The Mists of Jalindi

[Serena Bouie]

Another backwater planet that offered bits of something unrecognizable for dinner which Serena pushed around her dish trying to figure out what it was. The water was in the cleanest dirty glass that the owner could find, even that wasn't pristine but it was wet and that's all that mattered.

She had been told that she could find pilots, ships, and backers here on...where was she? She pulled out the map and looked again, oh yeah...ID 562 - in other words unknown. Some place that was used and didn't need a name just a designation. Sighing heavily as she toyed with her dinner she kept a watchful eye on her surroundings.

She wasn't sure who would respond to the Ad. Course there was the possibility that she would find herself at the end of a blaster by the end of the day but..hey that was part of the adventure.

She pulled over the data pad in here was her life all summed up in notes and maps of who what where when and sometimes why. The who this time a ship that crashed on Jalindi taking with it a cargo intended to supply a rebel base and to bring it precious cargo stolen from the Imperials.

There were things mentioned on the manifest that held some interest but it was the planet itself that made her desire to go there. The description of mists and pillars made her think ancient. There were a lot of civilizations with open questions about what happen...Jalindi could well be that.

To get there the nerdy blonde needed a ride, and maybe a backer.

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

It doesn't matter where you are, sunsets are beautiful Even on backwater planets. Malcom Stillwater paused briefly as he walked down the streets of....whatever town this was called on whatever planet it was called ID-5.. something or other. It didn't matter to Mal, he was here to meet someone about a job.

He looked up to the sky as dusk was finishing it battle with the daylight allowing night to take over. It really was beautiful. The orange hues interlaced with traces of blues and purples, it was really a sight to behold.
The he looked down and all the beauty faded away. This town really sucks, and I've been around!

His seemingly aimless walk eventually led him to the local watering hole. Mal imagined that it served several purposes for this small town and shrugged as he walked in the door. Looking around, one could see the normal hustle and bustle as people sat down to their meals after a longs hard day at work. There was a certain charm to it's simplicity. As he eyed the crowd, he saw a familiar blonde sitting at a table, a plate of food before her, though she didn't seem all that hungry. Or maybe the food was just that bad.
Mal reached into the bag he had slung over his shoulder which carried all of his "essentials" and retrieved his datapad. Thumbing through it quickly he retrieved the photo he had received earlier. It confirmed that she was his contact. Confident that he was in the right place, and on time, Mal stowed the datapad back into his bag and walked up to the table.

"Hi there! [member="Serena Bouie"] I presume? I'm Malcom Stillwater." He held out his hand to her in greeting.

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

Serena fixed her gaze on the man before her for the briefest of moments she let down the walls that kept her jedi skills in check she sensed no intent of ill will and no lies. She nodded extending her hand, "Yes I'm Serena Malcom pleasure. Have you eaten?" Would she really say to him try the local cuisine, she didn't know. She sat down and hoped he would follow suit.

"So have you considered the offer? 1/3 of anything we find, plus expenses." She hoped to find something if anything she at least be able to pay him expenses. She wasn't rich for certain but she had found a few things of value which turned into a bit of profit and a few happy museums.

There was always a risk though fortunate for her she could see trouble coming. If anything the galaxy had given her a gift to help protect her life. She could always see a few gazes coming their way as they tried to figure out what they were up to.

Nothing unusual though just curiosity, out here she imagined there were that many new people or things showing up. Traders. Smugglers, And anything trying to stay away from anything that remotely reeked of law.

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

After shaking her hand, Mal took a seat across from the Scientist. He had read up on her. At least, what was available in the public record. Respected Scientist and researcher. She was definitely a step above the caliber of low lifes he just worked with on his last expedition. As he scooted his chair in "Ya know, I was hungry when I walked in, then I saw that" he said gesturing toward her plate of barely touched food. "I think I am good for awhile" he said with a slight chuckle."

She got straight to business. Mal liked that. Most people tended to 'build rapport' as they say, but not her. point one in her favor.
"I have considered your offer, and I am happy to say I'm in. 1/3 is fine. As for expenses, I have been asking around and I found a YT-1300 in port that we could charter. I could pilot her no problem. What do you think?"

He caught the attention of the barkeep and ordered a round of whatever Serena was drinking to keep it simple. "So, what Exactly are we looking for?"

[member="Serena Bouie"]

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

She shrugged, "Yeah food is...barely tolerable if you know what mean" She didn't say it too loud she didn't want to offend the cook or start a fight and around here. It only took a blink in the wrong direction for a fight.

An old YT it would have plenty of cargo space and quarters. She nodded, "Sounds good to me a ship like that has some protection, as well as space which hopefully we will fill." She physically relaxed now she had been a bit concerned over who might show and so far this was the best she could hope for.

"What are we looking." She pulled her datapad over and tapped a few different keys bringing up an old imperial shuttle. "During the end day of the Empire shuttles were loaded with items that the Emperor had kept for his own personal...use. This one was seen in the vicinity of Jalindi which make sense considering Jalindi's history. It never made it to the final destination on its flight plan, soo. I'm thinking we look on Jalindi for the ship, and through anything that might remain of the imperial presence. We can pick up things and sell them on the open market or depending on what it is find a museum."

