Atton Rand

Funnily enough, this isn't the first time I've been told that. I remember back in Dino Attack RPG I ran into the same problem a few times, and received the same feedback. The context was somewhat different there, but it still ended up amounting to a person being meant one way only to end up not really fitting the RPG. Maybe that's also part of why people in Breaking Point hated Casey Maxwell so much. As you noted before, Mia ended up being too good. Admittedly, if I'd had more time to develop her, I may have had a chance to address the other side, but I never really managed to get into the details of how she balances her own ethics with Imperial Responsibilities. Of course, we can go on about the problems with Mia Arkada. Indeed, I seem to have a long history of RPG characters who seemed like good ideas at the time but ended up being poorly received by everyone else and often are found to not really fit the RPG that well. First there was Trigger in Dino Attack, then there was Nicole in FTL, then Casey Maxwell in Breaking Point, and now Mia Arkada in Star Wars: Interregnum. It's not exactly an optimistic pattern. On the other hand, thinking about what went wrong with these previous roles may still provide useful information here. Trigger was a disaster waiting to happen, as any of my fellow Dino Attack players can testify (ask PeabodySam; I'm sure he'd be happy to tell you everything). He was supposed to be an anti-hero with an in-depth knowledge of the Maelstrom, only he ended up coming off as an arrogant and stubborn jerk who didn't know what was good for him. Not surprising either. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea for him to be a mercenary, and then he became extremely unbelievable when he kept saying he was only in it for the money in the middle of the apocalypse. Looking back on it now, I actually could see one or two ways he could have worked if I'd thought through him better. The idea of him being a mercenary wasn't a bad one, except what I should have done is downplayed the money angle and worked more with the idea that he wasn't used to being a team player or having a cause; that probably could have been a worthwhile arc. Instead, he made a fool of himself and became so poorly received that even I ended up taking full responsibility and killed him off myself. Nicole on the other hand, I recall was one who many fellow players found infuriating. On multiple occasions she was nearly written out of the RPG all together, including one moment where I essentially had to beg the hosts for some in-universe reason to keep her after they'd shot down every attempt I'd made to keep her from being discharged. A lot of that probably had to do with the fact that I wrote her as a doctor suffering from extreme PTSD, and it was heavily inhibiting her in-game actions; she was often freaking out, experiencing flashbacks, or otherwise having problems. She didn't function very well as a doctor, probably because I included details of her condition that interfered with it (she had trouble walking into an operating room, for instance). I tried to make her condition believable, especially with the trauma she had faced (she had been in the middle of a warzone during one of the in-game history's worst moments, and watched the person she loved die on her operating table). Long story short, it seemed a lot of other players felt Nicole was too messed-up to be involved with a potential suicide mission, and she was better off going back to the psyciatric ward and getting the therapy she obviously needed. Casey on the other hand was a whole other matter. Nobody in Breaking Point seemed to like her. To be fair, Sgt. Maxwell wasn't exactly made to be a particularly likeable person to start with; I explicitly said on the form that she'd been affected by being in the field too long and that she was known to be hard on recruits. Then in-game I suddenly have people complaining because she's going Full Metal Jacket on recruits when I explicitly stated that she was a drill sergeant. They also seemed to be fairly indifferent to the parts that were meant to deal with Casey's psychology. More frustratingly, everyone seemed to ignore the part of her profile that explicitly stated she was in special forces and kept treating her like a low-level grunt instead of a hardened veteran with years of experience and training in unconventional warfare, and that included people she outranked. Obviously, something wasn't entirely right with her, and she didn't come off as believable to most other players, even though everything I wrote of her seemed to make sense to me. I do feel like I should ask this: is there anything in the RPG that anyone thinks I've done well? I've heard a lot about why people didn't like Mia Arkada, I was thinking something else would be a nice change of pace. Are there any of my PCs that people actually like or who they think has some good potential? EDIT: I was tossing around some ideas for a companion to accompany Kyra. I ran the idea past M31 who suggested making a profile instead. So, once I get the official go-ahead we'll have a droid. So far as I'm aware there's only one droid PC so far, unless Dana is a droid (personally, I'm thinking she's some kind of AI computer; it would explain a lot of things). Anyway, here is our new astromech droid: Name: R9-G6 Gender/Species: Astromech droid (feminine programming*) Appearance: At first glance, R9 appears very much of the same model as most astromech droids; a revolving dome atop a round metal casing, with three legs (one of which is retractable). Her primary color is white, with a faded orange painted overtop. Skills: As an astromech droid, R9's primary skills are in technical matters. Her specialty is in vehicle maintenance, although she is very good at repairing droids and other machines. She is also able to work in a variety of environments, including the vacuum of space, and has experience in navigation. In addition, R9 is also an expert computer hacker. Equipment: As an astromech designed for maintenance, R9 comes equipped with an arsenal of tools for repairs. R9 also comes equipped with a holoprojector which she can use to visually display data when needed. Personality: As an astromech, R9 is only able to speak through a series of beeps and whistles, but she is very talkative. She is never afraid to express her true feelings on any situation. When faced with mechanical issues, R9 is a hard worker, and quick to get onto the problem. This does not, however, stop her from having a more emotional side. She can be very compassionate both towards other droids and to organic life forms who have earned her trust, easily being willing to talk to them. In her spare time, R9 can also be a joker, and has no trouble cracking jokes or playing pranks when there isn't much else to do. History: As long as Kyra has served in the alliance, R9 has been her loyal companion. The two of them served together in the early days of the alliance, with R9 becoming her usual choice for co-pilot. As a result of their comraderie, the two quickly became close friends. After Kyra's nervous breakdown shortly before Yavin, she often talked to the droid about her feelings. In the following years, Kyra often spoke to R9 when she found herself questioning the motives of the rebel alliance. When Kyra realized she didn't belong in the New Republic, R9 was the only friend she took with her. Now on Taris, R9 continues to follow Kyra, doing her best to comfort the ex-rebel. Affiliation: Formerly rebel alliance, now Kyra Drayen Alignment: Good *Technically, as far as sex goes there isn't really anything distinguishing R9 from "masculine" astromech droids like R2-D2 or chopper, but she is generally referred to by feminine pronouns

Okay, I've got a small problem and maybe I can get some advice. I'm having trouble finding anything to do with Dak. I know everybody seemed to think she'd be a really interesting PC but interactions are difficult for a few reasons, mostly because Dak's unclear status within the Empire has limited the ways interaction could happen. Basically, Dak doesn't really know what her current status is, though she believes that she's been labelled a fugitive (and I did seem to get that impression to an extent). Because she knows that she will be arrested if she's seen, she has to lay low and avoid drawing attention. This unfortunately places her in the awkward position of not being able to leave the Vulkar Base (at least not until the Inquisitors leave). That means interaction can happen two ways: Dak can leave the base and risk getting seen in public or someone can go into the Vulkar Base. Obviously, one would be a terrible move and I don't know that anybody else has any real reason to go to the Vulkar Base at the moment. It kinda limits what I can do with her. Anyone have any advice on how to deal with this?

