Log:The Tarisian Job: The Scope Out

The Scope Out

OOC Date: June 6, 2020
Location: Natural History Museum, Taris
Participants: Nerys Arda, Dyannah Nerus, Croft and Nubri as the GM

Taris. Taris changes... quite a lot. Formerly, it was a nice place. Then, there was Revan and because he was too much to bear, the planet spontaneously combusted. Well, not really. Still, the planet never got back to it's former glory, but that matter is beside the point. What matters, though, is the Galactic History Museum. On it's posters, it boasts about an Iridonian exhibit, with exhibits from various private collectors. One of those, word on the street claims to be a blade of one of the commander's from the time of the Jedi Civil war. Certainly, of historical importance. However, back during the Clone wars, said blade... disappeared. So, it is highly likely it was stolen back during the brief fights whether or not to secede from the republic. Perhaps, it might be good to steal said blade, in order to return it to Iridonia. What more, word on the Street claims the owner to be a Zambu Fondrak. A half codru-Ji Mercenary, active during said war, with a bounty on his head. Famed recluse. If said blade were to disappear, perhaps he would stick his head out.

What was better than visiting a new exhibit? Nothing, if you asked one Nerys Arda, who had hopped down from the boarding ramp of her ship and queued up for the transport that would take her to the museum proper. She was dressed casually in her usual jumpsuit, though this one was baggier and made for long hours walking. She had her backpack, of course, with all of her bits and bobs tucked inside. Everything she needed for a day of casual cityside adventuring. As she approached the museum, her eyes scanned the facade, taking in the architecture and the people milling around, both intent on the building and focused on simply living their lives.

If Nerus was given to that sort of thing, she would be fuming but she takes the shipping delays in stride. After letting all but the essential crew off on more leave, she decides that she can also take advantage of the downtime, look at the local color, get a feel for how the new era is impacting the locals.

Still in ship uniform, the anti-Zeltron look as Rial likes to call it, she passes in front of the Galactic Museum and on the spur of the moment decides that it would be interesting to see how they interpreted galactic history. Victors always writing history to put a gloss on themselves. Neatly dressed all in black, blue hair tucked into a twist at the back of her head, the Zeltron captain is launched on an excursion into the history of the galaxy. Another planet, another built up city. Croft has seen too many lately, none chosen by him, all handpicked for profit by the captain and navigator. What a pair they are. At least they gave the crew the afternoon off. Lets a guy find some sort of trouble in a strange city. Halfway down the promenade, posters for the history museum catch his eye. Croft shrugs. Might as well, it's not far. And, importantly it isn't expensive.

Once people arrive at the museum, they see a Zabraki male being dragged out by security, some strange metal cylinder clutched in his hand "LET ME GO! I DESERVE TO PROTEST! I TELL YOU, THAT SWORD WAS STOLEN FROM MY PEOPLE AND I DEMAND YOU GIVE IT BACK!" he cries out "I WANT THE RIGHT OF MY PEOPLE RETURNED! WHAT YOU ARE SUPPORTING IS THEFT AND EXPLOITATION! FONDRAK DESERVES TO BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE! THE IRIDONIAN EXPOSITION DOESN'T DESERVE TO HAPPEN WITH STOLEN GOODS! THEY BELONG TO IRIDONIA AND IT'S EIGHT COLONIES!"

Nerys, who had almost made it to the museum steps, was turned aside by the sudden commotion caused by the guards pulling a Zabrak away from, well, whatever he had been doing. A slight frown creased the skin between her brows, as she searched the scene for the source of the trouble, eyes alighting on the canister in the Zabrak's hand, and then the security dragging him away. It just so happened that she was coming up just behind a familiar figure, her voice bridging the distance between herself and Dyannah, "Doesn't look like they approve of art as a form of protest."

Nerus turns, eyebrows raised acknowledging Nerys - questions about what brought her here in abeyance for the spectacle playing out before them.

"What did he have in his hand? Spray paint? Defacing exhibits as a protest?" Still watching the struggle, "What brings you to these parts?" Standing in queue to enter, Croft's head turns sharply at the disturbance and he instinctively curls his shoulders and ducks his head slightly. Some alien behind him chortles at the Zabraki's misfortune and nudges Croft to join in. They only get a grunt for the trouble.

