Lose Control

[Arage Bao]

​

Nar Shaddaa, Hutt Space.​

Outer Rim.​

[member="Calina Ovmar"]​

The collapse of a nation such as the Techno Union was a troubling thing for the Galactic Alliance. It had never been an ally of theirs, and considering their alliance with the One Sith it could even be considered a subject of antagonistic purpose, but it was troubling still.

Nothing good came from the sudden fall of a stable nation.

“What should we do next, sir?” One of the Jedi Knights assigned to his team. They were all young, but level-headed and calm.

Cole suspected this was some kind of test from Rhen and his Marshals.

“The Jedi Academy had an enclave here years ago. The info is sketchy, but the Gray Paladins kept some sectors of Nar Shaddaa relatively clean and orderly. Find out more about them if you can.”

A salute was exchanged and they left the shuttle.

None of them were wearing their Jedi attire. Just the regular pieced-together-clothing that most outlaws and low-lives wore these days.

His own style was modeled against Sal’s usual wardrobe.

First thing’s first. Get to the Corellian Sector, visit the Nightingale - very original name for a nightclub, and then improvise from there.
What could go wrong?

 

[Mia Monroe]

The collapse of a nation meant there was ample oppurtunity to seine assests while people were selling them cheap. Now was the time to have businesses change hands, for those who'd set their roots deep on Nar Shadda to move on before a new nation ruled. Change was good for business. Anaya was in a deep discussion with a Hutt, trying to obtain a business from him, taking great pleasure in pointing out his failings and the nessecary for him to cut his losses and flee, but her seemed somewhat reluctant to sell to a twi'lek.

Calina watched with feigned interest from the safety of the bar. Her job was a simple one, watch her back and pay attention. The pair had their auras shrunk, while Anaya had mastered the ability to change hers completely, Calina could only make it smaller. Still it was a work in progress. Anay paused mid sentence and looked up, Calina felt the subtle shift in the force, a candle in the dark. She met he mothers gaze and inclined her head to single she understood.

There was a Jedi here, not dangerous, but worth keeping and eye on. Calina scanned the crowd, resting her elbows on the bar top she appeared to simply be watching the crowd, were it not for the intense look in her eyes.

[member="Cole Katarn"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Calina Ovmar"]

In truth Cole wasn’t really that good blending in.

There was no lightsaber, robe or armor to mark him as a Jedi, but there were enough other signs to underline the fact that he did not belong here.

Force signature, aside, because Katarn had not yet learned or even realized that experienced Force Masters could just pick him up like that. His assumption had been that they had to be familiar with him in any way to pick up his scent from the crowd at large.

An honest mistake, really.

No, it was the way he walked. Straightened out, upright, almost as if he had an iron rod spliced through his back that prevented him from slouching even an inch. His eyes who refused to back down, scouting through the establishment without heed or caution of what they might pick up. A firm set to his jaw that circled the fact that he wasn’t happy with what he saw.

He moved through the crowd or perhaps it was more accurate to say that he moved around them. Every once in awhile some hotshot would try to purposefully bump into him, but every single time… they met nothing but air, soon followed by disorientation as they lost their balance.

“Corellian whiskey.” Katarn replied, cutting through the order of a Rodian merc who was just in the middle of his. He ignored the complaints and put a chit on the counter.

 

[Mia Monroe]

There was a certain harmony in a nightclub that was unseen to an inexperienced eye, and unwritten rules that were followed in order to keep this harmony, like, for example, not cutting in when ordering a drink. The queues could often get four people deep on the bar, and the bartenders were forever moving and trying to keep track of what was ordered an who by while simultaneously paying attention to who was next in line. Safe to say mistakes are made, so when someone cuts in line, tempers flare and the harmony is broken.

Calina watched him, sticking out like a sore thumb in a place that was fast becoming second nature to the teenager, a smirk appeared on her face as he cut the queue and she slid from her stool. "Make that two," she slipped in between the Rodian and her object of interest before she lost any oppurtunity to enjoy herself. She squeezed the Rodians shoulder, breifly, but hard. "And whatever this gentleman is having." She met the Rodians eye and he quickly averted his gaze. Hed seen who shed entered with and he was in no mind to cause trouble with a twi'lek like that. Harmony restored, Calina turned to face the oddity.

"You sir," she "are in dangerous territory, and you have failed to do your research on behaviour in a nightclub." She tilted her head and paused for a moment. "Or maybe, you want to get yourself killed." Two tumblers of whiskey appeared on the bar top and she scooped her own up and raised it to him breifly. "You're welcome." She smirked, sipping at the whiskey.

[member="Cole Katarn"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Calina Ovmar"]

Drink arrived, girl arrived, situation defused.

"Never been all that good in blending in, I am afraid." The Jedi took his drink and chucked it down at once. It burned straight through his throat, but it was the good kind of burning. The burn that made you feel completely alive just for a single moment.

"Thanks for the save, though. Name’s Cole."

The name was offered, but he didn’t ask for hers. He wasn’t here for her and wasn’t even aware of her Sith Lord mother - might have been a different story if Katarn did.

But that was irrelevant for now.

He played a bit with his glass, while blue eyes roamed the establishment, while trying to pin-point his goal.

 

[Mia Monroe]

"I never would have guessed." she responded with a small smirk, bringing her own whiskey to her lips and sipping it. She wasn't a fan really, but people tended to relax a little more easily when they felt they had something in common. She watched his eyes roam the club and rolled her own. He was so unnatural, moving like he had a stick shoved up his backside. "Oh for goodness sake." she clicked her finger in front of his face.

