The decay of desperate living

[Corvus Raaf]

The mission was simple enough. Find the contact and he'll hand over the coordinates for the arms drop that was being brokered by a man that was known to provide all manner of weapons to terrorist groups on Republic worlds.

And Diego was going on his first Jedi mission. Choosing him fulfilled a number of objectives. Firstly he'd be an asset given his former 'occupation.'. Next it would be a test of his progress in putting his past behind him. And finally it would be a useful gauge of his progress.

So she waited in the hangar next to 'Raven' for her Padawan to arrive - wondering if he'd read up on the Code as she'd asked.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

As Diego made his way to the hangar, he was aware that he had no idea where he and Corvus were going. The scant information Corvus had given him amounted to "mission" and "hangar," which he took to mean he was going on a little jaunt with his master's ship. He guessed it was probably some kind of 'do-gooder' thing, like maybe they would be going around handing toys out to children or something. Whatever it was it didn't involve drinking, swearing or fighting so he figured it was going to be a royal snooze-fest.

She had told him that they were going to have a discussion about the Jedi code today, so still unused to this type of dedication to anything much less studies, he reluctantly brushed up on the tenants the night before in case she gave him a pop quiz. He was almost embarrassed at how he felt a bit like a dog in her lap, but he pushed that to the back of his mind when he saw her. After all, she could probably sense something like that.

Still even though he could have used an attitude adjustment about it, he was looking forward to the trip in a way. This doggie needed to get some air. Dressed in his street clothes: biker jacket, ripped pants, and black boots, he approached her in the hangar. "'sup Corvus," he said, echoing his usual greeting.

"Let me guess, this isn't a surprise party for me after all?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus smiled as Diego greeted her. At least he wouldn't have trouble blending in if he ever needed to go under-cover. Sending him to meet the Grandmaster might have to wait until he'd brushed up a little on his etiquette.

But Corvus believed passionately in the diversity of Jedi - as long as their heart was in the right place. And despite his external appearance, his internal profile was as good as any Jedi she knew.

The dark lines under his eyes could mean he'd been up late studying or they could be as a result of a late-night party. Time would tell. The very near future in fact.

"I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is we're off to Nar Shaddaa. No handing out toys today. The bad news is that gives us plenty of time to discuss the Code. Now, head up to the cockpit and prep us for take-off. I'll catch you up."

She winked as he passed her, "Now where did all these dog hairs come from?" And she brushed at her robes to dislodge some imaginary hairs from her lap.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

"Nar Shaddaa, eh? So strip clubs and drug dens, huh? Master, I didn't know you had such freaky hobbies." Diego generously chuckled at himself. He knew he was being an ass, but he badly needed the entertainment.

At her last comment, Diego raised an eyebrow with a smirk. So she had been in his mind, sneaky girl. He merely said nothing and headed into her ship, a nice looking Protector Class Corvette. Knowing Corvus, she wouldn't let him anywhere near the pilots seat, and that was probably a smart thing because Diego's rusty piloting skills would send them both on a white-knuckle ride.

The young man plopped down next to the navicomputer and, brushing his long hair out of his face, started to set a course for Nar Shaddaa.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She followed him in the ship. She could hear his wisecracking as he walked. It was always loud enough for her to hear and it meant he was feeling fine. The day he didn't try to wind her up was the time she'd start to worry.

But she was surprised he wasn't in the pilot's seat. This was clearly not deference - perhaps she had found an Achilles Heel. But that was something to be used at a later date. For now, they had a mission to discuss.

"It's a simple job. We're there to pick up some coordinates for a weapon's drop. And yes, it's in a strip club and yes, he's a drug-dealer.". He would find out soon enough, so better to let him have his fun now. Perhaps he might tire of the joke by the time they'd arrived. OK, unlikely, but possible.

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

"For real?" Diego perked up. "I'm pretty sure you're yanking my chain, Corvus, but if you're not, I think this trip just got a lot more interesting," he said with an enormous grin. He typed in a few more commands, reading the ship for takeoff. "You ever tried spice, Corvus?" he asked, his head still down in his navigating.

"So we meet up with the guy, and then. Wait, let me guess. We're gonna get the coordinates for the weapons drop and then we're gonna double-cross him." In Diego's world that was pretty much how every deal went down. "Please say we're gonna take the weapons for ourselves and not arrest him or something."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus knew Diego well - but not that well. Sometimes she wasn't sure when the wisecracking ended and the former gang-member started. As she received clearance for take-off and the ship began its ascent to exit the atmosphere, she looked him in the eye. Her voice was stil light, but with a steely undercurrent.

"OK, let's clarify something. We uphold the law. We'll get the coordinates and make a judgement call. Either hand them over to the authorities or attend the meeting ourselves and make the arrests. The meet is a black-arms dealer selling illegal arms to a terrorist group. All of them are bad guys. We're the good guys."

To lighten the mood, she added with a twinkle in her eye, "And I will not be going undercover at the club - in case you were wondering!"

