Atton Rand

IC: "So the first thing we should do is find out what we can about this Raltz," Layna said. "In the meantime, he's going to have the advantage of knowing the environment better unless I can get around. I'll need to find some work anyway. Do you know where the local bounty office is?" OOC: I'm assuming there is a bounty office somewhere on Taris, isn't there?

OOC: Well, the local gangs seem to be the place to go when you're on the run. The Vulkars already seem to be getting their share of Imperial Fugitives (and one who's not technically a fugitive though she could get in trouble if the wrong people found out she was on Taris). You could also try out one of the other gangs. Seeing as she doesn't have any prior Vulkar ties she could probably get assistance from the Beks, in which case you'd be able to develop them more (so far there hasn't been much established about them). Alternatively, you could introduce a new street gang, which you would also be able to develop through her interactions with its members. IC: (Nadia, Stray Tach) After quickly downing her drink, Nadia stood and began to make her way out of the cantina, leaving Viseria. That was somewhat unusual. Obviously, the Twi'lek would need some time to herself. The Miraluka stood, and moved along the counter towards the wookie bartender. "Look," she said. "I'm really sorry about Nadia. She's normally a good person but... let's just say that she just lost a good friend, and as you saw she's been taking it pretty hard." The Miraluka reached into her pocket, and quickly checked how many credits she had. She placed a few on the counter, just enough for the drinks. She then placed a few extra as a tip, before turning towards the exit herself. OOC: Nadia is open to interaction at this point. IC: (Layna/Dak, Vulkar Base) As soon as they were inside, Dak led Layna to a corner of the room, where there was a small bench. The two sat down. "I guess I owe you an explanation," Dak muttered. Layna looked at the visitor. "My name is Dak Ulgo. I'm a stormtrooper. My designation was TK-4601. I served under Mia Arkada." "Wait," Layna said. "You're the trooper Gonzai was talking about?" "I'm the only one around here," Dak replied. "Gonzai said you left." "Probably a security measure. He wanted to be sure he could trust you before you found out I was here. You are Mia's sister, aren't you?" "That's right," Layna said. "I can tell you she wasn't killed in action," Dak said. "You know why? Because I was there." "You saw what happened to her?" There was no doubt Layna was paying attention. "The Stormtroopers outside said she was killed by a fugitive." "Not likely," Dak said. "While it was true that we were sent on a mission that required us to go to a scrapyard to investigate a b-wing, its owner was long gone by the time we arrived. Mia also survived the initial skirmish." "Tell me what happened," Layna said. "Everything you know." Dak started to explain everything to Layna. She started with Raltz's arrival and the growing tension between him and Mia. From there, she related her understanding of what happened in the junkyard, ending with her escape and falling in with the Vulkars. This was the most detailed account Layna had received so far, and the first from any kind of witness. "So you're saying that Mia was still alive when you left?" Layna asked. "Yes," Dak replied. "She gave me the order to get Evnairis to safety and that was the last I'd heard from her." "This was after she was attacked by the scavengers?" "Yes. The others had been killed or captured by that point." Dak's testimony presented another possible explanation, one which it unsurprisingly would not have been widely advertised. "Dak. Do you think it's possible that she was... murdered?" "Raltz did seem to be especially hostile towards her," Dak said. "If she was, I suspect he had something to do with it. It looked like he wanted her out of the way." "In that case, we'll need to find this Sergeant Raltz. We find him, we find Mia's killer." "Are you crazy?" Dak asked. "He's a dark trooper with years of experience. He's also probably still in the scrapyard surrounded by his own squad." "Makes sense," Layna replied. "Okay, I'll have to see if I can access the Imperial records. I'll need to get as much information on this Raltz as possible. Once we know who we're dealing with, the next step is to try and find him when he's vulnerable."

