Post by spagbog on Jul 28, 2013 1:38:16 GMT -5
Name: Esven Dree.
Race: Human, Lorrdian.
Age: 24
Height: 5' 9''
Weight: 160 lb
Birth place: Lorrd.
Faction: Republic.
Department: Spec Ops.
Rank: Corporal.
Appearance:
A scraggly mop for hair, Esven has to brush it as to keep it untangled. Often he doesn't let it grow this long now he's in the Republic: trying to cram all that hair into a helmet isn't easy.
A long, thin face gives the impression of a sly mind, which wouldn't be completely wrong. He’s of average height, but isn’t as muscular as his fellow crew and holds his body in a sort of grace, one born from traversing rooftops and mountain sides as a child. It does mean that he is rather good at acrobats, which can come handy in a mission.
Esven prefers mobility when it comes to his armour, so it is lightweight and easy to move around with. The various plates of plasteel that make up the suit are rimmed with blue and his visor is polarised blue aswell.
Small guns, like blaster pistols or small rifles, are much easier to carry and run with, so Esven favours these over the larger, bulkier weapon. Also, fitted into his gauntlets and boots are a very small amount of titanium, which gives his punches and kicks an extra bite.
Personality:
Esven doesn’t really follow rules. Orders are fine, but if he thinks he can get away with it, he will most likely do something reckless or stupid. It’s one of the reasons he was moved to Spec Ops, for getting the job done in risky situations. It’s also his downfall though, as he gets into trouble for not following what-he-calls “useless details”.
Another thing Esven is guilty of is his loose attitude towards relationships. He isn’t very loyal. He himself calls it great independence, but others call it backstabbing (which may be a slight exaggeration). Luckily, however, it isn’t likely he will join the Sith: he has good morals, even if the means aren’t great. But he is selfish, doing the things he wants to do, the things for his greater good.
As a child he was very popular. He always had atleast one person following him or trying to impress him. At the time he found it annoying - it was one of the reasons he left Lorrd - but after the betrayal and time serving in the army, Esven learned to appreciate his friends more. That doesn't mean, however, that he is always nice to them. He's selfish and that doesn't change around friends.
Only a few things annoy Esven, a plus side to his not caring. Whenever someone mentions anything about slavery or smuggling, he gets annoyed. He's particularly sensitive about the smuggling, for obvious reasons.
Skills:
~ Acrobatics.
~ Impersonation.
Attributes:
Strength: 5
Intelligence: 4
Speed: 6
Leadership: 6
Unarmed: 5
Melee Weapons: 3
Ranged Weapons: 6
Bio:
He didn't just not know either, he had no want or need to learn about history, or any other subject for that matter. His parents - in constant denial by how their beloved son was turning out - forced him to learn to read and count in Galactic Basic and there was the signature body language and sign of the Lorrdians that he also learned, but apart from that, he didn't have much of an education. It was expensive and he just didn't care enough.
That, unfortunately, was Esven's look upon life: unless there's a clear reason to do something, don't bother. This also stood for following rules, which led to Esven breaking many rules and getting into trouble frequently.
As Esven was growing up he was reckless, bold, even from an early age. He was only ten when he first learned how to use a gun. Luckily, only a vase was damaged. Only a year after that was his first spout of real trouble.
Him and his friend, Lotan Vespin, had been planning something for atleast a month, something great, "greater even than the downfall of the Argazdans." as young Esven put it. Tonight was the climax, the night the plan came together, hopefully. All that was needed was a couple of resistors, - a long coil of wire, check - two ports in which to plug them in - a couple of paperclips, check - a screwdriver and a pair of gloves.
With a gesture, the coil of wire, both ends attached to the paperclips, was pressed into Esven's gloved hand. Within a couple of minutes the playing was off and the young Lorrdian was in. The light was poor, meaning it was difficult to work and communicate: they had to resort to actual speech while their signature means of communication was near impossible.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" A small voice, high pitched and quiet, spoke out.
"Of course I am. When have I ever let you down?" A slightly deeper voice, but obviously preadolescent, replied. "And keep the noise down, they'll hear us." And with that he went back to his work.
Soon a rumbling noise came from the machine they were standing in.
"Aha! Didn't I tell you, Lotan? Didn't I tell you? Now all we need to do is find a way out of here with a large vehicle without being detected. It requires extreme precision and stealth. So I'll drive." His words didn't do much to encourage his friend.
"Extreme precision and stealth" apparently entailed crashing through barriers, more than one robot and atleast one actual human being.
"That was so cool!" Esven was stood up in his seat, punching the air behind him.
"I'm pretty sure you killed someone, Esven."
