Log:The Shadowport: The Hapan-ing: Fixing the Situation

A helping hand is offered by Naia and a small group of Port get a closer look at what has become of House Jynell.

OOC Date: November 29,2020
Location: Hapes - Jynell Estate
Participants: Shadowport, Eriu Jynx as GM, B'haav Adasta, Naia, King

[Eriu Jynx] With the intent of aid being Naia's main goal there is more to this side task than meets the eye. Eriu set them up with a servant that would see them back to the large attached domicile which many of the servants are walking back and forth from. It is the nearing their evening repast and so many are leaving duties. Its a dome shaped central building with several domed towers leading off of it to the dormitories. Its not large, many of the servants have their own homes but this is in place for thost that do not. The first attendants and maids of the household live in the estate itself but the attendants are here, currently sitting in the central room as they are fed.

Upon stepping in one can smell the fare. Its not unpleasant but definitely mroe earthy and homey in taste than the posh surroundings my give themselves to. The dormitory is basic and definitely not has gilded as the main house itself. Its practical and furbished for all needs.

But the food? It looks to be mass produced in the best possible way. It has tons of vitamins but does not look appetizing as its served in a deep bowl.

The servant will guide Naia to the injured who is still in line for food. "I will get a chair." Off goes their guide to retrieve a chair for Naia and set her up at the side to look at the hobbled woman who is favoring her right leg. The injured Hapan female named Starsi just stares at Naia. STARES!

There are others though, maybe a little underfed. Maybe one is coughing. Its not exactly like they are in the best of health.

[Naia] Naia is nothing if not professional, and the staring doesn't seem to bother her. Intellectually, she is aware that her appearance can be a little jarring for some at first---after all, humanoids in general tend to have their strange expressive eyes and odd spots of creepy hair and very brown-hued skin tones. To them, she must look strange indeed. Her head tendrils curl slightly as she sits and the tips of them brush her shoulders---it is reflexive and involuntary and they settle after a few moments, even as Naia takes a seat in her chair, elegant and professional. The picture of poised doctor. "I noticed you were having some trouble walking, Miss. I'm a surgeon by trade, but I'd like to take a look at this, if you don't mind. Maybe I can offer you some help that will at least improve mobility and lessen pain." says the lavender-skinned woman, already looking over the injury with critical black eyes. Her hands reach out slowly---not tentative, but careful, an attempt to keep the woman from growing too skittish as she moves to gently feel the wound.

[King] With EJ off to her quarters, King's left to wander the estate. He's old, so...he doesn't sleep much, anymore. Not like in his 70s. His coat's been discared, so he's dressed down to just his vest, now; his be-holstered big iron on full display and his pressed white shirt's sleeves rolled up to the forearm. Approaching Naia and the woman, King continues his duty as watchdog, offering a warm smile to the injured woman as he leans against a nearby column.

[B'haav Adasta] B'haav Adasta's eyes trace over the shapes of the architecture here, noting how grand the servants' quarters must seem, though seeing thicker signs of the dilapidation he had noticed in the finer House. He looks over the table to the people partaking, steel eyes falling on the thick soup in the bowls. It seems unfortunately non-aromatic, as though it was made with only the barest essentials in mind and no proper care for enjoyment. Life sustaining, but not heart fulfilling. He notices one group in particular and approaches them quietly, stepping away from Naia as she sees to the medical needs of the woman she had spotted on their way in.

"If I may, begging your pardon..." The Balosar reaches into his pocket and pulls out a medium-sized spice-shaker, containing a proprietary blend of herbs and spices he has been using while developing his very own soup recipe - though this shaker still has a seal on it, denoting that it has not been tampered with. He sets it down next to the oldest of the women in this particular cluster. "I could not help but notice the soup... I would normally not try to intrude, but the dish has been a passion of mine for some short time now, and there is a disturbing lack of spiced aroma in the air. Please accept this as a token of my respect." He lowers his voice to just above a whisper, as though sharing something extremely salacious for their ears only. "Those who keep the House standing... Deserve better than this." Behind those Tetan shields, his eyes track faces near and far, looking for agreement, disagreement, or... Anything, really. 'Cast a wide net,' they always said.

