Neera

Comfortable now, in the cool sanctuary of her room, Neera relaxes her body and focuses on her breathing. She begins her meditation with the familiar Jedi calming exercises and leaves the reality of her surroundings. Suddenly, she is interrupted by a small ripples in the force. Mentally following the glowing line of energy, she is unable to locate the exact source, but she can ascertain that it did not originate from the Oasis.

The questions come flooding to her: Was it one of the trio using the force? If so, which one and for what purpose? Did they realize the danger they were bringing to themselves and to her? Firmly, she puts the questions out of her mind and begins to meditate once again.

As Neera exits the comfort of meditation, she is overcome by the need to rest. She is exhausted by the day’s events and decides that a short sleep will help her prepare for the evening. Sleep comes to her easily.

Just over an hour passes before Neera wakes and she becomes immediately aware of another familiar sensation. Hunger. She heads back over to the Oasis. [OOC: I’m assuming that Leem is at the bar. If he isn’t, Neera will just order, eat and leave.] She goes to an empty section of the bar, if there is one, and greets Leem before ordering a drink and some dinner. After he takes her order and she pays him, Neera decides to do a bit of information gathering. If there are other patrons in the cantina, she will do this as inconspicuously as possible, trying not to bring attention to herself. If anyone appears to be watching her, she won’t do it at all. Drawing on the Force, she faces Leem and gracefully moves her hand through the air, just at the Rodian’s eye-level and asks what he knows about the two humans she met earlier that day in the bar. After receiving his answer, Neera finds a booth and eats before returning to her room.

As the hour before 2nd Twilight approaches, Neera leaves Talley’s and with resolve, she starts walking towards Coozer’s. While she walks, she plays out several scenarios of the meeting in her mind, among these the possibility of a trap. "Is the promise of what I might find worth the risk involved?" she asks herself. Staring now at the door to the spaceport, she knows that there is only one way to find out.

Dex

Baking in the oppressive heat, Dex scans his surroundings looking for their seemingly ineffective back up. "That blasted flake. Where the hell can he be," Dex curses, wiping the sweat of his forehead, feeling no sympathy for the fact that Jarren was to spend the entirety of his conversation with Leem in this heat. Finally spotting him coming out of the farming supply store, Dex points him out to Ian, and briskly walks over to meet him.

"Doing a little shopping there, Jarren," Dex jokes as he meets the Omwati. "You know, the commlinks only work when they are on."

Dex agrees with Ian [ooc: I am assuming from Travis' last post that Ian will suggest this) that they ought to return to the cool comfort of their ship to discuss their plans for their meeting with Joko, and their meeting with Neera, but first Dex will stop at the general store to pick up the permit. Dex takes extra care to spot anyone following them, and takes a round about way to the permit office to throw anyone trying off, or at least make them more noticeable. If he finds he is being followed, he will not go back to Coozers. He will amble around, going in and out of shops, until he can shake the tail.

On his way to the get the permit, Dex is pre-occupied with Neera. Where the heck did she come from, and what does she know about them. Why would she be interested in them. She asked about the Omwati. What could she possibly want with the blue man. Never one to enjoy mysteries, Dex has a bad feeling about this. On the bright side, there might be some things she knows about Leem that would be helpful. Brushing aside his curiosity about Neera, Dex begins to think about the more pressing matter of what to do about the meeting with Joko. What if after all this time and effort, Joko buys their goods with out revealing anything useful to hang him on. There is also the detail of concocting some way to connect him to the rebel alliance. He is beginning to realize that with Joko's connection to a Hutt, this could be very dangerous, and for the first time since accepting this contract, is beginning to feel both nervous and a little scared. After all, this is no petty burglary. This is an assassination of a Hutt's underling, and it is unlikely that they will simply sell him into slavery if he is caught this time. Dex takes comfort in the fact that so far, all he has done is set up is a deal; a deal that he can handle. They haven't done anything that commits them to a plan of action other than having Coozer go ahead with repairs. And if the contract looks impossible, Coozer and Cal would be much easier to dispose of than Joko, more than likely.

Should anyone want to discuss anything about this latest encounter, Dex will suggest that they wait until they are back at the ship.

Once back at the ship, Dex will explain that he is nervous about the Twi'lek, and ask if anyone might happen to know her. He will asks Jarren if he knows of any reason why she might be looking for him. Dex suggests that one of them take a combine and, from a building nearby with a clear view of the entrance to Coozers, watch for Neera. That way they can both see if she was followed and also have someone in a flanking position once she enters Coozers.

As far as the meeting with Joko, Dex will recommend a similar approach to this afternoon's meeting. Leave the Omwati outside with a combine while Ian and Dex go in. Dex will insist that the Omwati pay attention this time, and leave the commlink on. Dex also suggest that they show up well early of 2nd twilight, if they have time after meeting Neera, to case the place and see if it looks like a trap is being prepared. Dex will not bring any of the holos with him this time. He also suggests that Neera might know something useful, and maybe they will learn something from her about Leem and/or Joko that may enhance the plan.

