(OPEN) The Spitfire -- Rabble Rouser I

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((Take two. Just gonna have Lia start off on her own this time around. I’m trying to get Lia active again so please be willing to post semi-regularly!

Anyone wanting to join is welcome up to 4 people. NPCs welcome! (Ordo Clan or Republic affiliated preferred) Republic welcome (military/civvie)! Mandos welcome! I'd prefer to stay away from Sith/Empire/Jedi though, thanks.

Ghost Star II link

K’oyachi!))

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As much as she loved the stuff, a Republic planet was no place to wear her armor...even if it was the homeworld of her father’s clan. Especially since it was a desert, and especially since she wasn’t trying to attract attention to herself. Yet. There would be plenty of time for that later. For now the fiery auburn was dressed in simple clothing that was well suited to the harsh desert environment and some light leather armor. Lia never had been one to be flashy or flamboyantly dressed…her personality did enough in making her stand out…and besides, it was the flyboy’s job to be flashy.

Stupid smuggler.

Cripes why can’t I find a balance with that man? An’ why can’t ‘e ever do what’s good for ‘im? Not that she’d exactly done what was good for herself lately either. As she finished shutting the power systems for the Star II down her mind reminded her of all the stupidity; from her taking a swift ‘leave’ (running like a coward) from Concord Dawn after Solus’ad’s death to nearly allowing herself to burn into atmo and crash with the Ghost Star over Dxun after her run-in with Ixor. Thank Manda that Daryn had been there for her…to saver her arse when she really needed it and beat some sense into her afterward. A smile flickered across her face as she trotted down the stairs of the Ghost Star II toward the landing ramp, slapping her palm against the button along the way.

As the ramp lowered she could feel the heat of the planet blast suddenly into the hallway, flooding the area with a wave of uncomfortable temperature. It was as bad as Tattooine and she wasn’t even outside yet! Groaning, she flipped the three strands of thick beads in her hair back over her shoulder. Her hair had actually grown a bit…the rest of it, anyway, going from its previous messy pixy-cut to a shaggier set of layers that were starting to hang around the base of her neck and coming almost even with the length of those three. With her leather serape draped over her, covering the short sleeves and the light-armor vest, her Czerka slug rifle slung over her back, she certainly didn’t look like anything more than your run of the mill Mercenary or Bounty Hunter. The only possible hints of her breeding were the blue and black armor gauntlets around her forearms and the same colored shin guards fastened over her boots.

The thing was, the armor itself was so old (not that it looked it) that it didn’t look like your run-of-the –mill mando armor from today. Her previous set of armor might have, but not this one…this set had been her ba’buir’s. Well, he was technically her great-great-great-great-(make him 300 years old and that’s how many greats you’d need) grandfather’s armor adjusted and reworked to fit her. This very reason was why she had no problem wearing bits and pieces of it out in public. Of course, the blaster pistol strapped to her thigh and the vibro-daggers she had crossed at the back of her utility belt held no indication that she was mando either…just…not someone to mess with. As if the rifle and the Krayt tooth dangling from one of the long bits of leather fringe wasn’t indication enough.

All in all she didn’t get much attention among the rough and tumble people of the city she’d landed in. Many of them seemed mando themselves…some blatantly (by wearing armor) and others not, appearing to be no more than your average citizen. She could tell, though…there was a fire in their eyes when she looked at them, or a certain way they walked or held themselves, a certain way they moved when they spoke to each other. Emerald green eyes could pick them out fairly well, and while it was sometimes difficult to discern the actual roughs from the mandos comfortable in their own home, she thought she did a pretty good job of it. Several of the ones that bothered to look her direction for more than a moment or two seemed to notice something similar, garnering a nod here, an “olarom” or “su cuy’gar” there, and earning a smile and nod in return.

Those that she couldn’t discern as vod (or at least vod in spirit) tended to skirt around her, eying her warily or avoiding looking at her at all. A couple of the roughs approached, giving her looks that she wanted to end with a good solid punch to the face, but she ignored them, passing on by with a hand on he blaster as a warning. It had been a long flight and it was almost noon, she didn’t have the patience for di’kut roughs…what she wanted right about now was some food, a drink, and some shade as she tried to get a feel for the place and its people. Maybe even get some information. Tha’ woul’ be a welcome thing ta get. Frell, jus’ gettin’ some shade’ll be a nice change. Now I rememb’r why I kept mah hair short.

Pausing a moment, she’d step under the awning of one of the buildings and glance around, really taking the city in now that she was past the majority of the spaceport. It wasn’t much to look at in the way of architecture, it wasn’t grandiose or dazzling, but it held her captive for a long moment as she wondered at how hardy her people could be. Not many would choose to settle and stay on a place like this, much less fight to protect it like the mandos had before the occupation. So this is where buir was from? No wonder ‘e was tough as nails an’ thought Dawn was a paradise. Oddly enough, the tough mando’ika had adjusted rather swiftly to the temperature…not that she liked it, but she could at least tolerate it, and the hot wind that blew through the streets seemed to tug at her heart enough to get her to move on in the direction it went.

