"Imperial forces on Tatooine," Corven mutters. "Talk about bad timing. But I suppose it is not like it can be helped now. It probably means we need to be even more careful though."
"And now the black-clad figure has a name," he adds turning to Gotal. "Does it sound familiar to you?"
Gotal shakes his head, "No, it is a name I have never heard before. Sith call themselves Lords though so the title betrays the cause he serves".
The noble will acknowledge the knock.
As Donavaan answers the door, Renlo says, "Hey Donavaan, Gotal has an errand to run, and asked me to tag along. Care to join us? It'll hopefully be boring, but I wouldn't mind the extra back up."
Are you sure that you aren't going to lie to me about something else if I do go with you, mon-calamari. Why should I trust anything that you or anyone else says? Did it make you laugh to make me look the fool? he says angrily.
Blinking his clear lids, Renlo says, "We lied to you because we thought you wouldn't be able to handle the knowledge you had shot someone, especially not while you were recovering from your alcohol-fueled sleep. Eventually, I told you the truth because I thought you should know. It was no one's intent to humiliate you or make you feel embarrassed. I'm inviting you along because you've been keeping to yourself and I thought you might appreciate some interaction. Now, do you want to come?"
I suppose so. he says coldly.
Moroka
You grab your tool kit and look at your operations panels and the visible components inside the vessel. Everything looks good.
You walk down the ramp and give the ship a once over paying particular attention to the engine area and you see a small puddle of liquid that has started to pool on the ground just under the aft, lower nacelle.
"Great", Renlo says, turning and heading towards the docking ramp. Looking back, he says, "For what it's worth, I've probably shot more people in a firefight than you have." He then continues walking to disembark.
Spotting the puddle under the ship, Moroka sighs, shaking her head. "And we were doing so well..."
She starts to pull out her tools, stepping under the leaking nacelle and scanning for the source. "Brand new ship and we're already leaking..."
Don't remember taking any solid hits last time we were shot at; did the manufacturer just not weld something securely?
The noble will get his hover board ready to go out on the town.
[dice=perception]1d20+6
[dice=mechanics]1d20+6Spotting the puddle under the ship, Moroka sighs, shaking her head. "And we were doing so well..."
She starts to pull out her tools, stepping under the leaking nacelle and scanning for the source. "Brand new ship and we're already leaking..."
Don't remember taking any solid hits last time we were shot at; did the manufacturer just not weld something securely?
As you look around the lower nacelle you note a small projectile hole that has nicked one of the coolant lines that was just under the nacelle housing. From the looks of it, one of those bandaged and robed beings that were firing at the Gambit on the way from Anchorhead must have gotten lucky. The damage is not bad... trivial really... but enough that you'll need to pull the line, repair the line, check the coolant for foreign objects and foreign particles, purge the coolant system and then bleed out any air... before taking off. It wouldn't do to go boom on take off. Total work time, maybe two hours if you can find the part. If you have to manufacture a replacement line, it may be more like four hours.
Interestingly, you notice a small blinking red LED just aft of the bullet hole.
"Well," Corven says as he approaches Jak, "everyone else seems to be pretty busy. Interested in passing the time by moving the... ahem... water from to cargo hold? Should be so much fun."
"Sounds like fun," Jak says to Corven with a smirk.
They get the sled into position and then retrieve the 'water'.
"Okay, count of three. One, two -- three! Oh, wow, this sucker is heavier than it looks."
They carry the 'water' to the sled.
"Sounds like fun," Jak says to Corven with a smirk.
They get the sled into position and then retrieve the 'water'.
"Okay, count of three. One, two -- three! Oh, wow, this sucker is heavier than it looks."
They carry the 'water' to the sled.
Jak and Corven get the hover sled loaded with the "water" easily enough and load in the destination into the sled's data console. From Bay 94 you have about a 20 minute drive to get to the delivery point.
When he is ready he will ride over to where the two are waiting and inquire so we going or what? in an annoyed voice.
Gotal nods to Donavaan, "We are visiting a group known as the Dim-U monks. Fore using tradition that I believe are not affiliated with the Jedi. Perhaps you shall find some enlightenment in this visit my young friend".
Gotal moves to pull a cowl over his head but then remembers he is wearing the garb of a spacer and not a Jedi. He shakes his head and starts off of the ship motioning for the others to follow.
Use the Force - Sense Force to locate the Monks
Moroka's eyes widen for a moment before she reaches for her comm. "Jak, DO NOT fire up the engines. We've got a coolant leak; one of those desert folk must have some miraculous aim. We'll have to pull some parts and do proper repairs. If we're lucky, we'll have the part we need and be airborne in two hours; if not, we're looking at four or more."