Okay. I didn't realize that was an issue, but that does make sense. Having a name which implies the person may be a descendant of someone who lived four thousand years ago (Talik Vao, Dak Ulgo) is one thing, but establishing a link to someone from the movies and using that as a major driving force in their characters would get in the way of that idea. That's okay. I'll just have to file this one with the ex-Jedi turned bounty hunter under "really neat ideas that don't totally work with the RPG at the moment but may be worth revisiting later." Edit: I've been thinking some diversity in my cast would be nice. I've got three characters of which two are human. It seemed to make sense to try to add some variety. Activity seems to have slowed down for now (I presume a lot of people are busy with exams and things), so this may be a good time to experiment with some new ideas and see waht I can come up with. Of course I'll have to wait for any approval before anything gets added to the RPG (well except for Gonzai, who I've wondered about trying to make a PC instead of an NPC). Name: Tashka Nishkoro Age: 25 Gender/Species: Female Togruta Appearance: As a Togruta, Tashka's most distinctive features are her three white and blue-striped lekku. She has orange skin and displays a notable white band on her shoulder. As far as clothes go, Tashka's outfits are generally plain. She often likes to wear a tank top under a vest, as well as thick boots. Because of her heritage, she also usually likes to apply war paint to make herself appear more intimidating, though the exact pattern may vary depending on her mood. Skills: As a warrior, Tashka is skilled in a variety of weapons, but while she can handle a blaster if needed, her real skills are in melee combat. Equipment: Generally keeps a vibro double-blade on hand. Personality: Because of her background, Tashka is a rough individual. She has a short temper and is easily provoked. She hardly shies away from a possible fight, and is usually eager to show her warrior skills. She often prefers the use of melee weapons over blasters, and is known to be very ruthless when she is engaged. Because of this, she is somewhat reckless without someone to warn her when she's in too deep, and sometimes charges into situations without thinking. However, Tashka is far from a savage. Beneath her hardened exterior she displays a firm moral code which she adheres to. As much as she likes to fight, she usually prefers to do it fairly. In other words, she refrains from attacking civilians without reason and also tries to give opponents a sporting chance. Of course, she also doesn't take kindly to cheaters, and is known to get much more vicious if the opponent tries to pull dirty tricks against her. Tashka is also fiercely loyal when it comes to her gang. She encourages teamwork and is often entrusted with resolving disputes among Vulkars, although this has not stopped her from developing a friendly rivalry with fellow Vulkar Nadia Rinlo. History: Unlike many Vulkars, Tashka did not grow up in the streets of Taris. Instead, she grew up living as a hunter and warrior on Shili. There she perfected her skills and developed a reputation for her courage. She became one of her clan's most prominent fighters, but ultimately she was not enough to save them from a rival tribe. Most of them were wiped out, but Tashka managed to escape, eventually stowing away on a smuggler's ship. After being left on Taris, Tashka quickly began trying to find new companions and transferred her skills to surviving in the streets. Eventually, she caught the attention of the Black Vulkars, who took her in as one of their own. Now with a new clan to fight for, Tashka has become a loyal member. Affiliation: Black Vulkars Position: Bodyguard Alignment: Loyalty Name: Gonzai Age: 50 Gender/Species: Gamorrean Male Appearance: Gonzai appears more or less like one would expect from a gamorrean. He is large, squat, muscular, and dark green. Because of his size, Gonzai's wardrobe is limited (it's hard to find clothes for a Gamorrean on a world like Taris). He usually wears the fur armor more commonly seen among his species, though largely because that is the easiest apparel he can get. Skills: Unlike most of his species, Gonzai is not an experienced warrior. Although he can defend himself if needed, his real skills are in business and management. He has a variety of contacts around Taris both in the media and in other businesses. While he is physically unable to speak anything beyond his native language, he fluently understands basic and has also developed a working understanding of several alien languages such as Twi'leki, Aqualish, Huttese, Rodian, and Togruti thanks to the diversity of his gang. Equipment: A small pocket-sized datapad with holonet access. Personality: Gonzai is very much the opposite of his race's reputation as dim-witted brutes. Although he is capable of defending himself, he generally tries to avoid fighting whenever possible. He is also known to discourage the Vulkars from using force unless all other options are exhausted, and even then he prefers that they only do so if they need to defend themselves (though on a crime-ridden world like Taris this ends up happening a lot). Although he is tied to the criminal underworld, Gonzai does attempt to run an ethical business. He usually does his best to hold his end of a deal and refrains from double-crossing without a good reason. That said, he is very selective about the types of businesses he runs. For example, he objects to the practices of slavery. The slaves he does manage to purchase (or who end up being won in swoop races) are freed as soon as possible, at which point they are given the option to either leave on their own or join the Vulkars willingly. As a person of authority in the Vulkars, and a longtime member, Gonzai has also become something of a father figure towards many of the gang members, and it is not unusual for him to talk to younger members of the gang about their personal issues. This has proven to be very appropriate as many gang members (such as Nadia and Viseria) grew up as street kids without any real family before he took them in. History: Gonzai started as an outcast from his homeworld of Gamorr. As a boar, he was expected to became a warrior, but never really had what it took. Although he learned to use a variety of Gamorrean weapons, he was constantly under pressure to prove himself for a life he was never cut out to live. He was eventually labelled as dishonorable and exiled from his clan. From there, Gonzai made his way offworld and visited a few planets before arriving on Taris. There he managed to do a few small-time jobs in which he gradually discovered his skills in business. Eventually, this talent reached the attention of the Vulkars, and over the following years Gonzai worked his way to their highest ranks. Using his new position in the Vulkars, Gonzai began working to try and improve the lives of the working class of Taris, something that proved easy to do with the money he made off of swoop races. One practice he became especially known for was his habit of finding street kids. People like Nadia Rinlo and Viseria were kids who would grew up on the streets without any real family. He would take them in and offer food and shelter. Many of them were accepted as members of the gang and later developed useful skills. Two of his best riders came from such a background, as did many of the younger gang members. Affiliation: Black Vulkars Position: Manager, publicist, unofficial swoop coach Alignment: Good Name: Kyra Drayen Age: 31 Gender/Species: Human Female Appearance: In her old days with the rebels, Kyra proudly wore the orange and white jumpsuit which distinguished members of their squadrons. Her raven hair was cut short and neatly combed. Now, she is a nervous wreck. Her hair is still short, but remains a mess. Her clothes are mostly based on what remains from her days in the alliance; an old worn green jacket over a set of camouflage pants, and her old combat boots that are slowly falling apart. Skills: Because of her old days in the alliance, Kyra is an experienced pilot, though she often remains reluctant to take direct control of anything that flies. She also knows how to use a variety of blasters. Equipment: A small blaster pistol. Personality: As a veteran, Kyra is a reclusive individual. She generally tries to avoid drawing attention to herself. History: Once, Kyra was one of the most idealistic rebels one could meet. She fought for the alliance in its early days. She was well-known as an expert pilot, and flew a Y-wing, quickly working her way to becoming a squad leader. During this time, she made a number of friends in the alliance. In particular, she developed a close bond with her astromech droid, R9-G7. She also fell in love with a fellow rebe with whom she became extremely close. Shortly before the Battle of Yavin, the two became engaged. Unfortunately, duty interfered. Kyra's lover was recruited to serve aboard Tantive IV on a secret mission. They said their goodbyes, hoping to be married when the mission was over. Only too late did Kyra realize that Tantive IV would never reach its destination. She later learned that the ship had been captured by the Empire, and most of its crew killed. Kyra was devastated, and her subsequent nervous breakdown kept her out of much of the action. R9 remained her only friend, whom she often spoke to. She was starting to become distant from the other rebels. Kyra did eventually return to the seat of a Y-wing, but by that time she had changed. The once cheerful and amazing young woman had become much colder as she struggled to live with her actions. Every Imperial life she took seemed to make it worse, but she attempted to convince herself that it was for a greater cause. By the Battle of Endor, Kyra was beginning to show symptoms of PTSD and forcibly retired from her squadron duties. With the beginning of the New Republic, Kyra found herself unable to adjust to the new world. She continued to experience guilt both for the rebels she saw die and for the Imperials she killed. She even wondered if the Rebels had made the ethical choice by letting millions of people die aboard the Death Star. Ultimately, Kyra could no longer handle life in the New Republic. The only thing she could do was run away. She took R9, and boarded a cargo freighter to some random backwater planet. As it happened, the planet in question was Taris, a bleak world in which she is trying to disappear, and to forget the life she once understood. Affiliation: Herself, formerly Rebel Alliance Position: Formerly Y-Wing Pilot Alignment: Good, though she isn't sure exactly what that means So if I'm understanding this correctly, it's hard to get some exact statistics but based on what I have seen, we appear to have a reasonable balance of male and female PCs, though a lot of them do seem to be human. As far as I know, we've got at present: 1 Zeltron (female)2 Zabraks (one male, one female)2 Twi'leks (one male, one female)1 Chistori (male)1 Wookie (female)1 Umbaran (female)2 Arkanians (1 male, 1 female)1 Togruta (female)1 Echani (male)1 Battle Droid (Male)1 R2-unit Astromech Droid (female)15 humans (11 male, 4 female)I'm probably forgetting a few, and of course this is only going on PCs (including NPCs I know we have a Gamorrean and Miraluka, probably one or two others I'm also forgetting). That still leaves a long list of species which haven't appeared yet (at least not as player characters, some of these may have appeared as NPCs). To name a few, we still have yet to see any Hutts, Rodians, Bith, Ithorians, Trandoshans, Mon Calamari, Gungans, Sullustans, Nautolan, Selkath, Cathar, Lasat, Dug, Bothans, Mirialans, Quarrans, Xexto, Aqualish, Toydarians, Quermians, Kaminoans, Gran, Toong, Jawas, Echani, Ewoks, Duloks, Phlogs, Jindas, Tammuz-an, Anoo-dat Blue, Yoda's species, Rakatans, Yuuzhan Vong, Klingons, Romulans, Bajorans, Borg, Vulcans, Betazoids, Asari, Turians, Daleks, Thals, Sontarans, Time Lords, Luxan, Nebari, Blancmanges, and Nemoidians. I'm not sure if that information is at all useful. It seems like something that may be worth giving some thought, and yes I did just spend a bunch of time going through the Star Wars wiki finding as many different obscure races as I could for that list.