It was probably a good thing she had, since what she was looking for was only a short walk further on.

The cool inside of the bar was more than welcome as she stepped into it. It took a moment for those emerald eyes to adjust to the dim light so she walked slowly, casually, toward the bar, weaving her way between tables and people on her way there. The place smelled of smoke, alcohol and the spicy food favored by Mandalorian culture as a whole. By the time she’d reached the bar her sight had adjusted, the faces of others there taken in before she stopped at an empty space and leaned back against the sturdy counter, waiting for the barkeep. After a few minutes of waiting, she huffed and glanced over her shoulder at the man and woman working the bar, their attention on the other half of it, just chatting away…

”Sheesh…what’s a girl gotta do ta get a drink ‘round here?”

[Jazen]

It was just reaching the middle of the day, the sun peaking into the high noon position, when Thel finally emerged into the open streets of the city he was staying in. Four sets of mandibles peered back into a snarl as he left the cooler confines of the small home he was renting, the heat already tearing at the exposed portions of his skin so that it glistened with sweat. He disliked this planet for the heat alone and that wasn't even the most jarring thing about the desert covered planet.

Ordo, as it was named by those who claimed it many years ago, had once been a planet belonging to his new family, the culture and faction know as the Mandalorians. Some time ago, they were challenged by the might of the government known as the Republic and in that grand battle, his warrior breathen lost. Many worlds of the Mando's had been lost to that group, whether by force or by some treaty that they had been forced to sign. He knew, even though he had been adopted into the culture later on in life and not born into it, that many of them were not pleased with that. Rebellion and a desire to reclaim those worlds were not far from the minds of any self respecting Mandalorian.....and as such,was the reason he was here.

Ordo, according to those he served under, was beginning to show signs of rebelling against its current owners. But sending troops to the planet was not the path that would yield victory. Not yet. If the planet's inhabitants wanted to reclaim the world for themselves....then why not allow them to do so? Urging the people to rise up, to stroke the fires of those who wished to claim what was theirs, was the path that would likely yield the best result.

But this could only be achieved if the planet was truly ready. And as such, Thel was sent to the world for two purposes....one which depended on the outcome of the first. Thel was given a ship of this own, one that he would be allowed the use of for this mission. His small customized fighter would have been fine for the larger warrior, but they needed him to look merely like a traveling bounty hunter. The ship was no great work of art, but it flew true and wasn't likely to fall about as it broke into the planet's atmosphere. The ship, which Thel saw fit to call Arb'te Ra'bratos, which in his race's tongue meant "The Fallen One's Sword", was armed just enough to make someone thing twice about testing her teeth and quick enough to ensure that he could move quickly if he needed to get away. It wasn't the finest vessel, but it would do.

His first purpose was simple; confirm that those of Ordo were in truth ready to be spurred to rebellion. A simple task, yet one that he had to be careful not to arouse too much suspicion. A task not hard for the massive Mando, for he was not only a capable warrior, but an intelligent one as well. He knew men talked when they were intoxicated by the substance known as alcohol, the substance making them more prone to speak about their innermost desires.....if a bit loudly at times. So Thel, upon arrival, had spent most of his times scouting the local bars, doing small things that would incite others to drink and drink.....and then he would listen. And those men spoke just as the fire in their eyes suggested; they were tired of Republic rule. They wanted to rule once again.

And so his second task came to purpose. Having confirmed that the seeds for rebellion were ripe, Thel had sent a message back to his superiors, carefully and thoroughly coded and worded to ensure that anyone who intercepted the message would not understand the real purpose behind it. Special words given to him to use for this purpose, combined with the language of his people would deal with that. And now all he could do was wait for the second part of this task to arrive. Had his reports proved true, Thel was to remain on the planet and wait; wait for an untold number of others that would arrive that he would be assisting to spur the rebellion. He had merely listened to them; the one's coming would be the one to seek out where to start their task and who to bring into their cause.

All these thoughts passed his mind as he thumped down the streets, his light robes draping over most of his form. He disliked wearing his robes in open territory like this, he much preferred to wear them in private or IF he had to, to festivities. But seeing as he wanted to keep attention away from himself, the robes did a better job of that then his armor. Still, he was not completely naked....he wore the dark blue colored gauntlets and shin guards of his Levianeili beneath his robes for added protection. He'd wanted to wear his chest armor as well, but it would look too strange under his robes; he'd had to settle for a leather skin over his chest and back. A blaster was attached to his hip, knives in his boots, his Ra'bratos firmly clamped to his opposite waist. He could have brought more weapons, but more would be more likely to cause a fuss....and his body would more then suffice for an extra tool for battle. He didn't need more then that; the rest of his gear, including his armor, was stored aboard the ship.

Thel walked the now familiar roads of the city towards one of the many bars he had visited in the past; casting glances at those who past him with his dark eyes. Most merely glanced back and continued on, their strength reflected in their eyes and their walk. Those who were not would stare at him...until he looked their way. Overall, no one made an effort to get into his path...he did not blame them.

