Atton Rand

IC: "I worked in special forces," The Sergeant explained. "I've taken a few down."

IC: "Yes sir," The Sergeant replied. "I was told I would be filling in for Specialist Harken."

That could be interesting. It would allow us to get an everyman's perspective on what's going on. Anyway, I guess I see what you mean if the planet was that badly destroyed. I guess it's possible that they were revived after the recolonization took place, either by surviving members or by new ones who wanted to keep the old traditions alive. In any case, I guess I should ask where that leaves my Vulkar character.

That could be interesting. It would allow us to get an everyman's perspective on what's going on. Anyway, I guess I see what you mean if the planet was that badly destroyed. I guess it's possible that they were revived after the recolonization took place, either by surviving members or by new ones who wanted to keep the old traditions alive. In any case, I guess I should ask where that leaves my Vulkar character.

IC: "Understood," The Sergeant replied, though not without some frustrations. It was looking like she wouldn't be going out after all. Still, at least she had something to do. She began to make her way in the direction pointed out by the C.O. and approached the test team. "Sergeant Maxwell," she said as she approached. "I've been assigned to this team."

I thought those gangs were fairly influential at the time, and given their numbers I don't think it would be too unreasonable to assume that some of their members were among the few to survive Malak's bombing which would mean they could have kept their gangs going afterwards. The Vulkars would not have had any real power anymore and I've already noted the Beks lost their own hideout (which was later rebuilt and repurposed for other uses until it became an Imperial Outpost). Of course, there probably would be other gangs now besides those two, some of which may even have gained the reputation the Vulkars once had. Introducing some of those probably wouldn't be a bad idea. We'd just need to come up with some names. Any ideas?

IC: Nadia turned her attention towards the Beks as they laughed. The Wookie was still attacking the other Vulkars. Viseria had managed to avoid him thanks to her quick reflexes, but that didn't stop her from having to catch her breath. The Ithorian was not so lucky. One of the other riders, a gungan, managed to save him, but not without becoming a target. The Twi'lek began to approach the Beks, vibroblade in hand. "This is pathetic," she yelled. "Even for Beks!" "You goin' to cry now?" One of the Beks yelled mockingly. Nadia stood firm, trying to control her anger.

IC: The Sergeant ignored the stares from some of the other soldiers. It didn't matter too much. The base crew no doubt already knew her reputation, the others likely recognized her from service records. In the meantime, she just focused on her immediate task; finding a mission. She saw an officer giving out orders and approached. "Sergeant Maxwell. I was told to report to the hangar to assist in recovery operations." OOC: I'm assuming there is some kind of C.O. at the hangar, right?

IC: "Okay, I guess you're not going to be taking this seriously. When I get back I'm going to have to report you two." With that, the Sergeant turned and began to work her way back towards the hangar. She was already agitated enough, she didn't need these fools making things worse. Then there was the whole issue of the colonel who wanted her removed from the training program. She knew her methods were hardly popular, but she was doing military training so it was expected to be hard on recruits. Now she was dismissed for doing her job. For now, though, the Sergeant focused on trying to push her own frustrations into the back of her mind and focus on what was going on right now. The Lieutenant had mentioned teams recovering scrap metal from the field; not the most interesting job but at least it meant getting out of the base for a while. Besides, the field was dangerous and someone with her experience would be very useful to a recovery team.

IC: "The army needs soldiers," the Sergeant replied. "We don't need people who just sit around humming when there's work to be done!"

IC: As the Sergeant made her way towards the hangar, she found she was surprised to hear what sounded like humming. Probably someone trying to sound elegant. She groaned as she listened to the noise and approached its source. There were two others there, one of whom seemed very small, below regulation height. Apparently, dwarves were now being accepted into service. What bothered her now, however, was the humming. She just approached the two. "HEY!" She yelled. "Would you two be kind enough to shut up! Don't you know there's a war going on outside?"

That sounds good.

They obviously wouldn't have the influence they once did, but that doesn't mean they'd be gone entirely. Of course, the gangs now would probably be very different from the ones of the Old Republic. In fact, I'd imagined that the dynamics had shifted a bit, with the Vulkars being the more honorable ones and the Beks being the petty thugs. As for the Exchange, that's probably gone now but there's probably some other mob who does work on Taris.

IC: "Understood," The Sergeant replied. She began to make her way back towards the hangar.