OOC: I tried to wait. I just got a little impatient. One problem with text-based RPGs is that you don't always know when one person is going to post. Maybe I should try and find a technique for dealing with those moments. IC: Nadia looked at the drinks on the counter. That was strange. She didn't notice them there before. Obviously she wasn't thinking entirely straight. Nadia picked up her glass, as did Viseria. "To Mia," Viseria said. "To Mia," Nadia said, before taking a large swig.

IC: That was strange. Yet another differing account of what happened to her sister. So far she still had yet to receive anything beyond second-hand accounts of what other people were told, but none of them seemed to line up. Needa said she was killed in action fighting scavengers (though he clearly didn't believe it). Gonzai said that she was the victim of an attempted mutiny. Now these stormtroopers were saying she was shot and killed by a fugitive. In any case, something was off. Otherwise there wouldn't be at least three separate accounts of what happened. Before the stormtroopers turned around, Layna caught a glimpse of someone leaving the Outpost. She was just outside as they began to turn. Whoever it was, she didn't look like an Imperial, between her tank top, messy hair, and tired-looking expression. She seemed to be moving towards the Vulkar Base. Layna walked towards the figure, passing the stormtroopers as she did, and approached her. "You look tired," Layna said as she approached. The young woman turned in surprise. Her expression seemed to suggest that she was pleased about something, but she spoke only in a quick whisper. "Layna?" "You know me?" "I just saw your record. My name is Dak Ulgo, and I've got a lot to tell you. I wasn't expecting to run into you. Come on, let's get to the base. I'll explain everything later." Layna remained puzzled. It was obvious that she didn't know everything about this person, but they shared the residence of the Vulkar base. Layna reluctantly decided to follow her.

IC: (Layna, Taris Lower City) "I don't watch the holonet much," Layna said. "I've been hearing a lot of people talking about it in some of the cantinas." IC: (Dak Ulgo, Imperial Outpost) It was only a short walk as Dak made her way towards the small outpost where she had spent the last few months under Lt. Arkada. She walked up to it carefully, hoping that she was making a solid decision. If she was wrong, and Inquisitorious stormtroopers were here, she would be in serious trouble. Fortunately, as Dak stepped inside, the base was mostly empty. A few drunken stormtroopers were still sleeping off the effects of their drinks, but none of Raltz's squad was present. They were probably still busy in the scrapyard. That was good so far. She heard the noise of a door opening, and turned in shock, but was relieved to see a familiar face. It was one of Mia's officers, a middle-aged man. Commander Needa. "Okay, I'm not sure why you're here, but this is a restricted- Wait" He stopped himself, squinting as he looked at the woman in front of him. "Dak? Dak Ulgo?" "I'm sorry about my uniform, sir," Dak said. "Ordinarily I'd order you to get changed, but things are difficult now." Needa stepped out of the room. "I'm in charge for now. I heard Lt. Arkada was killed and you're the only member of her platoon who has returned. You must know something." "I'm not a deserter, if that's what you mean." "Of course not," Needa said. "But I get the feeling you know something about what's going on down there. The reports said that Mia was killed in action, but being shot in a fight against scavengers seems unlikely. I'm pretty sure there's something they're not telling us." "That much is correct," Dak said. "I can tell you Mia wasn't killed in action. I was with her during that battle. She was still alive when the scavengers had been overpowered. I don't know exactly how she died, but it seemed to have something to do with Sergeant Raltz. I saw him jetpacking towards her. Mia's last instructions were to get out of there before I was found." Needa paused for a moment. "What are you doing then?" "I needed information about the lieutenant. I've been told that she may have a sister." "She does," Needa explained. He reached for a datapad and opened the Imperial Records. "I was surprised as well. Layna Arkada. Born six years after Mia. Tried to enroll in the Imperial Academy but was found to be too impulsive and ultimately dropped out. Spent the last few years working as a bounty hunter and mercenary. In fact, she came by here earlier. I told her to speak to the Beks about accomodation." "I'm also going to need you to step in here," he motioned towards the officer's quarters. Dak reluctantly stepped in, Needa shutting the door behind her. "Between you and me," Needa explained. "You may just be the key we've been looking for." "What do you mean?" Needa took a seat. "As you are no doubt aware, the Empire has become somewhat divided with the sudden death of the Emperor. The man was so worried about his own rule that he never made a decision on what would happen when he died. The Inquisitors want to follow in his footsteps, but there are some of us who believe that they are unfit to rule. We believe that the Empire should be run by someone responsible, who is not likely to abuse their power. You may be just what we need." "Why? What's going on?" "I'll show you." Needa approached the holoprojector, and typed a code into it. Though Dak could not make it out, she could tell he was accessing a secure channel, one he probably intended to keep secret. After a few minutes, a small figure appeared; the blue translucent image of an Imperial Officer. "Commander Needa," the officer said. "It's good to hear from you. I trust you have something to report." "I do," Needa said. "Remember how I was telling you about the scrapyard operation and Mia's apparent death." "Yes," "I've got someone who can testify to what actually went on." The officer paused. "Go on," he said. "Dak," he motioned for Dak to approach the hologram. "Identify yourself," the Officer said. "Private Dak Ulgo, designation TK-4601." The Officer paused as he verified her designation. "Very well. Tell me what happened in the scrapyard." Dak was nervous. She remained unsure if she could trust anyone in the Empire, but at the same time, Needa was offering a possible way out of her mess. The Empire might still have been willing to take her back. All she needed to do was lay low until she could find a way off Taris, then make her way to an Imperial world. She carefully proceeded to relate what happened. She described everything from Raltz's arrival to her escape from the scrapyard, though she refrained from mentioning her new affiliation with the Vulkars. "Excellent," the Officer replied. "If your testimony is true, than it is obvious the Inquisitors are lying about Mia's fate. She was still alive after the skirmish, meaning she couldn't have been KIA. You didn't see what happened, did you?" "No," Dak said. "But I did see Raltz jumppacking after her." "I'll have to check the records for information on this Sergeant Raltz. It is starting to sound like he was involved in the murder of a decorated officer. If we can expose this, it might be just the break we're looking for. I will pass this information up immediately. Excellent work commander." "Thank you," Needa said. "In the meantime, 4601 will need to lay low. Commander, I'll need you to find out if any other Inquisitors are on Taris, and if so gather whatever information you can about them. Discretion is of the utmost importance." "Copy that," Needa said. "This is Commander Needa out." A flick of a switch, and the Officer disappeared. "Do you have a place to stay," Needa asked as he turned toward Dak. She nodded. "Good. Don't tell me. The less I know, the better. Just take this." He handed her a small comm link. "It's a secure line that leads directly to my own. For safety reasons, you will only be able to send recorded messages." "What do you want me to do with this?" Dak asked. "For now, just lay low. If I find any more information or I need to contact you, I'll send you a message. Of course, if you remember anything that may be of use to us or you need me for any reason, you can transmit a message to me. Just keep this on you at all times. Got it?" "Yes," "Good. Now get back to wherever it is you've been staying and don't draw attention." "Yes sir," Dak muttered as she placed the comm into her pocket. She stood and approached the door, opening it and moving towards the exit. A few more steps and she opened the door and was outside. She started to walk back towards the Vulkar base.