When he slid into the dimly lit and cooler bar, Thel almost wanted to let out a light roar of relief. Such an act would not be wise though, so he simply shrugged his shoulders and let a hiss slide from his tongue as he found a seat in the corner and did his best to fit into the smaller seating provided. At least these chair's didn't break under his weight like several had before.....he'd had to silence a few laughs that day. A simple order for water and a light meal were what he told the woman who came by and he was in the process of chewing down the meat given to him when his nose twitched. He'd been on this planet for a short while, but he knew the scent of those who lived here everyday....and even in the mix of smoke, booze and filth, his nose could notice something new. And that was the scent of the woman who had just entered the bar. He watched her, watched her glance around her surroundings and make her way to the bar.

And when she spoke, he heaved to his feet and made his way over, taking a spot close but not too close to her, before hissing a growl at the bartenders who were busy with the far end of the bar. "The lady has requested attention; perhaps you should silence your speak and do what your job entitles. Unless your wish for your credits at the end of the day to be less due to ill service. With a snort, he turned his eyes down for a moment towards the woman, giving her a light nod.

"Apologies if I overstepped my bounds...but they have been rather distracted more then once today. And I know well the need for a drink on this scorching planet. Curious...you smell not like the rabble of this city; have you come from another or from off world? You look the part for this planet though...so perhaps my observations are false."

[Rabbit]

[Oh, screw it. I've started and re-started this post so many times...and then I look at the blank box and my mind goes equally blank. I think Kar's a little in awe of the epic posting duo that is you guys... LOL Oh, well....I'm going to get SOMETHING up here, durn it. Even if it's crummy by comparison....]

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It took a lot for Kar to even think about going into a bar or a cantina. Just the smell of alcohol or cigarras brought back memories...memories that threatened to crack his Mandalorian facade with an emotion dangerously akin to fear.

But, like with most things since becoming a Mandalorian, Kar was slowly starting to face some of his greater fears. The memory of Tay - his late lover - helped a lot; indeed, she had helped even more than his buir or his clan, in helping the Miralukan come to terms with the things that had happened to him on Ord Mantell.

Some things, though, were still hard to overcome. In the years since putting on his beskar'gam, Kar hadn't once stepped foot inside of a bar-type establishment. If others went there to get drunk and "socialize", Kar stayed as far away from it as possible. His avoidance of the local watering holes frequented by his squads over the years, had caused more than enough trouble for him. He wouldn't talk about his past - after all, it was hard enough to admit the things that had happened to himself, much less to other Mandalorians - so, there had been a fair share of misunderstandings. It was inevitable with each new squad he joined...he'd have to patiently explain (often more than once) that no, it wasn't personal and no, he wasn't being purposefully antisocial.

He just didn't do bars, cantinas, what-have-you.

End. Of. Story.

However, his aversion to the past seemed to have met its match in Ordo's inhospitable climate. Twelve hours straight, working in the scorching elements with only a field tent shielding him and his patients from the sun, was starting to take its toll. Kar had been sent on a mostly solo mission by the Mand'alor, to provide humanitarian medical aid to many of the marginalized population of what was, quite possibly, the poorest of the Mandalorian planets.

Or, at least, of the planets the Mandalorians considered as theirs. The Republic seemed to disagree on that point, as - from Kar had been able to notice - they had a fairly noticeable "diplomatic" presence in Ordo's "bigger" cities. The resentment against that Republican presence was palpable - at least to the Force Sensitive medic.

Kar was beginning to find his own self starting to resent the Republic's affect on the socio-economic plight of Ordo. There was profit to be made with the Republic, certainly - but most Mandalorians weren't about to throw their lot in with a barely tolerated regime. As a result, making a livliehood on Ordo was difficult - things like unemployment, "geographical displacement" and infant mortality were high. Too high, in Kar's humble opinion.

It didn't help that things only got worse, the farther out one went from the more irrigated cities - which all tended to cluster toward the equator, where the temperatures were a bit more moderate and the sun's direct light a little less...baking. Here, toward the more polar extremes of the planet, in the small towns and villages that bordered the nearly planet-wide desert, life could be a grim reality for most.

For the last few weeks, Kar had rotated between two or three towns. Towns like this one, which bordered the deserts and offered some sort of home to those displaced by the aggressive "modernization" of the Republic-held cities. "Modernization" was just a fancy political word to mask the ugly reality of "imperial nationalism"...but what did he know? He was just a fallen Alderaanian with his auretti father's values and his Togorian buir's culture.

The medic kept his political observations to himself and rarely took his buy'ce off in public. He'd been in charge of establishing several mobile army hospitals in the towns through which he did his rounds - doing so, had put him in "charge" more less, making him the head medic. The number of patients he worked with on a daily basis, would probably have overwhelmed a lesser man. On average, he "saw" between 20 and 50 patients per day. Everything from toothaches, to infections, to pregnancy, to surgery - he was starting to wonder if he was going to run out of surprises.