"Hey! Don't be undoing my hard work by getting yourself killed by looking at the wrong person for too long." Like her mother for example. "Tell me what you're looking for, perhaps I can help you." Then perhaps he could help her. She felt a telepathic nudge from her mother, her hand dropped to rest limp at her side and she waved at the floor, a simple signal, all is well, stay out of it.

[member="Cole Katarn"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Calina Ovmar"]

There was frustration in Cole’s eyes and it was palpable, because this wasn’t something that he was good at.

This creeping around, hiding in plain sight, being subtle about things and minding the particular etiquette of the Underworld… it wasn’t for him. All it did was making him want to bash the heads in of every criminal around, to get the answers he needed so he could leave this place behind. But that wasn’t the Jedi way, was it?

You had to be patient.
Calm.
Peaceful.

Katarn didn’t like that frustration blooming up in his chest. It made him think of his own cousin, who was right at home here with the thugs and slimy criminals. He probably wouldn’t have mucked it up as much as he was right now.

“I-” The Jedi sighed and his look wandered off from the scene towards the girl sitting next to him. Cute in one way, but there was that particular glint in the eye that spelled out the danger. This one was a predator, the sharpness of her features and ease of moving about the club told him as much.

But she was right, wasn’t she? Doing this himself would get him killed and what good would that do?

If he was careful, really careful… Cole could probably get her help, without it screwing up everything he was trying to do here.

“People are missing - abducted is the guess, and the trail leads to a particular person in this establishment.”

Padawans. Force sensitive children. How they managed to go missing was anyone’s guess, but it had to stop and that was Katarn’s job.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Calina raised an eyebrow. "Really?" She asked him, her tone flat. She shook her head, and pulled herself up onto a bar stool. "Ok, well as you don't want to divulge into it more than that, I can tell you that there are at least four people in this joint that specialise in people movement. My boss hates slavery, so she makes a point of knowing who the slavers are so she can avoid doing business with them."

She downed the rest of her drink, excitement glittering in her eyes. "You have Goruzza, big stinking hutt in the centre VIP booth. He likes to take young boys and girls and sell them on. Some wind up as sex slaves, some are brainwashed and sent into mines or something or other. The prettiest and most valuable he keeps for himself."

"Then you've got Dak, he specialises in smuggling people. Doesn't ask to many questions about who or why, and he charges high to keep his mouth shut. He's the one with them women hanging off him at the saarlac table, always shadowed by a henchmen, far better at hiding than you."

She tapped the bar top, biting her lower lip as she thought, careful not to look around to remind herself who else was there. "Kiky Rook, well known slaver in these parts, she drinks for free less you want to find yourself in servitude. She's the very drunk one in the middle of the dance floor. Don't be mistaken by her state, she's a forcer."

The bartender tapped the top of her hand, pointing at their empty glasses, she nodded to request two more. Swivelling in her chair she leant back against the bar. "There's one more...." She flicked her eyes over the crowd, winking at a man who caught her eye and swing back to face Cole. "Looks like he's gone though."

Their drinks arrived and she scooped them both up and handed him one. "So, any of those for the bill for who your looking for?"

[member="Cole Katarn"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Cole’s frown deepened.

His companion seemed to have an easy time talking of such things and it made him reconsider her involvement for a moment. But it was clear that he would need her for this - this wasn’t his scene and the longer Katarn muddied around, the more clear it was becoming that he stuck out as a sore thumb.

"The Forcer… she known for a particular skillset?"

They had an idea who could have done the deed. Mentalism, a particularly potent one who could mesmerize the kids and snatch them away, but why force sensitives?

No proof, of course.

But that was why they had sent Katarn to investigate here. How much easier would things be if there was camera footage, but somehow all of the security measures had been disabled while they were waging war against the One Sith.

Mechu-Deru? Could be, could be.

[member="Calina Ovmar"]

 

[Mia Monroe]

Calina pursed her lips in thought. Kiky was a former that made Anaya twitchy, the moment they had come in here and Anaya had spotted her the muttering had begun and that wild look had entered her mothers eyes. Reminding her mother of the importance of her reason for being here was all Calina could do to stop her from turning round and walking out.

"I think," she began slowly "that she plays with minds. She's pretty popular because she manages to take people without leaving a trace as to who took them. But I'm running on guesswork here, there's only one real way to find out what her skill set is."

She trailed off as Anaya approached them, eyes boring into Cole before looking to Calina. "We're done, Calina, for now at least."

"How long?"

"Couple of days. Make the most of them, and try to stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Master." Calina bowed her head and watched her walk away, before turning her attention back to Cole. "So what do you say, do you feel like antagonising a slaver?"

[member="Cole Katarn"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Calina Ovmar"]

He couldn’t sense a force signature from the lady approaching them, but in a Galaxy where more and more forcers were becoming aware of the targets on their back and learned how to camouflage their force sensitivity?

That didn’t mean much.

The twi’lek had a certain beauty to her.

An ugly beauty that spoke of destruction, of knives twisted in the dark, and claws tearing and ripping. She also walked like a natural warrior, every step calculating and measuring, using her body to talk the walk, so to speak.

Very dangerous.

But Katarn met her eyes, while taking another chug from his glass. If there was one thing the Jedi refused it was to be intimidated by a swimsuit model with angry eyes. That was a line he drew right there and then.

"Thank you for the help, but why would you?" No attempts to be diplomatic about it, Cole didn’t have it in him and wasn’t going to try.

Perhaps that would be the death of him one day, but hopefully not this day.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Calina pondered her response carefully. "Because," she began "You'll help me in return. Not because this is a favour for a favour deal, but because when I tell you what I need help with, your nature will compel you to assist." She smiled knowingly.

"Now are you going to accept my help, or are you to attempt this endeavour on your own with little knowledge of the land and its people?"

[member="Cole Katarn"]