Opening Crawl
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....
The Clones Wars have ended.
The Separatists and their corporate backers have fallen.
The Jedi Rebellion has been thwarted.
Peace reigns once again through out the galaxy.
According to the chancellor, it is a new day.
Less than twelve hours later, in a special session the Republic Senate voted Chancellor Palpatine complete power; naming him Emperor.
Thus began a period some would call "the reign of terror"....
=============================================
=============================================
IC:
A beautiful human news person, Angeel Bartund is making a quick update to the story that has been on high rotation since yesterday. She mentions that in a special session of the Senate, Chancellor Palpatine has been named supreme ruler and Emperor of the galaxy. Over her shoulder a small inset shows the new emperor addressing the senate and the galactic population as a whole. The crowd at Fischer's Place Cantina is boisterous and tension is almost palpable. Laughter can be heard periodically as can the occasional curse. The crowd is a mix of humans and non-humans with one thing in common, everyone seems to want to blend in; to avoid drawing too much attention. A Sullistan walks in from the street shortly followed by a Human. What seems like ten heartbeats later, the front door bursts open and several white armored clone troopers burst through. “Everyone STAND DOWN, in the name of the Emperor” one of the soldiers booms over his helmet mics...
Gotal sits back in his chair at ease waiting to see why the Troopers have decided to enter this establishment which has very few people located in it. He says nothing and takes no action at the present time.
The "Emperor" wastes no time flexing his new powers it seems" Gotal thinks to himself.
Renlo entered the cantina right behind the Sullustan, and moved to grab one of the nearby empty tables. Just as he sat down and was preparing to flag down a serving droid, the clone troopers burst in.
Of all the Sith-spawned times for a raid. I haven't even gotten a kriffing drink yet.
Renlo sat at ease in his chair, keeping his hands on the table so the troopers wouldn't think he was reaching for a weapon.
The HoloNet feed has been looping the Chancellors proclamation about the end of the war... you've seen it enough that it's starting to become background noise. Benry looks a little nervous as he wipes down the bar. He keeps glancing around the room and eyeing to door. The fat human bartender brings you a refill. He shakes his head slightly and mutters - “No good, Jak, they're up to no good.” He moves further down the bar. You glance around the room and see a number of CIS soldier types fanned out around the cantina.
"They're just soldiers, Benry," Jak told him quietly. "They just don't know the war's over yet." He took a slow sip of beer. He was here on business, and needed to stay clear headed. He'd gotten drunk enough already when he first heard the news.
Unlike the other CIS soldiers, Jak was wearing civilian clothes. The cloak he wore was open on his right-hand side, displaying the heavy blaster pistol slung low on his hip.
He sighed as he contemplated the CIS soldiers. He'd given up the ghost faster than the others. Of course, the others hadn't flown at the Battle of Coruscant, like he had. They hadn't seen the severe butt-whooping The Republic -- pardon, The Empire -- had laid down on them.
Dooku dead. Grievous dead. The droids were paperweights. And now no more financial backing.
Jak took a bitter sip of beer.
The New Order was dead. Period. The only thing left were a few holdouts too stubborn or too stupid to know any better.
"I'm looking for a guy named Renlo," he asked Benry. "He's a Mon Calamari. Worked with him on few jobs. Reliable. He been in port lately?"
Having noticed both the CIS soldiers inside the cantina and the clone troopers outside, Corven takes a sip of coffee and sighs. "Tsk... And here I thought peace usually means something a little quieter than what preceeded it," he mutters to himself as he keeps his eyes at the door, through which a Sullustan and a human and then a Mon Calamari enter soon enough. The latter actually looks somewhat familiar, even if the scout cannot exactly place him, probably because his attention is on the troopers that mere moments later burst into Fischer's Place.
Not getting up from his table, if for no other reason than to not draw attention to himself, he nevertheless runs his fingers over the blaster pistol he carries in a hip holster before putting them back on the table, as if to reassure himself that any trouble that may or may not come does not find him unprepared. Then he takes another sip of coffee, his posture casual and relaxed, just another customer enjoying some peace and quiet and a drink.
'Hopefully the client will not be taking too long. In hindsight, he could have picked a better place though,' he thinks to himself as he waits to see how the situation will unfold.
Moroka glanced about the cantina with a relaxed eye, noting the spread of soldiers, both CIS and clone troops, gathering uneasy emotions everywhere.
Lots of troops, suddenly disenfranchised, a man who crowns himself emperor, a squad of clone troopers busting in the door, and me with a lightsaber hidden at my back.
Doesn't take knowledge of the force to see this is going to be an interesting day...
With a practiced ease, she relaxes in her seat, taking care to keep her hands visible and her lightsaber holster out of view, presenting the hip with a stun baton hanging off it instead.