As it stood now, he'd been on Ordo for almost three weeks. Mand'alor had intimated that there would be...others...to come after him. But Kar had been chosen to go as a kind of "advance party", in part of a genuine hearts-and-mind campaign...

Which just happened to serve a practical military purpose as well. Kar had been recording his observations on an encrypted datapad (since he couldn't write) and was to be pass on his messages to those following. So far, Kar had recorded his observations on the politics of the region, on the overall populace morale, on the socio-economic concerns, and on the general loyalties of those he came in contact with.

Kar was proud to report that Ordo was ripe for the reaping. He had yet to encounter a single patient who truly wanted to be a part of the Republic. The people of Ordo were true Mando'ad to the core - of course, it also helped that one of the great Mand'alors of past history had once called the planet "home." The memory of Mand'alor the Preserver was one held dear in the proud hearts of the people he saw everyday. And while many of them reserved judgment for their new Mand'alor, they were still loyal.

Kar felt that it was fairly safe to say that the people of Ordo were more than ready - and willing - to take back their planet in the name of Mand'alor and aliit. At least, those in the villages and rural areas.

Which, was the staggering majority of the planet.

He glanced up at the blazing sun and sun, as he walked along the dust-ridden street in his equally dusty beskar'gam and buy'ce. His assistant - a local midwife - had taken one look at him just an hour before and sent him hustling out of the medical tent on the edge of town with the admission to "take a day off, baar'ur."

"Baar'ur". It was the name he went by around these parts.

"Medic." It was an admission of gratitude, from the lips of the patients he helped, every hour, every day, since setting foot on Ordo.

He had worked himself so hard on their behalf, that those who helped him had taken the day in their hands and run him off. Kar's lips twitched from underneath his helmet. They were good people, here. Damn too good people.

They made him proud to wear his armor and follow the Resol'nare.

He wandered the street aimlessly with his thoughts for a while, but he kept wandering into faces he knew and who - by now - knew his distinctive armor. There were kind words all around, smiles, and expressions of relief - but, Kar had to admit, he did want some time by himself in a dim, quiet place.

He thought about paying for a room at one of the local boarding houses, but he couldn't quite justify the extravagence when he had a cot waiting for him in the back of the medtent.

He passed a few street-side vendors and he lingered for a moment once or twice. But, he didn't want to take off his buy'ce in the street. A lot of the catering establishments were closed until sundown, when the majority of their business could be made - that left only the cantinas for an possible relief from the aching sun and the headache that was starting to rap a beat in Kar's left temple.

He stopped in front of one such establishment and waged a silent war with himself. Mandalorians were known for being rowdy and being loudly social when there was a large enough group of them. But...he had to admit...he hadn't heard of any cantinas in Mandalorian space that were anything like the place on Ord Mantell.

The Mandalorians were a sexual people - but they had their cultural rules and they liked their sexual pursuits taken place behind the appropriate doors. He searched his memory of Concord Dawn and here on Ordo and couldn't think of any sort of establishment that mixed pleasure with the serious business of social drinking.

That was another thing about Mandalorians. They were big on the appropriate division of priorities. Cantinas were for drinking, socializing, business, and the occasional drunken brawl. They didn't usually intermingle that with dance girls, prostitutes, or bad music.

He considered the doorway in front of him. What he felt was straight-forward and appropriately Mandalorian. There was alcohol - a fair bit of that - and it was busy with customers seeking a cold drink and a bit of cool shade. But, there wasn't any of the pain, misery, sleaze, or debauchery he associated with the places of his past.

Kar took a deep breath and stepped into the threshold.

And, he really did mean to take another step...and another one after that..into the actual bar.

But, the past was a hard thing to shake. And he found himself suddenly dry-mouthed, stiff-backed, and completely frozen to the spot....

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Not much to do this round for Lia

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Puffing a bit of auburn hair out of her face, she ran a hand over her face and turned around to lean forward on the bar as she hopped up onto a stool. The fact that something (someone) big had approached and hefted itself onto another seat not far off hadn’t escaped her notice, emerald eyes only flickering over to him…well she thought it was a him…for the shortest of moments before allowing her vision to flow along the selection of taps and bottles lining the wall behind the narrow walk behind the bar.

“The lady has requested attention; perhaps you should silence your speak and do what your job entitles.”

As if the hissed growl wasn’t enough to earn a bit more of her attention, the words certainly were. Again she glanced over at the male…just what the hell is ‘e anyway?…with a slight lift to her brows. This time she allowed her gaze to linger on him for a moment before looking past him to the two bartenders who didn’t seem able to decide if they wanted to be upset or compliant. Great…this is gonna get me in trouble faster’n I thought. Internally she groaned, but outwardly managed a shrug and a slight smile to the man only a seat away as he questioned her. ”Nope, not from here,” she replied with a slightly bigger smile and a bit of mischief in her eyes before turning her attention to the woman who huffed up and asked what drink she wanted.