"Oh, don't be so boring. Live a little, why don't you? Have some fu-" The word 'fun' was cut short by the hover car crashing into what appeared to be a cliff side and flipping over three times. The passengers were not in the vehicle once it landed. They were, however, found less than 10 minutes later, by the very men the hover car had belonged to. They were not impressed.
The young Lorrdian was a rebellious teenager, like most others, but he was a rebellious preadolescent, so going through puberty just strengthened his relaxed attitude. He wasn't exactly clever, but he had charisma and was popular amongst his peers. As a result of his popularity and the fact he never tried anything new, he had never really been challenged at an early age. As he approached adulthood he grew bored and yearned for adventure. Little did he know adventure would soon find him.
He had heard the stories, of course. Everyone had. They told every little kid the stories of the evil men who kept them captive. Except, as they grew older, people realised they weren't stories, they were real and they only happened half a century ago. It was... Peculiar to think of those things, in the same way it's peculiar when someone you vaguely know passes away. You know things like that happen, but not to you, surely not. Not to Esven, atleast, until his 16th birthday.
Miraculously, he was still alive by then and, even more miraculously, he was still friends with Lotan Vespin. There they were, with other friends, the same as most nights, except this time there was a difference.
"Guess what I managed to find today," began Esven, reaching behind him into a crate. "Cheap drinks." To that there was a large cheer and then the passing round of brightly coloured fluids. No one knew what was in them, but no one cared, so it didn't matter. By a couple of glasses in, they were thoroughly hammered.
A group of mischeivous drunk teenagers in the middle of the night wasn't going to end anywhere special. They stumbled this way and that, loud and boisterous, until, purely by chance, they stumbled near an airfield.
"I have an idea! Go hide, the first person to be caught drinks the rest of the drinks!" This raised a large cheer from the posse and they all tottered off to find a hiding place. Unfortunately, in there inebriated state, they forgot to choose someone to find the rest.
Esven Dree was rather happy with his spot. Inbetween the many space shuttles docked there, ready to leave in the morning, was shadows, perfect for a not-quite-man like Esven to hide in. What he didn't notice, partially because of the drunkness, partially because of the dark, was the two beings coming up behind him.
"Get him!"
That was the only clue he got, but he took it. Quick as a flash, he jumped up and spun round, ready to face his possible attackers. Or, atleast, that's what he had hoped to do. Instead, he scrambled to his feet and stood up, before promptly falling backwards over an upturned barrel, with a 'What's that doing there?' on his mind.
As the two men came closer, Esven began to make out facial features and other ways of identification.
"But, I thought you were all dead! I thought Argazdans were extinct!"
This raised a snort of laughter.
"We're not extinct. Far from it. But there are less of us and it's a whole lot harder to find work. Which is why we're here. For you." They grinned and cackled menacingly, before making an advancement on the young Lorrdian crawling backwards on the floor.
Suddenly there was two short blaster shots and Esven's assailants dropped to the floor, large heads smoking. A voice, gruff and old sounding, came from one of the shuttles.
"Come on, kid! Hurry up, before more arrive."
By this time Esven had all but fully sobered up. Unluckily for his friends and family, that 'but' was enough to make bad decisions. So, not thinking of family or loved ones, the naive teenager got to his feet and ran to the man, like he was attracted to him. Perhaps it was the moustache.
The man with the handlebar moustache was called Dare and he had a few friends. There was Nut, Scratch and Raven.
Nut wasn't the brightest by a long way. He was the Engineer, hence the name, and he was large and stocky. Built like a Whaladon, they would say. However stupid he was, he was twice as brilliant at his job. He once disassembled a space shuttle, then put it back together again, or so Dare told him.
"Next we got Scratch. This guy's about as good with a blade as I am with a rifle and that ain't half bad, I can tell you. And he doesn't just wield 'em. No, he makes 'em too. And he ain't half bad at that, either. He's the youngest of our lot, 'cept for you of course.
"Finally, there's Raven. She's a little... Antisocial, so don't worry if she doesn't give you too many hugs and kisses. She used to work for the Sith, but we won't get into that now. Just know that she's on our side and she's a bloody good shot.
"And then there's you. You're probably wondering why you're here. Why I let you aboard. Well, you see, there was a fifth member here. His name was Rookie, due to him being so young see. He isn't here anymore... So you're his replacement." Dare grinned. "Have fun."
Dare was an impressive leader. After a few weeks of travelling with the smugglers, Esven could tell he was well respected by all his crew, even Raven, the only person Esven couldn't really read; a useful skill, being able to mask emotions from a Lorrdian. She interested him the most.
