The New Guy (Open)

[Ghostie]

The shuttle swayed back a forth as it entered the atmosphere. Shuttle was more of a general term for this ship, as it fit the bill of more of a large freighter, designed to carry passengers halfway across the Galaxy and back again. It’s occupants sat row by row, buckled into their seats. Children screamed most likely caused by the bumpy reentry in once corner, and aliens chatted in their native tongue in another. And in the middle of everything sat one lone Jedi Knight.

Sirius was wearing one of the only pairs of civilian clothing he owned. A nice olive green jacket, common blue denim pants, and a button up shirt. His saber hung at his belt, and a brown leather glove was snug over his right arm. His cybernetic arm.

The Jedi Knight had slept most of the trip to Seraphim, until the young kids started to scream. He had opted to take civilian transport instead of the common Jedi shuttles for one or two people. If he was going to join The Blades, we wanted to see the place where he’d be staying in its entirety. Not just the Temple.

Leaving the Jedi Temple on Coruscant hadn’t been easy. Sirius had tried to talk to Lana about him leaving, but things hadn’t gone well. He had decided it was for the best anyways. Jedi weren’t suppose to fall in love with each other.

The ship landed in one of the smaller spaceports in The Citadel. Recalling from what he read, The Citadel mostly housed Jedi and Republic Military. But it was still a city, not a base. Most of the military personnel had their families living there with them.

Sirius waited for everyone to exit the ship before he did. It was a bit too crowded for his taste. At long last, the family with the little children had been the last to get off. Grabbing his bag from the cargo compartment, Sirius marched down the ramp last to get his first good look at Seraphim.

The first this he noticed was the color white. Everything was white. It was as if the city was carved from one big piece of stone by a master sculpture. And the reason for that would be the second thing Sirius noticed, the fact that the city was indeed carved out of the side of a mountain.

Sirius walked over to the edge of the landing pad, which had a railing due to the fact it was on the side of a mountain. He looked out over the city, and all he saw for miles was green. Flat green. Some may call it beautiful, but Sirius could also see how it would get boring after awhile. The Republic had done the right thing though by building into the mountain, if only for the tactical advantage.

The Jedi Knight turned back around and exited the Spaceport. Starting up the road, he didn’t know what he wanted to see first. He did know that he wanted to enjoy a little time exploring the city before going up to the Temple though.

[Juzt]

Simo stared blankly up at another shuttle coming in. Well not really a shuttle, more of a converted freighter. He saw plenty of them about these days, outfitted for passengers they were a cheap alternative to ships actually designed for that role. Though they tended to be quite uncomfortable. Simo had one himself, although he used it for entirely different purposes.

He tried to keep his watchful multifaceted eyes on most of the ships landing on Seraphim, his contact was late, and not just late. VERY late. Simo was becoming concerned, as far as he showed that sort of emotion. Seraphim was hardly friendly territory for some one of Simo's profession. The Republic pretended they had high vaunted ideals, but there were still many unsavoury characters who needed 'favours' done and would pay handsomely for his services. Simo's contact had been a human, who wanted a favour and decided that meeting in one of the centers of Jedi power in the Republic would be to quote him “The last place they would think of looking.” the moment those words had fallen from his lips Simo felt this strange urge to blow them off. The holotransmiton had been pretty appalling so Simo only had a vague idea of what he looked like, even though most humans looked very similar to him anyway.

Unfortunately since leaving Nar Shadaa a month or so ago, money had become difficult Simo was beginning to regret leaving the Smuggler's moon even though he knew it had been sensible at the time. Nine years was a good amount of time, he had made his money, made a reputation and of course made enemies. It had seemed like a better idea to start all over again in the Republic, somewhere he had not been in a long time. He was sure his runins with the Republic military had long been forgotten. He seemed to be proven right, at least for the moment.

Simo, was a cautious soul and this whole situation annoyed him as it meant he had to act against his nature and chase jobs in such a dangerous place. Simo felt uneasy, Jedi were everywhere and following them round like moon struck cattle were the various Republic hangers on that they attracted. Simo distrusted implicitly people who believed in things, 'causes'. He shuddered at the thought of the word. It was naïvety of the highest order, in his opinion, to believe in helping others before one's self. He had been taught to survive and win anyway you could. He had learned valuable lessons such as; never know what your thinking or feeling, its only a crime if you got caught, and you had to trample on others before they did so to you.

Simo watched as the ship landed, feeling the landing jets blowing his long green coat in their breeze. Down the the ship's landing gantry shuffled the usual collection of species. Families mostly with children, from the looks of them some of them were refugees from the looks of others people pretending to be refugees. They were all beneath his regard, chattering children fat traders, preachy wives and shambling old men.