”Ne’tra gal an’ yer special.”

“The Tiingilar?”

”Mhmm.”

The woman smirked a bit, pausing with her stylus above the data pad she held. “You sure you can handle it, hun?”

Lia merely chuckled, shrugged and pulled those three strands of beads back over the front of her shoulder. ”Little hetikles never done me any harm before.” Giving a slight wink to the woman, she proceeded to give her the most infuriating grin possible. It seemed to work in getting the woman ruffled a bit as she huffed again and tromped off. Only then did Lia shake her head and let that grin fade into a look of mild annoyance. ”Gedin’la dala…sheesh…” she muttered under her breath before finally looking up at the man near her.

”’S alright, by the way. I’d’ve gotten their attention eventually, but I didn’ feel like makin’ waves today.” She chuckled slightly and ran a hand through her hair, ruffling it a bit at the back. ”Save that fer t'morrow.” Giving him a wink, she’d smirk and shrug a bit, leaving it uncertain on if she was teasing or not as she adjusted the rifle strap across her shoulder and chest, making the adorned leather tassels at the end of it clink against each other and the barrel softly as the weapon moved against her back. ”Thanks fer the help though.”

[Jazen]

The stare he got from the human female after he'd made his presence known was a bit discomforting...but not something he was not used to already. His race, his people, did not venture far from their home planet, despite their desire to fight worthy opponents. He was essentially the first of his kind to venture this far from home, having joined the race of warriors many years ago because he believed in what they stood for. And because the rulers of his world wanted him to be their scout, to learn about these possible allies..or foes...from firsthand experience. So yes, he got looks everywhere he went, eyes full of curiosity or disgust or fear. He was used to it by now; and Thel Valamadee was no afraid to use those looks to his advantage.

His eyes tilted down towards the woman once again as she responded to his injury about whether or not she was from this world. As expected, her answer was in line with what his senses had told him. His nose never lied. Sometimes it told the truth too well though....and there was something in her scent that was ever so familiar, yet for the life of him, Thel could not put his finger on it. She did not look familiar to him, he surely would have made note of auburn hair, or those three lines of beads that all her hair seemed to migrate too.

And even though the woman's tone was playful, light, teasing to a degree...there was something about her form, her aura. Her eyes. They were the eyes of a warrior; they saw all around them, hard as rock to their fellows who could spot it and when two warriors met eye to eye, you could tell the measure of a person just from looking into those two round orbs. And what this woman's eyes told Thel was that she was no stranger to battle, to war, to death. She had killed many and lost a few, a few that might as well have been the many she'd killed in terms of weight. But there was a light flicker of something else in those eyes, a softness that would be hard to see if it wasn't him looking.

He was snapped from his musings when the bartender made her way over, none looking to happy that a large reptile had acted like he was the boss. Thel merely snorted. If they had a problem with him, they could say it to his face. If they had the courage to do so...and act that was unlikely as every time he shifted in his seat, the pair flinched noticeably. The woman for the most part focused on the outsider woman, taking her order and all but ignoring Thel for the moment. Thel turned his eyes on the other tender of the bar, who was busy cleaning a glass and making comments to a fellow at the end of the bar. Snorting again, Thel made a wave with his hand...not a simple wave, but a "get over here now" one to the man, who gulped, checked himself and wandered over.

"Bring me what she's having, this Tiingilar. And a well done steak..four of them. The faster these are brought to me, the bigger the tip you shall receive."

That got the man going. He didn't like being bossed around still, Thel could see that about him. But the mention of money had him nodding, writing down the order, and sulking off to the back to get it for him. Thel had finished ordering just in time to catch the end of the cat fight between the woman beside him and the lady tender of the bar, a battle whose outcome had the larger warrior chuckling through a closed mouth. The woman knows how to play people at their own game. Very interesting indeed.

"Well, I suppose that would be true. You may have become a dried up husk before the order you made actually arrived though; they seem more concerned with gossiping then actually serving customers they don't see everyday. At least your still in the clear....I made the waves, not you. So logically, you still have not failed in your task."

Another chuckle huffed its way from the large reptile, his eyes scrolling the bar and remaining lightly on a figure at its door, who seemed to be frozen in place. A couple of quick sniffs into the air yielded another surprise...another scent that differed from the smell of dust and sand from those around him. And it was coming from....the man in the doorway. If Thel had eyebrows, they would have been lifted as the thought things out....could there have been more then just himself and the commander who had been sent here? And if so, which one of them was the commander....he had a hunch, he just needed to test it. Snorting lightly, he shrugged his shoulders and tilted his neck so that his head could look at her.

"No thanks is necessary, I did a favor for a fellow.....your welcome however. So if your not from here originally, what have you come for? Business? Pleasure? Sporting?" he said, indicating the rifle. "My manners, my apologies. I am Thel Valamadee, a simple worker looking to see if this city has any place for one to lay down a "seed" and start a living. So far I've seen some promising spots, heard some good things...but I'm not quite sure yet where I could do such a thing without drawing unwanted attention to myself. Have I made myself clear about the situation?"