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Diego tried very hard to contain the eyeroll that was imminent. He wasn't used to being the good guy. It just felt weird. Then he remembered the crystal he held that day in the garden with Corvus, and the light sided Force power that presented itself at his touch. He was a light sider. That meant that there was a part of him that badly wanted to do some good in the world and not just exploit it like his family. Like crazy Lisa. The mere thought of his cousin almost sent him into a rage.

He merely looked at Corvus with a pensive stare when she talked about upholding the law. When she was finished he nodded his head gruffly.

Her added wisecrack completely caught him off guard. Diego was slightly annoyed at how it made his heart beat a bit faster. He was going to be stuck in a ship with this woman for who knew how long, so the last thing he needed was that mental picture. Plus, after their first day together at the academy that she'd made it pretty clear that she wasn't interested in him. Still as surly as he felt, he couldn't help, but push a little bit more. His face broke out into a smile.

"So I'm the one stripping down. Ok then, Corvus. I knew you'd find an excuse to get me undressed."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus laughed. "You have to have the last word, don't you?"

"But don't worry - I'm getting used to you. And slowly but surely you'll get used to me and the Jedi way. I never expected it to be a smooth road and you'll n doubt have setbacks - but for as long as your heart is true, I know you'll make it."

As they entered hyperspace, she turned to face him. "So - the Jedi Code. From your studies, what can you tell me about the Jedi view on winning and losing?"

[member="Diego Ticon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Diego Ticon"]

Location: Raven Safehouse

Another day another mission. Today was a mission day and after sitting around the Dragon Palace casino and beating on random bums Lisa was eager for blood.

The mission was simple, protect the shipment of weapons going to a terror cell somewhere in the republic. Only one man knew the coordinates besides Lysle and the top brass. Of course Lisa now knew them too after hours of torturing the so called Courier who was supposed to safeguard that package with the drop info.

"Tell me again, why on earth did you give away the package?"

The courier remained silent.

Lisa stood up from her chair in the dark basement. A single light permeated the room in a dark orange hue and the courier was tied down to a nearby chair, at the center of the musty room.

"Ok then, next question, since we've already been over this I'm going to add a little incentive now!"

Darkness awoke in her soul as the beast came loose. Her anger flared to crescendo, fueled by the emotions she kept caged just for this particular time. A dark matrix of energy began to swirl around her as she collected the dark currents of the force by will alone.

"Who did you give my package to!"

"I'll never talk, long live the Republic!"

Lisa irritation rose to new heights. She closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, focusing raw rage into crackling arc of purple electricity. It surrounded her hand as she reached out and pressed it into the hapless couriers chest. He wriggled and squirmed as a scream escaped him Dark lightning danced up and down his frame and the smell of burning flesh joined the must in the air.

Lisa began to count down, the last shock was ten seconds, this time would be twenty....

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

"Darling, I am the last word," he laughed and then playfully cuffed Corvus on the shoulder as if she were one of his old gang members. At her insistence that he would be successful in his training, he smiled warmly and glanced down at the navicomputer. Having someone believe in him was a foreign notion to Diego. He grimly realized that she probably had more faith in him than he did.

At his master's request that he cite the Jedi code, Diego sighed. Of course the trip couldn't be that fun, could it? He had memorized the code the night before in anticipation of the pop quiz, and with an epic eyeroll, he quickly blurted out what he could remember. "Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force."

"How's that?"

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus frowned. Was he simply joking or was he being serious? "The Code is a lot more than a few lines. When we get back to Ossus, you will research the pillars of the Code and we can discuss what it tells us about winning and losing - unless you were yanking my chain and you already know?"

[member="Diego Ticon"] | [member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Diego Ticon"] [member="Corvus Raaf"]

The lightning subsided and the courier slumped down in his seat knocked unconscious. Lisa retrieved a nearby bucket of ice cold water and doused him with it. He awoke with a jolt, a silent scream escaping him.

"Welcome back! Now who did you give my package to!"

There was only a blank stare, and the courier began to chuckle. He laughed so loud it echoed of the ceiling and around the room. Lisa began to laugh with him, a maniacal laugh laden with evil. The courier recoiled as his eardrums were assaulted with the sound of dying banshees.

"You're funny little man, tell you what I got a new game we can play!"

A curved dagger came sliding pout of it's bantha leather sheath. It glistened in the low light, dripping with an oily green sheen. As she moved closer and closer each step marked his doom. Click, click, click. Her steps echoed off the halls like the ticking of a clock, slow and methodical.

"This here is a lovely poison I learned about in a Sith Text. It's curious you see, it causes waves of fire to roll through the body, and each wave increases more than the last. The most interesting part is...."

Lisa plunged the dagger downwards, striking it's razor edge against both forearms, drawing a splash of crimson droplets.

"No one ever dies from the poison itself, you can live an eternity in agonizing pain, the pain just increases each time you adjust to it. They mostly end up taking their own lives just to escape it."