[Eriu Jynx] The woman being attended to by Naia is shaking and when the ankle that Naia begins to study is touched she winces and hisses through her teeth. Grit and bear it sort of attitude is happening. She shifts where she sits and stares across at Naia. "Is it bad?" she finally asks in a quiet voice before she is distracted by something else. The strange group of three that has entered are causing a general hum of whispers to lift up and where despondent servants once consumed their glop of nutrients in silence are now glancing around and becoming a bit more active.

Especially when B'haav breaks away to group of them. The room itself is centered on that moment, whispers, stares, some heads go down to look at the soup but the balosar does get a reply from one of the women at the table, low, simple and quick before her head ducks and she begins to sprinkle seasoning from the shaker onto her food before offering it ot the others. That has piqued everyone's interest.

[Naia] Naia hums softly in the apple of her throat and looks over her left shoulder with the pretext of asking King to stray closer. She beckons him with a neutral look on her features, though admittedly they excell at neutrality as a base state. "King, would you come here? I might need some help." Her attention turns back to the woman. "My apologies. I know that there is potentially some cultural discomfort for you in having a man assist me, but we do with what we can." The nautolan says, offering a soft, almost sheepish smile to the woman. The lavender-skinned doctor is careful with the joint, turning it only so far as to assess mobility and potentially the nature of the injury without the benefit of an x-ray. She moves gentle fingers up toward the knee, and then carefully sets the limb down as if she is at least somewhat cognizant of the fact that it must ache terribly. "Well Miss, the good news is that it could certainly be quite a bit worse. You must have been suffering with this for a while, and for that I am truly sorry. It must have been terribly painful to continue your duties on a limb like this. Fortunately, I believe I can help you, although we will need to set this broken bone and you will need to be off of your feet for a little while while it heals. Did you have a fall, perhaps?" Although, given the fear, Naia is starting to suspect that it was not a fall at all. Thus the beckoning of King---not as familiar and comforting as having Roga at her back, but a good second.

[King] There's some worry in King's eyes for the woman with the ailing leg as he watches her. EJ's gilded cage probably reads like a paradise to her. One she'll likely never see. King saw plenty of that when he served the Morellian Enforcers under a different name. The mass accumulation of wealth on this planet seems less pointed than on Morellia, but the result is all the same. Folks born to poverty, expected to work and scrape despite their failing bodies. 'Keep your nose to the grindstone', they say. That'll redeem you for the sins of your poor forefathers. Never quite does. King frowns.

Naia's request snaps him out of his doom spiral, and he blinks, looking over at the Nautolan woman, giving her a nod. "Of course," he says, standing up straight and moving to stand next to her, squatting down and waiting to be told what to do. He'd made a little scan of the area on his way over, and the whole situation isn't settling right with him. On any other planet, he'd have already made his play and that Enforcer would be loose by now. "Just let me know if there's anything I can do to make this more comfortable for you," King offers to the woman in a calming tone.

[B'haav Adasta] B'haav nods. "My mother, now at rest, worked long, long hours for those who were not remotely obligated to give her the compensation she deserved. Of course, that was life on Balosar. There was no covenant between the served and the servers, as there is - or seeming should be - here on Hapes. I would never dream to tell anyone their business, Miss, but... Let me offer this token of my sincerity." He places a small black card on the table, as well as another shaker so more may be passed along. The card reads simply:

B'haav Adasta Advisor adasta2@holonet.net

"My loyalty is to the duchess herself, rather than the House, and I would see her vision - one of a House restored, and strengthened - become a reality. No house can stand on crumbling ground, though. Anything anyone may wish to address to me will only be shared according to their wishes. It may not be the way, here... But I grew up believing in Good for All." He glances to Naia and King as they speak with the woman, his gaze pointedly directing the attention of any who follow it.

"Clothes, quarters, species... For all the differences, We are here to help."