OOC: Okay, so I finally got my second character approved. Now for some action. IC: The adrenaline was pumping through her as Nadia drove her swoop bike along the track. Taris had of course long been a popular venue for swoop races, a once-popular activity which had been replaced on most other worlds by the more popular sport of pod racing. Many of the riders on Taris, Nadia included, objected to the pods, and preferred to stick to the old ways. It would not be long now before the big swoop race that would draw crowds in from off-world, one which had been part of the Tarisian lifestyle for over four thousand years. It had even been said that Revan herself once took part in the races, and won. Of course, the technology had changed somewhat over the years, but the rules were more or less the same as they had always been: it was all a matter of getting the best time. From the sidelines, several of the Vulkars watched keenly as their friend drove her swoop. The Miraluka Viseria was busy attending to her own swoop, receiving assistance from an ewok. A few years ago an ewok would have seemed like a strange addition to the Vulkar's swoop team, but its small hands allowed it to get into spots not easily accessible by other, much larger members. There were several other riders and mechanics for the Vulkars present as well. But of course where there were Vulkars, there were also Beks, and so far they seemed to be winning. The leading score had so far been made by a Wookie rider, who was visibly tense as he watched the Twi'lek who looked very much like she could defeat him. "Those Hidden Beks have hit a new low," an Ithorian rider noted, observing the wookie's behaviour. "Getting a Wookie and expecting that the other riders will just be too scared to try and beat its score." "It's sadly effective," Viseria replied as she stood. "Nadia's got a lot of nerve trying to beat him." "They should just be banned from the races all together," the Ithorian said in response. "All they ever do is cheat." That was when the Twi'lek's swoop finally came to a stop and she took off her helmet. She eagerly climbed off as she approached the rest of her team. "Nice work," the Ithorian said. "That Wookie didn't stand a chance against you." Nadia smiled. She looked toward the Ewok, who performed a small dance in response to their potential victory. Of course, they were also prepared for what was about to happen next. The Beks had tried to rig the swoop race by getting a member of a species notorious for being bad sports to ride for them, but it was hard to prepare for what happened next. The Wookie growled, staring at Nadia. "I beat you fair and square!" She yelled. "You'll just have to go again." The Wookie began to charge toward Nadia angrily. the Twi'lek was able to roll out of the way just in time, but not before the wookie managed to punch Viseria's swoop. The Ewok mechanic began to climb over, desperately trying to get away, but it was no use. In a few seconds the wookie had grabbed the unfortunate Ewok and thrown it out onto the track. Visiera quickly stumbled out of the way as the Wookie tore a piece of the swoop off and began to move towards Nadia. The Twi'lek drew her vibroblade, but one swing from the wookie was enough to knock it out of her hand. Then the Wookie growled as it was struck from behind. Viseria was there with a blade of her own. The Wookie just turned around; all they had done was make him even angrier. To make matters worse, Nadia looked over towards the far end where the Beks were watching. They laughed as they watched the Wookie's rampage against the Vulkars. One of them even brought out snacks for the others. Two of the Beks' riders appeared to be placing bets on who the Wookie was going to take down first. It was hard to imagine them ever having any kind of honor. OOC: Nadia is available for interaction, though you might want to be prepared to deal with an angry Wookie.

IC: "Not much," Mia said. "Then again, there aren't very many people to manage and the worst that has happened is the occaonal crossfire between some of the gangs. Some of the staff have been anxious to get home but nobody's outright disobeyed orders. The only problem is that some of them tend to drink a bit too much when given leave."

OOC: Wow, activity really has been slow on this board for a while. Probably just everyone's busy with school-related issues. Anyway, I should probably post something. IC: The Sergeant made her way carefully towards Ops, armed and ready for action. She got there just in time to hear a discussion among the officers. Evidently, a lot of walkers had been lost recently. Carefully she made her way in and approached the person who seemed to be in command. "Sergeant Casey Maxwell reporting," she said. "I was instructed to make myself useful. Just tell me where I'm needed."

So is my second character okay?