Of everything Esven did with those people, two events stuck in his mind the most. Firstly, the incident on Balmorra and, secondly, Coruscant.
Balmorra was a popular stop off point. They had been there countless times, mainly for illegal weaponry, but occasionally they would smuggle out more valuable items, very rarely sentient species. Twi'lek were a particular favourite.
It was at one of these rare occasions where Esven decided to try and get to know Raven. She had still eluded him so far, but he wasn't to be deterred. The young adult could be stubborn if he felt the reward was good enough.
Leaving his male crew mates to examine the specimen, Esven walked over to the mysterious woman of the ship. Hopefully his winning looks would prevail. He knew exactly what to say.
"It's disgusting, I think. Examining the poor soul like it's some sort of animal that they're going to cook and eat later."
Raven didn't even glance at him.
"I would much prefer to put her back, you know. Set her free, let her go away, back to her home planet. It's not right, bringing an innocent alien onto the ship like a slave."
This time Raven did speak. Her dark, almost black lips distracting Esven as they moved. He almost didn't hear what she actually said.
"... Murder and theft. She's hardly innocent and it would most likely cost the Hutt more to get rid of her than us to take her. So, we take." Then she went straight back to staring at the wall.
Esven was just about to open his mouth to speak when a large explosion sounded and the space ship shook. Esven, not near anything to hold onto, was thrown to the ground and lay there for a second, sprawled, until he could stand up. As soon as he was back on his feet another explosion shook him again and he fell flat on his face again.
"Esven, get up!" Dare's voice sounded. He was striding towards the two "You two go help Nut with any repair work that may need doing, me and Scratch will be searching for the attacker and attacking back."
Esven nodded from his position on the floor and quickly got up, heading towards Nut's grunts and shouts. Suddenly an alarm sounded and Esven started to run.
Instead of going down the stairs towards Nut, Esven ran up the stairs, towards the weapons systems. He knew it wasn't what Dare had told him to do, but he would be more help with weapons than repair work.
As he was climbing the rungs of the ladder leading up to the office, he felt both of his legs slip and he started to fall, first off of the ladder, then down the stairs. Raven watched him, the rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs. Something made the Lorrdian follow her.
When they got down there Nut grinned widely.
"Right, Rookie, grab a a multitool and get to work on these plates. They were blown off after the blasts and we need more protection on the hull. And Raven, just do whatever."
She nodded, as did Esven, perhaps more reluctantly. He didn't understand why she got out of doing any actual jobs. Perhaps it was because she was female, but he doubted it.
After not too long there was a voice from upstairs, higher pitched than Dare's. Something about entering light-speed. Suddenly Esven was thrown backwards, the multitool flying out of his hands. Nut and Raven made their way back on to Dare and Scratch, Nut with dirty hands and sweat dripping from him, Raven pristine.
The second thing Esven remembered well was his very last job, transporting illegal weaponry (ironically) this time into a planet. The planet was Coruscant.
Esven Dree was twenty. The ship hadn't changed, all that had changed was the people, especially the Lorrdian. He wasn't just physically older, he was also more mature, more experienced. He had learned a thing or two at his four years and acquired more.
They were at their next destination, Coruscant. This was a big job, probably the biggest Esven had ever done. The many skyscrapers of the city planet towered above him as they walked back towards the shuttle.
"Hey, Rookie, go talk to the guy over there, he'll check our ship's ready to go. And don't worry, you know what to do, you'll be fine. Seriously, don't worry. Go." That was Dare.
'Rookie' referred to Esven, seeing as he was the youngest, and the man he was talking about was a Republic Officer. Mr. Dree was apprehensive - why would they leave from the actual port, surely a more discrete exit would be a better idea - but he trusted Dare, so went over.
"Sir, I believe my shuttle is ready for take off."
"Just give me a second, kid. I'll be ready in a second." The man reached behind his back and brought out what appeared to be a pair of plasteel handcuffs. "You are under arrest for smuggling stolen goods into Coruscant and suspicion of countless others. Anything you say may to be taken down and used as evidence."
Esven, gobsmacked, looked over to Dare for guidance. Him and the other three were in the ship. The engines started and Dare had to shout to be heard.
"Sorry, kid. You served your purpose, we don't really need you anymore. And, by the way, there was never any Rookie, not one before you anyway." The older man laughed, then waved, the others joining in. "Farewell Esven and, as always, good luck!" Then the shuttle was off, raising up out of the atmosphere.
It took the Lorrdian a minute or two to comprehend what was going on. Dare had lied to him, manipulated him and then betrayed him. He must have bribed the Officer. What else had the old man lied to him about? As Esven was led away, his eyes narrowed and he swore to never trust someone like that again. But, like most of the promises Esven had said in his life, this one was sure to be broken.
