Star Wars: Special Forces, Round 2.1 Joan/Sha

Lazerian IV, Hgarik Docking Facility, 10pm Sunday
Aboard SS Lightwing, Deck 1, Galley Niche

*A Skipray blastboat, even one enlarged and upgraded by slavers who like their creature comforts, is not the most roomy of starships.  Aboard the SS Lightwing, registered to Beuford St. John Harkenon (or, outside the New Republic, duplicate registration in the name of "John Ford") the galley niche next to the weapons console is the only place two people can sit face-to-face and have a normal conversation.  The two people involved in the current conversation are not what the rest of the galaxy might consider "normal," however, and the subject of their conversation is definitely out of the ordinary.*

*The first and most striking figure is a seven-foot-tall reptilian, with matte black scales and purple snakelike eyes that seem to shine with an inner light.  One arm is a cybernetic replacement, hinting at deeper losses.  There are scars on his hide, and possibly in his soul.  His companion is much smaller, but in her own way, darker.  A female human garbed in simple black clothing, pale skin, ashen hair, expression as unreadable as her alien companion. The woman speaks in measured, careful tones, as if restraint were a language in itself.*

2.2

[Blackhawk]  ::Shipsmaster Joan Blackhawk looks over to her companion with eyes  that seem to see beyond the surface of the world - or perhaps they just  ignore it.  She pauses, seeking the words that will never come easily to her.::

"Sha-Ahree.  Your . . . self changed when you heard the word 'Jedi'.   Why is that?"

<<Sha>>

[GM]  Joan and Sha speak for a while about the nature of Jedi and duty.  Joan, in her own recalcitrant way, offers to be Sha's tutor in the ways of the Force -- despite the fact that she has a history with the Dark Side -- if Sha is interested in learning.  Eventually, they will be returning to Yavin where Jedi students and teachers are gathering, and Sha can begin more formalized instruction.
 

 
Star Wars: Special Forces, Round 2 - Biff/Aeon

Lazerian IV, Hgarik Docking Facility, 10pm Sunday
Aboard SS Lightwing, Engineering

[GM]  Biff and Aeon stand in the corner of the small engineering section, looking over Aeon's droid, Vritt.   The little droid is in amazingly good shape for being centuries old, probably due to the fact that it is a fairly simple machine.  All of its sytems show signs of aging, but not much wear and tear, since it was inactive for long periods during its vigil.

After several hours work, the two have managed to clean & lubricate the droid, and replace a few corroded components using parts from the dead power droid that Biff picked up on Tattooine.  The job isn't perfect, but it's the best you can do without a complete rebuild.  There are still a few quirks that may show up from time to time [like on a 1 from the wild die] but overall the droid is functioning acceptably.

The droid expresses its appreciation of the attention.  Vritt is overjoyed to be reuinited with Aeon and now considers Biff a friend.
 

 
Star Wars: Special Forces, Round 2 - Are
Lazerian IV, Hgarik Docking Facility, 10pm Sunday - 6am Monday
Aboard SS Lightwing, and inside Are's Mind

[GM] Are is strolling down a Batellian boulevard with a gentleman who calls himself Vann.  At a deep level, Are knows this person is the Machshayfa.  This fact does not disturb him, however, for they seem to be good friends, and Vann is a thoughtful fellow.  They are discussing the deplorable state of the planet, and how they can help.

As they touch on certain subjects, the pair goes into a shop to purchase something symbolic.  For example, "The people need strong leadership," Vann says, and he and Are go into an outfitters and purchase robes of state.

"Our people need an appreciation and understanding of history," Are says.  He and Vann go into a museum with displays of Batellian history.  He sees the settling of Bate-El, and something about the settlers' garb and technology reminds him of the Noghri in Vader's Castle.   He sees the flowering of civilization under the Matriarchy, then the terrible repression of the Force following a disastrous war thousands of years ago.  He sees Bate-El seem to lose its way.  He sees the planet threatened by pirates and rogue imperials.

Something catches Are's eye on the table next to a holo display.  It is a collection of small figurines, and they face the display across what could be a map or a playing board.  There is a figure for Joan, Biff, Bothis, the droids, and some people he does not recognize.  They are incredibly lifelike.  There is no figure for Are.