IC: (Layna, Taris Undercity) Layna paused and thought for a moment. If she was right, these stormtroopers might be able to offer information, but she also knew that revealing her true identity would be a bad idea. Fortunately, neither of the stormtroopers seemed aware of who they were talking to. "We were... together at the Imperial Academy, and very close," she finally said. It was technically true, after all. "At least until I flunked out of it. I heard that she was running an outpost on Taris but I've also been hearing a rumor that she was killed in action. I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

IC: (Dak Ulgo, Vulkar Base) Gonzai led Dak out of the armory and took a seat with her on a couch nearby. The former stormtrooper was still obviously upset, and the Gamorrean could do little to make her feel better. Between her new tank top and messy hair, one would never have guessed that she had only a few hours ago been a member of the Empire. Now it was a question of whether she would ever be able to return or if she would have to spend the rest of her life hiding out with this gang. "You sure she's dead?" Dak asked. "As far as I know," Gonzai said. He took a deep breath. "There was another woman who just came by, who said she was Mia's sister." "What? I didn't know Mia had a sister. She didn't talk much about her personal life." "She said she was told Mia was killed in action," Dak was angered by the statement. "That's not true," she said. "I didn't say anything about you other than we met, but if she is who she says she is, you might want to talk to her." Dak paused to think. "If I can get back to the Outpost, I might be able to find something in the records." "But we don't know how deep this thing goes," "Most of them should still be down in the Junkyard. The only ones who stayed at the Outpost were a few of Mia's officers and the stormtroopers who were unfit to go with her. Nearly all of them are people who knew Mia personally, and worst case scenario they could probably be bribed to look the other way." "You think so," the Gamorrean asked. "Yes," Dak said. "If there are any Imperials on the planet that I can still trust, it's the ones at the Outpost."

IC: (Layna Arkada, Tarisian Lower City) The chances of being noticed were fairly low at the moment. Unless someone thought she resembled her sister (which was unlikely based on her messy hair and extremely worn outfit) she would probably be okay. She hadn't even told Mia that she would be coming. Why would anyone else know that her sister had been on Taris for a few hours at most? "Excuse me," she said to one of the Stormtroopers. "You mentioned something about a lieutenant. You weren't by any chance referring to Mia Arkada?" IC: (Nadia, Stray Tach) The Twi'lek was starting to calm down, at least as much as she could. "I'm sorry," Nadia muttered. "I've just been under a lot of stress."

OOC: This would be a great opportunity for an interaction with Commander Needa, but I'm still waiting for his profile to be approved. It may still be possible for Layna to get some interaction, though. IC: (Layna Arkada, Taris Undercity) Of all the gin joints on all the planets in all the galaxy, she had to walk into the one that was run by a Dulok. The projector at the front should have already clued her in. The place was literally called "Restaurant" and claimed to serve "the finest in Dulok cuisine straight from the Swamps of Endor." Still, all she wanted was a drink. "OH" She heard a voice yell, followed by a clattering of pots. The large green Dulok stumbled out of the kitchen. "A CUSTOMER! WELCOME TO THE ONLY RESTAURANT ON TARIS WHICH SERVES AUTHENTIC DULOK CUISINE! The special today is glock." "What else to you have?" "Well, we have glock... glock... and uh... glock." Layna was quickly starting to see why Gonzai didn't like this place. "I just need something to drink." "OH SURE!" The Dulok proceeded to pour a disgusting-looking fluid into a dirty glass. "Authentic Dulok beer!" Layna quickly turned toward the door. "WAIT! I HAVEN'T MADE DESERT!" Layna quickly stepped out of the cantina. She almost wondered how the place was even still open. She heard the Dulok continuing to stumble around inside, knocking over other dishes. As she walked away from the cantina, she quickly spotted a pair of stormtroopers apparently on patrol. They seemed to be talking among themselves. One of them said something about a dead lieutenant- probably her sister. Not being seen would be difficult right now. She just hoped nobody knew who she was yet.

IC: (Vulkar Base) "I guess that's everything," Gonza i said. "I know you'll probably be wanting some time to yourself, so I'll give you some privacy. If there's anything you need, you just let me know." Layna remained quiet for a moment. "Is there a good place to get a drink around here?" She asked. Gonzai turned around. "There's a few. I know of one place down the street, but it's not very good-" "Doesn't matter," Layna said. She stood and began to walk towards the exit. Gonzai watched. It was obvious the girl needed some time to herself. Losing a sister could not have been easy for her. Still, she had offered information that was not available before, and Layna wasn't the only one who deserved to know. The Gamorrean turned toward the armory, where he quickly found Dak. She looked as though she had been in the middle of examining their weapons, but then got distracted. "Are you okay?" Dak nodded. "You want to talk about it?" Dak shook her head. "I've got some more information." Dak looked at him. She already knew what he was going to say, but even so she wanted to know for sure. "I'm afraid... Mia... Mia's dead." Dak collapsed into Gonzai's arms almost immediately. There was no way she could stop herself from crying. Gonzai did his best to comfort her, at least as much as he could with his massive arms. IC: (Nadia, Stray Tach) "WHAT'S TAKING THOSE DRINKS SO LONG!" the Twi'lek yelled impulsively at the Wookie bartender. She was on the verge of climbing onto the counter. Viseria was struggling to restrain her. As she did, one swipe of her arm managed to easily knock over Sen Fahl's drink. "NADIA!" The Miraluka was calling out. "GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Finally, Viseria managed to pull the Twi'lek back into her chair. Viseria turned so that she could face both the bartender and the young Mandalorian sitting next to Nadia. "I'm sorry," she said. "We just lost someone." Nadia was starting to calm down. She took a deep breath. OOC: Nadia's open for interaction if anyone wants. Layna should be soon.