"Esven Dree, you are sentenced to ten years imprisonment, or service in the Republic Military. It is up to you. Now court dismissed."
Ten years... That was too long to wait, cooped up in a cell. By the time he was out he would be thirty and would have ten whole years of his life wasted, ten years in which he could be doing much, much more exciting things. And, if he joined the military, at least he would still be travelling around the universe... In the end he chose the Republic over prison.
His enrollment began a few weeks after the trial. He was in the bog-standard army and still looked down upon and bullied. That was until a later mission.
It was Private Dree's third mission in the Republic army and so far his experience hadn't been great. Both peers and betters looked down on him for being what-they-called 'criminal scum'. He hadn't been given a chance to seek adventure like he wanted to either. Usually his missions entailed of patrols and guard duty and urban planets, not exploring distant worlds. But it was still better than ten years.
This particular mission was on the desert planet of Tatooine. Esven's squad were supposed to be checking people coming into the planet and leaving the planet, but there had been a situation. A Hutt by the name of Vatto was attempting to leave, but he would not be searched. He was babbling angrily on in some strange language unknown to all the Troopers, apart from Esven. He was appearing to get quite violent and the men were haughty.
"Sir." He whispered to his Corporal. "May I try speaking to him? I'm Lorrdian."
After a nod the Lorrdian stepped forward, took off his helmet and cleared his throat.
"Chobato, my pee kasa Esven Dree. Dolpee kikyuna. Vatto yatuka pankpa bunky dunko."
"Welcome, my name is Esven Dree. I am a friend. Vatto move spaceship home."
"Eniki tagwa." With those two words the Hutt turned back round and went back into his large ship. Within a few minutes it had disappeared out of the atmosphere and Private Esven could breath again.
The Officers were saying how well Esven performed in the mission. There had been a worrying communication problem but the Lorrdian stepped in to help. Apparently he showed great initiative and greater general skill in turning what could have been a bad situation into a peaceful negotiation. He was quickly promoted, much to the dismay of his companions.
Soon, miraculously it seems, he was spotted by a Sergeant from the Republic Special Forces. Apparently they had seen his ability with a weapon and especially his negotiation prowess and needed his expertise in their crew. Within a few days he was shipped out a big fancy star station and sorted into a Squad.
RP Sample:
Esven Dree dropped down into a small, dark room. A faint sound was coming from past the thin-looking door, like music. With a wave of his hand his companion joined him.
"I don't think this is a good idea..."
"Shush! You'll give us away. Now, if I can just open this door here..." The older Lorrdian crouched down next to the door, bringing something out of his pocket. It was a thin, metal item that Esven used as a lock pick. In his other hand was a small knife and soon they were both inserted into the keyhole. With a twist of the wrist there was a clunk and the door swung open. The faint sound that they could hear grew suddenly louder.
"And we're in." Esven said with a grin. "Come on Lotan, this could be the only time we get in here. Stop hiding in that cupboard and get here." Once his friend was beside him, they creeped around the corner.
What they saw next just encouraged Esven to go closer, much to Lotan's dismay. There were Twi'lek dancers, loud music, drinks, dancing. Esven longed to join in, but, being a few years too young, couldn't. But he was never a patient boy. Despite the callings of Lotan, telling him to get back, Esven crawled forward, getting closer to the stage of dancing aliens. Once or twice he was almost spotted, but luckily he managed to find hiding places.
Once he got close enough, but in a safe hiding place, Esven stopped crawling and shifted himself so he was on his bottom. He sat there, gawping up at the stage, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Apparently his hiding place wasn't good enough, as suddenly he heard feet near him. The next thing he knew the owner of the feet had fallen over him, spilling drinks on everyone in the near vicinity. She looked down, but Esven was already gone, crawling away.
He looked over his shoulder to inspect the pandemonium, but wasn't looking where he was going and bumped into a pair of legs. His cover was blown. Shouts arose from the owner of the legs and Esven quickly got up and started running. Again, he spent more time looking backwards than looking forward, so crashed into people on numerous occasions, but after a short while had found the exit and was panting, hands on knees, outside.
"That was awesome!"
"That was terrifying! I don't know why I keep going along with you. All you do is get us into trouble. One of these days you'll end up in prison, you know."
"Oh, stop your whining. Are you okay?"
"Well, yeah. Thank for ask-"
"Then everything's fine, isn't it? Now come on, I'm hungry."
Race: Human, Lorrdian.
Age: 24
Height: 5' 9''
Weight: 160 lb
Birth place: Lorrd.
Faction: Republic.
