"It is also a rough draft, so to speak. A trial of effort and blueprint in the making for future efforts. The Jedi see it as a measure of cooperative effort- the potential for galactic positive reinforcement, to their minds, far outweighs the credits spent. A galaxy that can still work together can, and here's the trick they want to pull off: work. Telos marks an effort to get the galaxy back working again after it had stopped for so long. Pet project indeed. At least, that's the long view of the thing. Jedi don't much go in for specifics and details. So I hear."
Hayden rubs his nose and makes a mental note to find a book on how one might not go about speaking his mind. As with many things, he decides to shift the blame to his mother, her message having evoked a confusing lot of feeling in quite a short span of time.
Dantooine...
"So are we still doing the job, or has it suddenly become more lucrative to be a pirate? It seems the popular things. Our shipment might be worth more to someone like Vogga," He points absently at the starboard terminal, "considering he's so keen to widen his overlarge grip.
If we suddenly need eyepatches, I would suggest a detour. I must pick up some of my effects, and there may be a good deal of money involved. I've never tried to butter up my mother for money, but by the force if there ever was a time..." he trails off, composing words for his mother in his head steadily becoming his focus.
"Well, good luck on getting people to stop stabbing themselves in the back long enough to actually do something. How long did it take until Czerka Corporation got their grubby hands on the project? They should call it the Telos Embezzling and Money Laundering project, I tell you what. It's bound to happen with every large project in the Outer Rim, at least unless the Republic somehow tightens its grip and wipes out the Exchange, the corrupt companies, and every kind of mafia these worlds have to offer. Which, needless to say, is impossible, because no government that large can keep track of its frontier territories. They just collapse."
Kreshell has been smiling in the background before finally speaking up. "Glorious isn't it?!" he says as he throws his hands up in joy. "People fighting over a credit, while others discuss over millions! Gah! It's enough to put fire in your veins! It's a veritable den of thieves! Except they smell a little better! So! Are we still a go? Or do some of you need to be dropped of at the nearest rock?"
For just a moment, Rhea's eyes flicked in the direction of their... robotic... companion. "Piracy may get you a ways, but sooner or later most crash and burn. Also, trying to start the life when you're being pursued isn't the best plan. You never know what kind of friends an enemy might have - better for us to stay out of that and focus on more worthwhile endeavors."
"I'm in for a cut, I suppose. I am keen to see what Caandra wants in her pocket better than credits. And I'm probably free for the next month."
Hayden, fidgety, eyes darting but never resting on anything, pokes a few buttons on his comlink, starting a line or two. He quickly erases it and puffs out a hard breath before beginning again.
After the third try, he scoffs and shoves the thing back in his pocket.
"There's a lot that's better than credits." Rhea opined. "Like things that can make you more credits." Cough drugs cough. "Or historic tech. Give a man an engine and he goes faster. Teach a man to build engines and he makes a living helping others go faster."
"I'm mainly good with people." says Vadi with a smile. "I'm a good diplomat and a better liar, and I can generally convince people to do what I want. Also I play a good pazaak hand. I'm not too shabby in a fight, but that's not my forte, I prefer avoiding them."
"I'm also fairly good with people." Rhea said with a slight smile. "Talking to them, figuring out when they're lying... and seeing what people are up to. I'm also pretty handy with bigger ships like these. Oh, and I can make medkits to patch you up if you get hurt."
He looks around, various expressions lighting on his face in rapid succession as different thoughts fight for dominance. Never having been one for subterfuge, he quickly decides to lay it all out.
"I'm a Mechanic. Both for things and people. I can patch either up pretty well. And when that fails, I'm also quite adept at fighting. I've been trained in a few schools.
"Further, I can fly a fighter better than most can walk. It ever comes down to that, I'm capable.
"I studied history among other things at the academy. ...and in my time with the jedi. So I know a little about a lot of things. And a lot about a few things," he finishes quickly, making a show of poking buttons on the comlink that suddenly appears in his hands while pointedly not looking at the droid.
Kresh smiles at the introductions, "It is good to know that we've got some word artists on board. And practiced with different circles no doubt. Useful, useful."
At that, Rhea just smiled. "Well, I have something of an interest in technology. Like, all of it. I admit that I prefer nicer areas, but you might be surprised at how much you can get done when you talk shop with local droid dealers and the like. They usually know a bit of everything."
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A thoroughly trained listener, Vadi perks up, looking at Hayden. "Your time with who? Did I mishear or are you a freaking Jedi?"
Damn damn damn last time one of them was on Nar Shaddaa he killed half the local Exchange personnel, the power vacuum was devastating! What is he planning to do here?
Kresh begins staring at Hayden expectantly with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"Eh. Not so much. I got dumped for reasons that I won't go into. Saddled with a 'do this deadly and suicidal nonsense' job and shipped to the rectal center of the galaxy. Exile is the term, really, not jedi." Hayden smiles at Vadi.
