Populate Daffamation of Character | GA Population of Affa

[Spirit of Prosperity]

Affa
The Inner Rim
A Second Great Hyperspace War Story

The SILK Trade Route continues to expand to the south of the Galactic Alliance, restoring commerce and security in the shadow of the collapsed Confederacy. Megacorporations have grown their profit margins beyond their wildest imaginations as they secure exclusive and lucrative government contracts. But this rampant capitalism has come under fire from the Free Alliance Coalition, who seek to put the rights and freedoms of the Alliance’s newest members ahead of the interests of the credit-hungry magnates.

The droid manufacturing world of Affa has become the latest political battleground for the pro- and anti-corporatist movements. Having agreed to join the Galactic Alliance, Affa must now elect a Senator to represent them on Coruscant. Both the Corporatist Bloc and the Free Alliance Coalition have dispatched representatives to Affa to ensure their preferred candidate is elected.

Builds on Sharing is Kayri-ng and Revolving Fondor.


Objective I: Perfectly Legal

The age of corporatism has seen the pockets of some pro-business Senators lined with kickbacks, payouts and outright bribes from the Corporate interests they enable. Installing Tarth Krytal, a Koorivar business tycoon from neighbouring Kooriva, as the Senator for Affa would open the planets droid factories to the megacorporations of the Core, driving a new age of prosperity for the Inner Rim world. Running on a platform of jobs and infrastructure, Tarth Krytal was set to steal the election until evidence of his criminal activities was leaked by his opponents.

Journey to Affa and do whatever it takes to see that Tarth Krytal, a pro-Corporatist Senator, is elected.


Objective II: People Over Profits

The Free Alliance Coalition has drawn a line in the sand on Affa, after watching key border worlds including Fondor join the ranks of the Corporatist Bloc. Finding a political star in Vella Morel, the FAC have supported her campaign to stand as the Senator for her native Affa, running on a strict anti-corruption platform and promising the wealth of Affa’s droid manufacturing plants will stay in the hands of the locals. But with the Corporatist Bloc outspending her campaign 10:1, the FAC needs to get creative to secure a win.

Join FAC members on Affa to secure an electoral victory for the anti-Corporatist Senator Vella Morel.


BYOO

Whether on Affa or neighbouring Kooriva, or anywhere else in the Galaxy, there are a million tales to tell.
​

 

[Caulder Dune]

AFFA
ABANDONED CITY

Abandoned tenements and gutted factories as far as the eye could see. They crowded in around narrow streets, decorated with pockmarks from blaster fire, craters from shelling, shallow imprints from the feet of heavy walkers. All the excitement had passed hundreds of years ago. You could get a feel for the misery the battle, the siege, the slow death-by-depopulation, that must have flowed out of this place at the time.​

​

The enormity of such historical movements, truly felt, could make a grown man weep. But Caulder Dune only sneezed, and accepted the handkerchief diligently offered to him by his protocol droid.​

​

"Bless you," said the bith accompanying him.​

​

"I hate to be blessed," Caulder sniffled, wiped his nose, passed the handkerchief back to his droid, "It's just a sneeze. Hardly needs remarking on."​

​

"Mmm, noted," the bith bobbed his head respectfully, "Shall we continue?"​

​

"No, I've seen quite enough, thank you."​

​

The bith half-turned to look behind him: the shuttle they had recently departed from was only a few meters away. The tour had barely just begun.​

​

"Oh. Are you... Sure?"​

​

"You see one bombed-out desolation, you've seen them all, I'm afraid," Caulder droned, "No, no more is necessary. Just tell Krytal to get the lease signed once he's in and the Guild will make it all good as new. A nice gold star for his first years in office."​

​

The bith meshes his hands together, "Getting Mr. Krytal 'in' will require enough money to sustain his campaign..."​

​

Yes, sustain the campaign - the one where he was already winning the spending war ten-to-one. Caulder imagined Krytal had to be skimming at least some of it off the top for himself. It's good to have a safety net. Just in case the Free Alliance Coalition managed some miraculous win.​

​

Caulder Dune sighed with dramatic wistfulness, "Oh, it's always about the money these days. Whatever happened to the people...?"​

​

The bith only stared at him in a long, baffled silence.​

​

"That was a joke," Caulder eventually clarified, motioning as if to clear a tear from his eye, "Yes, we'll send money. Try not to waste it."​

 

[Faith Organa]

This was the beginning of the battle between the two parties. Faith was concerned that by going in person it would indicate her support of the FAC. There was a risk involved revealing the support would identify her to the Chancellor and the Corporatists. That by itself was not the issue in her mind, the issue in her mind was the Maw and the NIO if they decided to make an incursion to Alderaan space to say Delaya where 95% of the manufacturing for the Alderaan system took place that they would have to stand alone.