Department: Spec Ops.
Rank: Corporal.
Appearance:
A scraggly mop for hair, Esven has to brush it as to keep it untangled. Often he doesn't let it grow this long now he's in the Republic: trying to cram all that hair into a helmet isn't easy.
A long, thin face gives the impression of a sly mind, which wouldn't be completely wrong. He’s of average height, but isn’t as muscular as his fellow crew and holds his body in a sort of grace, one born from traversing rooftops and mountain sides as a child. It does mean that he is rather good at acrobats, which can come handy in a mission.
Esven prefers mobility when it comes to his armour, so it is lightweight and easy to move around with. The various plates of plasteel that make up the suit are rimmed with blue and his visor is polarised blue aswell.
Small guns, like blaster pistols or small rifles, are much easier to carry and run with, so Esven favours these over the larger, bulkier weapon. Also, fitted into his gauntlets and boots are a very small amount of titanium, which gives his punches and kicks an extra bite.
Personality:
Esven doesn’t really follow rules. Orders are fine, but if he thinks he can get away with it, he will most likely do something reckless or stupid. It’s one of the reasons he was moved to Spec Ops, for getting the job done in risky situations. It’s also his downfall though, as he gets into trouble for not following what-he-calls “useless details”.
Another thing Esven is guilty of is his loose attitude towards relationships. He isn’t very loyal. He himself calls it great independence, but others call it backstabbing (which may be a slight exaggeration). Luckily, however, it isn’t likely he will join the Sith: he has good morals, even if the means aren’t great. But he is selfish, doing the things he wants to do, the things for his greater good.
As a child he was very popular. He always had atleast one person following him or trying to impress him. At the time he found it annoying - it was one of the reasons he left Lorrd - but after the betrayal and time serving in the army, Esven learned to appreciate his friends more. That doesn't mean, however, that he is always nice to them. He's selfish and that doesn't change around friends.
Only a few things annoy Esven, a plus side to his not caring. Whenever someone mentions anything about slavery or smuggling, he gets annoyed. He's particularly sensitive about the smuggling, for obvious reasons.
Skills:
~ Acrobatics.
~ Impersonation.
Attributes:
Strength: 5
Intelligence: 4
Speed: 6
Leadership: 6
Unarmed: 5
Melee Weapons: 3
Ranged Weapons: 6
Bio:
Born on the planet of Lorrd, Esven grew up around wasteland and poverty. It was 3623 BBY, 80 years after the Kanz Disorder, not that young Esven knew about that.
He didn't just not know either, he had no want or need to learn about history, or any other subject for that matter. His parents - in constant denial by how their beloved son was turning out - forced him to learn to read and count in Galactic Basic and there was the signature body language and sign of the Lorrdians that he also learned, but apart from that, he didn't have much of an education. It was expensive and he just didn't care enough.
That, unfortunately, was Esven's look upon life: unless there's a clear reason to do something, don't bother. This also stood for following rules, which led to Esven breaking many rules and getting into trouble frequently.
Chapter 1: Grand Theft Auto
As Esven was growing up he was reckless, bold, even from an early age. He was only ten when he first learned how to use a gun. Luckily, only a vase was damaged. Only a year after that was his first spout of real trouble.
Him and his friend, Lotan Vespin, had been planning something for atleast a month, something great, "greater even than the downfall of the Argazdans." as young Esven put it. Tonight was the climax, the night the plan came together, hopefully. All that was needed was a couple of resistors, - a long coil of wire, check - two ports in which to plug them in - a couple of paperclips, check - a screwdriver and a pair of gloves.
With a gesture, the coil of wire, both ends attached to the paperclips, was pressed into Esven's gloved hand. Within a couple of minutes the playing was off and the young Lorrdian was in. The light was poor, meaning it was difficult to work and communicate: they had to resort to actual speech while their signature means of communication was near impossible.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" A small voice, high pitched and quiet, spoke out.
"Of course I am. When have I ever let you down?" A slightly deeper voice, but obviously preadolescent, replied. "And keep the noise down, they'll hear us." And with that he went back to his work.
Soon a rumbling noise came from the machine they were standing in.
"Aha! Didn't I tell you, Lotan? Didn't I tell you? Now all we need to do is find a way out of here with a large vehicle without being detected. It requires extreme precision and stealth. So I'll drive." His words didn't do much to encourage his friend.
"Extreme precision and stealth" apparently entailed crashing through barriers, more than one robot and atleast one actual human being.
"That was so cool!" Esven was stood up in his seat, punching the air behind him.
"I'm pretty sure you killed someone, Esven."