IC: (Nadia, Taris Lower City) As the Twi'lek finished her coffee, she reached for her credit chit. That business with Dorq was annoying, but at least she'd run off now. In the meantime, it was a good moment to go do something mundane. "So what do we do now?" Nadia asked. "I'm not sure," Viseria said. "It may be a good idea just to go back to the Vulkar Base." "Yeah," Nadia said. "We go to the track later and practice." "Maybe later," Viseria muttered. "I don't think I have the energy for swoop riding at the moment." "We could go get a drink," Nadia said. "Yeah, I suppose a drink wouldn't be too bad now," Viseria muttered. "Of course, do try to restrain yourself this time." IC: (Tashka, Stray Tach) So far, the stranger seemed to ignore her. Either he wasn't in the mood to talk with strangers, he was committed to watching the door, or that was a really good holozine he was reading. In any case, there was no real need to draw his attention any further. True, his drink would be disgusting if he left it out any longer, but that was hardly her concern. She turned back toward the counter where the wookie bartender was serving and took a seat. "Hey," the Togruta muttered. "What's with that guy in the back? That Nemoidian Brandy has been sitting for several hours and he hasn't touched it." OOC: Tashka, Nadia, and Dak are open for interaction.

Technically the idea was supposed to be that they were ambushed and outnumbered, and a bunch of the stormtroopers got scattered in the chaos. You forget that Mia was only able to bring a small portion of her stormtroopers (a bunch of them were intoxicated because they'd been given leave) and she was the only one with any real experience (being a decorated Imperial Officer who had served for several years while a lot of the Stormtroopers had seen next to no action in the last few months and had only done one or two actions before at best) and the fact that there was no prior reason to expect that they would be attacked. Now one could argue that Raltz didn't know either, but all Mia knew going in was that they were going to salvage a b-wing, and that was it. So when the shooting started a lot of the stormtroopers panicked and it was hard to do much of anything. Flanking them was the only thing she could do at that point. Obviously we had some very different ideas of how that battle was going down, or maybe I've just watched a few too many war films. I was imagining Black Hawk Down-levels of chaos. You know, shots going off everywhere, people getting gunned down left and right just trying to survive. The way I was imagining it, it seemed pretty easy for people to get scattered in all the confusion. She wasn't deserting or abandoning her soldiers. I'm not sure why everyone got the impression that it was a strategic choice for her to be on her own when she didn't get much choice in the matter. I guess that's the trouble with RPGs, sometimes people get the wrong ideas of things, and things that make sense to you don't make sense to others. Here I was imagining something out of Black Hawk Down where people are hopelessly outnumbered and desperately trying to survive when apparently it was an easily won battle that didn't have very many casualties. I guess the same goes for ordering Raltz to take people alive. Everyone seemed to think trying to catch the scavengers alive was a stupid move, even though at the time it seemed to make sense to me as a practical decision because if they're alive they can provide information that may be useful; thus it would seem like an intelligent move to capture them whenever possible. I don't know, obviously I'm missing something, and it caused everyone to treat a decorated and well-respected Imperial Officer with a distinguished career like an Incompetent Rookie who only got in because of some rich parents or something. I remember when I first proposed the idea of writing a relatable Imperial Officer, M31's exact words in response were, and I quote... And yet, as soon as I'm actually in the game, everything seemed to go wrong. Suddenly nobody seemed to want to respect Mia and kept treating her as a rookie even though her profile clearly said otherwise. Next thing I know I pull a few moves that seemed like they made sense at the time, and suddenly she's dead. I have tried to get feedback, and while I didn't get much I did get a few useful comments. As Ghosthands noted earlier, it appears I may have tried too hard to make her likeable (and based on how other people reacted, I don't think I succeeded). I spent a lot of time trying to play up that she was a good person, but ended up going so far as to make her behave in ways that didn't seem appropriate to her chosen faction. While there are a lot of ways that could have been useful. I had hoped Commander Needa would allow me a chance to have another go at it, but unfortunately he didn't get approved. I am hoping that my new PC Kyra will be able to accomplish some of what I hoped to do with Mia, if instead from the other side. I'd still be open to the idea of trying again at some point, but I may give it some time before I dive into anything. @Atton: I suggest you read this post if you're not aware of why Rav, and by extension his B-Wing, is so important to the Inquisitorius. Oh, okay then. So all this has been about some sort of ancient artifact? I guess to add to Ghosthands' recap above, I should explain what's been going on in the streets, as that seems to be where I am at the moment. Vulkar Swoop rider Nadia Rinlo won a swoop race. Unfortunately, the Beks decided to have a wookie compete on the grounds that nobody would want to challenge him (we all remember what Han Solo said about wookies losing); they managed to stop it, but several Vulkars were injured by the attacking wookieEx-bounty hunter Vandredd meets with the mechanic Jenth atStray Tach, where they discuss a possible business dealNadia goes to the Stray Tach, along with her best friend Viseria. They get drinks and meet with Liare, who mentions the downed b-wing (though he uses a cover story that its owner had robbed him). Nadia gives Liare information about the Vulkars before leaving.Nadia goes back to the Vulkar base, and falls asleep. Meanwhile, Viseria meets with Gonzai and admits her distrust of LiareThe next morning, Nadia and Viseria go out to practice swoop riding. After both have had a run on the track, they are approached by Stormtrooper Dak Ulgo, who is accompanied by a scavenger and looking for a place to hide.Dak is brought back to the Vulkar Base, where she is disguised to better blend in with the gang.Liare manages to track both Dak and the Scavenger to the Vulkar base, but decides not to harm them on the grounds that they record testimonies of what happened. Liare leaves.Bounty Hunter Layna Arkada arrives on Taris and inquires about her sister, Mia. Upon discovering that she is dead, she is given residence by the VulkarsLayna goes to get a drink, stumbles into a really bad cantina run by a Dulok, and bumps into Odiina, who relates the official cover story of what happened to Mia. Layna becomes suspiciousNadia and Viseria go to get drinks. Nadia learns of Mia's death and makes a scene at the Stray Tach. Viseria does her best to comfort herRogue Novatrooper Rebekkah learns that the Empire has found her apartment, she takes out the stormtroopers on guard duty, grabs a few supplies, and leaves. On the way out, she runs into Nadia and ViseriaLayna meets Dak, and finds her suspicions supported by the stormtrooper's account of what happened in the Scrapyard. She also learns of the woman encountered by Nadia and Viseria, and enlists their assistance in tracking her downLayna manages to track Rebekkah to a hotel, and has arranged a meeting with her in the hopes of finding out more about what happened to her sister.I think that covers a lot of what's happened in the streets. There's a lot going on so it can be easy to forget things. There's also something going on with Talik Vao, who seems to be on his way to the Stray Tach (suddenly I find myself wondering what would happen if the RPG's two Twi'leks had a chance to meeet...) Unfortunately I'm not 100% sure where that fits into the timeline.

