need to talk to someone. "Oh, hey, Maybe over there?" she says, with a smile. "The table is pretty empty, so we can maybe hopefully learn fast?" Cause she knows a bit, thanks to her ex-boyfriend, but not much really. Course, the table she's picked is deliberately the one with the teenaged boy from the doorway.
The Teenage Boy, maybe just a little younger than Zandra, looks towards the pink haired pilot as she walks over. To the trained senses of Rey and Zan they can see him radiating with the Force. He's not even trying to hide it. He probably dosn't know how. "Hello ladies..." He looks to both of them, his name tag read Zek. His uniform is clean and pressed though there's no doubt he's a tunnel rat like the rest of everyone around here. "So you up for a game?" He starts to set up the pieces on the Expansion Board. "It's just five credits to get in." People were poor down here but they made sure to milk all they could.
"Easy marks." Rey quietly repeats with a sigh, its probably true too as she just didn't fit in with social spherse likes this place (and she's secret proud of that). When Zandra calls her attention to a specific table, shelooks over to it and she sees the boy behind the table with the name badge on. She stares at him for a lingering few seconds before she looks back to Zandra and nods, then makes her way to said table. On the way there she whispers to Zandra. "I believe this is the game El plays as well, as chance would have it."
Once at the table, Rey steps up to an open seat and her hands move forward to place her fingertips to the edge of the table, her eyes upon Zek's face now again, she can feel the Force strong inside him. She nods once to him and speaks out from behind her mask. "It has been awhile." She starts. "But it sounds fun to try again." Her eyes glance to the others who are at the table before she moves to seat herself. Rey looks to Zandra then to cover her entry fee, she'll pay her back of course! She's not one to have any debts!
Zandra flashes a grin, her own face visible and - cute. Right? Poor kid her age and all. She fishes in her pouch, and brings out two grimy five credit pieces, no, 1 five, and then she has to fish out a couple ones to go with it. But she manages to find a total of 10 credits. "Sure," she says with a winning smile. "I'm up for a game." She passes the five credit coin to Rey, letting her get started. "Zek, nice to meet you. I'm Zan," she says, letting a touch of amusement show. She too settles at the table, glancing around to see who else might be joining them.
"So where are you pretty ladies from, huh? What brings you down to Hells Corner?" Zek asks, it's a legitimate question of course seeing as Hell's Corner was a complete Hell Hole. He rolls the Dice, "Alright... Tusken Eyes will go first." He winks to Rey, "Then the House..." He looks to Zank, "Then Miss Zan." He pushes the dice over towards Rey, "Take a shot see how your luck is tonight. Don't worry, I'm a great coach." Was this kid hitting on Rey? Probably. She and Zan are likely the cleanest women he's seen in his life.
Rey quietly thanks Zan for the coin and then slides it across the table to cover her entry costs. She listens to both Zan and then Zek speak and though she's showing a faint grin, its still not visible because her face is just too darn dangerous to show and should anyone asks she wears the veil because its a part of her religion where she comes from. She glances up at the young man when he labels her with that nickname and after a second she nods once. "I'm Blue." She adds, as an introduction of herself--and her clothing being a shade of the same name its probably not that hard of a name to remember to attach to her.
With the dice pushed her way she accepts them and then rolls them around in the palm of her hand. She looks down to them, then back up to Zek. "We're waiting for repairs on our freighter to finish up, then we'll make for the stars as swiftly as possible." She moves to roll the dice then toward the center of the table.
Zan nods to what Blue said, amused. "Right, off to the stars, soon as that bucket of bolts gets fixed," she repeats. And then as Rey gets to roll first, Zan settles in to wait, watching to see how Zek reacts to them, just in general. She doesn't add anything else, because really there's not much more to be said. She simply watches the dice, watches Zek, and keeps a wary eye on the rest of the place, as much as she can.
Rey rolls big, gettin a Twelve... Zek sits back in his chair in blinks. Surprised at something. He takes a moment, "Wow... You can buy a planet, a few starships, and three resources to start. That... that never happens." More like he didn't see it coming and he always saw the roll coming. He picks up the Dice and rolls himself. A six, and picks his alotment then passes the dice to Zan. "Once Miss Zan has rolled we'll put in bets on the next round." The boy scratches his head and looks around at the other tables a moment before back to the two ladies he's playing against.