"Oh, don't be so boring. Live a little, why don't you? Have some fu-" The word 'fun' was cut short by the hover car crashing into what appeared to be a cliff side and flipping over three times. The passengers were not in the vehicle once it landed. They were, however, found less than 10 minutes later, by the very men the hover car had belonged to. They were not impressed.
The young Lorrdian was a rebellious teenager, like most others, but he was a rebellious preadolescent, so going through puberty just strengthened his relaxed attitude. He wasn't exactly clever, but he had charisma and was popular amongst his peers. As a result of his popularity and the fact he never tried anything new, he had never really been challenged at an early age. As he approached adulthood he grew bored and yearned for adventure. Little did he know adventure would soon find him.
Chapter 2: Argazdans
He had heard the stories, of course. Everyone had. They told every little kid the stories of the evil men who kept them captive. Except, as they grew older, people realised they weren't stories, they were real and they only happened half a century ago. It was... Peculiar to think of those things, in the same way it's peculiar when someone you vaguely know passes away. You know things like that happen, but not to you, surely not. Not to Esven, atleast, until his 16th birthday.
Miraculously, he was still alive by then and, even more miraculously, he was still friends with Lotan Vespin. There they were, with other friends, the same as most nights, except this time there was a difference.
"Guess what I managed to find today," began Esven, reaching behind him into a crate. "Cheap drinks." To that there was a large cheer and then the passing round of brightly coloured fluids. No one knew what was in them, but no one cared, so it didn't matter. By a couple of glasses in, they were thoroughly hammered.
A group of mischeivous drunk teenagers in the middle of the night wasn't going to end anywhere special. They stumbled this way and that, loud and boisterous, until, purely by chance, they stumbled near an airfield.
"I have an idea! Go hide, the first person to be caught drinks the rest of the drinks!" This raised a large cheer from the posse and they all tottered off to find a hiding place. Unfortunately, in there inebriated state, they forgot to choose someone to find the rest.
Esven Dree was rather happy with his spot. Inbetween the many space shuttles docked there, ready to leave in the morning, was shadows, perfect for a not-quite-man like Esven to hide in. What he didn't notice, partially because of the drunkness, partially because of the dark, was the two beings coming up behind him.
"Get him!"
That was the only clue he got, but he took it. Quick as a flash, he jumped up and spun round, ready to face his possible attackers. Or, atleast, that's what he had hoped to do. Instead, he scrambled to his feet and stood up, before promptly falling backwards over an upturned barrel, with a 'What's that doing there?' on his mind.
As the two men came closer, Esven began to make out facial features and other ways of identification.
"But, I thought you were all dead! I thought Argazdans were extinct!"
This raised a snort of laughter.
"We're not extinct. Far from it. But there are less of us and it's a whole lot harder to find work. Which is why we're here. For you." They grinned and cackled menacingly, before making an advancement on the young Lorrdian crawling backwards on the floor.
Suddenly there was two short blaster shots and Esven's assailants dropped to the floor, large heads smoking. A voice, gruff and old sounding, came from one of the shuttles.
"Come on, kid! Hurry up, before more arrive."
By this time Esven had all but fully sobered up. Unluckily for his friends and family, that 'but' was enough to make bad decisions. So, not thinking of family or loved ones, the naive teenager got to his feet and ran to the man, like he was attracted to him. Perhaps it was the moustache.
Chapter 3: Introductions
The man with the handlebar moustache was called Dare and he had a few friends. There was Nut, Scratch and Raven.
Nut wasn't the brightest by a long way. He was the Engineer, hence the name, and he was large and stocky. Built like a Whaladon, they would say. However stupid he was, he was twice as brilliant at his job. He once disassembled a space shuttle, then put it back together again, or so Dare told him.
"Next we got Scratch. This guy's about as good with a blade as I am with a rifle and that ain't half bad, I can tell you. And he doesn't just wield 'em. No, he makes 'em too. And he ain't half bad at that, either. He's the youngest of our lot, 'cept for you of course.
"Finally, there's Raven. She's a little... Antisocial, so don't worry if she doesn't give you too many hugs and kisses. She used to work for the Sith, but we won't get into that now. Just know that she's on our side and she's a bloody good shot.
"And then there's you. You're probably wondering why you're here. Why I let you aboard. Well, you see, there was a fifth member here. His name was Rookie, due to him being so young see. He isn't here anymore... So you're his replacement." Dare grinned. "Have fun."
Dare was an impressive leader. After a few weeks of travelling with the smugglers, Esven could tell he was well respected by all his crew, even Raven, the only person Esven couldn't really read; a useful skill, being able to mask emotions from a Lorrdian. She interested him the most.