Well as far as what's going on now, I can probably offer you a partial summary easily enough, though I can really only start from about the point I joined in the RPG, which may have been after you left. As far as I know, I think it's about two or three days that have passed, but there has been a lot going on. I'll explain to the best of my understanding, although there is probably someone else who can add to this. So I guess from my perspective, there seem to be two main plots, at least as far as my own posts are concerned. The main plot, I think, concerns a downed b-wing, while the other secondary plot relates to gang activity in the lower city. Of course, I seem to be the only person actually writing that secondary plot so I'm not sure if that really counts for anything. The main plot started when Sergeant Raltz arrived on Taris with a mission to recover data from a downed b-wing and attempted to use one of the local outposts as an auxiliary. Unfortunately, the mission was not very well planned, resulting in a battle with scavengers and the death of a local officer who was essentially punished for not being properly briefed about the nature of the mission. Basically, things went wrong for just about everyone involved. Data was lost because the person who found it wasn't properly notified that it was supposed to be confidential (at least not until after it was lost). One of her Stormtroopers managed to escape but may or may not be labelled as a fugitive because of her C.O.'s failure (it's complicated). I'm not entirely sure what the current status of the B-wing plot is at the moment, though. A lot of the Inquisitors seem to be in the Tarisian Scrapyard at the moment. I'm presuming it will eventually make sense why there's been so much fuss about a b-wing. Then of course there's been a variety of side plots that will probably link to the main plot in some form. At the moment, the sister of the officer lost in the aforementioned mission, Layna Arkada, has arrived on Taris and is busy trying to figure out what is going on. There also seems to be some minor action over at the Stray Tach; there's a bunch of people there at the moment including one strange figure whose presence will probably make more sense as the story progresses. At the moment, there is also a sub-plot involving the street gangs, though I seem to be the only person really taking part in that one. It relates mainly to the Black Vulkars, and the lives of a few of its members. So far I've got two (four if you count NPCs Gonzai and Viseria) gang members who we've followed: Nadia and Tashka. Nadia's been somewhat mixed up in Imperial Affairs thanks to her past dealings with Lieutenant Mia Arkada; but there's also a growing rivalry between the Vulkars and Beks. As for where to jump in, that's harder to say for sure. If you wanted to join in on the gang sub-plot (which should become more closely tied to the main plot in the near future) you could see about creating a new PC to take part in one of those groups. You could join the Vulkars, in which case interaction would be easier on account of the fact that I have people already there. Alternatively, you could also join the HIdden Beks. There hasn't actually been much established about them so far, and most of their appearances have been as NPCs seen through the Vulkars' Point of View. You would therefore get some extensive creative freedom to develop the gang and its members, in which case you'd also by extension be able to develop their rivalry with the Vulkars. The other option in that area would of course be to join one of the other street gangs on Taris. I haven't actually managed to establish any of the other major gangs yet so you'd get total creative freedom in that area. In regards to Zale and Nokon, I'm not entirely sure. Most of the inquisitors seem to be in the Scrapyard of the Taris Undercity, so that's probably a good place to start. There do seem to be a few PCs over at the Stray Tach, which includes Kyra the ex-rebel, Tashka the Vulkar warrior, Sue the Wookie Bartender, Liare the Inquisitor, and Sen the Mandalorian archaeologist; so that would be an easy place to find interactions. I hope this information is useful.

IC: (Layna, LifeDay Inn) It worked. Three knocks at the door. Layna may have been somewhat reckless but she wasn't stupid. Obviously this person would be prepared. It was probably best if she was unarmed. She quickly removed her trenchcoat, as that would be the easiest place to keep a weapon hidden (as well as the only place she did have a weapon hidden). Carefully, she walked over toward the door and opened it. Obviously, Rebekkah had changed her appearance, though Layna could see a faint trace of resemblance to the image that had appeared on her warrants. "Rebekkah," Layna said. "You made it. Come in. Don't worry, I'm unarmed. You can search me if you want. The only weapon I have is a blaster, and it's in my coat." She motioned toward the trenchcoat on the bed. "Now you should probably come in before you're seen by anyone who wants to collect. Don't worry, I'll explain everything." IC: (Nadia, Taris Lower City) Viseria took a seat outside a small coffee shop. Her Twi'lek friend still didn't seem to be fully awake. Nadia's eyes did almost start to grow heavy once, before she snapped out of it. The Miraluka placed an order for two coffees, which were delivered a few minutes later. Nadia quickly took a sip of her coffee. It did seem to be just what she needed at the moment. She had after all been drinking a lot the past few days. Slowly, she was starting to become more alert. "I guess we didn't find Rebekkah," Nadia said. She was still trying to understand what had happened. It hardly took Viseria long to recount what happened between when the Twi'lek had fallen asleep and now. "So now what to we do?" The Miraluka smiled. "We need to relax," she said. "What do you say after coffee we go get the swoop bikes out? The big race is starting in a few days." Nadia smiled. Doing something normal for once would have been a nice change of pace. At least, something that didn't involve getting mixed up in Imperial affairs. At least Mia had done her best to avoid dragging them into Imperial politics. That was when Viseria looked up. She cursed. "What's wrong?" Nadia asked. "Dorq Joben's here," Viseria said. Nadia quickly swore in Twi'leki. Of course, at the worst possible time one of the Beks had to show up. Joben was a nasty young woman, and unfortunately she was also one of the Beks' most prominent riders. It was people like her that gave the street gangs a bad name. "Well, well, well," Joben said as she approached the two Vulkars. Behind her were three Beks; an Aqualish, wookie, and a Mon Calamari "If it isn't our favorite crybaby from the Vulkars." Nadia began to grow tense. Viseria had to grab her arm. "What's the matter? Don't have your Imperial friend to protect you anymore?" Nadia was growing even angrier. Viseria was clutching her arm. "She's trying to provoke you." "Oh, you're going to cry," Joben said. "If not here, than you will when I whip you at the swoop races. I hear some of your Vulkars got hurt after you faced our last champion..." Nadia almost stood, but Viseria grabbed her hand. "Don't do it." "Oh yes," Joben said as she turned toward Viseria, a chuckle in her voice. "What are you going to do? Use your magic eyes to keep your friend in her seat?" "You think just because your dad won a landspeeder race you can get away with anything?" Joben laughed. "See you around, losers," she said before turning and walking away. Viseria turned toward Nadia. No doubting that their rival was good at finding words to hurt them. Nadia was obviously tense. Viseria gently released her grip on her hand. "It's okay," she said, trying to stay calm. "You know she's just trying to upset you." "Yeah," Nadia replied. "Let's finish our coffee, then we'll head back to the base and get our bikes. A few runs around the track would do us both some good." OOC: Bonus points to anyone who can recognize the inside joke I slipped in there. Also, Nadia is open to interaction.