"Oh, and I got strapped with nanny bot here," he gestures to HK whose sussuruss of whirring and buzzing circuitry has recently taken on a tone Hayden recognizes as wariness, indignance, or possibly verbal constipation, "Im pretty sure he's meant to shoot me if I get out of line.
"To the positive, I wasn't given a time limit on my job. I don't wager they expect me to show back up anytime soon. Maybe ever. There was a sort-of scandal. And I'm high profile in the core. Not something the Jedi want to deal with this this soon after they put themselves back together.
"But, yes. The short answer. I was a Jedi."
"Probably a good move for your career." Rhea observed. "Though I was under the impression that anybody who didn't fit the mold got weeded out pretty young." she looked over at HK. "So, DO you have orders regarding Hayden?" she inquired, seeing no need to beat around the bantha.
Hayden turns to give the droid a flat glare and opens his mouth, the pent up venom of a full month of denial, frustration, and shame tipping his tongue...
Eyes going wide, he instead rolls forward from his chair, spinning to face the Iridonian and palming his quarterstaff in one smooth, practiced motion. It extends with a muted crack.
Soooo not as cool as my saberstaff...
"I'm a great deal more amenable to a direct approach, Iridonian. You have a short moment to explain yourself. Do it well."
Raising his eyebrows, Kresh also crosses his arms awaiting what happens next.
"Alright everyone, we are tense and we are surprised, but let's take a breath and focus, yes? Unless I'm mistaken, we all got into this of our own accord, moved by whatever necessity moves everyone in this galaxy. Hayden didn't exactly keep this information to himself, did he?And a former Jedi could be helpful as ****, especially if he's as rational as he's been until now. Unless he's a Dark one. Are you?"
"Anyway, in order to avoid further tension, I believe you should know that when I joked about a bounty on my head, I wasn't joking. It's... conspicuous. There may be bounty hunters coming for me."
Jedis protect the innocent from this sort of things, right? I only remember from tales...
He doesn't spare a glance or move from his readied position, but he smiles slightly and can't really stop his mouth from replying, "Not dark. More of a beige color. Off-Light."
"Matter of perspective, really. The galaxy isn't black and white, and trying to act like it is seems kind of silly to me." Rhea said, turning away from the droid so as to avoid antagonizing its circuits too much. "It doesn't take too many credible stories about groups like the Jedi to see how strange they can be."
A solid greedy smile finds its way onto Kreshell's face once more, though he remains silent.
Hayden collapses his weapon with a frown and a twisty look of confusion upon his face, fairly shouting at the man's back as his adrenaline sours, "That didn't explain a damn thing! Walk away from me after trying to get the drop on me and you can't even explain yourself. Indeed!"
He crosses the room and plops back into his chair with a vague grunt and a muttered, "Punk."
"Well, aside from a heavy amount of style," Kresh starts as he waves an open hand from his head down to his side. "I've got connections, negotiations, and some morale boosting. Most of all though, if you want credits, I know how to make them." Kreshell ends with a kind of pose as he replaces his hat onto his head and leans on his cane. And the smile...always with that smile....
"Hold on a second, Le, how did you know precisely? I didn't have an inkling and I'm usually good at reading people. How did you know he was a Jedi?"
With the last phrase, Vadi focuses deeply on the Zabrak, unconsciously reaching out to him with her mind towards his. It was a sort of trance, and she had found out that people were far more pliable when she was in this state.
"Our navigator is also skilled in the force, though I feel he wouldn't care to admit it. With the right training, It's fairly easy to sense another with a gift for it." he pauses to look significantly at Vadi, though he is unsure if in her current endeavor his look would be noticed. He also glances briefly at Rhea before continuing, aiming for eye contact.
"Truthfully, there shouldn't be a cause to hide it so long as one has no harmful intentions. I'm a healer, though, and it's a bit counterproductive for a patient to startle and lose their marbles once their flesh starts knitting back together on its own. Better you know beforehand what I'm about."
Noticing Hayden's look, Rhea just raised an eyebrow.
Kreshell just maintains his lean though his face is just beaming at this point.
"Ooh! This is so exciting!"
Rhea just met Le's gaze. "I think it would do us all some good to relax." she said diplomatically. "And... perhaps avoid any kind of mind tricks. Those do tend to make people nervous."
Kreshell moves over next to Zev, nudges him with an elbow, and whispers to him, "Who'da thunk we'd be the least interesting people on board, eh?"
"He's a shifty punk, but that was a bit gauche. Of course, I suck exhaust at the mind games so maybe it's perfectly normal. Never took Suggestion: Grace and Tact 101 in Jedi school."
Speaking of...
He cocks his head at Vadi and politely smiles, "So where did you learn your tricks?"