Oriltoth finished his drink quickly, no need to waste it, and raised his hands over his head in surrender. Today was going so well, too.
They were still Fett model, reasonable enough fellows, or at least the one who spoke was, he had worked with, and on, enough to recognize the voice, though he had heard they were working on some newer subjects closer to the core. DNA could only be cloned so many times before it began to degrade after all.
"Pardon me, that order apply to veterans too, or can I get another drink?" he calls out. It seemed they may be stuck here a while while they did... whatever it is they came to do, and there was no reason to just sit here sober.
The noble will roll his eyes as the clone troopers begin to harass people and will sigh . Noticing that the Ithorian has indicated that he too is a veteran Don will see what happens while finishing what he can of his meal. He will try to blend in as much as possible showing that he does belong here.
The lead clone trooper steps forward and two others fan to either side of him.
"Captain Byrn, you are wanted for war crimes against the Empire. Keep your hands where I can see them."
Captain Byrn pulls his hands away from the three credit chits he had been pushing across the table to Moroka. "She'll fly, right?" He asks the mechanic.
Byrn holds up his hands in mock a "I surrender" pose while staring at Moroka waiting for an answer.
"WAR CRIMES?! I was doing my job. I was following orders." He glances about the room making eye contact with some while skimming over others.
"She's ready... right?" He says; the sense of urgency clear in his voice.
"Easy..." the trooper states "We just want to take you in for questioning."
"The war ended yesterday... you are a citizen of the Empire and will be treated like one." The trooper steps toward Captain Byrn's table.
Jak raises his eyebrows when he spots Captain Byrn.
"You idiot," he grumbles quietly. "You're too high profile to be here."
Old loyalty tore at Jak, and somehow he found his hand inching toward his blaster.
Renlo observed the tense scene, doing everything he could to avoid drawing attention to himself.
Gotal watches the proceedings with interest, I wonder what constitutes war crimes in the Empire? he ponders.
Initiative
Moroka nods at the captain as she scoops the credit chips into her belt pouch, confident in her work. "She'll fly."
As she watches the captain's eyes dart about, she shakes her head just slightly, coiling her muscles ever so subtly. Don't do it, captain...
"So much for that peace and quiet," Corven mutters softly to himself.
"So much for that drink, then?" Oriltoth calls out.
Iniative
Going back through his training he is going to see if there are any loopholes he can find legally to keep this detainment from happening.
Knowledge Bueraracy
The trooper steps closer to Captain Byrn. "Captain, I am taking you into custody for the assassination of Senator Cham'Elyn."
Byrn stands up slowly and turns slightly to face the trooper. "Impossible! My ship has been here for the last two days." His hands were still in the air but clearly he was tensing for action.
Gotal sighs, though perhaps not a war crime, murder is murder. Perhaps the Empire will not be all that different than the Republic...
Assassination? THAT trial won't end well...
Moroka observes the growing tension, and blinks in thought for just a moment before raising an eyebrow at the advancing trooper. "Wait a moment. Captain Byrn spent a fair amount of his time here at this cantina and at the docks, where I've been repairing his ship for two days. I can personally verify he hasn't had time to assassinate anyone."
Fool girl Renlo thought, as the young human mechanic chimed in, all you've done is succeeded in drawing attention to yourself as a possible conspirator. Let's hope you don't have any secrets you want to be found out.
Taking a closer look at her, he realized that, during his previous visits to the moon, he hadn't seen any mechanics who looked like her. That meant she wasn't a local, which probably meant she didn't have any friends to vouch for her. Shaking his head, he thought A pity - she may have had a bright future ahead of her.
Gotal focuses his attention on Moroka now that she has called attention to herself.
The noble will rise to speak. I love the Empire as much as you Troopers do. As far as I know this planet is not part of the Empire and as such only the Hutts have jurisdiction over these matters, not our beloved Emperor Palpatine.
Jak spent a moment trying to remember anything about Senator Cham'Elyn. Before he was a pilot, he had spent some time doing espionage work, and so he knew a bit about the movers and shakers.
He vaguely remembered the senator being an outspoken critic of the Republic during the war, which generally made him the type of person the CIS would go out of their way not to assassinate. That being said, if he had any ties at all to the separatists he had been damn good at hiding it. More likely he was neutral.
Was this some sort of political ploy? A way for the Emperor to consolidate power, by eliminating neutral resistance? Jak's gut told him yes. But then why should he care? The war was over. All he wanted was to join a crew and eke out a living. The smart play was to sip his drink, say nothing, and wait for this to blow over.
He tensed when the mechanic tried to cover for the captain. The girl was admirably loyal, but she wasn't thinking straight. All she was going to accomplish was to get herself strung up as an accomplice.