Of everything Esven did with those people, two events stuck in his mind the most. Firstly, the incident on Balmorra and, secondly, Coruscant.
Chapter 4: Balmorra
Balmorra was a popular stop off point. They had been there countless times, mainly for illegal weaponry, but occasionally they would smuggle out more valuable items, very rarely sentient species. Twi'lek were a particular favourite.
It was at one of these rare occasions where Esven decided to try and get to know Raven. She had still eluded him so far, but he wasn't to be deterred. The young adult could be stubborn if he felt the reward was good enough.
Leaving his male crew mates to examine the specimen, Esven walked over to the mysterious woman of the ship. Hopefully his winning looks would prevail. He knew exactly what to say.
"It's disgusting, I think. Examining the poor soul like it's some sort of animal that they're going to cook and eat later."
Raven didn't even glance at him.
"I would much prefer to put her back, you know. Set her free, let her go away, back to her home planet. It's not right, bringing an innocent alien onto the ship like a slave."
This time Raven did speak. Her dark, almost black lips distracting Esven as they moved. He almost didn't hear what she actually said.
"... Murder and theft. She's hardly innocent and it would most likely cost the Hutt more to get rid of her than us to take her. So, we take." Then she went straight back to staring at the wall.
Esven was just about to open his mouth to speak when a large explosion sounded and the space ship shook. Esven, not near anything to hold onto, was thrown to the ground and lay there for a second, sprawled, until he could stand up. As soon as he was back on his feet another explosion shook him again and he fell flat on his face again.
"Esven, get up!" Dare's voice sounded. He was striding towards the two "You two go help Nut with any repair work that may need doing, me and Scratch will be searching for the attacker and attacking back."
Esven nodded from his position on the floor and quickly got up, heading towards Nut's grunts and shouts. Suddenly an alarm sounded and Esven started to run.
Instead of going down the stairs towards Nut, Esven ran up the stairs, towards the weapons systems. He knew it wasn't what Dare had told him to do, but he would be more help with weapons than repair work.
As he was climbing the rungs of the ladder leading up to the office, he felt both of his legs slip and he started to fall, first off of the ladder, then down the stairs. Raven watched him, the rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs. Something made the Lorrdian follow her.
When they got down there Nut grinned widely.
"Right, Rookie, grab a a multitool and get to work on these plates. They were blown off after the blasts and we need more protection on the hull. And Raven, just do whatever."
She nodded, as did Esven, perhaps more reluctantly. He didn't understand why she got out of doing any actual jobs. Perhaps it was because she was female, but he doubted it.
After not too long there was a voice from upstairs, higher pitched than Dare's. Something about entering light-speed. Suddenly Esven was thrown backwards, the multitool flying out of his hands. Nut and Raven made their way back on to Dare and Scratch, Nut with dirty hands and sweat dripping from him, Raven pristine.
The second thing Esven remembered well was his very last job, transporting illegal weaponry (ironically) this time into a planet. The planet was Coruscant.
Chapter 5: Coruscant
Esven Dree was twenty. The ship hadn't changed, all that had changed was the people, especially the Lorrdian. He wasn't just physically older, he was also more mature, more experienced. He had learned a thing or two at his four years and acquired more.
They were at their next destination, Coruscant. This was a big job, probably the biggest Esven had ever done. The many skyscrapers of the city planet towered above him as they walked back towards the shuttle.
"Hey, Rookie, go talk to the guy over there, he'll check our ship's ready to go. And don't worry, you know what to do, you'll be fine. Seriously, don't worry. Go." That was Dare.
'Rookie' referred to Esven, seeing as he was the youngest, and the man he was talking about was a Republic Officer. Mr. Dree was apprehensive - why would they leave from the actual port, surely a more discrete exit would be a better idea - but he trusted Dare, so went over.
"Sir, I believe my shuttle is ready for take off."
"Just give me a second, kid. I'll be ready in a second." The man reached behind his back and brought out what appeared to be a pair of plasteel handcuffs. "You are under arrest for smuggling stolen goods into Coruscant and suspicion of countless others. Anything you say may to be taken down and used as evidence."
Esven, gobsmacked, looked over to Dare for guidance. Him and the other three were in the ship. The engines started and Dare had to shout to be heard.
"Sorry, kid. You served your purpose, we don't really need you anymore. And, by the way, there was never any Rookie, not one before you anyway." The older man laughed, then waved, the others joining in. "Farewell Esven and, as always, good luck!" Then the shuttle was off, raising up out of the atmosphere.
