Lights of Utapau [Open - Pau City]

[Darth Chekigh]

"Brugyyyh, errr, rarghhhh burhhhhhh: You've got it wrong, I need credits to pay for the crash I caused trying to flee a bounty hunter that I just murdered while inside a room full of General Grievous' lightsabers because he wanted to kill me, AND money to fix my ship, the reason I didn't just take the money from your contact and go was because I overheard a conversation in the cantina, your Saureen friend was looking for this mask."

 

[Bengalo Chergari]

"Sorry so to recap, you killed a random twi'lek, you tried to kill my contact who's done nothin' t'you, y'killed a bounty hunter, so that's three in one day and we haven't even touched why there's a bounty on your head, I simply can't imagine. And you actually think that it's okay to kill all these people because.. I'm drawin' a blank here. I make it a rule not t'do business with murderers."

"Let me make this real clear for you. You are a bad guy. I don't deal with bad guys. So y'got what you wanted. Y'murdered and fought your way to th'mask. It's all yours, you spent ten thousand credits on it, more than enough to take you on the short little jump over to Alliance space where all you'd need to do is go into a Galactic Alliance embassy and if you're really with them they'd then send a ship to take you to wherever it is you're supposed to be."

"You're story don't add up, and as far as I'm concerned you're a threat to me and mine. So good for you, you won. Go take the mask, sell it for whatever profit you like to whoever you like that isn't us, and you go wherever you want to whatever poor sap you're going to kill next who isn't us. 'Cause I ain't fallin' for your lies buddy."

"Everyone here knows what you are, a cold-blooded killer, and ain't no one gonna be surprised by you. So you go ahead and you try it, 'cause I promise you my guns are bigger and faster and I won't be aimin' just to hurt."

[member="Shi-Tarnan"]

 

[Ala'Tir]

Ala'Tir appreciated the pat on the arm. Well, he tried. Why in the world did the Wookiee have a lightsaber? Was he a Jedi? Or a Sith? Why would anyone be willing to go through so much trouble for a karking mask? It was mind boggling to the Gen'Dai why anyone would care about a piece of junk like that.

"The feline is right. Er, put the lightsaber down, please. Let's not escalate tensions any further than they have been already. I didn't mean to call you a furbag, if it makes you feel any better. Wait, you want him to leave with the mask? Isn't that the whole point of us coming to this chithole in the first place?"

If his eyes were visible, they would've given a look of exasperation. Here he was, in a scum-riddled black market, next to a walking, talking cat, a murderous Wookiee, a man who, by the sounds of his respirator, should've been recovering in a hospital rather than lurking about, and a somewhat-decent human.

And all he wanted to do was find his father.

"This is probably the worst job I've taken in all 2000 or so years of my life."

[member="Saureen"] [member="Avin Starfire"] [member="Bengalo Chergari"] [member="Shi-Tarnan"]

 

[Darth Chekigh]

At this point, the wookie had understood that he did a bad job at explaining himself.

"Rurrrggh: Just take the mask back."

He placed the mask on the table and took his credits back.

"Ragghhh: If it makes you feel better, I'm not actually in the alliance, I help them, they help me, just business." The wookie then looked at the lightsaber. He tossed it to Saureen.

"Rahhh: Besides, wouldn't a lightsaber be worth more than a mask."

The wookie walked off with the credits. Little did the rest know, he had taken every lightsaber from the cave. A greedy wookie? Perhaps. A dark side wookie? No, not yet.

He went to the spot of the damage back in the upper levels of the planet. At least over the past few days, the wookie got what he wanted, adventure. He tested his saber skills, got revenge on the bounty hunter that forced him to cause all this to happen in the first place. Now he wondered, what would have happened if that lightsaber missed? Would he be in the prison of a crime-lord? Would he be a sith by now?

"Aah, the wookie that made this mess. I hope you can explain yourself!"

He handed the Pauan the money and ordered a hotel room for a few nights. Until construction was done, he would explore the planet some more, possibly explore some more caves.

 

[Bengalo Chergari]

You could see Wetherell trying to decide if he should attempt to enforce a no refund policy and decide that given the current tensions, it probably wasn't worth it. As the wookiee walked off, he turned back to the small group and smiled.