However, amongst them he spotted someone, a young human early twenties as far as Simo could tell, light brown hair. Humans all looked very similar to him. The Human made his way to the the railings and seemed to be surveying the area surrounding that starport and the city. Simo had not survived as long as he had by being incautious despite his urge to get in get the job done, and get out he had to be careful and make sure this was the man. He was very late after all and suspicious. He seemed to have something hanging from his belt but Simo could not make it out from where he was.

The human turned and headed into the city. Simo decided to follow him, if they went into the Cantina they had agreed to meet in then it was likely this was the man. Simo mingled with the crowds in the city, keeping the Human in clear view. Never seeming to walk with purpose always seeming to move with wandering indifference, just like he was out for a stroll.

“Who are you?” He thought to himself.

[Ghostie]

Sirius wandered the streets around the spaceport for awhile. There were vendors out in the sunlight selling their wares. The streets were packed, either Republic military personnel, Jedi, or refugees were going one way or another.

Sirius never realized how many were displaced by the war. People flocked the streets, with shelters set up all over. Doctors tended to the herds of people, over worked and stress. Sirius could sense it all, all the people and the pain. It was unsettling. He shut everything out, as if turning himself off from his Force senses. He couldn’t handle it after awhile.

Sirius turned into a small cantina just a ways down from the spaceport where he had landed. It was an out of the ways little place called ‘The Rusted Rifle’. He dove into the establishment not only to escape the crowd, but to find something to eat.

There were very few people in the cantina at this time of day, only a little bit after noon, local time. A rather attractive red female twi’lek tended the bar, with a Duros dressed in a Republic uniform sitting at the counter, her only patron. There was a shock-boxing match on the viewscreen at the back, a Trandoshan and a Barabel were going each other in the seventh round.

Sirius slid into one of the booths, with his back facing the door. He had since expanded his force senses, but they only encompassed the cantina, nothing else. The red twi’lek eventually made her way over to him. She noticed his saber, and smiled at him.

“What can I getcha, honey? Republic military get lunch free. I can extend that to Jedi as well.”

“The burger looks good, with a side of fries? Thanks.”

She shuffled off, and as she did so, someone else entered the cantina. A non human, from what Sirius could pick up from the Force, but he couldn’t tell what. Not that it mattered too much. He was going to enjoy his lunch in relative peace, and maybe even a bit of the boxing.

[Juzt]

“The Rusted Rifle....” this was the Cantina his contact had specified, quite why he wanted to meet for a clandestine discussion in such a cliché place, he had no idea. Planetary security forces tended to keep a close eye on these places, so unless you lived somewhere in Hutt space it was dangerous to meet in a Cantina. This guy however had seemed to be young, naïve and not very bright. However, he paid well and with the job now done immaculately Simo wanted his money. He also wanted to get off this planet as quick as possible and head back to what he considered more 'civilised space'.

He watched the human carefully, and much to his surprise he seemed fairly relaxed, considering where he was. He saw a Red skinned Twi'lek place some food, a burger or some such in front of him. Simo nonchalantly wondered into the room, and took a seat on the opposite side of the bar. The Same Twi'lek wondered in his direction after seeing him sit. “Something for you Sir?”

He turned his eyes to her “Just a glass of the local beer please.” He spoke in Rodese softly and robotically, not at all in the sing song way Rodian's normally did. She nodded, she understood him Simo felt better about that, he hated speaking Basic, he waved her down so her ear was level with his Tapier like mouth “The young human with the Burger, do you know him?” Simo was being cautious again, this planet was still unsettling for him. “The Jedi? Oh no never seen him before, but then we get a few of them in here.” Simo's normally cool façade cracked for a moment “Jedi?”

“Well he had a Lightsaber. Is that all Sir? I must be getting on.” Simo waved her away
“Yes ok.” He distinctly heard her mutter something about 'creepy Rodians'. He ignored her. This made sense, it was a confirmation the human who made contact with him had been a Grey Jedi in the employ of one of the Hutts. He supposed the planet made a bit more sense, finding one Jedi amongst many must be tricky. He nursed the drink the Twi'lek had given him, it was really part of his disguise, he was not going to actually drink it. He was still had a bad felling about this meeting, but decided if he wanted his money he had to talk to the man.

Standing up and taking his untouched drink with him, he slip quietly onto the seat next the the Jedi. In his usual cool and unemotional way he said softly in Rodese “Your late.”

[Ghostie]

Sirius received his food, and no sooner than biting into it and he was interrupted. A Rodian had come to his table, saying something in a language Sirius didn’t recognize. Rodese maybe? The visitor had a long olive jacket on, and tattoos down the side of his face.