She decided to call Alicio Organa and the two of them would work through the next move.

Tia had sent a message that she needed to talk to her about Alicio it was probably something about his visit to the garden which right now Faith didn't have time to listen to her Aunt talk about the garden and his visit. How important could the conversation have been? She would tell him stories and he would nod respectfully like the rest of them did. Tia had this bad habit of doing little old lady things. Eh...she'd think about it when there was a moment.

In the mean time she reached out her cousin.

 

[Tiresh Kobitana-Draellix]

(Wrong Account)

 

[The Arbiter]

Objective II: People Over Profits
Tags: Open (+FAC Members)​

The Arbiter stood motionless, looking out of the conference room on Affa at the city below them. There was much on the cybernetic Chiss's mind, and all of it was incredibly weighty. Ever since Tiresh Kobitana-Draellix had gone missing on Brentaal, she had taken her place as representative of Lujo within the Senate. She did not carry the same weight as Kobitana within the FAC, and so there had been some undercurrents and power plays that had been rumored and suspected. The Arbiter feared that the Coalition might not pull through in unity. Hopefully this was not the straw that would break the coalitions back.

She did not fully know what her place was within the Coalition, but at the very least she was doing her best to represent her Senator and her interests within the group. And so here she was, along with other members of the Coalition, attempting to secure an underdog as the new Senator of Affa in the face of overwhelming odds.

"Has Holly Starstorm confirmed that she will be broadcasting our interview with Vella Morel?" The Arbiter inquired to those present. They did not have the financial pockets like the Corporatists had, but they had something else that was currently leaning in their favor… public opinion. They needed to shout Vella's name across the rooftops of the Alliance. They needed to fuel an underground movement within Affa. They needed to make their voice heard.

 

[Xasha Callisto]

Constancia​

Location: Affa
Objective: a new FAC ally
Tags: The Arbiter

---

Xasha had come here along with the FAC and spotted The Arbiter from across the room. She walked across to him and spoke quietly. "any word?" she asked him, there had been a mood change since the disappearance of the Senator from Lujo and despite their differences, Senator Callisto respected the woman and worried about her. If she vanished the FAC would either collapse or someone else would take their reins and become the next target. "are you armed? I dont go anywhere unarmed now, or without escort" and she gestured at two towers with a perfect vantage point for if someone wanted to place a friendly sniper in them.

The FAC were vulnerable and needed an ally in the south, the SILK act had granted the corpos so much power to shape the south in their image and it was working as more planets joined them, following promises of wealth and influence. But what about the people being sold out? They needed to see a planet come into the other side where there people would be seen as more than simply and business asset. Much more of this and the Alliance risked normalising such governance and permanent becoming a Coporatocracy. It was frustrating to Xasha, as a technologically advanced trading world in the core, she knew the good that the corpos could do if properly regulated, but they were all being portrayed as the enemy of big business with every passing day.

Callisto was concerned about their movement dieing. She had even considered reaching out to the crusade to see if their Prime Minister was aware of situation regards Kobitana, but involving foreign politicians could be very risky at a time like this.

"Do we have a plan then? Who will be doing the discussions?"


​

​

 

[Alicio Organa]

AFFA
OBJECTIVE II: PEOPLE OVER PROFITS
TAGS: The Arbiter - Xasha Callisto
​

Officially, Alderaan wasn't in attendance at the Free Alliance Coalition meeting.

After all, the planet was a neutral party in this political war between the Coalition and the Corporatist Bloc. They couldn't afford to go against the Chancellor and his allies, there was too much at stake for the planet, and Alderaan had been burnt too many times.

But unofficially, Alicio had been contacted by his cousin, Faith Organa , with a mission. And he would complete it to the best of his ability. He wasn't a member of the Coalition, not officially, but he had been helping Faith coordinate her secretive efforts. Such as the one laid out before him today.