"So we'll go ahead with our deal then?"

Benny leaned forward and grabbed ahold of Wetherells collar, pulling him in till they were face to face. His Amani guard stiffened. "Right-o mate here's the deal. You know your rollers ain't gonna stand a chance against my Gen'Dai. And I know that an artifact shouldn't smell like fresh paint."

Wetherell started spluttering immediately. "Uh.. no no.. it just.. you're mistaken.. just.. just touch ups.. totally-"

"Save it. Now I'll give you this, it's a damned good fake, and that makes me think maybe you got more'n just old pics t'base it off'f. Good con for you in't though? How many times you sold th'one true mask already to poor saps what find you huh? The Utai who sent me you're way, they seemed to know more'n they were sayin', wonder if'n I put th'squeeze on them what else I'll find out hey?"

"Okay, you got me, haha, no harm no foul right? Can't blame a man for trying to make his way in a tough world right? You look the sort who would understand that."

"Sometimes I'm understandin', sometimes I ain't. Keep talkin'." The Ryn released him, leaning back slightly and crossing her arms once more.

"We really did find an interesting stash from the old days, and we did find the mask. But you can only sell a mask once and then it's gone. I can't live off of one sale, not even a sale like this. So I maybe made some fakes. And I put the word out. I've been selling them to the suckers who rock up and making extra cash taking them down to a cave we filled with other fakes. Giving them an experience you know? That's all people want, an experience. They want to be lied to, they want to be sold. You can't blame me for giving people what they want." He spread his hands imploringly.

"Body got't eat, I'll give y'that. And I won't blame y'so long as y'give me what I want, and it ain't an experience. We real damn clear on that?"

"We're clear, here." He gestured to one of the Amani, who turned around to grab a large locked safety deposit box and dropped it on the table with a thud, sending up a puff of dust. He keyed it open using biometrics, and carefully drew out an object wrapped in silk. "This is it, the-"

Benny snatched the item out of his hands, fed up with all this chatting. Removing the silk, and maybe stuffing it in a pocket for later, she turned over the mask in her hands, examining it critically. Fingers, eyes, nose and in one brief moment tongue examined the mask, checking for any sign of forgery. With a shrug she tossed the mask to Saureen, Wetherell squawking in dismay as it sailed through the air. "Seems legit, give it a look."

She turned her attention back to Ala and grinned "I weren't gonna fight a wookiee over a fake. Would've happily blackmailed this jackass," she jerked a thumb at Wetherell "for half the profit he made on it to not tell the Wookiee though. Ah well, woulda been a nice bonus but sometimes y'gotta be content with just th'job y'were hired for."

[member="Ala'Tir"] [member="Saureen"]

 

[Darth Chekigh]

[Circa 5 days later] Shi heard a knock at his door, he opened it. "Sir, you have a visitor." The hotel owner said with her raspy old tone of voice. A pauan walked in. "Sir, we would like to thank you for your cooperation, all repairs and construction have been complete, your ship is ready for you in the dock on the highest floor."

"Bruaghhhh: Thank you, I need to get out of here, it's been way too long anyways."

"I understand, spending days in the undercity and commiting various crimes can be very exhausting, and because of that we must ask you to stay away from our planet for 30 days. Thank you." The pauan walked out of the room. And the wookie grumbled slightly, almost in a 'Well, he's kinda right in that department.' type of expression.

He made his way to the dock and exited the planet, as he went out of the planet's atmosphere, he was met by a fleet of first order ships.

"Sir, it is the wookie we have been waiting for, the one who killed our mercenary hunter. Shall we fire?"

"Do not fire, get his ship on board."

The tractor beam opened and the RC-OH entered the ship slowly.