The line starts moving forward again as the complaints fade. In the back of Crofts mind he thinks he's heard the name Fondrak before. The captain talks so much about wanted criminals. Was that it? Thankfully, the Queue moves rather fast, and if they were to reach the Iridonian exhibit, they would be stopped by pulling bands.... uhm, that tape at crime scenes. What's it's face. And behind said tape, a large, green grafitti reading 'GIVE US OUR ARTIFACTS BACK, FONDRAK!' As well as two employees, muttering about something. But.... what is it?

"I never turn down a chance to see a new artifact. Especially one with such a potentially contentious history." Nerys fell into line with Dyannah, glancing back to the small group that was encouraging those around them to revile the Zabrak who was being taken out, "Spray paint. Good thing no one decided to shoot him for it." As the line queued and people broke apart as they entered, Nerys continued on towards the exhibit, which had indeed been defaced. "That's disappointing." But she said nothing else, staying just on the edge of the tape, curiosity in her expression as she looked towards the guards, head slightly tilted as if in concentration.

"New artifact. Ah, the posters," Dyannah replies in a low voice, walking by her side. Crime tape stops them from entering the exhibit but the Zeltron walks right up to its boundaries, examining the room and the words in Arubesh defacing it.

"It is disappointing," she agrees, turning to look at Nerys. Nearby guards confer with one another about moving the object that had brought on the incident. Dyannah nods pointedly at it. "That it?" Croft moves along with the flow of museum guests. Everyone seems more interested in this one exhibit. Not everyday you get to play detective at a real live crime scene. If that's what you want to call it. A crime on one side, or the other. He gives one of the security guards a glance and nods sympathetically, taking a step closer. "Do you see a lot of that sort of thing here? Seems kinda odd. Why'd someone get so bent over a big knife anyways?" The guard doesn't look so interested and Croft certainly doesn't expect an answer, he knows that routine. He takes another step towards the exhibit trying to get as close a look as he can.

"That looks like it. Looks like a much older version of the sort of thing I saw recently at a display of dance and arms the Zabrak put on during the Representative's charity event. I'd have to try to do a bit more research into it to discover why it's so specifically important. Or if that Zabrak simply felt what came from his people belonged to his people." She pursed her lips, looking over towards the blonde man who had walked over, "It's actually not that uncommon. There are endless hosts of species in the galaxy who believe that what was theirs once should be theirs always."

Others in the room seem as interested as well. Dyannah glances out of the side of her eyes at the man questioning the guard, lips pursed, she rocks in place as though debating with herself.

"Zabrak, you say? I /have/ heard some rumors about it. More about the person who supposedly 'owned' it. The fortunes of war apparently brought that into the hands of a mercenary." Tapping her pink forehead in exasperation, "What is his name?"

A thoughtful pause, "It's not coming to me. But, do I think a culture should keeps its heritage? Yes. I do. My planet has been invaded too many times and robbed of its treasures for me to think otherwise." Croft continues to linger around the caution tape. Moving slowly along the exhibit he pauses in front of the information display and bends at the waist to read. "Huh, Iridonian. Yeah. That scans. Old Republic. Uh-huh. Says here disappeared during the clone wars." He stands up and stares generally at the museum employees. "Guess someone found it."

Croft turns as though to move on to another exhibit when the info display catches his eye. Down at the bottom. He leans over again and reads aloud for, mostly, his own benefit, "Hmmm, generously donated by Zambu Fondrak." He looks back up at the grafiti. "Someone must like him much."

"It's a problem that museums like this one have dealt with since there were such things //as// museums. Museums want to retain artifacts so that they can be protected in some cases and so that they can illuminate cultures on the other, and you have those who think they have no right." She shook her head, as she heard the name of the donor, "Doesn't ring a bell. But I can see, if it's actually that old, why it would be of value to the Iridonians. Going to be tough to get it back though, with the commotion we just saw outside. Not a great way to start negotiations."

Of course, who said it needed to be regained in a legal way? At that moment, an elderly Zabrak steps up to the barrier "I remember seeing it in a museum in my hometown, when I was little." she begins "Was told it were millenia old." a small smile appears on her face"If you don't mind me intruding, I don't think Negotioations will work, since it was said to be a loan. After all, the exhibit is here for two months, moving somewhere else later." she sighs "Sadly, I doubt it will ever return to Iridonia,a s long as I shall live."