The young noble was in plain clothes, so bland and insignificant, any passive observer would assume he was a servant to one of the senators in attendance, not a Count of House Organa. He played the role well, until he had been admitted to the meeting on orders from Queen Faith, where he relaxed his ruse, growing a concerned expression.

The undercover nobleman placed a small disk on the ground, hidden from view of the window, and a hologram sprang to life, attempting to construct the form of Faith Organa in blue hovering overhead.

"Can you hear us, Faith?" Alicio asked, establishing the secure connection to the Queen.

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Couteau, Senator of Empress Teta
Objective One: Perfectly Legal
Location: Affa
Action: Trying to win an election
Attire

The trip to Affa provided little to no reprieve from the halestorm of reports and actions required from the Chair Committee of Finance and Commerce, Seto of course took whatever opportunity he could to at least escape the planet of Coruscant. The situation between the Corpratists and the growing coalition of anti-Corporate Senators have given Seto and no doubt the Chancellor some slight pause. If the Corporatist Party were not careful this Coalition forming against them could prove disastrous, the slight hiccup on Denon and the Marshalls being sent in; Seto realized the threat was not a simple one off.

And thus here I am, heading towards a planet I would normally have set foot on, let alone heard of, and campaigning for a Senator I would have never bothered to know. The young Du Couteau heir sighed, his hand gently massaging his temple as his transport ship landed within the Starport. Seto quickly disembarked and headed towards the Campaign headquarters to establish some communication and get the media attention going.

He knew he had plenty of ground to cover, and if the Party intended to keep the majority, every senator counted now. Spending credits no longer held that much effect so late in the game, so the last bit of undecided would come down close to the wire. And most importantly their emotions will swing by the time they actually write in who they want to be their Senator. Seto sighed inwardly before stepping out of his vehicle and prepared himself for the interviews and endorsements.

Thankfully he hadn't spent all of his fake smiles.
​

 

[The Arbiter]

Objective II: People Over Profits
Tags: Xasha Callisto Faith Organa Alicio Organa Open (+FAC Members)​

She did not turn at first towards Xasha Callisto , but continued to look out over the city. She was constantly in communication with the Lujian forces, as well as her fleet which had accompanied them to the planet. There was a public meeting room that was a facade, set up across town, where some of her most trusted assets were facilitating a mock FAC gathering. It would be the most likely target if anything unfortunate did occur.

The actual meeting was held under extreme confidentiality, and every precaution had been set in place. Every member had been escorted in disguise through underground passageways, and they were surrounded with Lujian special forces that were extremely discrete and hidden, yet able to jump into immediate action at a moments notice. The glass of the unassuming room was only viewable from one direction, meaning that anyone outside would not be able to see inside the building. It had also been reinforced with blaster-proof duraglass. They could not be too safe.

"Nothing yet, Senator Callisto." She said in her signature monotone voice regarding any update on Kobitana's fate or whereabouts. "I am always armed." She then turned to look stoically at the Senator, holding her gaze for a moment before continuing, "That is wise. I hope all the others are doing the same. We cannot be too careful." Her eyes then shifted to offer an expression that intended to communicate the tedious nature of the coalition and her own fears for its future before turning to look at everyone who had gathered. She did not know who was actually facilitating this agenda, and so she did not know how to answer Callisto's question. "I understand that many members have chosen to join this gathering from the safety of their own secured locations. I have installed a conferencing holo display that will allow for all of us to interact as naturally as possible." With a flicker of her eyes, the holo projector turned on in the center of the room, allowing for anyone who desired to connect remotely to do so with ease.

 

[Ishida Ashina]

BYOO | AFFA | FACTORY DISTRICT HAS THE BEST CAFFEINE SOURCES
Bernard

​

When they’d been walking, carelessly ambling through the laneways, Ishida had taken time to marvel at the construction of the factories. How huge they were. How impressive they were. How many droids do you think they churn out per day? Where did they source their metal from? And came up with random numbers to conceptualize production efficiencies, how much output per day, the cost per factory — things that Aiko had suggested she consider to expand the Ashina influence. Affa’s factories ludicrously outscaled anything Hebo could support, and they’d only just begun hypothesizing other planets that could potentially support manufacturing when shouts for help shattered the stillness of the streets.