Surprised but not unprepared, Vadi produces her blaster as Le approaches her. "Being threatened is not something I take kindly to." she growls. "Would you explain what got you so riled up or are you just that much of a psychopath that a question makes you grab a weapon? And what the hell are you speaking about? What sort of mind tricks?"
Kresh maintains his focus on the quarrel while whispering back, "Yes you will, but only if it comes to blows."
"The one with spikes on is the greater threat, but it likely won't come to that."
Louder, he says, "I'm pretty sure if she'd known she was doing something other than using 'wiles' you would be in a much more disadvantageous position. How's about we leave the ignorance of the untrained as it's own tempering force and forgive her that same ignorance. She could very well have gotten into some explosive trouble by now, and I think that she's survived this long is reason enough to treat her with respect.
"I have an idea!"
He turns to Vadi with a serious frown that looks out of place on his young features, "You are using the Force in a malicious, harmful, and direct manner. It often provokes violence.
"There!," he smiles, "Informed. Now you are liable to reap the blasterfire of whatever mental seeds you sow. Do it again, and I'll likely side with the victim. Provided I like them well enough. I really try to stay out of that kind of thing though. The force takes care of itself, and I don't wanna reap blasterfire meant for you. That would be your lesson to learn." he waves a blithe hand as a manner of removing himself from the conversation.
"Yes you as, if you'll remember, you have the blaster I gave you."
Vadi's face is a mixture of terrified and shocked as her hand relaxes, pointing the blaster downwards. "Wait, what? But- but I can't be using the Force! I'd need to be some sort of Jedi, wouldn't I? I've grown up alone, never left Nar Shaddaa before, nobody taught me anything like that! I flatter, I bluff, but I never manipulated a mind... not consciously, at least. And- and isn't the Force about moving things and choking people? I never did something like that!"
Rhea just blinked. "A common thought, but no." she said. "The Jedi Order tends to be a mix of power and training - while they may use the Force in different ways, they typically have a great deal of power to back their efforts, and training to use it properly." Her home had studied their sometime-foe in great detail. "Many in the Galaxy can tap into the Force to a lesser degree, often in the form of personal tricks. There aren't really that many Jedi, you know, compared to the quadrillions of sentient creatures in the Galaxy. Not only do they not have the resources to find everyone, but they usually want to find them very young. Even if you believe masters are led to the students, how many people can someone actually reach even when traveling full-time?" The order was rather infamous for only taking the young as part of their training method. "Many people of, ah, less robust talents tend to be overlooked or just outright missed. It's uncommon to meet someone with at least a spark of talent, but I'd hesitate to go as far as calling it unknown. The important thing is what you do with it. Hayden's right about the view on mind tricks, though. Messing with someone's mind is one of the most offensive things you can do in many cultures. I strongly suggest learning to get it under control - otherwise, you're definitely going to find yourself on the wrong side of a blaster someday."
"See? Diffused itself."
"Uh, I- I need a drink."
The Twi'lek slumps on a chair, stunned. She looks at Hayden, her face stoic but her eyes pleading. "Can you teach me to control it?"
"Nope. I cant." Hayden shakes his head and frowns, chewing on his lip in contemplation, "That's a... misconception. Most Jedi tend to think that way as well. Controlling the Force is something that cannot be done. You may control yourself, but that is something I cannot teach. That is a lesson in which you are both master and student."
Hayden sits back with a sigh and a half-hearted and directionless grumble, "Its possible I could show you that of which you're already capable. As I just did. That is about as much as anyone can claim to teach anyone. Perhaps I can also help you see that which is possible, as well, though that's less to do with either my teaching, which will likely be lackluster, or your student-ing, which will likely be frustrating for both of us.
"Rhea wasn't wrong about the age restrictions. They only took me so late in life because the number of capable and willing Jedi were countable on a child's abacus. It caused them grief. Me too, and I'm firmly convinced that I'm more important in this regard. See? I'm incorrigible. And a terrible student. He adopts the dry and distant voice of a much older and much jaded man, "'Though he's young, he seems already set in ways of arrogance and bound to lead a life of shapeless ignorance and ignobility.'"
He shakes his head and throws his hands up, pausing for a moment before continuing in his normal voice, "I'd be more than happy to teach you to be you, but I'll be damned if I'm going to teach anyone to be a Jedi or to control anything for any reason. The galaxy needs more individuals, not more idealism."
Kreshell steps next to Vadi and places his non-cane hand on the back of the seat. "Perfect!" he exclaims, "Now Hayden can help you with it and I'll be the subject! Stop looking so glum sweetheart." His smile shift to more warm in nature. "What you can do is nothing to be concerned about. So there's something about yourself that you didn't know. He," pointing with his cane to Hayden, "is headstrong and it is very off-putting. And he," pointing to Zev and whispering very loudly, "is pretty dense. So!...Learn what you can do and then use it. Seems pretty simple really. And, as I said before if you need a victim, I'll volunteer." Kresh ends with a wink and a warm smile.