The Rusty Anchor (Asari Morin)

[Kelsey Shadow]

Tortuga

Back in some backwater planet that nobody cared about there was a small tavern that serviced the locals who fancied a drink or a nights kip in a warm bed. Normally Kelsey wouldn't be on some silly planet like this, but funds were tight at the moment. Due to some legal issues she had shut down her jewelry business and was laying low for a while. A job as a bartender and room cleaner paid the bills while the law forgot she existed. It was a dull sort of life, but it was what she had to work with currently.

She was busy cleaning the bar as the few patrons enjoyed their drink and chatted by the fire. Everything in the place was designed to look very old fashion with wood used for tables and chairs instead of the normal more sturdy materials. It brought a sense of history to the place which the tourists seem to like. Kelsey didn't particularly care one way or the other. She was just here to make her tips and figure out what the next chapter of her life was.

@[member="Asari Morin"]

 

[Asari Morin]

A man of tall stature stepped into the bar. He was veiled in a thin silk sheet that covered his face. In his right hand was a walking cane, and as he began to step onto the the wooden floor of the tavern it made a loud thump noise every time he took a step. There was a smile across the mans face and although he appeared to be rather youthful there was something ancient about the way his eyes looks. He scanned the room slowly, and then walked towards the bar after spotting the woman behind it.

Several times someone said something about him, threatening him or calling him a cripple. It was the truth of course, yet he didn't care. There seemed to be an air of command around him as he finally stepped up to the bar.

Slowly he placed his cane onto the wooden table, and looked at the girl, most of his face still hidden by the thin silk sheet.

"May I have a glass of water please?" Several people in the bar laughed outloud at his request, but the pirate King just smiled at the young woman and looked at her expectantly.

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

"Of course." Kelsey smiled at the strange man and turned to fill a glass with water from the tap. Just what she needed, a non drinker. The tips were going to roll in tonight. Her nostrils flared.

She returned to him with the glass and sat it down. He looked sort of out of place, even in this type of environment. "What brings you in?" Small talk was the best way to make tips if he wasn't going to get drunk enough to leave one absentmindedly.

 

[Asari Morin]

Asari smiled at the young woman, then grabbed the glass of water and took a sip. Slowly he eased himself down onto one of the bar stools before answering her. It was apparent that there was something off about him. He seemed to be in his mid 30's but something just spoke about his age. Perhaps it was a strange air about him, or perhaps it was the way he spoke and acted. There was something more to this man.

"i'm looking for someone." He said quite simply with another charming smile. "Perhaps you can help me find them"

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

You always needed to be careful with the type that hung out at this area. If he were a bounty hunter she might not want to get hooked up in the hunt. If he were after some cheating wife well probably served her right to be found. It was all a game, just had to figure out which hand to play.

"Well I know most of the locals since they come in from time to time. Who is it you are after?"

 

[Asari Morin]

"Well thats part of my trouble." Asari said as he slowly took another sip of water. Before he continued he looked around the room at each of the patrons. Most of them seemed to be regular folks, just those who wanted to live simply and not go anywhere. Others seemed to be unhappy with their lot and drinking their pain away. The Pirate King could understand both, he had been part of each group at one time or another, though now he had found something more.

That was why he was here of course, to give someone something more. He had no idea who, but at the end of the day someone would find new purpose, something new to do with themselves.

Why was the Pirate King doing this? Going out of his way to recruit new blood for his fleet? It was Simple, to him the most important thing one could do was help others, and this was his way of helping. "I do not know their name, nor even what they look like."

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

It was going to be a long night. How could you be looking for someone without knowing who they were? She considered this for a moment and supposed it wouldn't be THAT out of the ordinary... but it did seem like a very Jedi thing to do. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Hopefully she hadn't landed herself in Republic business. That was no fun at all.

"You aren't giving me a lot to work with Sugar. You gotta help me help you."

 

[Asari Morin]

Asari grinned at her, and then finished his glass of water. He placed it softly on the bar and then placed his hands flat against the woods. Lining the top of his hands and fingers were thousands upon thousands of scars, each one dug deeply into his flesh. It was clear that he had seen quite a bit of fighting in his day. For a few moments he said nothing, and then he readjusted the veil across his face, allowing her to see more of him.