Now, the balls of her feet hardly lasted half a second on the vaulted slopes of factory and shop rooftops. The Force imbued her muscles, amplifying her speed to make up for the headstart of the escapee. Chasing down a runaway droid seemed more efficient overhead — at least this way they could keep an eye on it. It had worked on Kuat, and so far, it was working on Affa.

A sudden crane-like arm dropped down from overhead, steam hissing out, and Ishida ducked beneath the silver burning puff. Her pace faltered for only a heartbeat before she was smoothly quick again, transitioning to a slide down a slope that turned back into a scurrying-run near the edge and leap to clear a two-meter wide space that turned into nothing but black if she looked down.

She didn’t.

“The lane!” Ishida called out on her landing and indicated the mark with her chin (though it would likely go unseen with the rush of the run). “Up ahead!” She would have pointed, but she needed her hands to plant on the edge of a sudden hurdle, a vent, to vault over. With her heels kissing, she swung both legs over the side to land and started to try and figure out how to slow her run enough to descend below.

If they could time it right, Ishida on one end of the alley and Bernard on the other, the droid would be trapped between them. And the desperate Process Control Technician hadn’t mentioned anything about enough super-strength to punch through walls.

Then again...the exchange had been rushed. Details could have been missed.

To execute on her own plan, she leaped down the narrow way and braced herself for a landed crouch. In an instant, her sabre activated to a loud hum — if only for the droid’s programming to recognize it as something lethal to avoid.

 

[Auteme]

Faith Organa The Arbiter Xasha Callisto Alicio Organa ​

"Right? I feel like I'm in a spy holo."

"Disguises, escorts, a secret meeting..."

"More exciting than being a Jedi, honestly." They laughed.

Unlike the tense atmosphere in the room, the two women who entered were a bundle of smiles and energy. Somewhat chafing at the rules, Auteme had made an effort to meet Vella a little before their meeting -- unfortunately making both of them a few minutes late.

"Terribly sorry for the delay, I just had to meet our soon-to-be colleague as soon as possible. Your bill -- have you read her union protection legislation? Immaculate, genuinely." Auteme had done nothing but sing the praises of the coalition to Vella on their walk here, but now she was quick to flip the script and sell future Senator Morel's brand to her fellows.

"Thank you." The middle-aged human woman smiled, looking at those gathered. "I'm Representative Vella Morel, it's a pleasure to finally meet you all."

"Gosh, this is just- dreary. I know, I know," she waved her hand, as though banishing the tension in the room, "but today should be exciting. We're about to win an election." Auteme grinned. "Our friend here has six good weeks. We've no time to waste."

She found herself a seat, as did Morel. Auteme made a small gesture, encouraging some introductions.

 

[Faith Organa]

The Arbiter | Auteme | Xasha Callisto | Alicio Organa
​

Faith paced a bit more she had sent Alicio into the Lion's Den on his own. What was she thinking she should have sent Jax Thio or Ikenna Tahj but either would have been recognized as being part of the Alderaan military and palace forces.

It seemed an eternity until the holo crackled to life, "Yes" She stepped towards the project, "I can hear you Alicio, well done. Are you alright? No problems?"

If anything happened to him she'd never forgive herself. This clandestine cloak and dagger stuff rattled her nerves probably why she was so bad at it.

 

[Aerarii Tithe]

PERFECTLY LEGAL
CORPORATIST BLOC HQ // AFFA

Caulder Dune | Seto Du Couteau | Aiko Hayata | Nayeïr Orega | Isar | Mazik Stazi | Dominique Vexx

“…and no, thank you, it’s always lovely to be on this beautiful, beautiful world.”

Chancellor Tithe, seated in a corner of the Corporatist Bloc headquarter soaked in artificial light and framed by a holo background, held his smile much longer than was normal as the interview wrapped up. “And we’re out,” explained the Gran holocam operator, letting Tithe know that the link was terminated. The change was instantaneous - the jovial smile and glistened eyes were replaced with an expression belonging to someone who was tired, fed up, and annoyed to be on the polluted backwater world that was Affa.