She approaches as she speaks, examining the scene more closely, intrigued by the blinking light. not usually a lot of lights underneath engine nacelles...
Her hand unconsciously reaches for her saber. That better not be what I think it is...
Muttering under his breath Friend? Friend my noble arse. They didnt even ask what I was doing or where I went. Oh well.
What do you know about these monks? he asks.
Gotal nods to Donavaan, "We are visiting a group known as the Dim-U monks. Fore using tradition that I believe are not affiliated with the Jedi. Perhaps you shall find some enlightenment in this visit my young friend".
Gotal moves to pull a cowl over his head but then remembers he is wearing the garb of a spacer and not a Jedi. He shakes his head and starts off of the ship motioning for the others to follow.
Use the Force - Sense Force to locate the Monks 1d20+13
You reach out with the Force. You feel all the living beings good and bad in the city. You sense the structured goings-on of BoSS (Bureau of Ships and Services) and right next door you sense the mentally structured minds that you are looking for. You have an idea where to go.
You also feel the sudden attention of someone... someone sensed your presence through the force; someone dark.
Moroka's eyes widen for a moment before she reaches for her comm. "Jak, DO NOT fire up the engines. We've got a coolant leak; one of those desert folk must have some miraculous aim. We'll have to pull some parts and do proper repairs. If we're lucky, we'll have the part we need and be airborne in two hours; if not, we're looking at four or more."
She approaches as she speaks, examining the scene more closely, intrigued by the blinking light. not usually a lot of lights underneath engine nacelles...
[dice=perception]1d20+6
Her hand unconsciously reaches for her saber. That better not be what I think it is...
Moroka looks more closely at the blinking LED. It seems to be a small circular device attached to the underside of the ship. It definitely does not look like part of the vessel. The LED is pulsing in a very rhythmic fashion... perhaps a tracking device?
Well that explains a few things... Moroka muses, removing her hand from her holster. She folds her arms for a moment, pondering the situation, then shrugs and goes about cleaning up the leak and beginning what repairs she can on the coolant line, humming a tune nonchalantly as if she'd never seen a thing.
Removing it now would just tip off whoever's watching us...they already know where we are, so it wouldn't buy us any time...hmm. If we do it as soon as we can take off, we can slip their view more readily--as long as they're not already on their way...
Pausing to wipe her hands, she decides to pull out her comlink. "Jak? Come outside, would you? You need to see this."
"Just a sec!"
Jak makes his way over to Moroka, and is halfway to ranting up a storm about the bandits who hit them.
"...And then I'm going to turn the blaster sideways, and stick it up their..."
Gotal looks to Donavaan and Renlo, "There is a practitioner of the dark side here in Mos Eisley. We should be about our business with the Monks and then back to the ship quickly to avoid a confrontation".
Gotal quickens the pace to the location where he detected the Monks.
Dark side? Light side? Gray? What does it all mean? inquires the noble.
Sighing, Renlo eases his blaster in his sheath. "Oh, goody. What fun."
To Donavaan's question, he says, "The Force consists of two sides, the light and the dark. The light side is about calm and serenity. The dark side is about anger and hate. Those who turn to the dark side are typically deranged and responsible for great atrocities. At least, that's what the Jedi always said."
A lot of good the lightside did for them. Why are things black and white? Sometimes people do good things and sometimes they do bad. Sometimes they just, well, you know, are. he says.
When we were getting away from that planet, I felt something on the other ship. It felt, I don't know, cold but also it called to me. It sounded welcoming, almost like the calls I used to get from women who were interested in, well, you know. he adds.
"That's what the Jedi always said. I guess they could afford to see it that way in the Temple. Since I started traveling the galaxy, I've seen a lot more shades of gray."
Looking at Donavaan, he said, "Regardless, I know cruelty towards others is a bad thing, and there are a lot of stories about dark sides engaging in horrific acts of cruelty."
Moroka points out the small circular device. "The bandits are less of a concern than this. I think someone is tracking us right now; their purpose isn't clear, but whoever they are, they know we're here."
"I wonder: what if Stigs put the tracker on us to make sure we make the delivery? I could understand her anger if we decided to jump the system without finishing the job..."
"The dark side feeds itself from negative emotions. Fear leads to anger which leads to hate which leads to embracing the dark side.