"It's simple. I'm looking for the person whose looking for me and what i believe in." He said it with a smile, though what he said would make absolutely no sense to her.

What he meant of course was that he was looking for a person who sought freedom, family, and a life away from this ball of dirt.

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

Well THAT explained a lot. Yes... a very long night indeed. She shook her head, her blond hair tossing as she did so. "I'm afraid you are talking in riddles dear. What is it you believe in?"

 

[Asari Morin]

"Freedom. I believe in the right to make a choice no matter where you are, or who you are." Asari said it quite simple as he pulled out something from his robe. He dropped whatever it was on the table and then moved away his palm. The object was a small coin, not a modern credit chit like one would expect but instead a round metal object with a seal upon it.

The picture on the coin was the symbol that had been made famous by Asari and his crew, it was the seal that was featured on Asari's Pirate Ships. The Pirate King had no idea if the woman would recognize it, but either way the conversation was about to take an interesting turn.

He gave the coin a light tap and then slid it over to her. "This is what i believe in."

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

Kelsey examined the coin with interest. She hadn't seen anything like it but knew that some people communicated through coins or other artifacts. It was a symbol you could be trusted or you were part of a group. They all meant different things just like flags.

"And what are you going to do with a person who wants the freedom to make a choice?"

 

[Asari Morin]

"Give it to them." Asari said as if it were the simplest thing in the entire galaxy.

He was quite convincing, he knew that much. There was something about this girl that he liked, she seemed to have an odd sense of curiosity about her and he rather liked that. The Pirate King's crew was made up of nearly thirty thousand people now. There was one of every kind of being possible. Aliens, humans, a mix of the two, every kind of being could be found within his crew and they all had one thing in common, curiosity. Each of them had been curious enough to join Asari, to go under his wing and learn what it meant to be truly free, and each of them had found it to their liking.

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

"I see..." She eyed the coin again and then started wiping the bar down once more. "Well you could make an announcement to the room. Ask if anybody wants a pretty coin. I'm sure we have some people who would love something handed out for free. " Though Kelsey had a feeling this wasn't something freely given. There was always a catch.

 

[Asari Morin]

Asari grabbed the coin gently from the bar, and then began to spin it through his fingers. He allowed the metal to touch the back of his fingers every few seconds, letting it fall like down a stair case on his knuckles. Then he stopped and stared at her, letting the coin rest between his thumb and index finger with the picture showing towards her.

"Do you know what this is?" Asari simply asked her referring to the icon on the coins front, his ever present smile not even twitching as he did so.

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

"It looks like some sort of crest. I'm guessing the symbol of your family?" She wasn't totally familiar with coat of arms but she'd seen some before in rich types.

She put the rag she was washing the bar with down and started stacking glasses. She didn't want it to seem like she was hanging on his every word or anything.

 

[Asari Morin]

"You could say that." She was more accurate than one would think. His crew was his family for all intense and purposes. He was their father, their leader, and everything else in between. They loved him and he loved them. It was an odd relationship that he held with his crew, but one that worked excellently.

Asari looked at her, and then he pulled back his hood entirely to reveal his face. He appeared to be a man in his thirties. His skin was smooth and not an ounce of facial hair could be seen upon it as if he had just shaven several seconds ago. His eyes were a deep emerald green and his hair was a dark red. Across the side of his face black veins were present, as if they were digging into his skin and muscles.

"This is the mark of my crew." As Asari spoke he flipped the coin in her direction, hoping she would catch it. "And its on every one of my ships."

 

[Kelsey Shadow]

((Sorry for the late reply! It's been difficult getting into this character))

"So you have a crew and you are recruiting for it?" Things were making a lot more sense now. The man seemed to talk in riddles, though that made him a little more interesting.

"What does this crew of yours do?" She had heard stories about pirates who were ruthless and slit throats of all they crossed. She may have landed herself in trouble with this one.