“Latest numbers,” explained a campaign aide as he handed Tithe a datapad. The interview with the Hyper-Communications Cartel had moved the vote in their favour, but only slightly, and still not enough to clinch victory. HCC, owned by interests friendly to the Corporatist Bloc, had promised to rerun the interview into the night across every planetary channel on Affa, blanketing the world with Tithe’s carefully crafted speech.

It remained to be seen whether it was enough to undo the damage done by leaking Tarth Krytal’s taxation records, records which showed that not only had the candidate never paid tax, he somehow received a tax credit from the taxation commissioner. ‘Blatant lies,’ Tithe had explained during the interview, and every day since the records had been leaked. ‘An opaque attempt to tarnish the record of a successful industrialist, intend only on bringing jobs and growth to Affa’. Focus groups were showing mixed results as to whether the messaging was working.

Tithe opened a comlink channel to Seto, freshly arrived on Affa from Coruscant. “Another donation, this time from the Commerce Guild,” he explained to his colleague. “And, ohh my, business must be good.” The amount would be eye-watering to most sentients throughout the galaxy, who would be repulsed to know how many credits the Corporatist Bloc had poured into winning the Affa election. “Have you seen the, ahh, latest figures from the southern districts? Most disheartening.”

 

[Alicio Organa]

AFFA
OBJECTIVE II: PEOPLE OVER PROFITS
TAGS: The Arbiter - Xasha Callisto - Faith Organa - Auteme
​

Alicio gave his cousin a comforting look, recognizing the anxiety in her holographic face for what it is. "No issues, I'm fine." Then, looking to The Arbiter with an impressed expression, continuing speaking with Faith. "With the security they've put in place, I don't even think you would have recognized me coming here."

When Auteme and the woman of the hour walked into the room, Alicio couldn't stop his smile. From what he'd seen from the Jedi-turned-Senator, she cared deeply for the cause. It was her speech he saw when he traveled to the senate for the first time, after all.

After the senator motioned for introductions, Alicio stepped forward, gesturing with a hand to the hologram. "May I introduce Queen Faith Organa, Monarch and Senator of Alderaan." The pride in the boy's face was obvious. "She would be here in person if it were safer."

The young man didn't introduce himself, instead stepping deferentially behind the hologram of his cousin. He wasn't technically a member.

 

[Bernard]

While Ishida took to the rooftops to get ahead of the droid, Bernard gave chase directly.

The droid crashed through a wooden wall, directly into the outdoor dining area of a small restaurant. Bernard hopped into the gap it left in its wake. Inside the restaurant, the droid had left a trail of chaos. Plates crashed, tables lay overturned, and food littered the floor while dismayed guests hugged the walls in panic.

Bernard managed to catch a glimpse of the droid as it broke through the opposite wall, covered in pasta. Making it past the minefield of plates and delicacies required more care than he had time for. Precious seconds were lost to the stretch created by the red jelly bowl which hadn't survived contact with the permacrete floor. By the time he cleared the restaurant, the droid had already gotten a good headstart up the street.

"The lane!" Ishida called from above. "Up ahead!"

Ahead, the street concluded in a narrow alleyway that would give the droid barely any room to manoeuvre. It ran directly at the alley, whether from whatever constituted panic for a droid or because its local navigation software indicated it as the most direct route to wherever its programming lead it to. Dangers didn't seem to factor into its computational algorithms, as it ran directly into the path of speeder car traffic. Startled drivers swerved out of its way, into on-coming traffic or sidewalks where pedestrians jumped for safety.

Bernard leapt over one of the cars headed right for him, jumping its length directly into a pile of slippery, delectable pasta. His heart skipped a beat as, beneath his boot, the noodles robbed the permacrete of all friction and he slipped forward. He gasped as he ducked into a combat roll and the world flipped twice around him

When he came back to his feet, he spotted Ishida already at the other side of the alley she'd indicated, lightsaber in hand. The droid, meanwhile, continued to come charging ahead, innocently ignorant of the dangers the plasma posed.

"Watch out, it might not know how to stop!" Bernard yelled, picking up the pace to catch up.

Ishida Ashina​

 

[Ishida Ashina]

BYOO | AFFA | FACTORY DISTRICT HAS THE BEST CAFFEINE SOURCES
Bernard

​

Carb-heavy ribbons fluttered off the droid's shoulders and the visor that hung over the lights that served as its optics and it steadily stomped forward. Ishida grimaced. The hesitation or retreat she'd expected from the droid did not come. Nothing about its trajectory indicated any registration of Ishida, let alone the dangerous hum of her sabre.