[Eriu Jynx] There is definitely commotion now, pointing, whispers. The room has not settled the longer they have been inside. In fact it looks like they may be starting a storm. King is watched now. He's definitely a different sort. Even if quiet. Naia is watched with fearfilled eyes. The woman has seen better days and despite receiving care and compassion has not stopped her shaking. "Yes..yes I tripped down the back stairs in the storage areas. Twisted it something fierce. Then fell on it again a few days ago." She wets her lips and her eyes dart in a direction. King is blocking said direction and she gets an eyeful of Morellian.

Her eyes instantly look down. "I can try to stay off of it but with the Duchess finally returned the house has been in an uproar ever since the Duchess Regent found out....err Lady Ilaina." Ilaina has thus been disposed of her position now that Eriu is back.

"Its good to have her back."

This sentiment is not said the same way when B'haav mention the Eriu's return and intentions. "Is that so? We knew she was coming. But if she can right this sinking ship she will find it has too many holes to keep afloat even if she does her best..." She pauses, looking at the card. "B'haav Adasta...advisor?" She half snorts but she stares at him. "Ma'am is preferable. I am no longer young."

[Naia] King's manner and tone get him a long, assessing look from those inky eyes---as if the nautolan is somewhat surprised that he'd fallen into assisting and bedside manner so easily, but with the mildness of her expressions in general it's difficult to say. Her attention returns to the woman after a moment, and she offers another gentle smile. Something about this is uncomfortable and she dislikes it immensely, but that is hardly the patient's fault. "I understand. It's hard to hear that you'll have to neglect your duties, but unfortunately, it cannot be helped. If I know the woman at all, she would be mortified to be seen forcing an injured woman to continue working." There is a pause here, gentle, and coaxing. "After all, it would suggest that she has no alternative but to neglect her people." The nautolan pats the other woman's knee gently. Her good knee---you know, the one not connected to the fractured leg. "As for how you got injured..." The nautolan glances at King, and then her eyes flick around the room---a subtle hint perhaps to keep his eyes open, though she won't say it. Not verbally. Not here. Her attention returns. "That's remarkable. Did you know that falls rarely cause this sort of fracturing? A sprain, or ripped ligament, other injuries, yes. Typically not something this...complex." She says mildly, black eyes boring into the other woman in a manner that all but states that she's not going to call the servant out, but that she /knows/. "What is your name, miss? I think...perhaps I can come up with a solution to both of our problems if that sounds reasonable to you."

[King] "And I know EJ's glad to be back," King says with a smile, trying his best to sooth her nerves. The Morellian catches Naia's second look. The one that notes that she likely has the same idea that he does about what's happened here. The gunslinger, for all of his time in the Galaxy, is still young, and his fire burns hot, so he moves to stand, turning to look the suspicious woman that he spotted earlier dead in the eyes. "You folks want to go ahead and point out who did this? Or do I need to start returning the favor indiscriminitely?" he asks, his hands balling up. His mild manner and average form work to his advantage most of the time, those things leading folks to underestimate him. Right now, though? He just looks like a dumb off-worlder threatening a close-knit group of secret-keepers.

[B'haav Adasta] "My apologies, ma'am. I was not well-traveled before I came to my current position. I meant no disrespect by my ignorance. But if I may assure you, I know the Duchess' mind well and we will fill every hole necessary to see this ship to Port." If this weren't so very serious, B'haav would be proud of that. He glances over his shoulder again as King seems to be posturing for some aggression. Following the gazes of those in the room, it seems to not be doing well.

	 "Speaking of holes," B'haav adds at a louder volume, "The duchess would be greatly peeved if you happened to put some bodies in them without proper leave or cause. We have a great deal of work to do, so no repeating that shooting spree from Hoth. That said, you would all do well to tell the man what he wants to know, because the only thing shorter than his temper when pushed, is the pull distance of the trigger of the large iron in his holster."

[Eriu Jynx] Naia is doing her best and the bedside manner is an amazing thing really. "St...st Starsi..." she begins and then clears her throat. Her eyes flick up to King and a look of confusion settles across her face. "EJ" J is recognized as likely Jynell. "Oh..oh does he means Eriuss Jynell?" Starsi is quick to latch onto it and then furrows her brows. "Are you her partner, sir? So familiar a name." Really it is shocking that some offworld male is branshing that E and J around in such a casual way.