It wasn't much she knew it, but that was the thing about searching you had to go look.

"Still want in?"

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

Malcom listened intently as Serena went over the details of the job. It sounded straight forward and didn't suggest an unreasonable amount of risk, though in Mal's experience it always started that way...
"Jalindi Huh? Sounds promising. Yeah, I'm in." He offered his hand to her to shake on it.

He pulled out his comlink and keyed a quick text message to his contact with the YT-1300 and told him to have the ship ready by end of day. Placing his comm back on his belt, Mal looked back up to Serena. "That was my guy. We should have a ship ready by end of day." He looked around the bar to make sure no one was paying them more attention than normal. Satisfied that wasn't the case, Mal leaned forward over the table and spoke a little lower so that only Serena could hear. "Are we competing with anyone on this find?"
If they were, it wouldn't sway Mal at all, he just liked to know what he was getting into.

Serena Bouie

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

Were they other seekers? She leaned a little closer so as to not raise her voice, "The Coruscant Museum is said to be sending a team but I've not yet confirmed it If they get there ahead of us we can either barter with them, or take a different path." She shook her head, "I'd rather be first though."

She always felt her research was better but even she would have to admit right now some of this was a bit blind. But if Coruscant was interested then she knew she had to be on track. "The intrigue is that no one really knows what was on the ship. There were several ships sent out that never made their destination. In the end they just loaded things without documentation. In a rush. Didn't want a trail." She sat back and sighed.

"Could be a box of rocks we find that only had significance to him. But even the box of rocks would have some value." anything from that time to the right buyer had value.

"The sooner we go the better. We'll some supplies." She wanted to be sure he had all the information misleading him would be wrong. "It's a crap shoot really but like anything the what if lingers."

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

Mal appreciated the Scientist's competitive spirit and was glad that they were on the same page. He had worked with the Coruscant Museum before, and then tended to be rather bureaucratic and annoying.
"Well, it is definitely worth checking out, I've come across some interesting rocks before." He said with a slight chuckle. "As for supplies, I have most everything I need, minus some weather appropriate attire for whatever the conditions are like on Jalindi this time of year. I'm ready when you are. Shall we?"

Serena Bouiehttp://starwarsrp.net/user/16467-serena-bouie/

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

"Yes let us go. Whats the berth the ship is in, I want to have some supplies delivered before we depart. AS you say gear we need, rations, and some additional maps." Serena nodded. It was good to know that he was on the same page with her.

She had met too many that weren't and it often led to a parting of ways and finding nothing.

She rose up it was only then she noticed Kadmar sitting a few tables away. She gave him a dour look had he overheard their plans? What was he up to? She nodded looking over to Malcom, "yes Yavin is a long way from here." She hoped that it would throw Kadmar off.

But it was now evident the Coruscant museum was still searching otherwise they wouldn't be tailing her.

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

"Yes let us go. Whats the berth the ship is in, I want to have some supplies delivered before we depart. AS you say gear we need, rations, and some additional maps."

"Berth 18."
He was glad things were working so smoothly so far. However, Mal noticed the look on Serena's face when she stood up. He stood up as well, but made an exaggerated motion to stretch, in order to view the room. Did she recognize someone?

She must have,

"yes Yavin is a long way from here."

He caught the misdirect and rolled with it.
"Yeah, Yavin is quite the trip, but I do have a good collection of holovids to pass the time" he said with a chuckle. Mal didn't know who exactly Serena recognized, but he figured that they were under surveillance. The sooner they got off this rock the better.

A few hours later...

Mal sat in the pilot's chair of a rented YT-1300. He had began the initial pre-launch check and was now easing the engines to life. The ship shuddered a bit, but nothing fell off and nothing was on fire so that was a good sign. He looked over to Serena in the co-pilots chair "Nothing to worry about, she's Corellian, she's resilient."
Serena Bouie

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

Thank the goddess that Malcom went along with it. She smiled good he knew when to follow a lead. She nodded as they went out the door. Breathing out that sigh she held in relief washed over her. "Berth 18, got it I'll see you there."

They had made it, and the supplies had made it too. She was sitting in the copilot looking over, "Thanks for playing into the Yavin thing. At one of the tables was Kadmar Leisch. I've known him since my days at the academy, he's good he works for the Coruscant Museum, so...either they are following me, or following you either way we need to get to Jalindi before them. And I need to have the route mapped out on the planet cause they are either already there, or....they are waiting for us get there, find it and then take it from us."

Which could happen. The underside to finding artifacts not everyone played fair. She sat there for a minute this was going to be serious. She didn't like the thought of having to protect herself on a dig, but survival was paramount.

"So Malcom we have some time...care to do the chit chat small talk thing?"