"Watch out, it might not know how to stop!"

Her eyes swelled for a beat before she adjusted her plan. The droid steadily advanced, closing the distance in an instant. It didn't seem intent on shifting its trajectory either. In the next moment, Ishida's arms were up to brace herself. A blue, Force-born bubble shimmered up between herself and the droid half a second before impact. She gave it a bit of a push forward, to knock back against the metal klutz.

Oof! It was heavy enough to force her to stumble, and the droid to knock backward. Its speed still hadn't adjusted, and as soon as it hit the ground in a new position, its system started to recalibrate for the new orientation and how to most effectively right itself.

"Do you remember where they said the off trigger was?" Ishida groaned, jumping back to her feet and all-too-ready to use her sabre as the permanent off switch if Bernard's memory failed him.

 

[Bernard]

The alley lit up in a blue flash of Force energy. Ishida's bubble held firm, and the droid crashed to the floor with a loud clatter. The walls became covered in the culinary staple dish of the Southern Systems courtesy of the droid's edible apparel. Despite its prone position, the motor servos still whirred away undeterred as it attempted to come upright again in its single-minded pursuit of escape.

"Do you remember where they said the off trigger was?" Came Ishida's voice from the other end of the alleyway.

"I don't think they ever mentioned it!" Bernard replied, already sliding towards the droid.

To the technician's credit, the droid had a remarkably well-designed exterior. Its limbs supported a range of motion wide enough to make standing up on its own a possibility, which usually came as a rarity among droids of fifth class. The droid had already turned over onto its front, preparing to get up on its knees, when Bernard came to a stop, kneeling next to it.

The droid's back chassis didn't reveal any obvious switches or buttons to press. Neither did its front, or sides, as Bernard checked each corner of the droid's outer casing. Meanwhile, the droid had made it onto its knees and the servos in its waist had begun to whirr, indicating it would right itself next. Bernard chanced leaning over the droid, to check below the back of its head, but found nothing there either.

Doing so turned out to be an error, however, as the droid suddenly shot upright, knocking its head right into Bernard's.

Pain shot through Bernard's face. He cursed loudly, covering his nose. A throbbing pain spread through his head and around his nose, as his vision began to swim. He tried blinking it away but to no avail.

Gritting his teeth, he reached out through the Force, closing his fist while he aimed at the droid. Barely a moment later, the droid came to a sudden halt, poised with an impossible balance that demanded gravity make it fall, but somehow frozen in space.

Bernard felt warm blood flow over his fingers and cursed again.

Ishida Ashina​

 

[Ishida Ashina]

BYOO | AFFA | FACTORY DISTRICT HAS THE BEST CAFFEINE SOURCES
Bernard

​

"I don't think they ever mentioned it!"

"Perfect." Ishida muttered through her teeth, growing less and less fond of droids by the second.

Some of the pasta strings that had sailed up during the impact floated down and splat around her feet, a few renegade strips landed on her shoulders, and one or two tangled in her hair. Sauce keeping it sticky enough not to slip.

By the time she and Bernard were within arms reach again, he was taking the opportunity to solve the mystery of the off switch. He crouched for clues, stretched for secrets, and leaned for learnings. Knowledge evaded him, and instead, he got the droid's curved skull straight to the face.

"Oh!" Ishida hopped in place, startled by the suddenness. If this situation weren't so annoying, she might have laughed. But this was taking an embarrassingly long time to get this droid under control, and the chaos in its wake added to her frustration.

Through his pain, Bernard succeeded in finally stopping the droid. Its feet still whirred, and leg stabilizers kept rotating as though it were still walking. Technically, they could walk it back to the manufacturer like this — using the Force as a leash, but that would do little good for the technician once they left. They'd have to do this all over again. It was better if the droid wasn't active.

By now, she'd figured out one more possible step before she cleaved the thing in two. Although, if urgency demanded it, the glow rod was still humming eagerly by her side.

Instead, with her free hand, she touched the nearest point of the droid.

"I'm just going to ——" She let her actions conclude her sentence for her. The creature wasn't a Force-born entity, it didn't have life within it, and reading for weak points within its network through shatterpoint was more difficult than she'd assumed when she came up with it as an option.