And then a very well dressed fellow spoke.
"I love the Empire as much as you Troopers do. As far as I know this planet is not part of the Empire and as such only the Hutts have jurisdiction over these matters, not our beloved Emperor Palpatine."
Jak got to his feet a moment later. So much for the smart play.
"Gentleman, I am a representative of the Hutts interest in this sector," he lied.
"This police action was not cleared with my employers and therefore must be considered -- unauthorized. And while we do appreciate the Empire's help in this local matter, perhaps it would be best if you would allow the Hutts agents - many of whom are no doubt in this bar, armed, and sitting all around you -- to handle this matter internally. That is, of course, unless you would prefer to contact the Hutts and petition them directly."
Who are these people? The way they're carrying on, the troopers will arrest the whole lot of us. I'd rather not owe a Hutt representative for bailing me out.
The clone captain looks from one patron to another to another as they speak up. “This man is a wanted fugitive... there is video of him killing Senator Cham'Elyn on Tamien yesterday.”
The Sulustan steps away from the bar. “While this man is the representative of the Hutts,” she says waving her hand in Jak's direction, “I am Huuna, the local administrator of Burgger [ooc:] aka Beggar's Moon[/ooc:] and what he says is true. This man is under our jurisdiction. We shall take him in and you can make your case for extradition at the administration offices in the morning.” The diminutive female motions to the back of Fischer's where two Devaronians stand and move towards Huuna.
A Quarren patron steps away from the bar and points at the troopers. “Yer not wanted 'ere!”
Another patron stands up across the room. “That's right, Hunna's got this covered. Get out of here!”
Tension in the room is almost palpable. Sensing the growing hostility, the troopers back closer to the door and form a defensive perimeter.
Captain Byrn, with his hands still raised, remarks to the trooper “I wasn't there. You got the wrong guy.” He then looks to Huuna. “I surrender.” Then looking at Moroka, “Thanks girl. Come see me at Huunas in a bit.”
As the Troopers begin to back out of the room Gotal stands and heads towards Moroka. As closes in on her he whispers .
As Huuna speaks up, Renlo relaxes a bit. Thank the Force, the local administrator. He can take him away and these troopers can make the case for extradition. That gets the guns away from me.
As the other patrons began yelling at the troopers, and the troopers begin to take up defensive positions, Renlo looks about, and, seeing that this could turn violent, takes a deep breath, steps up and says, "Good Troopers, I am certain everyone here wishes to see justice carried out in the proper fashion. Now, the local administrator has said he will take the suspect into custody. He is an honorable sort, and I am certain he will review all the evidence before making a decision. After all, the New Order is supposed to stand for strong laws, and where would they be stronger but at the local level? As you have ensured your suspect's custody, you must surely like the rest of the day to report to your superiors and to ensure your evidence is in the proper order."
Turning to the remaining patrons, he said, "And as for the rest of you, these men are simply doing their jobs. Is that really cause for hostility towards them? After all, we all need to eat and we all need to pay for a roof above our heads, these men same as us. Now, why don't we all return to our drinks, and let these men be about their business?"
Persusasion check
Moroka glances toward the Umbaran, nodding with a curt smile as she returns the whisper.
She provides him the location of an isolated corner of the docks where she works, nodding to Captain Byrn as he's flanked by Devaronians, and relaxing in her seat with a confident smile as the Mon Calamari addresses the crowd. Someone's got a way with words...
Gotal bows slightly to Moroka and walks back to his seat not interfering with the Troopers of the Administration of justice being meted out by the local Authorities.
'Between the clone troopers and the local administration, it seems this Captain Byrn has become very popular very suddenly,' Corven ponders, 'and the wrong kind of popular at that.'
Preferring to keep a low profile, the scout does not speak up like some of the other patrons, yet he turns his gaze from one to the next of those that do. 'What do we have here then? A representative of the Hutts, an apparent fan of the... Empire and Palpatine, a mechanic and a familiar-looking Mon Calamari talker.' He then makes another addition, speaking softly to himself amidst sip of coffee. "Ah, and a quiet Umbaran who seems to know the young woman?"
"Come now everyone," he adds his own voice to that of the Mon Calamari finally, though he does not bother to get up from his seat, "there is no need for all this fuss. As the gentleman before me has already said, it seems the matter is taken care of by the proper authorities. Jurisdictions and all that. And if the Captain is innocent, I am sure all will be settled soon enough. So, no need for the unpleasantness and noise of chairs breaking and blasters... well, blasting, yes?"
Well, that appears to be that. Might be a good idea to find a job somewhere soon though, I can only drink so much on what I have left. Oriltoth thinks to himself, as he watches tensions begin to fall around the room. "Nobody gets hurt, I don't have to fix anybody up, and can get to that drink I mentioned."