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

With a roar of the thrusters, Malcom eased the YT-1300 off the surface and guided the prow upward and accelerated them towards orbit. He looked over at Serena chit chat huh? ​He gave her a wry grin. "What do you want to know? I like long walks on the beach and drinking Corellian ales while watching the sunset." He said in a jesting voice. "But in all seriousness, I'm pretty easy going. I love history, and getting artifacts into good hands."

The ship shuddered as it punched through atmosphere. "What about you?" He asked the Scientist.

Serena Bouie

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

She had to laugh at least his humor remained in tact, "Sounds like you've placed a few of those ads you know the kind.........single white human female, outer rim, age, etcetera etcetera."

What did she want to know, she didn't know she was making conversation. " I love history in all its forms. To look at a rock and know where it's been what formed it. To look at an ancient text and discover something I've never known, or step inside a cavern that no one has seen in 100 years and find that someone had been there before, find how they lived, what was important and then reintroduce it to the galaxy."

She smiled it was one of the reasons she loved it so much, discovery of the lost.

"I've been staying in the outer rim there's lots to find out there. But once in a while something comes a little closer to the core so tempting I can't sit still. This is one of those times. I have to know is it there...and what was it carrying."

She shrugged, she sounded like she was still at the academy, "Do you have family?" They could pass the time just like this for a bit, then she'd have to begin mapping the path they'd follow on Jalindi.

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

"Sounds like you've placed a few of those ads you know the kind.........single white human female, outer rim, age, etcetera etcetera."

He chuckled aloud at her quip. "Nah, never really trusted that holonet dating thing. It's like playing psycho roulette."
He steered the ship to open space and to get clear of the planet's gravity well.

He listened as the Scientist described her love of history. He nodded in agreement, he felt similar in some regards, at least in the thrill of finding things lost to time. As she continued, Mal thought of a few of his own adventures. He never really not much prompting to set off and hunt for those relics that seemed to have vanished.

"Do you have family?"

Her inquiry into his personal life brought him back to reality. He paused briefly, that was a subject he liked to talk about, as he grew up in an orphanage, so talking about family always zeroed in on a thing he was lacking. "Not really sure, I mean I was born so I had one, just not really sure what happened to them."
He looked down at the navmap and saw that they were clear of the gravity well.
Grateful for the distraction, he looked over at Serena.
"If you would do the honors? Just punch in the coordinates and we will be on our way."

@Serena Bouie

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

"Sounds like you've placed a few of those ads you know the kind.........single white human female, outer rim, age, etcetera etcetera."

He chuckled aloud at her quip. "Nah, never really trusted that holonet dating thing. It's like playing psycho roulette."
He steered the ship to open space and to get clear of the planet's gravity well.

He listened as the Scientist described her love of history. He nodded in agreement, he felt similar in some regards, at least in the thrill of finding things lost to time. As she continued, Mal thought of a few of his own adventures. He never really not much prompting to set off and hunt for those relics that seemed to have vanished.

"Do you have family?"

Her inquiry into his personal life brought him back to reality. He paused briefly, that was a subject he liked to talk about, as he grew up in an orphanage, so talking about family always zeroed in on a thing he was lacking. "Not really sure, I mean I was born so I had one, just not really sure what happened to them."
He looked down at the navmap and saw that they were clear of the gravity well.
Grateful for the distraction, he looked over at Serena.
"If you would do the honors? Just punch in the coordinates and we will be on our way."

@Serena Bouie

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

She nodded and pushed the buttons for the navcomp and just like that they were off. Serena spent time looking over the maps, "there will be heavy mists when we arrive getting through them without crashing may be tricky." She had learned astral navigation long ago perhaps it would come in handy now.

"I wish I knew if we had someone waiting for us. But there's no telling." It was a minor frustration. She didn't expect them to be violent but it wasn't beyond them to block their way or perform an old fashioned stick up if they found something of interest.

She sighed, "I hate being blind like this" She looked over, "we may need to defend ourselves at some point Malcom." Wasn't that terrible. Yes..the ship flew straight and true.

 

[Malcom Stillwater]

"there will be heavy mists when we arrive getting through them without crashing may be tricky."

"Good thing we got the insurance on this thing!" Said Malcom wryly as they came out of hyperspace. The scans of the planet showed indeed there was heavy fog. Mal kept his eyes hard on the screen, looking for any blip that could suggest that they were followed, or if anyone was laying in wait.

Fortunately, no blips presented themselves. However, Mal still remained vigilant as he began preparing the rented YT-1300 for entry into atmosphere.
He looked over at Selena "You might want to strap in, and if you can help me not crash, that would be good too!"

Serena Bouie

 

[Serena Bouie]

[member="Malcom Stillwater"]

She followed directions well, "I can help" she had training on astral navigation seeing below the surface, this had to be the same thing right? "I hope that insurance covers property damage"

Serena concentrated touching upon the force to guide her, "careful you might want to cut to half speed once we clear the atmosphere" The skies would be blue until they dipped into the fog and then everything would become hazy and gray.

Serena could sense no apprehension from Malcom a good sign that he was confident while she stared ahead to sense the great pillars that rose from the ground. She leaned left sensing..

"here we go Malcom..." She would do her best.