The holographic display itself depicts a swirling vortex, one that is very familiar to Are.  This time Are can tell something is swimming at its center.  Are gets an impression of immense size and age.  "This is our hope," Vann says.  "But there is no redemption without sacrifice.  It needs our strength, and our direction."  Venn places his hand within the Vortex and invites Are to do the same.

Round 2.1

[Are] Are stares at Vann and the swirling vortex -- back and forth for a minute or two. An uneasiness he felt begins to fade as Are tries to bring over himself a feeling of comfort and well being about Vann and the swirling vortex. They are a part of his destiny that Are will eventually deal with. But not now. Everything shall be as is meant to be. Are tries to regard them as not bad or foreign to him just related entities that are "misdirected".

Then, Are looks to the figurines off to the side.  He concentrates on Joan and Biff, more focusing in on Joan.  He starts to reach out with sense and then with alter and control-following sense. Are is thinking about establishing contact with Joan and through that creating/revealing a figurine for him on that board, next to Joan.

2.2

[GM]  Are successfully centers himself.  A sense of well being seems to be part of the dreamscape, so it is not too hard to attain.  As Are stirs the Force, there is movement in his evironment as well.  Thinking about reaching Joan, Are's hand reaches out to touch her figurine. It is smooth and cool to the touch.  Next to Are, Vann frowns.  "Those are but playthings," he says.  "Pay them no mind.  Our future awaits."

2.3

[Are] Are will start by projecting the words "bring me back". Repeat that  for awhile. Than, if  sense it isn't  working, Are will try "reach  me, wake me".    Finally, if after awhile that isn't working than Are will  just concentrate on his rapport with Joan, its increased strength since  there relationship, and anchoring to her and real time, through her.
 

Round 2 - Wei Ping

Planet Lazerian IV, Elgar Engineering Shipyards, 5:30am Monday
Aboard L-4 Transport

[GM] About 5:30 Monday morning Wei Ping receives a coded message via narrow band secure comm from New Republic Intelligence.

[NRI Message] "Agent 678-Alpha: contacts in the black market have reported that there is a delivery of unspecified technology on its way to the Lightwing at the Hgarik docking facility.  You are to use your cover to investigate.  Try not to arouse suspicions or the attention of port security."

2.1

Wei Ping was up and working out at the time the message arrived.  She will take a quick shower and put on her dock uniform, (black coverall) and head over to the Lightwing as fast as possible. She will take the inventory list over with her as an excuse for coming to the Lightwing to discuss the minimal supplies of the transport.
 

 
Special Forces Round 2 - Aeon

Lazerian IV, Hgarik Docking Facility, 10pm Sunday to Early Morning Monday
Aboard SS Lightwing, Engineering

[Aeon]  Aeon, finishing up Vritt (the droid) with John (a.k.a. Bif ) to the  length that the parts onboard will allow, settled into a nice meditative  trance in a corner of the cargo hold. This is the best place he could  find to try and figure out where and, more importantly, when he was,  without disturbing anyone in particular, and in specific, Capt.  Blackhawk.  (The dressing down he had gotten from Blackhawk for referring to the  Empire as "Bad Guys" still stung, but only because he didn't understand  what he had done to deserve it. Every conflict throughout history had  "good guys" (us), and "Bad guys" (them).)

Everybody he knew, and several races he had seen, were dead. The Jedi of  the "now" are fighting  a  guerrilla style war with the Empire that are  the "bad guys", but can’t be called that when around  Capt. Blackhawk  for some reason. As she is the Captain of this ship, and the ONLY source  of Jedi training for hundreds of light years that happens to be awake occasionally, what she says goes.

What was it that Master Zakath was always saying? "One does not have to get along with the teacher, just respect them for what they know, and learn what they have to teach. The force will always provide a teacher  for what you need to know at that time."  :sigh: "I have slept enough for 10 lifetimes, let's figure out what  happened to that nice simple universe of Jedi and Sith; Black and White;  Good Guys and BAD GUYS!"

Flipping open the computer, Aeon reads the cliffnotes of history form his time forward.