The Jedi path is one of the path of Light. Keeping emotions in balance and relationships out of entanglement allows for serenity. It is in serenity that we are able to think and act clearly,
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no death, there is the Force.
This is the mantra of the Jedi and has been for some time.
I believe that the War led the Jedi to lose their way. That may well be why the dark side and the Sith has risen but hope is not lost. Through the Force will we find the way.
There are practitioners who dwell in the grey area in between, we shall meet some of them shortly I believe. I am curious if they have been visited by any survivors of the Order".
Joining Jak and Moroka, Corven takes a look as well. "If Stigs put the tracker, then we are golden. More or less, anyway. What is a bit of mistrust between business partners, right? But if not..."
He lets the sentence unfinished, the implications easily apparent.
Well it just seems to me that the grey area is a much more balanced view of what the experience of most beings is. he says taking a drink of water.
"You are correct in that Donavaan but do you want most people wielding the powers of the force in ways that this Darth Vader seems to?
That is the rationale behind the Order, or was. Ensuring that only the most dedicated and disciplined were able to master the power of the Force.
The Jedi seemed to lose sight of that in the War, they were loyal to the Republic which was in turn manipulated by, well it seems by the Sith.
I stayed neutral because I recognized that the only way for the Jedi to walk the line was to be neutral in conflicts. Our role should have been one of mediator sadly even the Masters did not believe in this ideal..."
Jak sighs.
"Whether it's Stigs or someone else, the damage is done. Think you can pry it off without damaging it, Moroka? Otherwise, leave it on for now. We will get rid of it before take off though."
Who are the Jedi or anyone else to regulate a person's gifts or desires? It did them real good didn't it? How many little ones were killed? he inquires.
Jak, Corven & Moroka
Jak mounts drivers side of the sled and pauses while his compatriots get seated. The hum of the engines increases in pitch as Jak accelerates and merges into the flow of traffic; light as it is.
The trek to the delivery point takes about 20 minutes. The menagerie of beings is awe inspiring to behold. That said, this is obviously a rather rough and tumble town. Your small group gets a considerable amount of attention from several people that notice the large stencils on the sides of the cylinders that state “WATER.”
Finally, Jak guides the sled to a stop outside of a shanty with a large number of swoop bikes in front of it . ”Alright boys, this is the place.” Jak says without taking his eyes off the front door.
Donavaan, Renlo & Gotal
The trip to the monastery takes nearly half an hour by foot. The heat of the twin suns has eased slightly is still very uncomfortable to people who are not accustomed to it. As you walk along, you see an enormous variety of beings. While humans are still numerous, there is no shortage of non-humans as well.
You walk through an open air market and the buzz of activity edges overwhelming. The wares offered are as varied as the beings. Everything can be bought on Tatooine... for a price.
You start to turn one corner and pull up short. Several gray clad governmental type humans are looking at data pads and pointing at a building. Another human male dressed in a similar uniform but black in color smugly looks on. Suddenly he chops his hand in the air and loudly states “This building will suit the Emperor's needs.” He turns his haughty face to one of the half dozen white armored soldiers standing nearby and addresses him.”Captain, start setting up and clear out the riffraff.”
Before any of these obvious Imperials notice you, you backtrack and continue down the street.
After crossing a few more streets, you turn a corner and you can see the squat governmental building housing the BoSS (Bureau of Ships & Services). A little further down sits your destination... the monastery. You make your way through the throngs of people walking up and down this area and you finally arrive at the steps leading up to the front doors. The building looks like it could have been grandiose at some point in the past. A little further down and across the street sits a ram shackle someday famous cantina.
You watch the entrance to the monastery for a few minutes before approaching. While you DO see a few beings that could pass for monks, the clientele seems to run on the seedier side; this could be a front for some other operation.
Renlo is content to walk in silence, keeping an eye on his surroundings and a hand hovering near his blaster. He'd been to Mos Eisley once, and it looked just as bad as he remembered.
"Charming."
Perception
Perception
Moroka chuckles to herself, nudging Corven as she takes in the rough-and-tumble scene. "Wouldn't it be ironic if our client was another anti-imperialist?" She inquires in a low voice.
Would be nice to be free of the moral ambiguity...
She smiles at the throng of swoop bikes new and old, musing to herself. "Never got to work on a swoop bike before. Wonder if anyone needs a tune-up?"
[dice=Perception]1d20+12
Renlo is content to walk in silence, keeping an eye on his surroundings and a hand hovering near his blaster. He'd been to Mos Eisley once, and it looked just as bad as he remembered.
[dice=Perception]1d20 + 8