It was risky...she might not have been related to the mission at all. However...if she didn't respond to the key words he'd used in his sentences with the correct answers, that would prove she was not involved. But if she did...then he might have just found the person he was looking for.

[Rabbit]

Kar could feel the sun baking his back into a crisp as he stood in the bizarre inbetween of cool cantina dark and parched Ordo light. He could also sense that his attack of frozen anxiety - no, better call it what was, fear - had attracted the attention of more than a few patrons.

It was the unwanted attention that finally motivated to move, more so than the sun. If left to his own devices, the Miralukan would have fried to a crisp where he stood. But, he hated unwanted attention almost as much as he hated being in a cantina. In fact, where a cantina was concerned, he hated the unwanted attention even more than the place itself.

That settled it. Kar clenched his teeth and gave his legs a stern talking to. And, even though he shook head-to-toe, he managed to slowly put one foot...down...in front...of...the...other.

And made his way to the bar in exactly such a fashion. First one foot. Then the other. He was certain that the obvious effort it took for him to move from door to bar was blatantly obvious by all, but he was beyond caring. His heart-rate sky-rocketed, his palms sweated, and his body shook. But, Kar'eth Par'jain was not about to be dictated the actions of his life by the reactions of his body.

He was going to make it to that bloody bar, onto a bloody stool, and he was going to order a bloody drink like any normal bloody male.

Images and memories of his past clammored for recognition, for retention, in the forefront of his mind. Memories of alcohol-soaked nights, of serving the whims of females (and males) of species he couldn't even name, of being forced to slave his body out to pay off his mother's debts.

As each memory surfaced, Kar firmly pushed it back into his seething unconscious. The past wasn't going to get the better of him. Not now. Not ever.

He focused on something else, instead - on anything else, really. On his patients. On his work. On the way his body was running cold-and-hot beneath his armor. On that thrice-blasted jetti who haunted his dreams...

Ah. Tali. Now, there was a memory that put the past in its place. He didn't even know what she looked like, but he remembered only too well the way she had felt. How she had felt in the Force...how she had felt in his arms, after he'd knocked her out cold onto the Concord Dawn jungle floor. He wanted to meet her again...perhaps have the chance to touch her face, perhaps find out who she was behind the lightsaber and the title.

He focused on that. And by the time he reached the bar, he was still sweating, but he wasn't shaking any more.

Kar grimly hauled his tall, muscular length onto a stool and promptly slumped against the bar.

"Tihaar," he all but croaked.

He didn't even bother to take notice of the bartender or even, who was sitting next to him. He thought it was a woman...or was it something reptilian? The medic frankly didn't care. All he wanted was a good stiff shot of liquid courage.

He figured after about two or three solid shots of the stiffest pure liquor he could think off the top of his head, he might be able to sit up straight and take better stock of his surroundings. Until then...

Well...it was up to whoever was next to him to initiate a conversation. Otherwise, Kar was just going to melt into a puddle of sweat and nerves, and try to ignore any unwanted attention until the alcohol kicked in....

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

As she bantered with the barista, Lia caught hints of the lizard-man’s conversation with the other bar tender and had to be careful not to stop and gape at him and his request. Still, as the woman left with her order, Lia had to turn her head and look the alien over once more…this time a bit more carefully. He really was huge. Okay, so maybe it ain’t so odd for ‘im ta want four steaks an’ some tiingilar. The leathery and scaled brown skin, the green and yellow eyes, the…odd….mouth, the build of him. He certainly was a brute of a being and not like anything she’d ever seen before.

Imposing as he was, she gazed up at him seemingly unphased.

Just because she didn’t appear intimidated, however, didn’t mean she wasn’t. Part of being a good warrior was knowing when you were facing down an enemy that you knew could crush you to bits and having the courage to stand your ground. Of course, if you had the choice you did the smart thing and got the frell out of dodge, but if you didn’t have a choice you had to be able to look even a brute like this in the eyes and not budge. Italia wasn’t stupid…she was glad she wasn’t having to face this sucker in battle, but she was still a fighter…a warrior…a Mando’ade, and she wasn’t going to shy away from someone she wasn’t fighting just because he had her adrenaline pumping a bit.

She covered it all with a quirky half-smirk and a mischievous look.

”I ‘spose tha’s possible, sure. No’ like I’ve no’ been a dried up husk b’fore,” she chuckled in reply, before quirking a brow at his comment on the bar tenders liking their gossip. ”That so? Heh…well I s’pose they might end up likin’ me eventually. Sometimes a li’l gossip’s good fer a person.” With a wink she’d turn and settle herself onto a stool, the tassels on her rifle clicking and jangling against one another with the swift and smooth motion. Her accent was a renewed thickening of her country accent from Concord Dawn and her time working in the ‘fringe’…a bit of twang mixed with a bit of lilting, and a lot of slang, a bit of slur and enough dropped letters to write a full essay.

Anyway, ‘s good tae know I’m off th’ hook fer now. Vor’e again.”

