First Reply Mercy and Credits

[Prowler II]

Location: Fondor, Starport

The bustling starport of Fondor was the hub of activity, filled with the comings and goings of countless beings from across the galaxy. Amidst the throngs of travelers and the hum of starship engines, a pitiful figure sat huddled on the cold durasteel floor, just outside a busy section of the port. Dressed in tattered robes and clothes stained with filth and grime, he was a sorry sight—an elderly Arkanian with a desperate, haunted look in his milky eyes. His once-white hair hung in dirty, matted strands around his gaunt face, and his bony hands clutched a battered tin mug that jingled faintly with a few meager credits. He shivered, whether from the cold or the sheer intensity of his act, no one could tell. His voice, when he spoke, was a cracked whisper, full of sorrow and pleading. His aura was muddled with the emotions of the stresses of the passerbys around him.

"Spare some credits, please," he croaked, looking up at the passersby with a pitiful expression. "I've been stranded here since the invasion of Coruscant. Lost everything... just need a little to get back on my feet." His eyes darted around, taking in the hurried steps and averted gazes of those who chose not to see his misery. A family of Twi'leks walked by, the parents pulling their children closer as they passed. A Rodian in a sleek, silver suit barely spared him a glance. A human woman, seemingly moved by his plight, paused and dropped a handful of credits into his cup before hurrying away, uncomfortable with lingering in his presence. He thanked her profusely, his voice trembling with a mixture of genuine gratitude and well-practiced deceit. "Bless you, kind soul. May the Force be with you."

Again he continued to croak and voice out his needs.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Prowler II

Braze was running errands when he came across what looked like a poor soul. He stared briefly before padding over to the man. "You said you had lived on Coruscant?" The bite sized padawan asked before crouching down and reaching out plopping some credits in to the man's cup. He tilted his head slightly and looked at the man un abashedly. "How did you get here?"

 

[Prowler II]

"You said you had lived on Coruscant?" The bite sized padawan asked before crouching down and reaching out plopping some credits in to the man's cup. He tilted his head slightly and looked at the man un abashedly. "How did you get here?"

" Oh by the Celestials! The Force bless you! My ehh..." The elder Arkanian looked long and hard at Braze , their attire and general body language. In his breath he muttered something unintelligible to the ear, but his pale eyes keyed details of interest about this young padawan. Blinking several times and shaking his head some he refixed his gaze to the padawans eyes.

A jedi?

" Invasion! The invasion of Coruscant! The planet was supposed to be evacuated but the lower levels were...uhh." He paused briefly and looked around as if trying to remember but even he did not know the reason. " Many... downthere... from my level.. were not aided in till the Empire had already arrived. And the hells of Chaos had already spilled out into the undercity!" He licked his chapped lips some and cowered when two security droids walked by, his face still flushed from the violent reaction he had explaining about how he got here. His reaction to them alone revealed a form of ill history with them.

" I was rescued off the streets and brought back here. Yes." He nodded. " Now I just want to go back home. Every sentient should have a place to call home. Wouldn't you agree too? Uhh...." His verbiage stumbled and a hand gesture toward the padawan in search of a suggest name or title for the boy.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Prowler II

Braze listened with rapt attention, his expression earnest. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sorry the Empire has caused you so much grief. They've been working on rebuilding Coruscant. If you were able to go back, what would you do? You might not have a home there anymore," he said, his voice tinged with curiosity and empathy. He knew problems like these were widespread across the galaxy in the wake of wars and invasions.

Braze himself had sent several Aegis 'Care Cruisers' to help with evacuations before and during the invasion.

The Invasion of Coruscant was a battle he knew intimately, having fought alongside Jasper Kai'el to help bring the war criminal Marlon Sularen to justice. It was a memory scarred into his being. Braze had come perilously close to losing his life in a sickening, cruel manner due to the biological warfare employed against him.

"I'd like for everyone to have a home," he said thoughtfully. "Yeah, that's something I'd want. But it's not easy to accomplish." His tone carried the weight of understanding, a hard-earned knowledge born from experience. "I'm hoping to help alleviate some of the problems with homelessness on Ryloth." That, too, was another battle he knew all too well.

Like it or not, the small Padawan was, by this point, a seasoned war veteran, despite his young age. He bore the scars to prove it—both physical and emotional.

"I lost my home too," Braze admitted quietly, a trace of sorrow in his voice. "The home I built with my own hands... it was taken from me." He fell silent for a moment. Sure, there were places he could go, and the Jedi Order ensured he was cared for. But he understood that not everyone had the luxury of knowing where they would rest tonight or where their next meal might come from.

Braze didn't shy away as the old man spoke to him. Instead, he met him with openness and respect. "I'm Braze," he said, offering a small smile. "It's nice to meet you, mister...?"

 

[Prowler II]

The elder arkanian indeed lent his ear and listened to the young man. How he hoped to help with the homeless on Ryloth and lost a home of his own. Its was all tragic, that was the expression the elder feigned at least. All so touching to hear. But Prowler was interested in more than just loss. He wanted to know more about this one. Where did this boy call home now then? Who was he? How did he take care of himself? What information could he continue to collect on this individual?

Braze listened with rapt attention, his expression earnest. "I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sorry the Empire has caused you so much grief. They've been working on rebuilding Coruscant. If you were able to go back, what would you do? You might not have a home there anymore," he said, his voice tinged with curiosity and empathy. He knew problems like these were widespread across the galaxy in the wake of wars and invasions.