IC: Nadia took a seat at the bar. On one side, Viseria sat next to her. On the other, she saw a young human wearing olive green armor plates. He seemed to be enjoying himself. To the Twi'lek, it seemed strange that a man could enjoy himself at a time like this. Still, she tried not to let him distract her. She was already frustrated enough as it was. "I need something strong," she said to the Wookie bartender, trying to keep her frustration from getting out of control. Viseria wasn't exactly feeling much better, though she tried to remain calm. The young Miraluka reached out towards her friend, wrapping an arm under her lekku and putting it on her shoulder. Nadia tried to hold in the tears, though that didn't stop a few from coming out. "We're going to have to tell Dak," Nadia said. "I know," Viseria said. She could feel a few tears of her own pouring from under her mask. Ordinarily, Nadia was tough. She wasn't the kind of person to let her emotional vulnerabilities show easily. To see her genuinely upset about something was very strange, even for what might as well have been her sister. IC: Layna looked around as she stepped into the Vulkar base. She was hardly feeling much better, but at least here she might be able to find something to do. There were a variety of different species, and for the most part she didn't draw much attention. "Hey!" One Bek yelled as he approached her. "Who are you? What is your business here?" Layna paused. "I was told to come here," she said. "By who?" "Easy now," said a voice from behind. Layna looked in confusion as she was approached by a large Gamorrean. "I'll take care of this. I assume there's a logical explanation for this." Layna took a deep breath. "My name is Layna Arkada. I was told that you know my sister, Mia Arkada." "We've done business together," The Gamorrean said. "Nadia is the one who knew her best, but she did a lot for us." He looked at Layna's face. Her expression did little to hide her emotions. "Mia's dead. One of her officers said to come here." "I see." The Gamorrean paused for a moment. "Well, we can get you a bed easy enough. If there's anything you need-" "I'm good. Right now, all I want is answers." "I'll do my best to give them to you. My name is Gonzai. I do a lot of the business around here. Come on, I'll show you around." The Gamorrean gave Layna a thorough tour of the base. As they walked, he explained to her everything that had happened recently. "I don't know much yet. Yesterday, we were visited by a Stormtrooper who told us that Mia was in trouble. She said that there was some kind of mutiny involving a dark trooper named Raltz." "Raltz?" Layna quickly realized she would have to remember that name. "That's what she said. She told me to try to save Mia, then left." "She said there was a mutiny?" "Something along those lines. Why?" "I was told she was killed in action." Layna remained quiet, though she was thinking. Something about this wasn't adding up. This supposed witness's statement of a mutiny hardly lined up with the report of KIA she had been given.

OOC: I guess I'm stuck at the moment. I've got two characters waiting for approval, but I'm still waiting to hear back from M31 before I can do anything with them. IC: The Wookie bartender didn't seem to notice them yet. He (or she? Why is it so hard to tell?) was obviously busy with other customers. For the moment, Nadia would have to wait patiently for service, not her strongest skill. "So what kind of trouble is Mia in?" Nadia asked. "I don't know," Viseria said. "I can just say I don't like it... wait a minute..." Viseria turned towards a viewscreen on the wall. She approached it slowly. Nadia watched in confusion. "Is something wrong?" She stood and approached the viewscreen as well. It only took a moment to realize what was bothering Viseria. "Tragedy struck as Imperial troops were attacked by scavengers on patrol in the junkyard. Reports indicate that only a few stormtroopers managed to escape. Among the casualties was reportedly decorated Imperial Lieutenant Mia Arkada. The Lieutenant had served the Empire for ten years aboard a variety of ships..." The Twi'lek paused. She could barely comprehend what she was hearing. "Now I really need a drink," she said, turning back towards the bar. OOC: Nadia is open for interaction. EDIT: Got the approval for one of my new characters. Still waiting for the other to be approved as a player character (as opposed to an NPC, which is what he is at the moment) but hopefully that will come soon. IC: The officer tried to remain calm. The young woman who had only a moment ago appeared imposing and tough was an emotional wreck. It was hardly a surprise that she was having trouble accepting her loss. He had known Mia for three months and already missed her. He already knew what it was like to lose someone he had known his entire life. Layna's tears were entirely understandable, especially if his suspicions were correct and there was something about Mia's death that was being kept under wraps. He took a deep breath and thought about what to say. Any information he could get might be useful to uncovering the truth, but it was obvious that Layna was too distraught to speak rationally. Finally, he spoke casually. "You got a place to say?" He asked. Layna shook her head. "I'd offer you accommodations here, but that might be difficult at the moment. I'll tell you what I can do: Mia made a bunch of deals with one of the local gangs, the Vulkars. They're friends." The officer was briefly cut off as Layna took a moment to sniff. "Tell them what you told me. They should be able to give you a place to stay, at least until you get settled in." Layna nodded. It wasn't much comfort, but at least she had a direction. "As soon as I can get more information, I'll bring it to you. You got that?" Layna nodded. "Do you want me to send someone to escort you?" Layna shook her head. "Alright then. Let me once again share my condolences, and I promise I will do whatever I can to see your sister's killer brought to justice." Layna nodded, before making her way towards the door. A miserable young woman in the streets of lower city Taris was hardly unusual, and didn't seem to draw too much attention. All she could do for now was make her way towards the Vulkar base.

IC: Her hair was tied back into a rough braid. As usual, she was wearing her long trenchcoat, with a pistol hidden inside. Not that she expected to need it, but based on what she had heard of criminal activity it was always good to be prepared. Layna Arkada marched through the streets of the Lower City. It had not been an easy flight to Taris. Long, crowded, and dull. Still, she had arrived and made her way to the Lower City. She just hoped finding work wouldn't be too hard, though she could probably ask around in the Cantinas. There was probably a bounty office somewhere she could use to start looking. Of course, that wasn't her immediate interest. What she was really looking for was that small Imperial Outpost. Locating it had not proven too hard; the Imperial Logo on the door gave it away. Then it was just a matter of gaining entrance. The place didn't seem to be too guarded; then again, there wasn't much reason for it to be. As Layna opened the door and stepped inside, she looked around. Mia had evidently been hard at work restoring the outpost. The place was intact, and the computers seemed to be working. It was a strange feeling. Layna could barely remember when she last saw her sister. Still, there didn't seem to be many people here. She noticed a nervous stormtrooper standing at the door to the barracks, watching her movements. Moving towards the officers' quarters, Layna began to overhear someone, a man; who seemed to be delivering a report. As she approached, she saw an officer speaking to someone on a hologram. "That's what they told me. I don't know much, but something seems off about all this." He turned toward Layna, somewhat confused about her presence. Then back towards the hologram. "I'm going to have to call you back." "Can I help you?" He asked, after shutting off the hologram projector. "I'm looking for someone. I was told I could find her here." "Really?" the officer stood and approached her. "Well, there aren't very many people here. I'm Commander Riv Needa, acting C.O. I should be able to find them easily enough." "My sister was supposed to be here," Layna explained. "Mia Arkada." Needa's expression changed in an instant to one of remorse. Layna tried to remain calm, though she had a feeling she was about to receive bad news. "I'm sorry," Needa said. "I didn't know her for long, but she was a great woman." A few tears were emerging from Layna's eyes. "How did it happen?" "According to the reports, she was killed in action." Layna's tears were uncontrollable, and quickly pouring out. Needa approached her. Layna could barely keep herself from crying as the officer wrapped his arms around her. "There was nothing anyone could have done," he said, not that it did much to calm down his visitor. All he could do for now was let her take a seat on one of the beds, and let her tears out. He could hardly blame Layna's reaction to losing her sister. He could still remember the emotions he experienced when he learned that his own brother had been choked to death by Vader himself. He also knew there was little he could do to make Layna feel any better. Still, he was noticing something else: a possible opportunity, though in her emotional state there was little she could do for now. All he could do was try to comfort her.