A dropped word here, a short phrase there, it was nothing that anyone outside the culture, but visiting a mando planet couldn’t pick up, but it was the way she pronounced the stuff that would give her away to any real vod. Now if only she could figure who she was supposed to meet up with on this blasted planet. For a moment her thoughts turned to the hulking lizard beside her, but she tried (very hard) to dismiss the possibility. After all, why in Manda’s name would Bane hitch her with someone who would attract so much attention? Turning her stool to put her back to the bar once again, she pulled her rifle from her back and settled the butt of the thing on the floor, her hand keeping hold of the barrel just below the tassels. Leaning backward comfortably, she hooked one leg over the other and took in the pub and its occupants, emerald eyes lingering on a form near the doorway warily.

“No thanks is necessary, I did a favor for a fellow…you’re welcome, however.”

”’Course et’s necessary. I’d be flayed if I went an’ forgot my manners.” She chuckled a bit at that and shook her head. ”Dunno how mum’d find out, but she would, and next time I showed my face back home she’d beat me to an inch of my life fer it.” The funny part was, she wasn’t certain if she was joking or not. Mostly not, she believed. Her buir was uncanny like that. As he continued, she’d glance at her rifle, then grin a bit and glance over at him before shrugging and going back to watching the crowd as the barista brought her drink. ”Can’t be all three at once?” Again that mischievous grin of an expression took hold of her face, even if she didn’t quite feel it this time around. Not like she should have, anyway. She never used to like the feeling of vengeance, but…lately…

Introducing himself as Thel Valamadee, Lia didn’t seem to take much notice to his words. Appearances could be quite deceptive, however. A long moment after he finished speaking, she watched the figure at the door slowly start to actually move forward. Those emeralds hardened. Almost offhandedly, she nodded slightly. Italia Phelan. She glanced over at the lizard-man for half a moment, studying him again before turning her eyes back to the person approaching.

”I’m a bit of a farmer myself. Maybe you an’ I could help each other out en tha’ respect. I know a bit ‘bout cultivatin’…” She nodded just a bit and looked over at him once again. ”After all, if farmers can scratch out a livin’ on Dawn…this desert could be just as fertile.” No sooner had she said that than the man she’d been watching before, a miraluka by the looks of him, ordered a stiff drink…hefted himself onto a stool…and slumped against the bar.

Now that earned a raised eyebrow or two.

”Ye okay there, vod?” A touch of honest concern etched its way into her voice as she glanced at the man, then back to Thel, then back to the man again. ”Look pretty shook up there…”

[Jazen]

The advantage of having your eyes basically on the side of your head was that if needed, Thel could see something on one side of his face as clear as day. For example, an enemy trying to come up in a blind spot or a friendly at his side in trouble or calling for something in general. It was, as Thel had mused many a time, an effective trait that his species had been given. Especially for a warrior such as himself, who needed to see the battlefield around him in order to make quick and ample decisions on what to do.

So it didn't slip by him, the gaping expression of the woman at the bar with him. Not uncommon for a member of her kind, whichever offshoot of a humanoid race that she was. To them, a single steak would be considered a meal; for him, it was barely enough to wet his appetite. Four would fill his belly, this had been proven before; and whatever this Tiingilar was, there would be ample space left over for him to sample it and possibly devour it. Either way, so long as they were paid for it, would it truly matter?

Chances were not. One thing he did notice though, aside from her surprise and cheery mood, was that unlike many in this establishment, she was able to hold her eyes on him while he looked at her. Many of the others...in fact, pretty much everyone with the exception of the woefully plastered, averted their eyes from him. And those that didn't usually did when his gaze passed by them. None of them were true warriors...but this woman had a fire in her eyes.

She hide it well though, behind that mask of both innocence and mischief. He huffed a little bit of a chuckle at her words, even if a portion of the attempt at humor were lost at him. He was not so dense not to notice her trying though. Nor did he not notice the the way she spoke either. It had taken him a moment to be sure, to have his full attention fixed enough to catch the subtle little hints in her speech. And when he did, he silently cursed himself for not noticing earlier.

She was, or at least had been, part of the very same culture that he'd found himself driven to join, all those years ago. He should have guessed it...the way she held herself, the way she spoke, that unshakable gaze that never broke from him, not once. All of them screamed Mando'ade. It made his belief that she could be the commander he'd been sent to meet with even greater...but then, he still needed proof that wasn't simply hypothetical before he staked any claim to his hunches. Hence his attempt to see her response to the code words given to him by the Mandalore himself.

"Hmmm, then your thanks are accepted. Far be it from me to cause you pain by dishonoring the wishes of your parent." Flexing his snout, he tilted his head to the side at her comment about all three of them being reasons for her being on this planet. Logically, most people only came to a far off planet like this for one or the other...or perhaps a combination of the two. But all three? Lifting a hand, he ran his fingers along his snout as he pondered it a second time. It was a stretch, at least from his experiences...but it was possible if the factors were right.