She frowned, her mouth rising and drawing into itself to become something small and thoughtful. She concentrated a little harder.

After a few stressful seconds, narrow pathways glowed to life, faint and light blue, stretching through the droid like the wires that were concealed beneath its plating. Ishida urged through them, encouraging the Force to swell at the intersections that glowed brighter than the others. She pried the secrets from the steel and charmed them to her will until she heard a distinctive pop, and a swell of brightness in the lattices of interconnections, near the would-be-groin of the droid. From between its legs, a cork-like contraption popped out, followed soon by another behind its left would-be hamstring. The two pieces clunked unceremoniously to the pavement. Followed by one more from under its arm.

"Three points seems a little much."

The droid quivered, still suspended, before the lights behind its eyes dimmed and its head drooped. Her blade retracted.

Ishida stepped back and blinked through the transition of Force-aided sight and back to the alleyway with her naked vision.

"Are you alright?" Her frown didn't disappear when she saw Bernard, but it was more concerned than irritated now. Her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth and she reached for his face to help wipe away the blood, the fabric of her sleeve pulled over her thumb.

"Please tell me it's not broken."

 

[Bernard]

"No, not entirely. I think it just ruptured some blood vessels in the impact. He might have gifted me a slight concussion, though, if the three of you are anything to go by." His voice was a bit stuffy, but maintained most of its clarity, backing up the theory.

He kept still as she helped him wipe away the blood, sighing out the strain from holding the droid frozen for so long.

"Thanks," he muttered.

"Besides, I've learned some things over the years." And he mirrored her method of showing rather than telling.

He reached behind himself, for a pouch attached to his belt, and unhooked it. From inside, he retrieved a small packet of bacta patches, unwrapped the plastic packaging, and picked one patch to cover up his nose with, smoothing it over with his thumb.

"How bad's it look?" He asked, grinning a bloody grin.

Aside from the blood, which had run somewhat profusely, there hadn't been too much overt damage. The main impact had been against his forehead, grazing the nasal bone and his right cheek. Some bruising was already spreading, and the drying red particles made it look more gruesome, but he'd live.

"A bit of bacta, a stimpack, a healing trance, and I should be good to go again," he said, further rummaging through his packs.

Ishida Ashina​

 

[Ishida Ashina]

BYOO | AFFA | FACTORY DISTRICT HAS THE BEST CAFFEINE SOURCES
Bernard

​

The droid clattered to the ground when Bernard's attention withdrew. In a lump, it posed no threat, and Ishida felt no pull to continue giving it attention. They'd scoop it up and return it back to the plant soon enough. For now, Bernard's nose was closer to a faucet and she wasn't a healer, so her helpfulness was limited to fretting.

She made an empathetic sound at the back of her throat and nodded once when he thanked her. She withdrew her hand and pinched at the fabric as if to wring it. A bit of the blood pooled enough to drip out of her sleeve, but it was mostly settled in now unless she added another liquid, like water, to counter it.

At least in the privacy of the alleyway, they were able to catch their breath after the pursuit.

He moved so quickly through the med-pack, rummaging expertly to produce a bandage sized appropriately for his nose. His hands were still stained red from when he'd stopped the bleeding or tried to, and it mucked up the colour of the package the bandage came from. When he smoothed the bandage down, it smeared a streak of rouge down the otherwise pale strip.

"How bad's it look?"

Red seeped between the whites of his grin, looking boyishly gruesome, and Ishida finally found that laugh she'd meant for earlier. It was a short chuckle, but it was enough to unwind some of the tension that kept her shoulders straight. She shook her head and clipped her hilt back to her hip.

"You're going to have to tell the story of what happened," Ishida admitted, brushing her thumb along the rise between bandage and flesh. The concern in her eyes was starting to recede after he capably handled the necessary immediate care. "It's noticeable enough to prompt questions."

"A bit of bacta, a stimpack, a healing trance, and I should be good to go again,"

"Your checklist is one short." Ishida corrected, floating her fingers from his nose to his cheek. She rose on her feet, stretched, and gave him an indicative tug down enough for her to plant a small kiss to the reddened skin between his eyebrows, and at the top of the bandage where it was untouched by bloodstain. "Clearly the most effective healing method."