Private Cold Peaks And Rifles

[Candez Stoon]

Candez had to pause for a moment there. They were all about defense, not offense. That was an interesting fact to store, as well as understanding that perhaps they wouldn't ever be a good customer. He was all about offense, even when that offense was for defense. That, and he felt slightly less intimidated by Jedi if they wouldn't attack him unless he gave reason by attacking first.

As for her story, now wasn't that interesting? Left in stasis, waking up to a much different time. It must have been a must different time at the very least.

"Must have been a big shock waking up to this time. I imagine a lot of those you knew from back then are gone...a whole new galaxy. New factions risen up, more conflicts" he continued to wonder aloud, bringing a hand to his chin in thought. "Can't imagine that myself."

"Me? Me..." he led off there, placing both hands on the Dejarik table. Reminiscing. Then kicked back in his seat by the table, starting off with his life. "Adopted into a royal family, ran with the wrong crowd. Led to a life of gun-smithing broken weapons for gangs, running system to system, odd jobs and near death situations all around. Got called a cheap skate, urchin, lots of names. All in all, pretty low down." With the story coming to a close, they'd feel the ship make the jump to hyperspace, finally setting off for their destination.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Copero

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Candez Stoon

"Everybody was gone," Valery clarified with a gentle frown on her face. "It was very difficult on me, but I was lucky that not long after I came out of that stasis pod, I met a man who helped me through it. He's now my husband." Valery chuckled and brightened up when she thought about Kahlil Noble for a moment. But once he explained part of his own story, she snapped back to the present and listened to him.

"Royal family?" Valery blinked.

Of all the things he could have said, she definitely didn't expect that. Royals weren't the types to end up running smuggling jobs, after all. But it was an intriguing story and showed just how vastly different upbringings could be in the Galaxy.

"That's quite the story. Do you feel happy and satisfied with where you are in life right now?" she then asked, hoping that it wasn't too personal or too much. She was simply curious if he felt that he'd make the same decisions again or not. It was a question she had answered for herself too, especially after her time in stasis.

Now that she had a family, she couldn't be happier with how things worked out.

At the sound and feel of the Hyperspace engines coming online, Valery looked up and smirked. She enjoyed this conversation, but it was good to know that they were still on their way to completing this assignment.

 

[Candez Stoon]

Candez mulled over the response. So really everyone she knew was gone. Just like that. At least there was that silver lining of a partner to also awaken from the same stasis pods. Still, he couldn't image such a thing...then again, Candez never really had anyone to care for save for his crew. So really there would not have been much to let go of if he were in the same situation. "It's a good thing he was there, then."

The Duros had never been asked that before. He had opened his mouth to answer. Only to close it, settling into a deeper line of thought. Was he happy? Did he enjoy running from constant fights, making guns for bandits and stranded settlers, traveling the galaxy as a hired gun? Did he enjoy it? Leaving that lavish life of an adopted child to a royal family. Made of riches and respect.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I enjoy it. How else am I to put this creative mind to use? Why, I wouldn't have made any of the gadgets I've come to invent since then! Like, a pair of gloves that can shock a guy down, or a laser capable of melting walls, or even weapons and gear even the poorest of underdweller can purchase!" He answered estatically, using his hands to emphasize the fact. Even if his eyes told a different story.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Candez' Ship

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Candez Stoon

"There are a lot of ways to be creative," Valery said somewhat carefully. She wasn't quite sure if he really meant what he said, and did in fact enjoy what he did. Perhaps he just didn't want to share too much with a stranger, and she couldn't blame him. It wasn't really her business, anyway. But part of her wondered if asking these kinds of questions could help spark deeper thought about life choices as well.

"But those gadgets do all sound very interesting."

She chuckled and briefly turned her gaze down the hallway again — she expected them to reach the first of several obstacles soon, and she wondered just how much they'd notice about it all the way back here.

"Just like the Jedi life, though, it's not one that can last forever. Do you think you'll settle down somewhere? Just to work on gadgets and other inventions?" The alternative was keep going until the end, but she didn't want to be too direct about it.

 

[Candez Stoon]

He took that to mind, and simply shrugged. Sure, there was a lot of ways to be creative in the galaxy. There were a lot of ways to use one's mind, to put it to either a profit or a good deed. But he only ever focused on weapons. Guns...and then, there was times he wondered. What if he had put it to something else? Well he put such thoughts down quick. And at the next remark, Candez had to show off of course. Taking off his wrist gauntlet, he placed it to the table.

It was a normal metal gauntlet, and while she was talking about Jedi life and settling down he started tinkering. One of the barrels popped out the front, and he muttered to himself. "Settling down, this is- that's not right...this is settling down for me. Traveling the galaxy, exploring new ways to make weapons. Gadgets. Maybe ships one da-"

"Coming up on our destination!" The pilot's voice called over the comm. Candez was quick to get out of his seat, moving to the intercom nearby.

