A chance encounter

[arley]

Nar Shaddaa, Arley didn't know that this was the planet of his birth, but he felt drawn to this place. He couldn't quite figure out why he felt the way he did when he got to this planet, there was just something about. Arley came to help the people that where suffering after the Archeri crisis. He guessed it was the Jedi part of him; feeling obligated to help them, or maybe this was just who he is. All he knew was helping these people was the right thing to do.

When Arley landed and went straight to the cantina, not for a drink, but to listen. Though he did have a drink, to try and blend in. He even changed his clothes so he didn't look so...Force-sensitive. He still had a cloak on, like many of the shady people in this dive. He overheard a Duros and a Human male talking about how they were going to extort the people at the relief camp for protection money.

'Criminals doing criminally cliche things,' Arley thought to himself with a sigh. He finished his drink and waited for the men to leave. After an hour or so, they finally did. He followed them as they made their way to the camp. He heard them talking about how the relief camp didn't have anyone running or guarding it, at least in an official capacity. Apparently, there was a man named Riken who was the only leadership there and he wasnt a warrior. They then shifted the conversation to some job they did for the Hutt that employed them.

Apart of Arley wanted to just stop them now, but he knew if he did that there would just be others sent in their stead. So he patiently tailed them to the campsite, the sprawling metropolis was still bustling, even after what had happened here. It made it easy to tail them, Arley watched them as they entered the camp and roughed up a man he could only assume was Riken. He couldn't hear what was said without getting to close. But Arley had dealt with more than enough criminals to know what was happening.

As they left he continued to tail them in a giant crowd, looked to be some sort of bazaar. People around hocking goods, trying to make enough credits to scrape by. Suddenly he felt a presence, it was a force user for sure. But it wasn't anyone he recognized and he couldn't feel the dark side. But he knew there was one around. This threw him off guard and he lost the gangsters in the crowd.

[Bayou]

A piece of debris clamored against the ground as it broke into smaller pieces, creating a small amount of noise in the backdrop that was Nar Shaddaa. A resort world by no means yet considered a paradise by many. Underneath all the grime, crime and murder sure, it was beautiful in a way. Corrupted beauty but beauty nonetheless. And now it stood almost ruined and brought to its knees by outside forces. Kellen shook his head as he passed underneath a piece of a crumbled wall. It would take years for this place to recover. Especially considering it was all privately funded. The Hutts had a lot of rebuilding to do. But firstly, they'd need to figure out who was even in charge. From the reports Kellen heard, all but one Hutt Grand Council member survived the attack on Nal Hutta. Such chaos.

But for now he had to focus. He'd been on Nar Shaddaa for about two weeks now. In some ways he was glad to be off Coruscant and back in the field doing what he did best. But he also missed the quiet and serene Jedi Temple that he has called home since he was a youngling. Teaching the younger generation of Jedi instilled something in him that he couldn't find on a battlefield. And although it was hard to adjust he eventually found his way. But that was behind him now. Now he was tracking a known smuggler through a bazaar via the nearby rooftops. The smuggler was linked to a local gang who have been harassing the relief camp Kellen has been assisting recently. Robbing and extorting what little they have to supply to the poor and homeless following the Archeri Crisis. It need not mention that he would not standby and let this corruption and fearmongering continue.

Despite the many people in this open square, Kellen's trained senses could feel a unique presence. A being that somehow was familiar with the rest of this world yet did not belong. But he did not have time to concentrate on this as the smuggler he was tailing since they left the camp suddenly turned into a compound. A thick door shut behind the man. Well, time to find another way through. The compound sat just far enough from the bazaar to not attract as much traffic yet close enough that any signs of confrontation would attract unwanted attention. Than again, local security forces weren't really a factor on the smugglers moon anymore. Which is why gangs like these, which would normally be kept in check by the Hutts, has been allowed to fester. Time to put an end to at least one of these problems.

Kellen jumped across the street, from one rooftop to the other and landed on the compounds main building. As he peered over the side, he could see a small walled portion of the back of the place was an open courtyard. And in that courtyard was his smuggler and the apparent leader of this gang. Around them were various ill-gotten gains extorted from the locals. Crates of food, clothing and medical supplies were scattered in random piles. Kellen furrowed his brows at the thought of how much good this could do in the right hands. The hands they were meant for. For now he listened in.

"I did what you asked boss, that Riken fellow said another delivery was coming in soon."

"Gooood, I was starting to run out of those nice snack cakes from the last shipment we took from those weak fools."

Well, that was enough of a confession he figured. Kellen jumped down from the rooftop and landed a couple paces away from the pair. Standing straight and placing one hand over the other in front of him, he addressed the pair. "Those supplies do not belong to you. Surrender and come peacefully." The pair were caught off guard at first, the smuggler retreating into a nearby doorway. But the gangleader recovered as a devious smirk played upon his face. "What's this? A Jedi? Figured one of you righteous fools would be helping the pathetic people in that camp. But sadly for you Jedi, I have no intention of giving up all my goodies." The man pressed something on his commlink as a nearby door opened and a dozen armed thugs came running out. Forming a semi circle around the Jedi Master as they aimed their blasters his way. A shame, they never tend to surrender when given the chance.

Kellen looked around at all the possible things he could use to distract or otherwise multiply his chances of victory. He could not use the supply crates, they were too valuable to the people at the camp to be harmed. Other than that the courtyard was pretty bare. Seems it would be down to his lightsaber to do the negotiating. Kellen reached for it and ignited the lightsaber as its blue illuminated the nearby area even in the daylight. "Very well, the hard way it is. Though I do wish you'd surrender. You are quite outnumbered."

[arley]

Arley looked around for the force user that he sensed, and it lead him to a compound. He surmised that this had to be the base of the gang that was terrorizing the refugees. When he looked up from the street he was on he saw a robed blur jump into the compound. The jump he made automatically gave him away, he was the force user that Arley had felt. Arley made his way up to the roof of the building. He should see that he was talking to a man who Arley assumed to be the gang leader leader.

Arley couldn't hear what was being said, but he knew how this was going to play out, he would have to go into aggressive negotiations, as he was surrounded by a group of blaster weilding thugs. Arley was right when he saw the man, who was strong in the Force, probably a Master, ignite his blue lightsaber. That unmistakable hum hit his ears and the blue light illuminated the area around the Jedi.

Arley was no fan of the Order, but he didn't hate them. He knew he had to help this Jedi. Before Arley jumped down he noticed that the Jedi Master looked familiar...He snapped out of his thoughts and jumped down next to the Jedi, igniting his lightsaber. Blue and Orange light bounced off the metal floor and walls as the two Force users stood next to each other, the men with blasters looked more intimidated than they did before. "Well hello there," Arley said to the group. "Wouldn't it be nice if they'd just surrender?" Arley laughed with a sigh. "Sadly, foolish thugs never do," Arley said jokingly.