The ship door opened, and several stormtroopers walked up to the ship. A giant blast erupted from the door and sent 3 troopers flying to their deaths across the docking bay. The wookie kept shooting his bowcaster until he cleared the ship's area of troopers. He slowly walked around the ship, until he found an interrogation chamber. Inside was the one and only- Darth Carnifex, interrogating a captured jedi, the wookie then felt something pull him up from the ground he was crouching on, he saw the black armor of death troopers. "Sir, I believe the escaped wookie has been found." One of the troopers said. "Good, bring him in." And with that, the wookie had been strapped up in a chair beside the female jedi. "So, wookie, do you know why you are here?" The wookie shook his head. "You never payed your dues for the battle on Kashyyyk, did you, so we finally found you, and now, you're going to pay for the casualties, no, I do not wish for credits, you will be doing something else." He then exited the room. Leaving the two to sit strapped in chairs.

 

[Ala'Tir]

"Well, I suppose it all worked out."

Ala'Tir smiled underneath his helmet. They got the mask, with little to no violence in actually acquiring it. He couldn't say the same for the Wookiee, but he left with a fake. Ironic. The Gen'Dai looked down at the small feline and made a request.

"Er, Benny, right? Listen, would it be ok if after this, I perhaps stick with you for a while? It seems like you get around the galaxy, and I need help finding my father. In return, I could help you out with jobs like this, I suppose. What do you say?"

The hulking Ala'Tir extended a giant hand to shake, if his offer was accepted. If not, it wouldn't be a problem. He'd be on a shuttle out of Utapau the same day, as soon as payment for his troubles was procured by the masked one. He did find a certain allure to the Ryn, though. She knew her way around the underworld of any planet, which was probably where his father resided in his unique state.

[member="Saureen"] [member="Avin Starfire"] [member="Bengalo Chergari"]

 

[Bengalo Chergari]

Buttercup actually wanted to come with her? That was surprising. She'dve figured him for long gone as soon as this job was up and probably spending a few hours in a 'fresher till he felt clean again. Still, the idea did have some appeal the more she thought about it. She'd honestly about given up on him as a thug, for all that she'd probably keep letting him play the part, it was an amusing train-wreck to watch. He was very big though, so he could probably move heavy things that she couldn't, and his shoulders were quite high up if she needed to see over a crowd. He seemed educated too so if there was something she needed read he could likely manage that. Plus there was the fact that the one gun on her ship had to be manually fired from a turret several meters from the cockpit where she needed to be to fly the damned thing.

She shrugged. "Reckon I don't need all six rooms t'myself." She eyed him once more "Don't know much about your folk though, so y'need anythin' special it's on you t'see it's stocked."

[member="Ala'Tir"]

 

[Ala'Tir]

The Gen'Dai smiled under his helmet. Well, it seemed he had a mode of transportation and something resembling a job now.

"I don't need anything in specific. Er, besides a shower. This area is most likely covered in pathogen-ridden grime. But I can guarantee I'll do my best with any job you give me!"

Hopefully, in the future, Benny could use her contacts throughout the galaxy to help him track down his father.

[member="Bengalo Chergari"]

 

[Saureen]

Throughout the whole ordeal, Saureen went on a roller coaster of emotions, mostly pertaining to anger. But he picked up on the hints laid by the small rodent woman and kept his trap shut. It was bewildering how the wookie thought he could just try and buy the mask then try and resell it for more even! But Saureen stood there, quiet, fuming, but quiet. Instead he stared down the wheeling dealing Wetherell. And when [member="Bengalo Chergari"] finally got the slime to hand over the mask, Saureen let go of all his emotions, being replaced by sheer awe.

Saureen recognized it from the holofilms, the old history pads, it looked exactly as he imagined. The metal was scuffed, aged with a little rust on the ends, and scorch marks were ingrained around the eye sockets, but it was perfect. Even staring at it made Saureen feel a little intimidated, he looked at the shop owner, hoping his regulator would conceal the desire in his voice,

"How much for the mask, goods peddler?"

[member="Ala'Tir"]
[member="Avin Starfire"]

 

[Darth Chekigh]

"So you are the wookie that stopped the imperial invasion on Kashyyyk? I've been wanting to meet you. You're a big name in the alliance."

"Roourgh: I am no Alliance member."

"No? I've heard of you so much though. They treat you like you're a captain of the alliance or something."