OOC: Okay, this has been going way too long. When I joined a Star Wars RPG I did not expect to be spending three consecutive posts describing someone's snoring. IC: Nadia's snoring was getting hard to manage, and Layna was getting all the more impatient. "Okay, this isn't working," she said. "Told you," Viseria replied. The bounty hunter walked over to the sleeping Twi'lek and nudged her slightly. Nadia groaned as Layna nudged her. "I don't want to feed the rancor..." A few seconds later, Nadia was starting to wake up. She sleepily began to roll over, moving her outstretched arm towards Layna and hitting her. Layna paused as she realized that was the hand that Viseria put cream onto, and now it was all over her face. The Miraluka burst into laughter. "I never said the prank was for her," Viseria said as she looked at Layna. The sleepy Twi'lek sat up, somewhat surprised. Her pants seemed somewhat damp. It only took a moment of looking at the bowl on the nightstand to figure out what happened. "Seriously?" She asked. "Did you at least find your rogue novatrooper?" "We did not," Layna said. "It was worth trying, though." "What was?" Nadia paused. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." "That's what I said," Viseria replied. "I'll have to figure something else out," Layna said. "I could talk to the receptionist, see if there's another way of reaching her. I can take it from here, anyway. If something goes wrong, you two probably don't want to get caught in the crossfire." "Okay," Nadia said with a smile as she stood. "I think I need to get some coffee." The Miraluka opened the door and stepped outside, followed by her friend. As soon as the door was shut, Layna approached the small holoprojector and contacted the desk. In a moment, the image of the receptionist appeared before her. "Hey," she said. "That woman I was asking you about earlier, is there any way I can leave her a message." "She seemed a very private customer," the receptionist's voice replied. "I know. How about two hundred credits for the call?" There was a pause. "I'll give you the number to send a recording." "That'll do." A moment later, Layna had received the number for one of the other rooms. She hit the record button and began her message. "Hey, Rebekkah Fell. Yes, I know who you are. In my line of work it's hard not to hear about the high prices offered to the rogue Novatrooper. The Empire itself has offered a lot of money. On Nar Shadaa one of the Hutts offered a reward of three thousand credits and a free pen in exchange for your capture. Fortunately for you, I seem to be the only bounty hunter who knows you're on Taris. Now before you panic, I'm not here to kill you. I just want to talk. I believe we may have a common enemy, and we're both interested in finding answers. If you are willing to hear my offer, come to my room after you hear this message and we can discuss it further." With that, Layna stopped the recording and sent it to the given number. Now all she had to do was wait to see if Rebekkah would accept her terms.

OOC: Okay, something weird has been going on. Layna's plot has somehow gone from dealing with her sister's murder to pulling pranks on Nadia while she's asleep. I guess a little comedic tension never hurt, especially as things should get back to being more serious soon enough. Hopefully, I'll hear from Peele soon and then people will be able to take Layna seriously again. IC: (Layna, Life Day Inn) Nothing yet, though then again what could one have expected? They were dealing with a rogue novatrooper, she probably wasn't going to come over immediately. It would probably take some time for her to get frustrated enough to come over to their room to complain about a neighbor's snoring. That was assuming of course she could hear it, which they didn't have a definitive way of identifying. So far Layna's trick of putting the sleeping Twi'lek's hand in warm water had yielded some minor results, which she found somewhat amusing. Even Viseria smiled upon seeing the embarrassing prank. "So do you really think that we can attract Rebekkah's attention with her snoring?" Viseria asked. "I'm not sure," Layna replied. "Assuming she can hear it, than my hope is that she will eventually get angry about the noise, come over here to complain, and then I can introduce myself." "I still think this idea is extremely stupid. The other bounty hunters will probably laugh at you if word gets out. "Well," Layna said. "I'm not like other bounty hunters." "Okay, well if you're going to play a joke on Nadia while she's asleep, at least give it some class." The Miraluka stood and walked into the bathroom. She stepped out with a bottle of cream. "I'm not sure what this stuff is, but a lot of hotels like to use it." Layna chuckled. "Okay, I'm going to need you to gently grab her hand." Layna reached for the snoring Twi'lek's hand, pulling it out of the water bowl and placing it back on the bed. Viseria approached, taking a large amount of cream and placing it onto her palm. "That should do it," The Miraluka whispered. IC: (Tashka, Stray Tach) The Wookie Bartender seemed to be busy. No doubt he... or was it a she? For most other races it seemed impossible to tell. Anyway, the wookie had heard her, but at the same time there seemed to be a lot of orders. Aside from the small group of individuals forming further down the counter, there was a number of people of all different races seated in different areas. Some occupying booths and others at tables. That made it all the more strange that one patron could stand out. Then again, whoever that person was, they were obviously hiding something. The Wookie would probably need a few minutes to prepare her order anyway- once they got to it. Tashka stood, walking away from the counter, and she moved toward the small booth where the stranger was seated. She looked around at some of the other patrons. There were a few Beks sitting at one table, but they seemed too drunk to pay any attention to a Vulkar like Tashka. She also saw what appeared to be a tough-looking Chistori walking out of the bar after making a deal with a young human female. Finally, she walked up to the booth where the strange man was sitting and staring at the Holozine. It was strange; he looked like he may have been watching the door, but his order seemed untouched. "Excuse me," Tashka said as she approached. "You do realize that Nemoidian Brandy you're drinking probably went stale three hours ago, right?" OOC: I figured someone had to do something with this new visitor.

OOC: Okay then, it sounds like we've got a mystery person to deal with. IC: (Tashka, Stray Tach) The Togruta did her best to wait patiently for her order. It didn't really matter to her what she received at this point, or the others for that matter. She just preferred something strong. From the looks of things, it didn't appear the others were having a particularly great day either. The Togruta's attention was momentarily drawn toward the back of the cantina. There was a strange man present there. At least it looked like a man, it was hard to tell under that uniform. He seemed to be focused purely on a holozine, and ignored the drink in front of him. That was strange, but there didn't seem to be any reason to suspect anything. He didn't look like he was associated with the Beks or any other major street gang on Taris. Something was odd about him, but there didn't seem to be an immediate need to engage. After staring at him for a moment, Tashka turned her attention back toward the bar.

OOC: Okay, so I guess this next part will be lighter in tone than my usual writing, and incorporate some humor. IC: (Layna, Lifeday Inn) Viseria wasn't kidding about Nadia. Only a few minutes and already the Twi'lek's snoring made it hard for Layna to her herself. "So how exactly do you plan on-" Viseria cut herself off. "Maybe we should go talk outside." Layna nodded, the two women stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind them. It was at least somewhat quieter, even though Nadia's snoring was somewhat muffled through the door. "Your friend seems to be loud. I wouldn't want to go to a slumber party with her." Viseria smiled. "She's kept a lot of Vulkars awake," she said. "Anyway, she really could use some sleep. It's been a rough day. You really should get some yourself. You've only been on Taris for a few hours and already you're tracking down a rogue novatrooper." "I know," Layna said. "I'll get around to it eventually." "So what exactly is your plan for meeting this Rebekkah?" "Well, there aren't many floors in this building. That increases our chances of being put on the same floor as her. I could bribe the receptionist to give us her room number, but that's probably not going to do much good. She's obviously going to be prepared for unwelcome visitors and I'd be lucky if she doesn't shoot me the moment the door opens. We'd stand a better chance if she came to us?" "And how exactly do you propose to do that?" The Miraluka asked. Layna paused and thought. "Do you think she'd come over if some of her neighbours were particularly... loud?" She motioned toward the shut door. Viseria paused, thought, and then turned toward the bounty hunter. "You've got to be kidding," she said. "Well, if we seem like a couple frustrating guests it could work, or a frustrating guest." "You aren't seriously suggesting we use Nadia's snoring to make her come over here to complain about the noise?" "Can you think of a better way?" Viseria sighed. "This has got to be the dumbest bounty hunting strategy I have ever seen. Do you seriously think this will get her attention. We'd be lucky if the receptionist doesn't get overwhelmed with noise complaints and kicks us out." "Do you know anything better?" "Other than don't waste time trying to find this person who obviously doesn't want to be found?" "Yes?" "Then no," "Exactly," "What if Nadia wakes up before Rebekkah arrives?" "Than we'll need to get her drunk?" "You haven't seen her drink, have you?" "No, I haven't?" "Some kind of drugs, then?" "Okay, are you seriously talking about drugging my best friend so that you can use her snoring to lure in a rogue novatrooper who you think may be able to do something for you? How do you know she won't just ignore it?" "I don't," Layna said. "But it's the best idea I have, even if it's a really stupid one." "I just hope this works," Viseria muttered. Layna placed her key card into the slot and the door opened. "So now what?" Viseria asked.** "We leave the door open so the noise gets around." Layna stepped into the room, "Then we just have to wait." Viseria groaned as she sat down on one of the beds. Layna stepped into the washroom, grabbing a bowl and filling it with warm water. She stepped back into the room, placing it on the nightstand next to Nadia's bed. She gently reached for one of the sleeping Twi'lek's hands, carefully lifting it in order to avoid waking her, before moving it towards the bowl. "Seriously?" Viseria asked. "You're doing that trick?" "Oh, it's a classic. We used to do this on our instructors back at the Imperial Academy." OOC: So yes, I have officially come up with the worst bounty hunting technique in the universe. Now on a more serious note... IC: (Stray Tach) The Togruta stood and made her way towards the three other patrons at the bar, pulling a seat next to the strange man. She did just offer to buy drinks for them so it didn't seem too much trouble to sit near them as well. They didn't look like Beks, so she probably didn't have to worry about any of them attacking her, not that she wouldn't be able to deal with it if they did.