Rey looks down from the dice, up to the boy when he speaks positively of her roll. "And here I thought I'd be shedding off all the dust." She says in a humorous tone. "Lets hope it only keeps on this pathway." Games were fun, she knew she could enjoy them quite a lot if she had time to ever really play them. The closest she had to a game was her Y-wing simulator back on Jakku inside her AT-At, but that... was more serious than an actual game, arguably at least.
Rey glances to Zan, then back over to Zek. "You're awful young to be here on Kafrene, if you don't mind me saying." She tells him. "You look roughly our age, I'd guess. What has you here, doing this job?" She has to ask because she's trying to get more information afterall!
Zan takes the dice as they are offered, rolling them around in her hand. She glances over at Zek, and then over to Rey, curiously. As Rey asks that question, Zan turns back to watch Zek as he answers. She actually doesn't even watch as she rolls the dice, but she does look down to see them finish up rolling. "I mean, it's a job, but - does it pay okay?" She's actually still not sure what she's doing with this game, but she can follow Rey's lead. Or Zek's. She hopes.
Zek tries to get a reading on Zandra, a closer one, and both the Jedi might be able to detect the spike in his force use. It's normal levels for someone not trained in the matter. He purces his lips, distracted, and there's a pause before Zandra and Rey's question bring him back. "I... oh. I grew up here. Family owes the owner a debt, you know. The kind that'll never get paid off for one reason or another." He looks to Zan, "I get a fair portion depending on how much I bring the house at the end of the day."
~ Ax had not intended to doze off. Hell, he'd sucked down more than one mug of caff while sitting in his cockpit, but well, stuff happens and soon, he's nodding off. It's when his mug of caff falls, spilling its contents directly into his lap, that the Echani bolts back to the land of the living, or at least the awake. ~
Rey's eyes are down on the table and the various game pieces strewn across it. She listens to the voices while she reaches out with the Force to try to study the area around them, were there others? Had they some how come together in this location to find one another even without training? She'd seen stranger things in the past year...
"Thats unfortunate." Rey says softly behind her veil as she looks back up to Zek. "The debt, that is." She tells him. "I wish there were something I can do to help with that. But I imagine its a lot more complicated than just credits?" She doesn't know if he even has this information, but its possible. "You've probably had a lot of silly outlanders like us say things like that though, I would imagine."
Zan also tries to sense any other force users, but she's not that experienced with it, and as Zek flares his own force, it helps mask anything else there might be in the room whether well intentioned or otherwise. Since Rey already put in the wish to help, Zan simply waits to see what pieces she has, and whether or not there is anything. Maybe. "Other than lose all our lunch money, that is," she adds softly.
From the Bar the Twi'lek is staring at Zek with his Beady eyes. Zek goes pale as he looks back to Zan and Rey, "I well... Yeah. Listen. I'm going to be frank, If you guys keep winning like this... it's not going to end well for me. Might not end well for you either. Usually I'm better than this. But listen. If you want to talk more about it, come by our Apartment Block later. It's just down the Third Alleyway to the right of here." He looks towards the Twi'lek again. "You better get going... " Rey glances over to the Twi'lek as well because its just too hard not to follow someone's eye line when they start acting like this. She doesn't linger her gaze on the Twi'lek for long then and she nods her head softly to Zek's words before she looks to Zan. "We better go." She tells her companion on this trip. She starts to rise up from her seat. "Zek, thank you for the game, it was fun. You keep the winnings. We don't need them." She starts to turn then to make her way out of the smelly casino. She glances over to Zan and raises her dark eyebrows up then, since thats almost the extent of her facial expressions she can display right now.
Zan inclines her head, listening, and she makes sure to memorize those directions simple as they are. down the third alleyway to the right of the Credit Grab. Check. hopefully. "It was fun," Zan echoes, as she too rises. "But it's definitely time to go check on the bucket of bolts." She doesn't hesitate, taking her cue from Rey, and moving with her friend towards the door. There's a glance at the credits on the table, but just that, and then Zan turns to leave Zek to his own devices and hopefully he does not get into trouble.