It took the Lorrdian a minute or two to comprehend what was going on. Dare had lied to him, manipulated him and then betrayed him. He must have bribed the Officer. What else had the old man lied to him about? As Esven was led away, his eyes narrowed and he swore to never trust someone like that again. But, like most of the promises Esven had said in his life, this one was sure to be broken.
"Esven Dree, you are sentenced to ten years imprisonment, or service in the Republic Military. It is up to you. Now court dismissed."
Ten years... That was too long to wait, cooped up in a cell. By the time he was out he would be thirty and would have ten whole years of his life wasted, ten years in which he could be doing much, much more exciting things. And, if he joined the military, at least he would still be travelling around the universe... In the end he chose the Republic over prison.
His enrollment began a few weeks after the trial. He was in the bog-standard army and still looked down upon and bullied. That was until a later mission.
Chapter 7: Special Forces
It was Private Dree's third mission in the Republic army and so far his experience hadn't been great. Both peers and betters looked down on him for being what-they-called 'criminal scum'. He hadn't been given a chance to seek adventure like he wanted to either. Usually his missions entailed of patrols and guard duty and urban planets, not exploring distant worlds. But it was still better than ten years.
This particular mission was on the desert planet of Tatooine. Esven's squad were supposed to be checking people coming into the planet and leaving the planet, but there had been a situation. A Hutt by the name of Vatto was attempting to leave, but he would not be searched. He was babbling angrily on in some strange language unknown to all the Troopers, apart from Esven. He was appearing to get quite violent and the men were haughty.
"Sir." He whispered to his Corporal. "May I try speaking to him? I'm Lorrdian."
After a nod the Lorrdian stepped forward, took off his helmet and cleared his throat.
"Chobato, my pee kasa Esven Dree. Dolpee kikyuna. Vatto yatuka pankpa bunky dunko."
"Welcome, my name is Esven Dree. I am a friend. Vatto move spaceship home."
"Eniki tagwa." With those two words the Hutt turned back round and went back into his large ship. Within a few minutes it had disappeared out of the atmosphere and Private Esven could breath again.
The Officers were saying how well Esven performed in the mission. There had been a worrying communication problem but the Lorrdian stepped in to help. Apparently he showed great initiative and greater general skill in turning what could have been a bad situation into a peaceful negotiation. He was quickly promoted, much to the dismay of his companions.
Soon, miraculously it seems, he was spotted by a Sergeant from the Republic Special Forces. Apparently they had seen his ability with a weapon and especially his negotiation prowess and needed his expertise in their crew. Within a few days he was shipped out a big fancy star station and sorted into a Squad.
RP Sample:
Esven Dree dropped down into a small, dark room. A faint sound was coming from past the thin-looking door, like music. With a wave of his hand his companion joined him.
"I don't think this is a good idea..."
"Shush! You'll give us away. Now, if I can just open this door here..." The older Lorrdian crouched down next to the door, bringing something out of his pocket. It was a thin, metal item that Esven used as a lock pick. In his other hand was a small knife and soon they were both inserted into the keyhole. With a twist of the wrist there was a clunk and the door swung open. The faint sound that they could hear grew suddenly louder.
"And we're in." Esven said with a grin. "Come on Lotan, this could be the only time we get in here. Stop hiding in that cupboard and get here." Once his friend was beside him, they creeped around the corner.
What they saw next just encouraged Esven to go closer, much to Lotan's dismay. There were Twi'lek dancers, loud music, drinks, dancing. Esven longed to join in, but, being a few years too young, couldn't. But he was never a patient boy. Despite the callings of Lotan, telling him to get back, Esven crawled forward, getting closer to the stage of dancing aliens. Once or twice he was almost spotted, but luckily he managed to find hiding places.
Once he got close enough, but in a safe hiding place, Esven stopped crawling and shifted himself so he was on his bottom. He sat there, gawping up at the stage, completely oblivious to his surroundings. Apparently his hiding place wasn't good enough, as suddenly he heard feet near him. The next thing he knew the owner of the feet had fallen over him, spilling drinks on everyone in the near vicinity. She looked down, but Esven was already gone, crawling away.
He looked over his shoulder to inspect the pandemonium, but wasn't looking where he was going and bumped into a pair of legs. His cover was blown. Shouts arose from the owner of the legs and Esven quickly got up and started running. Again, he spent more time looking backwards than looking forward, so crashed into people on numerous occasions, but after a short while had found the exit and was panting, hands on knees, outside.
"That was awesome!"
"That was terrifying! I don't know why I keep going along with you. All you do is get us into trouble. One of these days you'll end up in prison, you know."
"Oh, stop your whining. Are you okay?"
"Well, yeah. Thank for ask-"
"Then everything's fine, isn't it? Now come on, I'm hungry."
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