IC: (Stray Tach) Kyra looked over her glass toward the two men just a few seats down. She didn't recognize either of them, though one of them seemed to be troubled. Probably another veteran. There seemed to be a lot of them around the Outer Rim. That much made sense, though she couldn't tell yet which side he was on. Was he a rebel like her? Or perhaps a Stormtrooper no different from the kind she would have happily gunned down only a few years ago. One of the other patrons was starting to talk to him. She stood, moving a few seats down towards the two men. "Hey," she muttered. "You two look like you've had a bad day." Meanwhile, the Togruta remained at her position. Tashka watched as the others began talking, but felt reluctant to engage herself. She wasn't exactly in the mood for talking anyway.

IC: (Dak Ulgo, Vulkar Base) Not much going on at the moment. Dak still could not shake the memories of the Junkyard confrontation. Nobody else seemed to be around. She didn't see anything worth doing and most of the Vulkars she did know were out at the moment. Nadia and Viseria left with that new girl, the sister of her former C.O. Raltz was still at large, and obviously it didn't look like there was any rush to see Mia's killer brought to justice. Most likely, it was someone high up, someone with the authority (or at least the financial resources) to spread false reports on what happened. Now it was a question of what she could do now that she was stuck. Hiding out with the Vulkars had not been the most interesting development. Still, as far as anyone else was concerned, she was basically a fugitive. She wouldn't have put it too far to assume that someone was going to offer a handsome reward for her capture, assuming they hadn't already. Still, it was dull, and she didn't have much to do. For now, she and Evnairis were stuck in the base. She had been ordered to keep the scavenger safe and so far she had succeeded. She made her way to the garage, stepping into the elevator and setting it to take her up. Nadia wasn't around, neither was Viseria. They were both probably out somewhere. Then there was Layna. She had been gone a few hours. What could she have been up to? Gonzai was, but he had his own responsibilities. Besides, she'd talked enough. For now, she needed a distraction. She stepped out of the elevator and entered the garage. She quickly spotted Evnairis, who had ditched her scavenger's robes for a dirty shirt and pants. She looked up as Dak entered. "How's it going?" Dak asked. "So far, it could be worse," Evnairis said. "Fortunately, when you know how to take machines apart, it's easy to put them back together." Dak smiled. "That's good. I'm just bored, and confused." "Any idea when we'll be able to leave here?" Evnairis asked. "Not for sure," Dak replied. "Hopefully soon. If I'm lucky, once things cool down here I could try and get a ship to one of the Imperial Worlds and report what happened. I don't know if they'd listen to me. Raltz is probably telling all kinds of lies to make sure I seem the traitor. It wouldn't be too hard to distort the truth enough to make me sound like a deserter." OOC: Dak is open for interaction.

IC: (Layna, Life Day Inn) "Well, here we are," Nadia said as they stepped into the LifeDay Inn. Nothing fancy, but it seemed at least like a better place to be staying than that run-down apartment. "Why did they name an Inn after that Wookie Holiday?" Layna muttered. "Anyway, we've got things to be doing." She approached the counter. There was a receptionist seated there already. "Excuse me," Layna said as she approached. "I'm looking for someone, and I was told she may have checked in here." "I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to give out that-" The receptionist stopped as soon as Layna handed them a datapad with Rebekkah's face on it, as well as a few credit chits. "Yes. That's Zam Cradlewood. She checked in here earlier." That was good. Obviously she was using an assumed name, but nobody else seemed to know who was actually staying here. That meant it was less likely that they'd have to deal with a rival bounty hunter or Imperial Forces. "Do you think you could get us a room?" Layna placed another credit chit on the counter. "We don't need much, just accommodations for three." "Yes, I think that can be arranged." The receptionist said, handing Layna a key. Layna turned toward her two companions. "Let's go," she said. They approached the elevator. Layna pushed the button and it was only a moment before they reached the second floor. There wasn't much to be seen of the hotel itself. It was reasonably furnished, though nothing fancy. It didn't take long to find their room either. Nothing particularly extravagant but she'd seen worse. Two queen-sized beds, which would be sufficient, assuming she even needed them, and access to the holonet. It would work. "So what do you need me to do now?" Nadia asked as she stepped inside and took a seat on one of the beds. "Not much at the moment," Layna replied. "I may need you for backup but otherwise I should be able to handle this on my own." "Good," the Twi'lek muttered as she pulled off her boots. She quickly lay down on the bed. She lay on her side, brushing one of her lekku over her shoulder, before closing her eyes. "In that case, I'm going to take a nap." It hadn't exactly been an easy day for any of them. Between their swoop riding, taking in fugitives, and losing a close friend, it had been fairly exhausting. If anyone needed some rest it was Nadia. At least the beds here were reasonably comfortable. "You should get some sleep as well," Viseria said to Layna. "Yes," she muttered. Viseria was correct in that regard, but for now there were more important things to be worried about. "I'll do that later." "Just as well," Viseria said with a smile. She stood and approached Layna. "She'd keep you up anyway," the Miraluka whispered. "What do you mean?" "I should probably just warn you that Nadia isn't exactly a sound sleeper." "Oh, you mean she snores?" "Well, let's just say if there were a competition for most people kept awake by someone's snoring, Nadia would be taking first place." "I'll keep that in mind," Layna said. "For now, I guess we'll have to see what we can find out about this "Zam. Approaching her directly would be dangerous; she's probably too paranoid." IC: (Tashka) The Togruta watched as the strange man further down the counter paid for aother drink. The other disheveled woman was finishing her own as well. Looked like a lot of the people here needed something to drink. She was still waiting herself. Still, there weren't many people at the bar. Most of the patrons seemed to be playing games of Sabaac, or Pazaak. Most of them had no idea what they were doing, and she quickly thought about how Gonzai could easily win a fortune here. Still, gambling wasn't exactly her strong point, although she knew a thing or two about how to deal with anyone she caught cheating. Still, for now, there wasn't much to do. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a credit chit and placed it on the counter. "Hey," she said, almost cutting off the man's order. "How about a round of drinks on me?"