The Jedi Knight was stunned for a few seconds, he honestly had no idea what the Rodian wanted. The only language he knew other than Basic was Binary, but he doubted that would help him in this situation. Hopefully he understood basic better than Sirius understood… whatever he was speaking.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you want.”

Sirius bit into his burger again, enjoying the first real food he had since starting the long trip from Coruscant to Seraphim. The Rodian was still hanging around though. Sirius figured kindness was the best way to communicate.

“Why don’t you sit down? Here…”

Sirius pushed the plate full of fries to the middle of the table, gesturing for the Rodian to help himself. Sirius was picking up a sense of cool and collectiveness from the alien. And hint of nerves here and there. There wasn’t much to be nervous about on a Republic Stronghold, filled with Jedi and military personnel. Perhaps he was nervous about being here, about being caught?

The shock-boxing match was in the eighth round, with the Barabel clearly winning. The Trandoshan would only come back by some miracle, or else it would be over soon.

[Juzt]

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what you want.”

Simo stared impassively back at the human. He had spoken Huttese in communications with his contact perhaps he did not understand Rodese.


“Why don’t you sit down? Here…” Simo took the seat next to the Jedi, And repeated his initial statement “Your Late” this time in Huttese. The human's face remained nauseatingly charming, smiling in a slightly baffled way whilst also trying to take in the idiots fighting on the screen.

Simo sighed audibly, perhaps the human was playing the fool. Simo would humour him. As his mouth struggled to form the sounds of Basic out came the lisping sound Simo so hated. “I thaid you were late.” He said not raising his voice “I have been in Republic thpace longer than I would like, tho give me my money and I will be gone.” His tone as ever was impassive, he could easily have been discussing the weather or the consistency of the dust on the bar, but beneath his voice was just the merest hint of desperation. He pointedly ignored the food waved in his direction, he was here to get what was coming to him.

Simo prided himself usefully on his calmness and coldness, but here and now as someone who had left the Republic army Nine years ago after a few swift shots to his superior's knees and an equally swift trip to Nar Shadaa, these were unusual circumstances. He was certainly not at his best not at his sharpest, had he been he would have been off this planet the second he heard his 'contact' not answer back in Huttese. He gazed expectantly at the Jedi.

[Ghostie]

Now the next line Sirius knew was Huttese. Or at least, it sounded like Huttese. He had heard Kellar speak it several times while he was training under him, but only when they were out on a mission or something similar. Kellar always said he would teach Sirius the language, but that was before they ran into that dark Jedi.

Sirius ignored him and kept eating. The Rodian finally sat down, and in doing so he seemed to cave, speaking in Basic. While he had a lisp, Sirius could still understand him fine. Something about Sirius being late. He was about to respond that the ship had been a little slow, but then the Rodian wanted his money, and he wanted to be out of Republic Space. He clearly seemed frustrated.

“I think you’re confused, bud, I don’t have your money. I just came from the Temple on Coruscant. What’s this about?”

Rodian was probably here to meet some contact or another then, about some business deal. Could a Jedi truly be mistaken for a shady deal? Sure there was a number of Jedi who’d left the Order, especially now, misplaced by the War. They needed to make a living too.

Sirius genuinely hoped that the Rodian didn’t start getting forceful with him. Hitting a Jedi up for money wasn’t a good idea for anyone, really. And Sirius didn’t want his first day on Seraphim marked by violence. Perhaps it would’ve been better to head to the Temple first.

[Juzt]

“I think you’re confused, bud, I don’t have your money. I just came from the Temple on Coruscant. What’s this about?”

Simo's facial expression remained fixed but the rest of his face seemed to crumble around it. Simo was hardly brilliant at judging the faces of humans but this one simply beamed honest sincerity straight back at him. He swore softly in Rodese.


Sat next to him was a Jedi, guardians of the Republic and peace and all that nonsense. Fighting Jedi was incredibly difficult, it was not impossible to win just very unlikely and victory would always come at too high a price. Simo had not survived as long as he had by fighting Jedi if he could help it. This guy was not his contact that was clear to him now. His contact either had no intention of paying him and had scarpered or he had also set him up.

Simo's ice cool expression returned. He got up off of the seat and politely said “My apologies Mathter Jedi, I have made an error. I thhall leave you to enjoy your food and...” his hand waved vaguely at the screens “...entertainment.” he said with the merest hint of sarcasm. He started to back towards the door, his polite expression not changing once. If he had been set up surely the security forces would be on their way. The last thing he needed was the Jedi to get interested in him.