I've been thinking that a second character might be a good idea, especially given that Mia's role is a bit limited at the moment. I've still got that one idea of the ex-Jedi bounty hunter and it might not be a bad idea to write out a profile for her just to get everything down so I don't forget about I am in a position to introduce her. For now, though, I figure having more than one character might not be a bad idea, so here's a new person. Name: Nadia Rinlo Age: 25 Gender/Species: Female Twi'lek Appearance: As a Twi'lek, Nadia's most obvious features are her green skin and her lekku, which remain unmarked. Like many of her species, Nadia often stylizes her lekku much like a human would stylize their hair, though their exact position depends on both her current mood and practical needs. Skills: Aside from being a skilled mechanic and swoop rider, she has a large number of contacts in the street, making her good at providing information and obtaining things. She can also hold her own in a fight. She also has the less flattering skill of being very good at keeping people awake with her loud snoring. Equipment: Often carries a toolkit for auto-repair, but also owns a blaster and vibroblade. Personality: A bit rough, but generally a good person though she isn't afraid to get her hands dirty when needed. She is also very resourceful when it comes to getting what she wants. History: Nadia grew up in the streets of lower Taris, and quickly learned to adapt to life on the planet. It was during this time that she met a young Miraluka named Viseria, who had been left on Taris as a baby and never knew her parents. While both were in their mid-teens, they found a home, and the closest thing either of them knew to family, in the Black Vulkars. Gonzai, a prominent figure among the Vulkars, soon became a father figure to both. As a result of spending a lot of time around swoop bikes, Nadia and Viseria gradually learned their inner workings and developed their skills as a mechanic before gradually moving into riding themselves. At the age of 17, Nadia entered her first real swoop race, and her skill slowly earned her a following. Three years later, she emerged a champion at the Tarisian Season Opener, after which Nadia began to develop a reputation, one which she used to her advantage as a means of getting close to people in power. Before long, she not only had friends in the high ranks of the Vulkars, but also in other gangs, businesses, the black market, and even some offworld organized crime. Now her recent deals with Mia Arkada (for whom she acquired a variety of parts in exchange for credits and swoop parts) have given her friends in the empire. Affiliation: Black Vulkars Alignment: Largely money-driven, though she doesn't mind a bit of justice now and then.

IC: "I suppose I'd better get my staff back here," Mia said. "I've got a handful of officers and stormtroopers who might be able to assist. I just hope they haven't all gotten themselves too drunk." Mia reached for her comm link and activated. "This is Lt. Mia Arkada. I hate to interrupt you recreation, but I need you to return to base as quickly as possible."

IC: "Crime isn't too unusual around here," Mia said. "The past few months we've had to deal with some of the local gangs. Most of the time we can keep our distance, but you generally don't want to get caught in a crossfire between beks and vulkars. Four thousand years and they still refuse to give up trying to kill each other. Then of course there's plenty of corrupt businesses. The exchange never got a firm hold over Taris again but there's the occasional mobster. As for your rogue Novatrooper, this is the first I've heard of her being on Taris. She seems to have refrained from directly engaging any of us which indicates she is trying to avoid detection, and probably won't be in uniform. Given her background she obviously knows a thing or two about looking after herself, and probably has a few strategies for blending in. If you want to catch her, I'd say you will need a way to trick her into exposing herself while her guard is down."

Okay, that's good to know. I obviously didn't read far enough back into the RPG and got the wrong impression. I have actually wondered recently about trying to make a secondary non-Imperial but I haven't got all the details together.

IC: The outpost had been bustling with activity. Mia was still struggling to understand what happened, but before she could get any answers she was disrupted by the sudden arrival of one of her officers. "Lt. Arkada," He said as he stepped into the room, looking around in surprise at the activity around him. "Long story," Mia said. "While you were out a whole regiment decided to show up. I thought I gave you leave." "You did, but I needed to report something." The officer reached for his datapad, handing it to Mia. It was displaying an arrest warrant, with a photograph of a young woman. The name: Fell. "She was a rogue Novatrooper," the officer explained. "Wanted for treason after trying to assassinate the Moffs. I think she's here on Taris." "You're sure about this?" Mia asked. "It looked like her, and I don't think she'd want to show her imperial uniform right now." "Well, there's not much we can do now," Mia said. "But first chance I get I'll report this information. You go back and enjoy yourself. Let me know if you see anything else." "Yes, Mia." He said before turning toward the door. Mia glanced one more time at the datapad. As if they didn't already have enough problems. First the restoration, then this group showing up out of nowhere, and now there was a dangerous fugitive nearby.

Wait, have we had any non-Imperials? From what I saw it looked like most of us were playing as one. Maybe I should come up with a non-Imperial; the thought of writing a Mandalorian has occurred to me.

IC: Mia watched. Only a few minutes ago, this place was empty, with only her and a dunk stormtrooper. Now it was bustling with activity. She thought for a moment how she was going to explain this when the rest of the staff returned.For now, she had a few more immediate questions. "I was not told you were coming," she said.