"Copy on the copy, ease us out of jump!" He turned to his passenger, readjusting his gauntlet on his wrist. "So, ready to get your artifact?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown Planet

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Candez Stoon

Valery couldn't help but smirk when he dismissed the idea of settling down in favor of traveling and tinkering. It was hardly unexpected, but she had just been too curious and wanted to get a better impression of the man she was about to walk into danger with. But after watching him work for a little while longer, the call she had been anticipating finally came. They were dropping out of hyperspace and approaching the planet.

"I'm ready, let's get going."

She got up to her feet and waited by the ramp, so that as soon as the ship landed on the unknown planet, they'd be able to get outside for a first look around. It was a forested world, but a strange mist hovered just above the ground. There was something darker about this place that even someone without the Force could pick up on.

"Well, this is definitely the right place," Valery commented. "I can feel darkness extending throughout this forest, but it's all coming from one source. I can track it, but we'll have to be careful. I have a feeling that it has affected whatever lives in this forest as well."

 

[Candez Stoon]

Candez Stoon waited by the ramp also, with the rest of his crew at their stations as they began their descent. Getting down to the planet was the easy part with their pilot. As they finally touched down with a jolt, the landing gear sinking slightly into the dirt slightly. The ramp began to lower with Candez following along behind Valery. He had a hand to his side, watching their surroundings for anything that may pop out and jump them. So far so good.

"I'll leave that all for you" he said in response, glancing back to his ship and speaking into the comm. "Stay with the ship! If we need reinforcements, I'll call on you." Candez started down to the ground after getting a confirmation, ready to get going on this venture.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown Planet

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Candez Stoon

Valery chuckled, "I'll do my best to take care of it all, but it might not be so easy. Keep your eyes open," she told him with a serious tone before she began to walk into the forest. From experience, she knew that sources of the Dark Side often manipulated the weaker minds, animals especially. So as she began to feel as if something was watching her, alarm bells were already starting to go off inside her mind.

They were not alone.

But to make matters worse, as they reached what looked like another clearing in the forest, they'd be able to spot a black ship. They weren't just inside this forest with the animals that lived in it, but someone else had come here as well.

"I think we might be late. We can either go after the artifact anyway or wait here for whoever is after it to return. What do you think? Both have their risks."

 

[Candez Stoon]

Candez Stoon stuck on close as the pair began to move through the forest. It looked all kind of...dead. Compared to the very green forests of other planets or dense swamps. It was off-putting. However he had no semblance of the Force, he couldn't feel or sense what she was feeling at this very moment. A hand was weighing down by his blaster the whole way, keeping an eye out through his red-tinted goggles.

He stopped behind Valerie when he saw the ship. He tapped his hand on his blaster, showing he is ready.

"So...you think someone might know about this after all?" he would ask, scanning his eyes around the clearing. "What's the plan? Cause we're going for this."

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Unknown Planet

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Outfit: Factory Link
Appearance: Link
Ship: Link
Weapons: Lightsaber
Tag: Candez Stoon

"Someone else definitely knows about this place, and the design of the ship is worrying." She turned her gaze to Candez and hoped to offer a reassuring smile despite the rather unfortunate news. "Jedi or Alliance personnel don't tend to use ships like this." She believed it to either be Sith, Imperial or someone who acquired it through underworld channels.

Either way, it was another source of trouble.

"Let's go after the artifact, and try to beat them to it. Can you tell your crew to keep their eyes on this ship? If it tries to take off, track it and bring it down if necessary." They weren't taking any chances with it.

Valery then turned away and continued to walk through the forest, guided by her senses, but knowing they could not pick up on everything. The Dark side was too strong here, and clouded them. But soon enough, Jedi senses weren't needed anymore, as the teo could hear something approaching rapidly from up ahead.

With a large jump, a Bha'lir appeared, and while those creatures were naturally very dangerous, the glowing red eyes made this one look even more threatening. But it was not alone - several more appeared, and began to circle around Valery and Candez.

"Stay close to me," Valery stood calmly, as she moved to stand back to back with him.

 

[Candez Stoon]

The Duros gunslinger didn't recognize the make of ship, but he stuck by her word. If it meant trouble, it meant trouble. Which would ruin the job. He already thought about throwing an explosive in there from his ship, blow it up to distract or slow whoever owned it. Or maybe just for the fun of it, really. Get some early excitement out of this trip. Candez decided against his better judgement to blow it up.

"They can do so, I'll call it in" he said, his eyes never leaving the sight. He raised his arm, passing by to his crew to keep an eye out for a black ship that could take off at any moment and if it did, to give chase. "So, Jedi and Alliance don't use it...who does? Or you don't know?"

He had an inner feeling that she did know. How she reacted, but no time to think about that. The local wildlife decided to give them a greeting of it's own kind. He drew his DL-22 blaster pistol, keeping it trained on one of them. And he was not so calm, already thinking of the best ways to get out of this mess if he had to. "You got a plan there? Most of my gear, they need to get in close. Do we bolt, fight, what you got?"

Valery Noble