IC: (Stray Tach) The former Rebel watched as the strange man moved toward the counter, a few seats from her. There seemed to be a strange man there, one she didn't recognize but had a feeling was hiding something. He could have been an Imperial Spy, in which case what was he doing on this world? He couldn't have been after her. There was no practical reason for the Empire to waste resources going after her. It's not like she had anything on them. She turned back toward her drink, taking another sip. Meanwhile, a Togruta entered the cantina. Tashka wasn't in the best of moods at the moment, not surprising. Even a warrior like her would be somewhat agitated with the way Beks had been behaving lately. She took a seat at the bar and turned toward the Wookie. Still, a drink would do her some good. The last few days had been a little strange. She probably could have saved a few members of the gang had she been present at the Wookie's rampage. Now there was talk of a stormtrooper hiding out with them and Nadia was getting upset over the death of some Imperial Officer she used to do business with. She never did understand that Twi'lek. Tashka looked down the counter. There was a wookie tending bar, and a few other patrons. One miserable young woman trying to drown a past, a Mandalorian, and some other strange person she didn't recognize. Something about him seemed odd, but she could not put her finger on what it was. He looked like he may have been that strange man who asked around the Vulkar Base, in which case it was hard to know if he was trustworthy. Of course, none of that really mattered now. She needed a drink. "Get me something strong!" She called out. "And what do you have to eat around here?" IC: (Nadia/Layna, Taris Undercity) "Alright," Nadia muttered as she looked at the Datapad with Rebekkah's image on it. "Let's get this overwith. Gonzai is going to be angry with us when he finds out." Viseria turned toward Nadia with a smile. "I have an idea," she said. "We don't have to get the Vulkars into trouble." *** A young man paused in shock as two young women; a Twi'lek and... was that a blind human? No matter. Both looked intimidating. "Excuse me," the Twi'lek said as she approached him. "My associate and I are representatives of the Hidden Beks, and we were hoping to find someone who's been cheating us." She showed him the datapad. "All information you can provide to her location will be rewarded." *** Layna had seated herself outside a small coffee shop. She watched as the two Vulkars questioned the passers-by. This was perfect. Nobody knew who they were dealing with, it meaning that they would probably give whatever information they did have without getting any ideas of going after her themselves, if they thought she was just a low-life who had been in trouble with one of the local gangs. She watched as Nadia approached, Viseria close behind. "A few of them reported seeing someone who looked like her approaching the LifeDay Inn nearby," Nadia said. "Now you owe me for this one." "Of course," Layna said as she stood. "Can you show me where the Inn is located?"

IC: "Are you insane?" The Twi'lek asked as they stepped out of the alley and back into the streets. "I've had worse ideas," Layna replied. "You're seriously saying you want to find this woman, talk her into assisting you in avenging your sister, and in exchange do whatever you can to keep her out of the Empire's hands?" "Pretty much. Sounds like a good deal to me." "You seriously want to get yourself into that kind of trouble?" "Well don't you want to find out what happened to Mia? Look, I'm not asking you to get involved in anything. When we find her, you can leave if you want." "So how exactly do we find her?" Viseria asked. "Good question," Layna said. "We are dealing with a crowded environment so blending in wouldn't be too hard, but that would make it likely that someone would have seen her." Nadia was about to speak up when Layna cut her off. "She probably wasn't wearing her armor or anything to stand out, but her arrest warrant is all over the holonet which means getting a photograph wouldn't be too hard. We also seem to be the only ones who know she's on Taris which means we don't have to worry about other bounty hunters, though we can hopefully reach her before the Empire does. So all we need to do is find out what we can about her whereabouts without drawing attention or alerting anyone else that a wanted fugitive is on Taris." "And how exactly are we going to do that?" Viseria asked. "Easy. We just need a cover story. I can get a photo off the Holonet easy enough, and fortunately I have a pair of gang members who can use it." "Oh you have got to be kidding me," Nadia said. "You want us to pretend this rogue novatrooper is someone who owes the Vulkars money?" "Exactly. If anyone knows something, they'll be quick to reveal it." Nadia groaned. Viseria still remained skeptical of the idea. "Fine," the Twi'lek muttered. "This had better be worth it! You owe me one!" OOC: EDIT: I've got some new characters to introduce. Two new players who I hope will set up some new stories. I'm open to the idea of developing a few more (I have wondered about trying to really push my comfort zone by introducing a Hutt), but it would probably be good to focus on the ones I have for now. IC: (Dak, Vulkar Base) "You okay," Gonzai said as he approached Dak, the young stormtrooper looked up at the large Gamorrean. "Yeah," Dak muttered. "You want to talk about it?" Dak paused, and took a deep breath. "I keep thinking about what happened in the scrapyard. I keep remembering the last time I saw Lt. Arkada. Her last words to me were to run, to get Evnairis to safety. How's she doing?" "I hear she's proven useful up in the garage," "That's good," Dak muttered. "I still don't have anything to do." "It's okay. Mia did a lot for us." "Yeah," Dak muttered. "I've been wondering, if there was anything I could have done differently. If I'd just been there-" "You would have been dead, too," Gonzai said. "But why me?" Dak said. "Why not Mia or any of the other stormtroopers I was serving alongside? Why am I still alive." "Dak," Gonzai said. "There was nothing you could have done. You followed her instructions the best you could and completed your objective. From what you've described, there's no way you could have gotten to her in time." IC: (Kyra, Cantina) The former Rebel took a heavy swig of her drink. She didn't pay much attention to the environment around her. It was hard to imagine once that she had been anything other than an alcoholic and an emotional wreck, looking to waste away on some backwater world. She had only been on Taris a few months, having left the New Republic after the Battle of Endor. She could still remember the old days, when she was never more comfortable than at the controls of her Y-wing. Back then, it seemed like there was a point to all the fighting, like things would actually get better. In those days, the fleet was much smaller, and there was a greater sense of camaraderie. She could still remember a lot of the rebels from that time, many of whom could get things done. She could hardly forget the stories she'd heard about the crew of the Ghost, and admired Captain Hera. Good ol' Hera. Whatever happened to that Twi'lek anyway? If she was still alive, probably the same as Kyra. Then of course the Battle of Yavin happened; one lucky shot blows up the Death Star and suddenly the entire war was about some moron from Tattooine. Nobody seemed to think much of the numerous other great pilots who died in that attack, of whom only two survived. If she had just been on Yavin at the time, she probably could have saved those men. Next thing she knew the alliance was getting ridiculously lenient in its recruiting. First a man who openly admitted he didn't care was being put in charge of important missions, then they gave the title of general to a man who had sold them out to the Empire. Meanwhile, everyone else just seemed to be ignored. As she took another sip, she could not stop herself from thinking about all the people she had watched die in the field. She was in love once, engaged even, until she was gunned down aboard Tantive IV. Was it worth it? Every stormtrooper she had killed. She still remembered the last words of the many Rebels whose ships were destroyed by Imperial forces while under her command. And what was it all worth? The Empire was still at large and the New Republic officials were too busy arguing among themselves to do anything. Now there was this business about the Inquisitors, rumors mostly. This didn't bother Kyra much; if they even knew she was on Taris they obviously had more important things to worry about than a washed-up ex-soldier. There was some talk about a b-wing crashing into the scrapyard, though why there was so much secrecy over the wreckage was beyond her. IC: (Tashka, Taris Lower City) The Torgruta remained calm, vibro-double blade in hand. In front of her were three Beks; a Rodian, Trandoshan, and a Selkath; all armed with their own swords. "You Vulkars are so pathetic," the Trandoshan shouted. "The Beks are superior! This is our town, and you are no longer welcome!" Tashka paused. She stared at the Beks, with little emotion. "You think so?" "Gonzai is weak! He takes any random kid off the street and calls that a gang." The Selkath said. "We're not charity here!" "Look, guys. I'd suggest you walk away now, and I may just let you live." The Rodian laughed. "I think we should make an example of this one," the Selkath spoke out, his voice sounding calm in his native language. "This is your last chance," Tashka said. "Last chance... yeah, for you!" The Rodian shouted. He laughed briefly, only for his two companions to stare at his pathetic attempt at an insult. The Selkath was the first to charge at her, with the Trandoshan and Rodian immediately behind. For anyone else, this may have seemed hopeless. Still, she wasn't ready to give up. Within seconds she had blocked the Trandoshan, ducked under a sing from the Selkath, and struck the Rodian, who promptly fell to the ground. Two remained. There was a brief pause as the combatants stood at arms. "KILL HER!" The Trandoshan yelled, as if his anger was not already obvious. He and the Selkath immediately approached her. First she blocked the Transhoshan, than the struck the Selkath. One opponent was left. "Hey!" The Trandoshan said, lowering his sword. "I don't want any trouble, okay?" Only a moment ago he was taunting Tashka about his desire to kill her, now he was practically begging for mercy. "I'll get out of here," He said, turning and running. "You had your chance," the Togruta said as she followed. A final strike brought the Trandoshan to the ground. She took a moment to catch her breath as she looked at the three Beks she had just killed. Something to brag about the next time she saw Nadia. She turned and began to walk down the street. Those Beks seemed to be getting worse every day. As if their constant cheating wasn't bad enough, now they were apparently making a habit of killing Vulkars. Still, if any of their friends showed up, she'd be ready to deal with them. OOC: Kyra and Tashka are both open for interaction. Dak to an extent if anyone can figure out how to make it work.