The Zeltron trader nods solemnly at the woman's reflection. "That is the crux of the matter. It is a fine line between illuminating a culture's heritage and robbing it of the heritage. Do I sound a bit radical," she asks, looking around at the group of them clustered on the edge of the exhibit.

Zabraks everywhere today. Croft gives the lady a closer look and notes the sadness in her eyes. "Hard to right all the wrongs in the galaxy," he mutters. Then another voice speaks up and Croft turns to face the Zeltron and companion. "No, not a radical exactly." He nods towards the exhibit. "It does surprise me they even put it out on display though with the controversy it must attract. Surprised this Fondrak guy lets it out of his sight."

"No, you don't sound like a radical." Nerys' expression was sympathetic, towards the elderly Zabrak who seemed to have come for the same reason they all had. To see a memento of a time long past, "He might just be that confident. Or, he's trying to draw out the people he knows might want it. Traps can work both ways." She glanced around to the small crowd that had come together, "I'm going to see about a walk around of the exhibit space."

The Zabrak shrugs "I mean, as you perhaps noticed, there aren't exactly many of us on this planet. I just came here to see it, since it is the first time it was shown in years. Most who in fact saw it, were on their way to die by now..." she begins, leaning on her cane, sighing "THough, I wish I could see it at home."

Croft turns back to the old Zabrak woman. "I can see you've suffered as well." He shrugs as he sees the group beginning to wander off. Even the two, at least the two obvious ones, seems less interested the longer its been since the initial commotion. They don't look so tough anyways. Pampered city types. "I'll have to come back here and learn some more. This cultured stuff might be worthwhile." And with that he wonders down the corridor.

Nerys made her circuit of the room, looking for all the world like any other tourist, leaning in, reading some of the tombstone labels, peering in at the exhibits, making her way back, eventually, down to where Dyannah and the elderly Zabrak were still standing. She turned, away from he guards, her eyes sparkling with merriment, "What do you think? You feel in the mood to do a thing?"

The Zeltron catches the whiff of mischief under the question and raises an eyebrow at Nerys. With a brief glance at the people around them, she turns her head quizzically, "What kind of thing?"

The Zabrak shakes her head "I am sorry, miss. My bones are way too brittle for anything you might suggest. If I were some twenty years younger..." she starts, raising her cane "I would have helped you!"

Nerys kept her back to the exhibit and the guards, turned so that her face was not towards any of the cameras, her voice low. Thankfully, Dyannah was a few inches taller, and she could use her as a bit of cover. "The sort of thing that might leave our dear Zambu Fondrak a little lighter in the collection department." She glanced up towards one of the doors, "It's not a terrible layout, but it'll need some work beforehand." She glanced towards the elderly woman, "Just keep your youngsters away, as discreetly as possible. We need less eyes on this place, not more."

Aware of the blindspot she provides, Dyannah smiles conspiratorially at Nerys and tsks, "Just when I've gone straight and started to trade on the public routes. And, what would happen to this item once it was extracted from its present predicament?"

The Zabrak nods, looking about and going towards another entrance, waving towards the guards "I am sorry young man, but I got lost looking for the Alderaanian exhibit? Would any of you care to enlighten me?" she wonders, trying to distract them.

"Do any of us really go straight, when injustice exists in the world? There was humour there, of course, but Nerys' eyes were far more serious than her tone, or the smile that crossed her lips. Just two friends having a good time and the museum and all. "We would return it to the people who made it of course. I like a good treasure as much as the next girl, but this means more to them, obviously, than it does to me. Better on their walls than on mine."

Dyannah nods solemnly, suppressing a smile. Glancing upward, she looks thoughtfully at the cameras trained on the exhibit. "How's your slicing? If it goes home, I'm in."

Nerys' winked at Dyannah, as she tipped her head towards the exhibit, inviting Dyannah to walk with her, "I'm not terrible. And besides, I have a droid for that. We'll figure it out. If nothing else, I can try to get a bit of help." She took a breath, throwing back her shoulders, her voice raising just a little, "I'm starving. Lunch's on me."