The wookie sighed. "Ruuuur: I don't have time for this, we need to get off this destroyer. Luckily enough, I saved something to get me off of this thing."

Shi slowly levitated a saber out of one of his pouches and into his hand. He then carefully cut his restraints off and then the girl's.

Two troopers walked in and immediately shot, Shi sliced their armor and their skin, leaving them wounded on the floor. "Brouggh: Follow me." He led the girl to the docking bay and hid behind the wall that held the door open. He looked in the bay and saw several stormtroopers by the ship and around the bay. He gave the girl a lightsaber.

"Where did you get all these?" She asked.

"Bruggrh: It's a long story, now, be ready to run, and deflect any blaster shots that fire at you, ok?"

"I understand." She said slowly.

The wookie roared and fired at troopers with his bowcaster to clear the way for the girl, she ran to the ship, and was met by a melee trooper. "You aren't getting away, girl." He said as he swung his weapon at the girl. She dodged and met her saber with the electric beams at the end of his weapon. She pulled her saber back and hacked again at the weapon, this time slashing it in half, as well as slicing the trooper in the chest which killed him. She ran to the ship, dodging bullets left and right. Her speed was unmatchable. The wookie then ran to the ship and got shot in his waist. "RURRGGGGGHHHH!!!!" He fell back on the ship's bridge. The door slowly closed and he fell back into the ship, blaster fire met the windows of the ship. She controlled the ship and lifted off of the ground, she flew out of the destroyer and was followed by some fighters. "We gotta land! Utapau is the closest planet!" "ROOARR: I can't go back to Utapau!" "Well if we don't we'll get shot down!" She landed in the docking bay. The Pauan stood at the shipyard as the ship landed. The girl walked out and the wookie followed, however, the Pauan stopped the wookie. "I thought I told you to stay away from this planet! You will be arrested!" The wookie roared in his face. Two fighters landed, followed by another, and another, and another, eventually transport ships had piled in, and troopers poured out of them, at this point the girl and the wookie had already made it to floor 4. Pauan warriors had also piled in and started fighting troopers. Tie Fighters swooped down from above and shot at the warriors. This was the last straw, war had begun.

 

[Saureen]

Wetherell perked up at the sound of price. Perhaps it was the wookie who he had just conned, or maybe it was the obvious want in Saureen's eyes, but the swindler knew he'd make a big payday. He gave a creepy, while genuine, smile,

"Here's the thing, if a beautifully constructed reproduction like the one just bought by our wookie friend is worth, ten thousand credits. The real thin, is at least worth fifty thousand, if not a hundred. But, just because you are with my friend Benny here, I'll give you the friend discount. No more then twenty-five thousand credits."

Suareen grabbed a pouch from his pocket, all the credits he owned. Totaling ten thousand, give or take a dozen, credits. Saureen tossed the coin bag at Wetherell, and spoke dryly,

"I have ten thousand credits."

Wetherell focused on catching it before replying, but after opening the bag, he replied,

"Perhaps we can bargain, for the mask is worth far more then ten thousand, as you must obviously now. Perhaps, your blasters?"

Saureen unholstered one of his blasters,

"This one?"

Wetherell shrugged, with his hands in the air,

"Well maybe that and your very nice ri-"

Wetherell wouldn't get to finish the sentence, instead being replaced with the sound of a blaster. Saureen was done with the negotiating, and holstered his blaster, the barrel still hot. He leaned down and grabbed the pouch from the corpse of the salesman, noticing the growing looks. Although shooting wasn't a total abnormality, it was still a taboo, and wouldn't be welcomed by the regular members. Saureen didn't pocket the coin bag, instead, tossing it towards [member="Bengalo Chergari"]. He turned to look at the three who had helped him, but focused on Bengalo specifically,

"Split the money amongst yourselves, its yours now."

Before walking off, Saureen hesitated, and unhooked the metal mask he had created himself, replacing it with Grevious'. He handed it to Benny before walking off, saying as he was moving,

"A little souvenir to remember me by."

He picked up his pace, knowing the growing sights on his back, leaving the trio on their own in the black market.

[Saureen Exit]​

[member="Ala'Tir"]
[member="Avin Starfire"]