When Starsi is no longer the focus and King shows the edges of his ire, she leans in towards Naia. "Okay..I will agreee to anything. Just..keep them away from me? Can you do that?"

She grips at Naia's arm, forgetting her first impression when the first sign of aid and possible strength is given in her direction.

She shakes a little still, Naia can feel it in that hand. But as the tray slams, the group grathers the fallen stool pigeon up and begins to leave, the others in the room have gone silent for the first time since their arrival. The elder woman looks up at the Balosar and when he quiets she huffs out. "Got a bit of durasteel in that back bone of yours. You say you are with the Duchess? Then she needs to know...everything here is corrupt. Decaying from the inside. Advantages were taken..there are those of us just riding it out to the end but if the Duchess were to sweep through and clean up the mess that was allowed to grow, she would have support. But step carefully. We may not be trimmed in silk and playing the game..but we play it in a different way. Jynells fall means many of her original people are abandoning her."

She considers the Balosar. "I am Jyri. She needs to shake down the servants first. Cut off a supply line of information but she's going to wake the hornets nest doing it. But the trouble goes up further in the line of command here."

[King] ...what? King looks over to B'haav with a look of confusion as the man mentions Hoth, but cottons on to what he's doing relatively quickly. B'haav gets a wink in thanks from the Morellian, the latter's hand still not reaching for his revolver. It's big enough to cast a shadow even without him waving it around.

But then Naia's calling him to action. The fastener is unclipped and the chromium firearm is slid from its holster. It's a slow walk that he's doing, staring the group that are dragging the now-unconcious finger-pointer out. He doesn't say anything, but that heavy Enforcer does begin to twirl around his finger. Backwards, smacks off his thumb, forwards, smacks off his ring finger, backwards, full cycle and then it's /flipped/ up into the air and caught with his other hand, the hammer clicked back. "Drop her," he says, coming to a stop just in front of them.

[B'haav Adasta] B'haav considers Jyri for a moment, not particularly disturbed by the tray incident after his long, violent stint in the Cartel and trusting King to resolve the matter in satisfactory fashion. Much as King's tactics could chafe some situations, in this room there were few B'haav Adasta would trust more. Then he nods, leaning down and forward to whisper to the older woman. "I need you to gather any of your people who you feel cannot hold their own through the night while we get to the heart of this. Bring them with us to the House proper and I will find them accomodation - if nothing else, I have a ship with many bunks where they can sleep tonight, and it is neither known to, or affiliated with, any member of House Jynell who would wish your silence. As for you, I would see you in an immediate audience with the Duchess, for which I will take any and all responsibility if it is seen as inappropriate or overstapping. See for yourself, how your real Duchess cares for her people. Help her heal this House, and trust in the son of one who served her entire life without anyone to turn to."

[Eriu Jynx] Starsi looks like she might collapse, anxious stress and the pain having eaten at her for over a month. "Thank you, thank you..thank you..." offworlders or not this is the first sign of hope and salvation any of them have seen. She is holding close to Naia, willing to follow the doctor anywhere. "I will help any way I can. If you are here with the Duchess." Its offered after hearing Jyri.

Those leaving, those bad apples in the mix glance at King and the on having been given instructions to drag their unconscious comrade and books it. They give up on their downed comrade and hurry themselves out. They are not armed..not now any ways and so the weapon is enough to shake their courage. Slumped on the ground, their cohort will be easy to gather up.

B'haav had seen hope moments before but jaded replies had squelched it. Now? King, Naia and B'haav have lit something within those that remain loyal to the house. Slowly Jyri pushes herself up. "I will gather them. If she truly means to give us our lives back and restory Jynell. We will follow." There really is no other choice. Some tables remain sitting but there are a few others in close proximity that stand and they are quick to gather. "We will meet you in a few hours." There are murmurs now and it could make one question who's side the remaining servants are on as the group is watched when they leave.