As the clones are easing out of the door, the captain addresses Huuna one more time. “We'll see you in the morning administrator. Don't lose that man or you'll be taking his place.”
Huuna doesn't seem to pay attention. Looking at Benry and slapping the bar, she states, “I need a drink.”
Captain Byrn and the two escorts exit through the back of the cantina followed shortly thereafter by the CIS soldiers. Five minutes after it all started, Fischer's Place is quiet.
The Twi'lek waitress starts making her way around refilling drinks.
After taking a long draw on her drink, Huuna looks around at the patrons and says to the remaining crowd; using her best politician voice, “Thanks for keeping your heads. We've been able to stay free by playing nice with the Republic and the CIS... not sure what will happen now that both of those groups are gone, but it's best that we do what must be done to ensure we stay free.” With that, she turns her attention back to her drink.
Gotal reaches out to the Twi'lek waitress, "Please buy a drink on me for the four gentle souls who helped diffuse that tense situation".
Gotal gestures to Corven, Renlo, Donovaan and, Jak.
As the clone troopers and CIS soldiers left, Renlo let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding and returned to his seat. Well, you've managed to keep from getting shot today. But if this is how the atmosphere on a neutral world is getting, I might want to find a ship and get off this rock sooner rather than later.
Thinking over his situation, Renlo is surprised when the waitress sets down a mug of lomin-ale. Looking towards the person she indicates bought it, he lifts it up in a cheers motion towards the gentleman. Geez, he looks like he needs to spend some time in UV light. Pale as a ghost. Taking a drink, he looks about at the others who had spoken up, taking a closer look at each of them.
What an exciting thing and so much for keeping a low profile. Oh well, live and learn and all of that. Receiving the ale he nods to the Umbraraan as a means of thanks, and will get up, and shake his hand, buying a bottle of an excellent cognac like drink.
As Donovaan approaches Gotal will shake his hand, "I am a pacifist by nature and I appreciate the efforts put in keeping that situation serene. I wonder, do you know anything of the man they were seeking to arrest?"
Not at all but if we are going to be a system of laws, which Emperor Palpatine seems to be advocating, the laws of the Empire and where it does or does not have jurisdiction must be followed. Donavaan, Donavaan Taar, by the way, originally from Corellia and most recently from Coruscant.
"Gotal of Umbara, pleased to make your acquaintance Donovaan Taar. Tell me, what do you think of this situation having just left Coruscant. By situation a transition from a Republic to an Empire. I do not believe that the Jedi should have been involved in the Clone Wars but I find it odd that the Order would attempt a coup. Why now when the Republic had a large army would the Jedi seek to take such a hostile action? For thousands of years, the Republic had no army, the Jedi could have at any time in history much more easily taken control, it simply does not add up. Moreover, if this Jedi uprising was put down by the Clone army, why the need to transition the Republic into an Empire. The separatists are defeated, there is no longer an enemy to fight".
The Jedi that I served with in the Clone Wars fought bravely and were dedicated to the Republic. I am not sure whether or not they would attempt a coup but come, let us drink to old friends and old governments. he says as he pours from the bottle.
Jak sighed as he walked over to sit next to Huuna.
"I imagine it wouldn't surprise you at all to know that I don't actually work for the Hutts," he told her discretely. "Just didn't want to see anyone get killed today. How much trouble did I make for you?"
Moroka examines the scene for a few moments, smiling to herself as the captain is escorted away and the troopers make their exit. "And here everyone seemed so worried..."
Can't seem to lose the thought that someone is out for the captain, though...I never felt any kind of murderous intentions from him, but then again, I'm no master...
As the 'hutt representative' and the actual authority figure strike up a conversation, she finds a new, closer seat to drown out some of the din of the crowd and listen in while she finishes her own drink.
Gotal raises a glass to Donovaan's toast and waits to see if anyone else joins the group.
Huuna takes another swig of her drink then looks sidelong at Jak.
"You haven't caused ma any trouble at all. People that work for the various Hutts visit all the time." She turns slightly so that she faced Jak. "However, you may have caused some trouble for yourself... people that frequent this place tend to be a little seedy." She turns back to her drink. "Thanks for the help though. It's bad for business to have too many people shot up."
"Benry!?" She called to the portly bartender. "Put a glass in everyone's hand. One round on me."
"Yes mum," Benry replied as he shuffled toward shelves of bottles.
Huuna looks at Jak again. "Take care of yourself young man. The winds of change are upon us."
Seeing the human wearing clothes of a vaguely military cut join the Umbaran, Renlo decides to go join them, saying, as he approached, "Well, this was much more excitement than I was expecting when I woke up today."