Slow wriggling movements began to permeate the courier as he moved and struggled against his restraints. His skin began to crawl like fire. It was worse than anything Lisa could give him from the force...

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

"Yeah yeah yeah, we're the guardians of peace in the galaxy. We defend the weak and defenseless. I know Corvus. Sheesh." Diego didn't remember the exact line she was talking about but with not much of a formal education the man was never taught effective memorization techniques.

"Besides wouldn't you rather see me actually put these tenants into action rather than just rattling off a bunch of words?" He checked the navicomputer in the hopes that they had started to make good time to Nar Shaddaa. Diego was itching to get off the ship and get away from Questions McGee.

"And you never answered my question about whether or not you had ever tried spice." He raised his eyebrow at her in a challenging expression.

[member="Corvus Raaf"] [member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

"OK - no I have never tried spice or any other narcotics. And yes, I want you to put the pillars of the Code into action but if you don't now what they are you will go the way of so many Jedi. You will become a Dark Jedi. You will decide for yourself which aspects of the Code you choose to follow. And before you know it, the Sith have come calling and you've fallen."

"It's happened to too many to count. That's why we don't allow Padawans to go off-planet alone. It's not a trust thing but a safety aspect. At this stage, the Sith would love to capture you. And they will kill or turn you. There is no alternative for them."

"And we need to talk about travelling off-planet by the way..." Her speech was stopped by the notification they'd dropped out of hyperspace and she had to focus on landing the ship. "We'll continue this chat properly later. Best get ready for landing. And take whatever weapon you see fit for purpose. These things never go as smoothly as planned."

[member="Diego Ticon"] | [member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

"Okay, Corvus. I get it. Don't worry, I'm not going to go traipsing off with some wrinkly old Sith lord." Diego said testily, obviously saying anything to get her off his back at this point. Diego then silently watched her land with a quiet admiration of the woman's piloting skills.

Her padawan perked up at Corvus's last statement and started looking around the cabin, peeking into hidden compartments. "Wait, hold up. You have weapons here? Do you have any shock whips? I'm pretty handy with those."

"Oh and I am going to get you to try spice while we're on Nar Shaddaa. Besides you and I both know you could really loosen up, girl."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus laughed. "Actually I am unsure what weapons we have - take a look in the armoury. And no - no spice for me. You're loose enough for the both of us."

"Now, I want you to lead the way to the bar. Off you go. And on the way, tell me what training you think is best to focus on next for you."

Corvus knew that he'd ventured off of Ossus by himself and she wouldn't be around every time - so better to see him in action and advise him as necessary than to allow him to falter all by himself.

[member="Diego Ticon"] | [member="Lisa Ticon"]

 

[Dessh Ekwesh]

Just the smell of the weapons in the armory was enough to invigorate Diego. He rifled through different pistols and knives, feeling weights and checking calibers. He finally decided on a carbine blaster rifle which he slung over his back. Then he strapped a shock whip to one thigh and to the other thigh, he put a lightsaber. Feeling armed and dangerous he emerged with a crooked grin.

He nodded as she gave him his instructions. Although is home base had been on Taris, Diego knew the streets of Nar Shaddaa like the back of his hand, and he walked quickly and purposefully with his head down like so many on the streets around them. As they walked, he realized he didn't really know the answer to Corvus's question, but he did know one thing. He wanted to melt some faces with his new found power.

The young man shrugged and rattled off a long list of lethal skills he wanted to learn, counting them down on his fingers. "Telekinesis, Force electicity, light whips, Force choking, mind control." Then he quickly glanced at Corvus with a mock-furrowed brow. "All in the name of being a guardian of the weak and defenseless, of course."

He suddenly ducked into a bar that was their destination. "I think this is it."

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Aitis wouldn't notice Diego at first. He was at the bar, dressed in a worn set of clothing that showed more wear than new, a band of grey fabric circled around his eyes and tied in the back, short black hair rakish and likely not combed in a few days by the looks of it. Overall he looked just rough, a cane like a blind-mans walking stick in his hand as he sipped at whatever liquor was in his hand.

The instant his head turned to the man, he'd jump as if stung by some insect, watching him enter and looking directly at him through his blindfold as if stunned. Somehow, in his vision, the man seemed to radiate and almost glow, and the person just beyond the door behind him seemed to do so even more, as if one were a candle and the other a torch. He had never met people personally like this, but his mother had described them. Warned him, almost, of what they were.

And right now, he seethed with fear and worry....

What are *they* doing in a place like this?

 

[Krytu]

A blade bloodied and tarnished was hidden out of sight as Krytu, a large alien unlike many others seen before sat in a seat in the bar the informant of a weapons drop had been. He had been way too obvious when Krytu spotted him. He was obviously a rookie. New to this job. Krytu took him, got the information he needed, then killed him. A job that he had done many times before. He new every single piece of information this guy had about this deal. Now he sat, waiting for the ones who wanted the stuff. He would make some money and walk away. Well. In theory.​