And then it was time for the moment of truth. He spoke the words, used them in the exact context that would relate the mission to only one person...and waited for her response. In the brief lull that followed his words, he followed her gaze to the man wandering into the bar, twitching his snout slightly as the man's smell grew larger. There was, he knew, a good chance that this other outsider could be the person he'd been sent to meet as well. If things didn't pan out with this woman...correction, Italia Phelan, then it wouldn't be hard for him to shuffle his attention to the other man with the same attempt.

As luck would have it though, he didn't need to. Her eyes remained glued to the incoming man for a moment longer before she returned his speech with her own. And before the end of the first sentence, Thel's ears..or what passed for them, twitched. He listened deeply, keeping his head focused on the bar, more specifically the bartender returning with the first two plates of his order. Two fresh off the grill steaks, the smell of them wafting up towards his snout, a smell which he took in deeply with a single snort. But even though his senses were towards the food now teasing him, most of his attention remained fixed on Italia for the rest of her words.

She was the one. No one else could have known how to respond, exactly, to the phrases he'd used. But even if she was the one, he couldn't dare speak out about it now. He would just have to wait. "Perhaps we could. Maybe after we've eaten I could show you my farm and you could give me some pointers on how to raise the right crops. And your right....I've been on Dawn, managed to raise some decent crops. Here....there's plenty of places to start planting I think...just need to know which spots to cultivate." A loud thump broke them from their chat, Thel twisting his neck to glance at the source of the sound.

The man from before had finally made it to the bar....although it looked like it might have taken every ounce of his strength and willpower just to do that. Snorting, he shuffled from his seat for a moment to make sure the man wasn't about to keel over...then returned to his seat, clicking his teeth together once. "He does not look well...my place is not far. And I have medical supplies there...if we need be, we can take him there to assist him. Perhaps I should eat this food a mite bit faster, then we can go. Likely with our new friend in tow."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Because Rabbit doesn’t appear to be returning…

---

The miraluka who’d come slumping in didn’t seem to desire their company, conversation, or their concern…or maybe he just hadn’t heard them. That seemed a bit far fetched, though, considering he’d sat right beside them and they weren’t exactly being quiet about things. Shrugging a bit, the county honey turned her attention back to Thel as she readjusted her serape across her body and got a better grip on her rifle. ”I wouldn’ min’ that…but only aft’r we eat. Been a long time gettin’ here an’ I could use th’ food.”

Manda only knew it was the case. Between the flight here and her general disinterest in eating much of anything since she and Daryn had gone their separate ways she was starting to feel it with the smell of the food they had cooking in the back. As her own food arrived (not long after Thel’s), she tucked in without further ado. Spicy, as expected, but nothing like her buir used to make. She sighed a bit at that, then looked over at the large man beside her (and his two-out-of-four steaks). ”So…oth’r than ‘farmin’ what’re yer interests? May as well get ta know ya a bit while we’re at et.”

[Jazen]

The slumped Miraluka who had seated himself next to them seemed to be lost in his own world, all his senses awake, yet ignoring the world around him. He still looked ill and quite possibly on the verge of slipping off his seat to the floor beneath him....but if he did not wish to be distrubed, that was his own personal preference. Besides, if he did slump over, Thel could easily shoot from his seat to catch him....or Italia could catch him as well. She did strike him as the type able to do such a feat.

Putting the man aside in his thoughts, Thel tilted his head back to Italia, his snout twitching constantly in response to the smell wafting from his food. Despite his humanoid shape and his civilized nature, Thel did have an animalistic side to him, predatory in nature....and this predator smelled fresh meat. So when Italia suggested that they dine first before heading out, Thel was quick to nod his long head down in agreement.

"I could not agree more. I apologize in advance for what you're about to see. I've been told I can eat rather.....uncivilized when I'm hungry enough."

With that said, Thel used the small utensils provided for him to cut a large portion of his steak off...before he lifted it to his mouth and devoured almost half of the meat in a single bite. His sharp teeth grinded the tender sirloin into pieces within moments before he swallowed the pieces in one massive gulp. Two equally heavy bites later, the first steak was gone. And he was well on his way to moving onto the second.

Italia's question caught him by surprise, simply because he had not expected a conversation with his contact like this. Lately, it had been all business with his tasks....though a chance to unwind wasn't a bad thing at all. Using the time it took him to finish grinding and chewing his steak to think of an answer, Thel swallowed the food down again and clicked his teeth together before he gave his reply.

"An interesting question. I enjoy many things, though not all of them are conversation worthy. If I had to select one however....it would be hunting. As you can see from my appearance, I look and am equipped to be a predator. Where I can from, hunting is one of the things almost everyone does. It fufills the primal side of me I guess.

And I much prefer to hunt with only close quarter weapons, blades mostly and my bare hands." he said as he huffed a chuckle, "after all, it gives the most satisfying kill when you strike your prey down before your eyes, rather then a distance away.

Now I return the question looking for knowledge as well. What kind of activites do you enjoy partaking in?"