IC: As Dak stepped into the small armory, she began to look around at the weapons the Vulkars had. It was hardly anything professional, but she quickly recognized several different firearms, among which was now the blaster she had with her when she arrived. It didn't take long to recognize most of their guns, which seemed to be made up of whatever they had managed to find, both through scavenging and by way of local weapons stores. As she touched her blaster, she began to remember something. She was there, in the junkyard with Evnairis next to her. Mia was giving what would be her last orders: to run. Dak dropped the weapon in shock, taking a moment to catch her breath. *** Nadia and Viseria had left the base and were making their way down the streets of the Tarisian Lower City. A drink hardly seemed like a bad idea right now, especially after everything that had happened so far. "We could go down to the Stray Tach," Nadia said. "That place seemed to be good." "I don't think it matters to me," Viseria replied. "Well, it's either that or we go to that place run by the Dulok." Viseria shuddered slightly at the memory of that Cantina, if it could even be called that. It was amazing it was even still open, given the Duloks' notorious incompetence and their infamous cooking. "Stray Tach should be fine," Viseria muttered. It wasn't long before they reached the door to the Stray Tach Cantina. The Twi'lek quickly steppd inside, with the Miraluka following close behind. The place was still bustling. The Wookie Bartender was still working there. As Nadia and Viseria approached, the Twi'lek quickly signaled to the bartender. "I think we need a drink," she said. "Something strong."

That actually does explain a lot. This whole time I was thinking about the mission as if it were a military operation. Man, I feel like such an idiot for not seeing this sooner. Anyway, I'm also thinking I should make a profile for this guy, who could be interesting. It might give us a chance to show just how divided the Empire is right now. Name: Riv Needa Age: 42 Gender/Species: Human Male Appearance: Tall caucasian man, clean-shaven; Short brown hair. He is usually found wearing the standard gray-green Imperial Uniform, along with a military cap. He usually tries to appear calm. Equipment: A small blaster pistol and a modified comm link with encryption settings. He also keeps a photograph of his brother. Skills: As an Imperial Officer, Needa knows how to handle firearms (though his position results in him not needing them very often). He also has skills in encryption and decryption of transmissions. Personality: Despite his professional appearance, Needa is a fairly decent person. Like his predecessor, he does try to look out for the people under his command, and does his best to avoid the use of force whenever possible. He is also willing to assist others outside the empire as long as it doesn't interfere with (what he sees as) political interests. Unfortunately, because of his past, Needa is very distrustful of the Inquisitors, though he tries to be discreet in sharing those feelings.. History: Riv began his career in the last days of the Old Republic, alongside his brother Lorth, both of whom served in the Navy shortly before its fall. When the Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire, its military was also changed, and both men became part of the Imperial Navy. While Lorth went on to serve as Captain aboard a Star Destroyer, Riv moved through several different jobs, usually of a low-level. His chances of moving up were destroyed when he learned that his brother had been executed by Darth Vader. Lorther's death also resulted in the executions of several other relatives, though Riv was spared as he was deemed insignificant. While he continued to serve the Empire, Riv Needa began to question Emperor Palpatine's rule, and after the Battle of Endor found a new opportunity. He became part of a group of Imperial Officers who believed the Sith were unfit to rule the Galaxy, and that a force sensitive should not be in charge, and who hoped to work against the Inquisitors. Riv was later assigned to assist in the restoration of a small outpost on Taris, where he served under Lieutenant Mia Arkada, an officer he grew to admire. After her death, Riv became the new acting C.O. of the Outpost presenting a new opportunity: to report to his superiors on Inquisitorial activity and do whatever he could to give the Empire an advantage. Affiliation: Galactic Empire, though he is part of a faction within that sees the Inquisitors as unfit to rule. Rank: Commander Position: Acting C.O. at the Local Tarisian Outpost Alignment: Order

Well, there's a world of difference between finding someone interesting as a character and nice as a person. I know. I was just making a joke because of his avatar.

IC: The interrogation finished, Dak stuggled to compose herself before turning towards Nadia and Viseria. "So I guess now I've got to lay low," the former stormtrooper muttered. "It shouldn't be very long," Nadia said. "We stick with our plan. You and Evnairis are going to stay here for the next few days. You're already looking different so all we can do is hope nobody else comes looking." "There isn't much else we can do now," Viseria said. "The Beks won't take you in, not if they've seen you with the Vulkars. Best case scenario is they'd refuse, and that's assuming they don't try to turn you in for a reward. The other gangs aren't quite as charitable as we are when it comes to taking people in. We could try to get you off world, but that would increase the chances of being seen. The best thing to do is to stick with us." "So what is there to do around here?" "There's probably a few things you could do if you asked around," Nadia said. "Odd jobs and things." "The mechanics often like an extra hand," Viseria added. "Most of us can do our own repairs but a little assistance is often useful. Evnairis has so far proven to be pretty good at it." Silence fell for a moment. "I don't know much about swoop repair," Dak finally said. "But I know a thing or two about weapons." "Well, we do have a small arsenal," Nadia said. "We don't usually need it, but we like to keep a few weapons on hand." "I could examine them for you," Dak said. "If you like I could get an inventory of what you've got and what conditions they're in." "That's not a bad idea," Nadia said. Dak turned and made her way towards the elevator. "After all this, I think I might need a drink," Viseria said. She turned towards Evnairis. "Do you think you could finish up here?" "Sure. No problem." "That's a good idea," Nadia said. "Dak will probably be busy for a little while. Evnairis is occupied with swoop maintenance. Some time to make sense of everything would be good."

I guess that makes sense. A lot of what I was doing seemed to make sense to me but it would appear it didn't line up perfectly with my understanding of what was happening. Looking back now, I think I may have misunderstood Raltz's character. I got the impression at first that he was more like Imperial Special Ops, rather than part of a different organization altogether. Actually, thinking about that, I may have misunderstood the way things were working because I found myself largely imagining those two organizations as being more or less the same, which doesn't seem to be the case. I don't suppose you have any advice on how to work on that? I'm also starting to wonder if part of the confusion came from misunderstanding the Imperial structure. This whole time I've been assuming that it is organized more or less the same as a real-life army, in which the senior officer is usually given command; thus a lieutenant is automatically higher than a sergeant. Okay, that one seemed to make sense at the time. The intention was that Mia wanted them to be taken alive partially to ensure Evnairis's co-operation but also because that way they could be questioned. Some of them had found the b-wing so they may have had information that they wouldn't have been able to provide if they were dead. In my defense, I edited that post but yes, I can see what you mean. In that instance, I was under the impression that there were multiple elevators. It would appear you thought there was just one. Clearly there was a miscommunication somewhere. I guess I have jumped around between posts, and if you'd like I could try to reduce that. A lot of it (i.e. Nadia and Viseria being at the track in one, then at the base in the next) is largely just because there isn't much in between unless you'd like to read about them walking from one place to another. I'll admit, being a team player something I'm still working on. Admittedly, Nadia and Viseria didn't really have very many opportunities for interaction. There wasn't really anywhere for them to jump into and nobody ever seemed to be able to come to them so I didn't have much else to do. I tried to use those posts to work on developing them better for when interaction actually did happen, but I see what you mean. Finding them some interaction would be great, I'm just not sure how much can be done at the moment. I guess I can see that. I liked the idea of an Imperial who looks out for those under her command and who was really not that bad a person, but I may have gone a bit too far with that. It's one thing to treat her staff well when there isn't much going on, but that sort of attitude might not translate as well to the field. That seems a bit ironic coming from you. Based on your avatar I would have thought you would enjoy seeing your favorite character make a brief appearance.

