First Reply High Rolls at High Noon | Vortex

[Shem Spinner]

High Rolls at High Noon
Vortex
Tags: Open

Epo-1, R5-T399, The Freebird​

The sun beat down on the plains of Vortex, a faint breeze wafting through the dry grass in a manner that filled the air with a snake-like rustle. There, two individuals stood each other down. One was a human man, shaved head covered in tattoos. He was of the Berchestian, but had not been to his homeworld in some time now. Caught up in the violence of the galaxy, the man had taken up hunting bounties. The Dark Empire was the one offering good money these days, and there was no way in hell he wasn't a criminal in Alliance Space. Taking a hit on GA civilians had a tendancy to do that. Now he was hunting a dangerous pray he hadn't in some time: Jedi.

Opposed to him was a tall young man, fresh out of his youth. A Rishii warrior once of the New Jedi Order, now wayward in the galacy. A large hat covered his eyes almost completely, aside from a tear in the fabric of the brim, which revealed a piercing blue. There was a grin on his beak and a casual slouch in his stance. Shem Spinner was many things. A prince, though not a notable one. His flock on Sellia I was surely not a large intergalactic player. A Jedi was certainly one such thing, but he tended to roll on his own these days. What he really was, and this was something that he very much took pride in, was a problem.

With what dwelled out beyond the Core, it was hard to not want to be.

"Never should've come here, Jedi," the bounty hunter sneered. "I reckon the Dark Empire will pay handsomly for yer head on a platter."

"I'll go where I please," Shem smirked. "One with wings is sure to fly. Not that you skin-folk would understand."

"Enough," his opponent snapped. "I ain't here to banter. Draw."

The two stood each other down for a moment. Then, in an instant, the bounty hunter drew his blaster, only to be met with a face full of mud. Jedi trickery. He fired off a shot, completely missing his target. By the time he got the sludge out if his eyes, the man only had enough time to make out the taloned foot of the young knight flying towards him. One blow to the chest was all it took to send the man into shock, knocking him out cold.

"Sorry," the Rishii remarked with a shrug. "Truth is, this was rigged from the start."

Visions were a handy thing. Not predictable, let alone capable of being induced by will, but every now and then he saw a little something that gave him a glimpse into a possible future. Encounters like this were sometimes things he got to see...

But of course, this had only been the first half. There was something else to come.

"Alright," Shem muttered, "One down... one to go."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"Interesting."

Leaning back against the wall of a building and with her hands on her belt, Valery had watched the shootout from a safe distance. These shows of violence were usually not interesting to her, but one of the two participants had caught her attention. Not the Berchestian — he was just a common thug — but his opponent. The Force had a mysterious swirl around him that made her wonder what his purpose here really was.

Surely, he wasn't here just to cause trouble, right?

The duel concluded most strangely. Rather than take his shot and beat his opponent for good, Shem Spinner had used trickery to bring him down instead. Valery tilted her head, watched him step away from the downed Berchestian, and pushed herself off from the wall to follow him.

"Why didn't you shoot back?" Valery asked once she stood close enough. "It's not common for people to spare those who challenge them to a duel." She looked Shem up and down with a curious eye, hoping to find but a shimmer of who he was within his presence. The corners of her lips then tugged up into a smirk, and her fiery gaze settled on his eyes again.

Once more, her hands rested on her hips, as she waited for his answer.

Shem Spinner ​

 

[Shem Spinner]

Vortex
Tags: Valery Noble

Epo-1, R5-T399, The Freebird​

"Why didn't you shoot back?" Valery asked once she stood close enough. "It's not common for people to spare those who challenge them to a duel."

"I knew I was better," Shem answered bluntly, not losing his smile. "I don't think it's really my place to act as judge, jury, and executioner here. That can be left to those he's wronged."

The Rishii warrior glanced back at the Sword of the Jedi. He knew who it was, of course. He had grown up at the temple on Coruscant, and they had met before he had his growth spurt. It wasn't unusual for a Rishii to become considerably tall as they crossed the threshhold into adulthood. Shem still had a grin on his face as always, one which he offered to the Jedi Master.

"I've been waiting for you, Valery Noble," he relayed, lifting up his hat a little so his face was easier to see. "A vision led me to this place... one you seemed to show up in quite a bit."

But why was that? A chill swept through the air, the slight remnants of a dark aura that made the wayseeker's feathers twitch with excitement. How thrilling to see the strings of fate moving before his eyes. There was only one thing left that needed to be answered...

Why.

"May I ask what drew you here?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"Well, I'm glad you did what you did." Even though Shem had chosen to walk his own path, away from the Temple and Order as a whole, Valery had never doubted that he'd stray from who he was. The Jedi teachings, even if distanced from the Order, put great value on life, and that wasn't ever something they'd give up on.

She was glad to see that this hadn't changed.

Surprise did strike her features, however, when he mentioned that he had been waiting for her. Valery vaguely remembered his gift as a Jedi Seer, but she hadn't expected to be part of his farseeing, "Is that so?" she asked with a chuckle. "I have a feeling we're both here for the same reason, then." She looked around, her eyes narrowing as she focused on that touch of darkness that seemed to loom over this world.