" Oh Sorry? You didn't have anything to do with destroying my home did you?" He chuckled lightly to himself. " No I am afraid you may be right. Its unlikely that I would have a home to return to. You are right." His facial expressions became dark with the realization. But softened and his eyes went wide hearing something else that was said.

"I lost my home too," Braze admitted quietly, a trace of sorrow in his voice. "The home I built with my own hands... it was taken from me." He fell silent for a moment. Sure, there were places he could go, and the Jedi Order ensured he was cared for. But he understood that not everyone had the luxury of knowing where they would rest tonight or where their next meal might come from.

Braze didn't shy away as the old man spoke to him. Instead, he met him with openness and respect. "I'm Braze," he said, offering a small smile. "It's nice to meet you, mister...?"

It seemed to give him hope.

" But look at you now! How you have rebounded and no doubt grown since then?! That is a hopeful sight! No? Tell me, please. What home did you lose, uh...Braze." He said the name as if trying it out for the first time. In a way he way too. " By the way its nice to meet you too. By the Force and celestials above you dont know what its like to sit here all day and be...well...unseen. You can call me..." The elder paused. Not the facade but Prowler himself paused. Trying to think of a name other than the title he claimed with the Darkside Elite. Then his eyes went wide again. " Bernard!" He claimed finally!!

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Prowler II

"In inadvertently perhaps. For that I apologize. I was partially responsible for binging down Crab Bait Sularan's War Ship the NIV Predator.
Braze paused listening to what the man said.

" Bernard huh? I've met an Arkanian by the name of Bernard . " Braze chirped gently. " I actually met him close to where I lost my home on Lothal. I had built a home with in several trees out there... It was... nice... peaceful... quiet... still had lots of travelers pass through and stop by from time to time... I miss it dearly. " Braze offered softly. "Well... where do you... want to live?" Braze asked lightly moving to take a seat next to him and took off his pack and moved to fished around inside the leather bag before taking out a sandwich, an orange and a juice box and offered them over.

 

[Prowler II]

The elders pale eyes shifted over to Braze as he moved to seat himself next to him and generously offer a sandwich and drink. Both were accepted rather gently, but the drink was quickly opened and slurped down greedily, while the food lay on the dirty robes he was wearing over his body. " Oh this is refreshing. This is my third drink to day and by far it tastes the best. First I had Paonga Fresca, then Rancor Aid and now this juice box. I much prefer this." When he spoke out Paonga Fresca he cringed slightly.

"In inadvertently perhaps. For that I apologize. I was partially responsible for binging down Crab Bait Sularan's War Ship the NIV Predator.

"Inadvertently.. inadvertently? Ehh. You?? And what do you mean? And I think Id recalling meeting a bright individual such as your self before" He considered what was said more. How embarrassing it must of been to be defeated by a mere child. The Arkanian squinted a the boy accusingly. His face seemed to wrinkle with his expressions of suprise, confusion and then ended with a light hearted smile as he obviously pretended to be this Bernard . In truth Prowler knew Bernard all too well.

The Lightsworn jedi responsible for the destruction of his last host body, though not before prowler took on of the Arkanians eyes. A jedi using cyrokinesis to kill. How interesting and resourceful. The Elders gaze went distant as if in memory or looking into the far off distance. He could see the star destroyer rising out of the senate building and the darkside elite battling the Jedi furiously. Himself fighting tooth and nail against the Arkanian Jedi. A pity that the victory was lost. I wonder what remains of the Dark Empire now.

"Well... where do you... want to live?"

" I-I dont know where to live anymore."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Prowler II

​

"No? If you could pick anywhere in the whole galaxy, you wouldn't have a single place in mind that sounds just perfect to live in?" Braze asked, a teasing smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "There are so many incredible planets to choose from," he added, as his thoughts turned inward.

"For me?" He hesitated, the words tumbling out with the quiet weight of fondness. "I think Lothal would still be my choice. There's something about it… something hard to explain unless you've walked those fields yourself. The golden plains stretch forever, like an ocean of light when the sun hangs low in the sky. The way the wind sweeps through the grass—it's like the planet itself is breathing."

Braze's voice took on a wistful tone, his hands gesturing faintly as though trying to capture the scene in the air before him. "And the sunsets? There's nothing like them. The sky burns with every shade of orange and red you can imagine, streaked with deep violets as the stars start to wake. It's not just beautiful—it's peaceful. Like time slows down just enough for you to take it all in."

He leaned back, a soft chuckle escaping as his mind wandered further. "It's not perfect, of course. The cities are simple, the people even simpler. But that's part of the charm. Life there feels honest. "

He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Some people rave about Zeltros—if you're into vibrant nightlife, endless parties, and that almost intoxicating sense of joy in the air, it's hard to beat. Others swear by Hapes, with its breathtaking beauty and sheer opulence. The Consortium's shimmering seas and sky-piercing crystal spires do have their appeal."

He hesitated, his tone softening. "Though, perhaps I'd be better suited to Eshan. It's not as flashy, but there's a tranquility in its simplicity—a sense of purpose and heritage..."

Braze's eyes lit up as he continued. "Or maybe Naboo? Rolling green hills, serene lakes, and those incredible cities blending into nature… it feels like living in a dream. Then there's Alderaan—before, well, you know… people said it was a paradise, with its snowy peaks and lush valleys."

He laughed lightly. "If I wanted adventure, I might try Spira. That planet's practically one endless vacation—beaches stretching forever, warm breezes, and crystal-clear waters. Perfect for taking it easy."