IC: (Layna Arkada, Apartment) The place was clearly run down, and in obvious need of maintenance. It was probably a fairly cheap apartment, and with the building as neglected as this it was a wonder the owner had even bothered to put as much security as there was. It was the maintenance lift that caught Layna's attention. She approached it and inspected the machine. It seemed to be working, though for the average user a passcard would be needed. Fortunately, the security was pretty weak and it only took a moment to rewire it. The elevator door sprung open almost immediately. Based on Nadia's account, the woman had been leaving the alley. If indeed this was where she had come from, and she had managed to steal a card or otherwise bypass the system, it could be a very effective way to sneak out unnoticed. Layna stepped into the old but still reasonably intact elevator. There were a few floors to choose from, and she didn't know exactly which one she needed to find. She started by pushing a random button. The elevator doors closed, and she could feel it moving upward. A few minutes later, the doors opened, and she was able to step off. The elevator opened towards a small corridor, one which she walked down carefully. She didn't know what to expect, but figured it was best to avoid drawing attention if possible. Stealth would be the best option. If she was wrong about her target, she could sneak out before anyone knew she was there. Otherwise, it still would have been best to know what she was dealing with before engaging. Surprisingly enough, the corridor proved silent. Upon turning the corner, all Layna could see was the aftermath of something. A few stormtroopers lay on the ground. She couldn't tell for sure if they were dead or unconscious. She pulled the helmet off one and checked for vital signs. She seemed to be alive, though she was going to need some medical aid. That wasn't for her to deal with at the moment. Layna was more interested in the room they had been investigating. There wasn't much to be found. Whoever owned this apartment had left in a hurry. The number of stormtroopers lying around would suggest that the former tenant was of interest to the Empire, but also knew how to outsmart them. Based on her deductions so far, the owner had probably planned an escape route well in advance. It seemed to support the idea that she was on to something, and she only knew of one person who matched what she saw here. Was that possible? No, it couldn't be. If Layna's understanding was correct, than she may have just found one of the Empire's most wanted fugitives. For now, the best thing to do was to get out. She quickly moved back to the elevator. The doors were fortunately still open, and she pushed the button for the ground floor. The doors closed, and she breathed a sigh of relief. How could she have failed to realize sooner? In her line of work, it was hard not to hear about NT-081, the rogue novatrooper. The Empire had offered a large price for her capture and several Outer Rim worlds had offered rewards of their own. She'd never taken those jobs. Layna may have been a bit more reckless than her sister but she was smart enough to know better than to try and kill an ex-novatrooper. Dealing with criminals, assassins, and other low-lifes was one thing. Taking on an elite soldier was another. Still, she was seeing another opportunity if she could find her. The elevator door opened and she stepped out. Back into the alleyway, where the two Vulkars were waiting. "Did you find anything?" Nadia asked as Layna stepped outside. "I may have a name," Layna said. "I can't say for sure who you saw out there, but I think it may have been Rebekah Fell." "Who?" Nadia stared at Layna. "Rebekah Fell. NT-018. One of the Empire's most wanted fugitives?" "You're going to have to explain," Viseria said. "She was a Novatrooper who went rogue after trying to kill several Moffs. They never detailed exactly what happened, but several worlds have offered a lot of money for taking her, not to mention the reward from the Empire itself. She's known to be very hard to catch." "Wait," Nadia said. "You're telling me you want to track down and kill a rogue Novatrooper who nearly killed some of the Empire's highest ranking officers and who has so far evaded their best soldiers? Are you insane?" Layna smiled. "Who said I wanted to kill her? I've got a far better idea..."

IC: (Nadia/Layna, Taris Lower City) The alley hadn't proved too much of a walk, and was largely uneventful. "You say this is where you ran into her?" Layna asked. "That's right," Nadia said. "She nearly ran into her," Viseria explained. "We were just wandering, not sure what to do and then suddenly she was in front of us." Layna smiled. "Okay, let's take a look around." She stepped into the ally, looking around. There wasn't much to this place. There was some graffiti, which wasn't too surprising but only one real building. It looked like an apartment complex of some kind, with a door that required a key card to open. "She was coming out of the alley?" Layna asked. "Yeah," Nadia said. "We didn't see where from." "I could have been from here," Layna said. "If she knew how to get past the security, but why would a musician take the back exit?" "She could be reclusive," Viseria said. "Maybe she doesn't like attention." "Perhaps," Layna said. "But this door is locked. Not very well, but it wouldn't exactly be open to guests easily. Let me take a look at this." Working as a hired gun in the outer rim had given Layna a few useful skills. A lock like this may have kept out the average gang member, but it was pretty easy for her to pick. It only took a moment to remove the cover and begin pulling out wires. A little rerouting and the door swung open. "She probably managed to steal a keycard, which would not have been noticed as easily. Okay, you two keep watch out here. I'm going to look around." As Layna stepped into the newly opened door, Viseria and Nadia stood at opposite sides.