Possibly. I think part of me wanting to write that might have been some frustration about the impact Mia was having. For all my efforts to make her a strong character everyone seemed to keep interpreting her as being incompetent and treating her like an inexperienced rookie, and I guess I was hoping that story would have allowed me a chance to show one of her better moments. Obviously something went wrong. I guess it could have been worse. At least she didn't turn into another Trigger (a PC from my Dino Attack RPG days that was supposed to be a great anti-hero but people ended up hating so much I killed him off myself). Still, something obviously didn't go the way I'd hoped when trying to depict her and it gave everyone the wrong impression. In that RPG, I found it useful to talk about what went wrong with my least popular characters. I'm wondering if it might be good to figure out what went wrong with Mia to give everyone this image of her. I can't do much now but any of that information could still be useful in the future. Name: Dak Ulgo Age: 19 Gender/Species: Human female Appearance: In her uniform, Dak looks no different from any other stormtrooper. Now that she's a fugitive, she dresses in plain clothes with the intent of blending in. Her long brown hair is often disheveled and messy. Skills: As a stormtrooper, Dak is trained to use a variety of blasters, and she also knows hand-to-hand. She also has some experience in understanding military tactics and a working knowledge of the Empire's structure. Equipment: At the moment, none. She has to rely mostly on what is available. Personality: Dak is a reasonably well-meaning individual. Because of her lack of experience, she is often reluctant to get involved in direct combat (and so far still has yet to take a life). She is also very loyal and tries to follow orders, though preserving her loyalty is not always an easy task and she is capable of breaking down under pressure. Unfortunately, the events in the Tarisian junkyard have also affected her psychologically. History: Once, Dak was a stormtrooper like any other. When she graduated from the Academy, her first assignment was a dull one; to serve guard duty while an Imperial Outpost on Taris was being restored. What she did not expect was to meet an officer who would change her life: Mia Arkada. Unfortunately, when faced with her first real mission, Dak panicked, and ended up working with Mia behind enemy lines. The only problem was that things went from bad to worse, and the last orders Dak received from her C.O. were to get a young scavenger to safety. So far, she has done her best to follow those orders, but as it also happens there are many in the Empire who see her as a fugitive. In order to disappear, Dak has had no choice but to become a member of the Black Vulkars, who are presently her only allies. Affiliation: Black Vulkars, formerly Galactic Empire Rank: Position: Alignment: Loyalty Name: Layna Arkada Age: 23 Gender/Species: Human female Appearance: Though there is some familial resemblance to her sister, Layna appears very much the opposite. She is a bit messier, her long hair never tied in anything more than a rough ponytail. Layna's clothes are usually plain in nature, more or less whatever she is able to find. The one consistent detail is she often likes to wear a distinct trenchcoat, especially in public, which she sometimes uses to conceal weapons. Skills: Layna has experience in a variety of weapons. She usually works with firearms, but she is capable of using a vibroblade or hand-to-hand when needed. She also has some experience when it comes to technical work, such as computer hacking and repairs. Equipment: Layna usually likes to at the very least keep a pistol and thermal detonator within reach. However, she often likes to keep a stash of weapons somewhere she can easily find them. Personality: Unlike her older sister, Layna is a bit more reckless. She's not stupid, and knows when to back down, but she's not always willing to admit it. She is also known to be a bit more aggressive than Mia. She is not without compassion, but she often prefers to be more discreet when it comes to doing good, and almost never admits to it. Of course, despite her rough personality, Layna does have morals. She is often cautious when taking assignments, and usually accepts assignments based on how she feels about the target or employers. She also isn't afraid to turn on an employer if she feels they haven't been honest with her. History: The younger sister of Mia Arkada, Layna lacked the patience to be able to follow her into the Imperial Academy. That didn't stop her from learning a few skills from her sister, but she never had what it took to serve a real cause. She was impatient, arrogant, and often had difficulty being a team player, making her unfit for most factions. Instead, Layna pursued a solo life as a mercenary and bounty hunter. During the Galactic Civil War, Layna refrained from getting involved in politics (though that didn't stop her from occasionally taking advantage of her Imperial ties, usually as a means of getting information) but still managed to find plenty of work by taking contracts on Outer Rim worlds. Unfortunately, now that the war is in decline, job opportunities have not been as easy to find. Layna is moving to Taris in the hopes of finding more work but there's also another reason: she hopes for a reunion with the sister she has not seen in person for years. Affiliation: None, at least not at the moment Position: Mercenary/Bounty Hunter Alignment: Money, though she is not above vigilante justice now and then. Also family, though she might not always admit to it.

IC: "Thank you," Dak muttered. Not much of a response, but she was obviously still shaken by the encounter. She'd co-operated as best as she could but only a few minutes earlier she had genuinely believed she was selling Evnairis out. That wasn't an easy feeling to deal with.

That makes sense. I guess sometimes I just get caught up in my own ideas, and it makes it hard to see the bigger picture. Still, it's good to get those feelings out and try to understand them. I did have some great ideas with Mia it might still be possible to use some of them, though it would have been nice to get more time to show her strength of character. I suppose I could still do some of that through flashbacks. I did have this one idea for a story which would have involved Mia's own past. Had she not died, the idea would have involved a series of flashbacks that would have allowed us to see her methods of interrogation. The idea would be that we would see her somewhere just before A New Hope, performing a series of interrogations of a captured rebel about the Death Star plans. Because she is known to be more humane in her questioning, she'd gradually win over the rebel's trust, eventually causing her to question if the rebels are doing the right thing and ultimately become a double agent for the Empire. Making Dak a full character might not be a bad idea. I'd have to figure out her backstory but otherwise it could work. She does look like she could have an interesting (if somewhat odd) character arc, even if I'm not totally sure where it would end up going. I have also wondered about trying to create a Mandalorian, or at least someone from whatever remains of the Mandalorian clans.