Something was amiss.

"I've been following my senses and I feel as if something is about to happen here. Your duel earlier was connected to it, somehow. It's what led me here."

Shem Spinner ​

 

[Shem Spinner]

Vortex
Tags: Valery Noble

Epo-1, R5-T399, The Freebird, Lightsaber​

"I've been following my senses and I feel as if something is about to happen here. Your duel earlier was connected to it, somehow. It's what led me here."

"Most curious..." Shem remarked, rubbing at the end of his beak. "Do you feel that chill in the air?"

It was getting stronger now. It was almost like... a voice. Calling out, beckoning those who could hear to come closer. More and more the air seemed to swell with energy, drawing Shem's sight towards a nearby settlement, situated on a hill off in the distance. As his avian eyes took in the location from afar, the rustling of grass turned his attention back to the man he had just defeated in combat.

The bounty hunter rose to his feet, a blank expression on his face, beginning to walk towards the voice. Before long, a few silhouettes appeared in the distance around them, all moving towards the same location.

"Wicked..." Shem muttered, waving his hand before the face of the bounty hunter. "He's out cold. Something is calling them to that settlement... I think it's calling us too."

The Rishii tilted his head back to the Jedi Master.

"Perhaps some recon is in order."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"I feel it," Valery confirmed, but there was far more than just a breeze that stood out to her. She closed her eyes, opened her mind, and heard a strange call through the Force. It was like a soothing whisper, asking her to get closer so she could understand. But Valery could resist its allure and snapped out of her own mind again to turn to the Avian.

He had heard it as well.

"That's... alarming?" She wasn't sure what the right word was, but seeing someone unconscious rise up to respond to a call like that was very strange. Worrying, perhaps. It meant that the source of it was very potent, and in most cases, this type of control over people meant something darker.

They'd have to investigate.

"Let's take a closer look. But if you feel strange at any point, let me know. The call we're hearing may get stronger, as we get closer." As a former Jedi Shadow, Valery was quite capable of shielding her mind, but not all Jedi were as proficient at those skills. If he needed her help, she'd be there to offer it.

Shem Spinner ​

 

[Shem Spinner]

Vortex
Tags: Valery Noble

Epo-1, R5-T399, The Freebird, Lightsaber​

"I'll be fine," Shem insisted.

His mind was more resiliant than most. Perhaps it was the training he had done with his Great Uncle, or the nature of being a seer in general. One had to have a strong resolve to handle visions and not be drained. Regardless, they seemed to have a path forward. Shem began to shuffle alongside the bounty hunter, taking his time to analyze the present scenerio.

"This feels like a Force Call," the Rishii observed, "But I don't know whats drawing people in. It... typically calls upon those who are sensitive to the Force, no?"

Was... this man here an untrained Force sensitive? It was entirely possible. To that end he could not help but wonder what it was that was even drawing them in in the first place. Before long, a dark shuttle appeared in the sky, lowering down towards the settlement. Shem was quick to gesture to the vessel.

"Looks Imperial," he stated. "Whatever's going on, I figure it's a fools game to run in guns blazing." A gentle grin spread across his beak. "Say, you wouldn't have a way of vanishing, would you?"

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"It's possible, but it's easier to get into the minds of people not sensitive to the Force." It's why the Dark Side and its corruptive nature were often so dangerous to people. It can manipulate or control the mind, and without the Force, someone could do very little to feel it and shield themselves against it. But whether this call was dark in nature or not, she didn't know yet. They'd have to find the source and determine if it was dangerous or not.

The shuttle that soon flew overhead was no positive sign.

Valery turned back to Shem and rolled her eyes a little when he grinned and indirectly suggested she'd use her Shadow skills. Not all Jedi knew she could, but he had clearly done his homework, "I can cloak and head up there to take a look. Will you follow or are you going to keep some distance?" She wasn't sure if he could hide himself like that, or perhaps he had his own way of going undetected.

Either way, Valery was ready to slip into the Force and investigate.

Shem Spinner ​

 

[Shem Spinner]

Vortex
Tags: Valery Noble

Epo-1, R5-T399, The Freebird, Lightsaber​

"I had something kind of like that in mind," Shem relayed. "I was thinkin' I'd walk in with these entranced fellas and see if I can't blend in. We slip in, get an idea of what's even happening, then we go for the pincer and clean up the problem when they least expect it."

The Rishii gave a shrug.

"Or that could be real stupid," he noted. "It sounded good in my head."

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Undercover
Weapons: Blasters

"That's a good plan," Valery said, "The only risk is if they can somehow tell you're not under their influence. If that happens, I'll appear and we'll work something out." Improvisation was an important skill for Shadows to learn, and she had a feeling Shem had no trouble with it either, considering just how fast he had come up with this plan.

They'd find a way.

"I'll see you up there. Be your best zombie." She flashed him a grin, then focused inwards and vanished at once. She had cloaked herself so often, that slipping into the Force was like muscle memory to her. Her presence, her looks and any sound she could make were all hidden now, and with that Cloak intact, she made her approach.

Just what would they be running into up there?

Shem Spinner ​