IC: As Layna stepped back into the Vulkar Base, she quickly spotted Dak, who was seated with two gang members. One was a green Twi'lek, the other... that was strange. She looked human, but that hood obscured most of her face. The Twi'lek quickly perked up on seeing Layna. "You must be Layna," She said. "That's me. I guess Dak told you." "Yeah. I'm Nadia. This is Viseria. We knew your sister. I'm sorry for your loss." "Anything at the office?" Dak asked. "Not at the moment," Layna said. "Unless you know any bounties." "We did encounter a strange woman earlier," Nadia said. "She was carrying a large instrument case, but seemed to be talking to someone on an earpiece. She seemed like someone who wanted to disappear." "That is strange, but doesn't mean it's someone with credits on them." "I don't know." Nadia said. "All I can say is I've got friends all over Taris and I didn't recognize her." "It could be a new one in which case I could get a leg up over the others. Can you show me where you saw her?"

IC: (Nadia, Vulkar Base) The Twi'lek reluctantly stepped into the Vulkar Base, the Miraluka at her side, as usual. Not much to see, but Nadia quickly spotted Dak, who seemed to be alone in the corner, apparently distracted. Not surprising. It was probably time she broke the news to her anyway. The Twi'lek reluctantly approached the former Stormtrooper, taking a seat next to her. "I'm afraid I've got some bad news," Nadia said. "I know," Dak replied. "Gonzai told me." On her other side, Viseria sat down. "So what happens to me, now? The events will be distorted enough that everyone will think I'm a traitor. I won't be able to go home again." "Mia was a good woman," Viseria said. "You're always welcome here. You're also not the first one whose been stuck." Viseria paused, thought about what to say. "You know I never knew my parents, and I've never seen another of my kind. All I ever knew was that I was something called a Miraluka, and I saw the world... differently from everyone around me. Then I met Nadia, and the Vulkars took us in." "It's true," Nadia said. "She never would have survived without me." "Hey," Viseria said. "I was the one who saved you from that drunken Toydarian." Nadia smiled. "That's true." She turned toward Dak. "The point is, you're one of us now. Many of the Vulkars here had nothing, but now... now we're family." Dak smiled slightly. It didn't do much to make Mia's death any easier, but at least she wasn't entirely alone. "There's something else," she said. Nadia stopped. "What?" "While you were out, I met... well... turns out Mia has a sister, who is also staying here." Nadia remained unsure what to say. Mia had not exactly talked much about her personal life, at least not before being stationed on Taris. "I don't remember her mentioning anything about a sister," Nadia finally said. "Neither did I," Dak noted. "She's a bounty hunter, Layna Arkada." "Oh," Nadia said. "This should be interesting."

IC: (Nadia, Taris Lower City) There was a brief silence between the two young women. At least their momentary encounter had provided a distraction from their grief. "We should probably get back to the base," Viseria said. "Yeah," Nadia replied. The Twi'lek began to walk in the general direction of the Vulkar Base. OOC: Some interaction would probably be good, but I seem to be having some trouble getting my characters into positions where that can happen. Dak has the problem of being stuck in the Vulkar Base (seeing as she is trying to lay low), which makes it hard to do much with her at the moment. Hopefully I can get something with Layna soon. In her last post, she was asking about bounty hunting assignments and I figured M31 should be the one to offer them. That would leave Nadia as the only one who is really open for interaction at the moment.

OOC: oh, we actually have some gay characters? I didn't realize. That's a good touch. There is probably a lot to be said about the lack of gay characters in Star Wars. Even in the expanded universe, which had made an obvious attempt to add gender and racial variety, there was as far as I know, a grand total of one person who was intended to be gay (Juhani), and even then it's mostly subtext. I know J.J. Abrams was hoping to change that. Interstingly, I recently re-watched The Force Awakens, and I noticed a scene where Finn asked Rey if she had a boyfriend. Rey never answers one way or the other, and just says "none of your business." It led me to wonder if Rey could later be revealed to be homosexual. IC: Nadia watched as the young woman left. "There's something she's not telling," Viseria muttered. "You think she's another fugitive?" "I'm not sure."

"Of course," Nadia said. "If you need anything, you can try the Vulkar Base near that Imperial Outpost. Gonzai should be able to help you. If you need anything to do, you could check out the swoop races. Oh, and there's a really awful cantina just called "Restaurant." Stay away from it. The place is run by a Dulok and if you think Hutt cuisine's bad..."

IC: (Nadia, Taris Lower City) The Twi'lek was momentarily shocked as Viseria grabbed her and pushed her aside. They were in an alley of some kind. There was a woman in front of them, carrying what looked like an instrument case. Her hair was a mess, and she looked like someone who was trying not to draw too much attention. Nadia didn't recognize her from any of the cantinas, probably an off-worlder. "That was.close," Nadia muttered as she turned towards Viseria. "I'm sorry," Viseria said to the stranger. "We should have seen you coming." "I guess you're new around here," Nadia said. "I'm Nadia. This is my friend Viseria."

OOC: Hey everyone! I have some amazing news. MIA LIVES! See, I have irrefutable proof: So it turns out Mia just got warped back in time a few thousand years to the Old Republic, but she's fine. Apparently she became a Jedi at some point and saved the galaxy. That's pretty impressive. IC: (Nadia, Taris Lower City) "So what do we do now?" Nadia asked. Viseria had been doing her best to comfort her friend, but she didn't have much of an answer. The most they could do was wander and see what happened. Both women were struggling with their emotions. Neither one felt particularly like getting out their swoops, and there didn't seem to be much else to do. "Maybe we should just go back," Nadia said. OOC: I keep trying to leave Nadia open for interaction but I'm not sure if anyone is able to meet her.

IC: (Nadia, Taris Lower City) The Twi'lek wandered down the crowded street. She could hear that familiar voice calling. "NADIA! NADIA!" She remained largely indifferent as Viseria rushed towards her. "Nadia," the Miraluka stooped to catch her breath as she finally reached the Twi'lek. "I know you're upset. Mia was very good to us and losing her is going to be hard. I miss her too." "I know," Nadia said. "But you've still got me. You've got me, and Gonzai, and the other Vulkars, and we're going to get through this. I know there's no one like me anywhere on Taris but you're the closest thing I have to a sister." Nadia fell into Viseria's arms, crying uncontrollably. The Miraluka wrapped her arms around the young Twi'lek, carefully letting her hands under her lekku. OOC: Nadia is still open for interaction. IC: (Layna, Taris Lower City) Stepping out of the Vulkar Base, Layna Arkada made her way according to Dak's instructions. Turned out there was a bounty office just down the street from the Vulkar base, right next door to the Dulok's Cantina. There were probably offices all over the planet, but this one was within easy reach, which was good. As she stepped into the bounty office, she looked around. There were a variety of people, some bounty hunters, others looking to place bounties. There was a small counter she approached, at which she saw what looked like a manager. "Excuse me. I was hoping to inquire about possible bounties."