IC: Dak paused. She was still trying to hold in her crying. There was a small amount of relief that came from her realizing that she was not to be arrested, and that she could still keep Evnairis safe. "Yes," Dak finally said. "I understand, though I can't tell you much." Nadia could not do much more than listen. She had a mix of feelings. On the one hand, given the recent events, Viseria's distrust might not have been entirely unfounded. On the other, it seemed like there could be far worse. At least this guy seemed like he wasn't going to do any worse than needed. "When we were attacked, Mia and I got separated from the others in our unit. We moved as much as we could, trying to avoid the shooting. We found Evnairis after escaping a wrecked freighter, and Mia promised her fair treatment if she co-operated. That was why she issued the order for the other scavengers to be taken alive." "I didn't know anything," Evnairis said. "Just before the shooting started one of my team mentioned finding a b-wing on the comms. I just led them into the general area." "Mia was the one who really did the investigation," Dak continued. "She tried to gather the data, but there didn't seem to be much. Just a few star charts and maintenance logs. Then Raltz told her the information was confidential and the computer broke down. She told me to escort Evnairis back to the shuttle, and on the way I saw Raltz jumppacking towards Mia. The last thing I heard was her giving me the order to get Evnairis out. The Vulkars seemed the only people I could turn to once we were out the junkyard, and then you showed up. Mia said she would try to get the astromech droid, but I don't know if she found anything useful on the computer." Dak paused. She remained unsure of what to think. She was telling the truth, at least as much as she understood it, but would this man believe her? While it was true she hadn't actually done anything wrong, it also seemed clear right now that few of her superiors would agree. Viseria remained understandably tense, though she still tried to keep her distance. Liare might not have been quite as bad as she initially thought, but that didn't mean she was ready to trust him. There wasn't exactly much she could do anyway beyond attempt to use her vibroblade, and she had a feeling that wouldn't end well. Nadia could hardly do much either, beyond try not to get in the way. If this man kept his word, that just meant they had to figure out how the two women were to "disappear." Finding fake documentation wouldn't be too hard, and they could be set up as members of the Vulkar gang... but what if someone recognized them? They'd have to worry about that later. From their earlier conversation, he may have wanted to talk to Gonzai, but hopefully then they could be done with him.

IC: Dak reluctantly led the new arrival towards the elevator. So far, it had just gone from bad to worse. Her first real combat action, and she had failed. Not only had she proven ineffective on the battlefield, but she couldn't even follow the order to keep someone safe. That was all she had to do. Raltz had probably told everyone that she deserted as well. That wouldn't do much good. Still, there was little she could do now that she had been found. If she was lucky, she might get a fair trial. Otherwise, things were just going to go bad very quickly. She led Liare into the elevator, and set it to move up. *** Evnairis was busy assisting Viseria on her swoop repairs. So far, she was learning quickly, though she still didn't seem to fully understand that Viseria wasn't actually blind. That was when she stopped. Nadia was just stepping into the room when she saw her friend's unease. "He's here," Viseria muttered. "I can feel him coming." The Twi'lek turned toward the elevator. There wasn't much that could be done now. They had tried to do the right thing, but even Nadia Rinlo wasn't reckless enough to start a fight she knew she couldn't win. The door opened. Evnairis looked up to see Dak, who tried to remain her composure despite the tears visible on her face. "I'm sorry," That was all Dak could say. It was difficult not to cry. Everything she had done and yet she still failed. "I'm so sorry."

I've been talking to Key and about what just happened. It doesn't look like there's anything I can do to undo his decision to execute Mia Arkada, though that hasn't done much to reduce the frustration and anger I've felt on such a sudden act. I've tried to fix it as best I can, but so far, everything I've tried has been shot down. I suppose she could come back as a force ghost somewhere down the line, but beyond that it seems hopeless. One of my player characters was abruptly killed and I was given absolutely no say in the matter. I won't pretend I'm not tense or frustrated about this at all. I liked Mia Arkada and I wanted her to become a great character. I even restarted Knights of the Old Republic and named my character after her. I don't know, maybe I just have a tendency to get too emotionally invested in people. This wouldn't be the first time I've wrestled with feelings after having to see someone I created get killed, especially when I become desperate for a way to avoid it but find nothing. I remember a far worse scenario I once experienced a few years ago, in an RPG called When Universes Collide. I recall in that one, the co-host said in advance that they were going to kill one of my characters, then ignored all attempts to reason with him. When I tried to talk to the host, he just ignored me. Then eventually it got to the point where they decided on two characters, and literally forced me to decide which one I was going to let them kill. On a smaller scale, I remember once writing a western in which I came to the difficult realization that there was no way to end the story without the main character dying. A couple months ago I finished Fallout 3, and after getting invested in my character had a lot of trouble coping when she died of radiation poisoning at the end. Maybe this is just a problem I have. Still, I've been feeling like the best thing to do in this situation is to talk about it. We could argue a lot but I'm thinking it might be better if I can just get some of my feelings off my chest. I said a few things in my message to Key and that seemed like they might be worth sharing. Now I should point out that it doesn't seem like there's much I can do to change anything. All I hope to accomplish right now is to share some of my personal feelings on what went on. I figure if we can talk about it, not only will it take off some of the tension but might make it easier to move on than if I just kept this to myself. Part of me feels like there was a lot of wasted potential as a result. Mia seemed to have some great ideas and I had hoped to develop her into a really interesting character. Having her killed not just so suddenly but also so early in the RPG was feeling to me like a lot of good ideas had been wasted. The unfortunate way things played out also didn't do much good. I had intended Mia to be a competent officer and ultimately that just didn't seem to work out and I never really got a chance to show her as a strong character. I liked the idea of her as the person who also shows that morality in the Star Wars universe is not always as clear cut as it, largely by showing that the Empire isn't all bad (and by extension, the rebels aren't always the good guys). I guess having her die so suddenly felt like it wasted a potentially interesting plot The tension between her and Raltz was understandable, and I felt like there was some good dramatic potential from their different views; but I didn't expect it to result in outright murder. Then again, I also wasn't counting on M31 to suddenly throw me a curveball that resulted in Raltz trying to have her arrested. Thinking about it now, I might not have had a clear understanding of the mission. There was a lot of guesswork involved and while it seemed to make sense to me it might not have lined up perfectly with what everyone else intended. M31 also seemed to like to throw a few things in once in a while to make things even more intense. Maybe if I'd asked a few more questions OOC I could have had a better idea what I was doing and then I wouldn't have gotten into that mess. Thinking about it now, there is probably room for me to improve when it comes to being a team player. I've been doing a lot of having people go off on their own, which isn't always a bad thing (I didn't have much in the way of opportunities for Nadia to interact with anyone) but I guess I haven't had very many positive interactions either. Mia's seemed to keep making her look worse despite my efforts to make her a strong character. In his message, Key and noted that there may be potential to Mia's death, and to an extent I can see it. This would imply Mia being more of a Ned Stark-esque character in that her death would become a crucial plot point. While I'd disagree with his statement that Dak and Mia were basically the same, I can see why he would think the idea of seeing her experiences as an idealistic rookie who just lost her mentor could make for an interesting dynamic. That much makes sense, and to a degree I can understand the reasoning behind it, but at the same time that doesn't make it any less difficult to see her die so suddenly. I guess that also leaves me to wonder what needs to be done now. I could make a new Imperial Officer character but I'm not sure if it would be quite the same. If I made them an exact copy of Mia with a different name, it would seem pointless; it might as well just be Mia. Still, I had a lot of great ideas with her and it would be a shame to see them wasted. She did have potential to be a good character and if I'd just done something different than maybe I could have made it work. I don't know. Maybe I'm just rambling. I'm not sure if this is making any sense to anyone reading this. There doesn't seem to be much I can do now, but I had hoped if we could talk about it maybe that would be good for dealing with some of the emotional shock and perhaps make it easier to deal with. So what do you think?