[OOC: I am wondering how we are going to handle the meeting with Neera, as she will have questions for us, and we will have questions for her. As these questions get answered, I am sure new questions will arise. Should we just post the questions we want to ask her, and have her do the same. This might take a while to do, but it seems like the only way. Any other suggestions?]

Ian

[OOC: Some admin things first. I doubt Dex and Ian would know that Jarren turned off his comlink if they work like walkie-talkies. Jarren would miss whatever was being said but Ian and Dex would not be aware. Also, it isn't clear Jarren kept the comlink off since he heard Neara's inquiry about Jarren…or did he? What I intended though was only for Ian to make a few short nonsense phrases every couple of minutes or so and not continuous ramblings. So, Jarren would hear most of what happened if not all so long as the comlink mike would pick up the sounds from across the room. Certainly the dialogue at the table would be picked up and Ian would have sense enough to only add his phrases in during the natural breaks in the dialogue. So, what Jarren would hear is only limited by the range of the microphone in the comlink and whether his unit was on or off]

[OOC 2: I think Neera should at the very least write a short narrative of all the information she is willing to offer us based on the assumption we would ask reasonable and typical questions about who she is, what she wants, why she is looking for Jarren, where she comes from, et cetera for the sake of time. The real question is what we want to tell her about our mission and there is no way for us to judge that without first getting an idea of her motives and background.]

Ian walks out with Dex and once in the street, Ian looks around casually to see who may be watching the duo. Ian keeps his insane-man posture for the momment just in case someone in the Oasis is peering through the window (if any). As Dex begins to look around for Jarren, Ian suggests to Dex that we all meet back at Coozers later and not meet Jarren in the middle of the street in case Leem has some associate tagging us. [OOC: Dex, sorry for keep changing our course of action after your reply but I never come up with ideas until you take the lead :-)]

Ian mutters in the comlink "Hey, Jarren we can't see you but I really think we should not risk meeting in daylight in the middle of town considering what the Twi'lek said. How about you meet us back at Coozer's?" Ian then cuts the mike in case Jarren responds. If Jarren does not have the comlink on and he walks out to meet us, then we continue with Dex's plan unless Jarren decides after meeting in the street that he will go back alone to the ship.

If Jarren agrees to meet back at the ship, Ian goes with Dex and follows him around like before and keeps quiet although vigilant.

Once back at the ship, we all compare notes and at that time we discover what Jarren did or did not hear. If Jarren did cut off the comlink, Ian asks why but stays professional and adds Jarren's reasons as lessons learned on how to use or not use the comlink in the previous manner in the bar. Ian then listens to Jarren about how Jarren wants to handle the meeting with Neera. Obviously Dex's plan had merit as we would want to have a marksman off to the side in case Neera is setting us up. Ian volunteers for the role since Dex is slick-tongued and Jarren is the subject of the alien's interest. Ian would probably say something stupid like "Hey, would you pose for us to make more halos?" Only then to get killed or completely insult Neera to the extent he would lose forever all rapport.

"Certainly," think Ian, "having her around really complicates our plan to take down Joko. She certainly cannot be brought in on the hit and at best only limited in a role to set-up Joko and Leem to double-cross the Huts or the Empire. Then again, it was absolutely freakish how she knew about Jarren so maybe she is our key to getting good intel on the brothers…"

[OOC: Amy, the above paragraph is not at all intended to suggest I, Travis, do not want Neera in the story. These are just thought that Ian as a character would have considered in the latest developments. I love how the story is going and think the addition of Neera is intriging.

One last comment: remember folks our characters are only level 3. I think of them as being like a group of Private First Classes (E-3) in the Army alone in the desert trying to figure this stuff out. Privates would turn off their comlinks or babble over the mike or be influenced by beautiful women or stay in the heat too long without completely understanding how quickly the heat can impact readiness. Gaining XP levels is similar in that they learn. This is how I will GM, BTW. Jarren is hard to explain because his background suggests he was like level 10 but I explain his black-out as reducing him back to level 1 until he relearns his skills. Therefore, it is not unrealistic to see how level 3 Jarren would be exposed too long in the heat whereas level 10 Jarren would have the battle sense to know that a soldier has to proactively guard against the elements BEFORE noticing the affects. Make sense? OH! Privates are also notorious for not getting along at first until they learn to trust each others' skills so this also is consistent :-)]

Jarren

[OOC: About the comlink link, I did say that I turned off the comlink and I'm fine with that. I meant to say that I turned off the connection with Ian. (Which doesn't sound possible if it was then they wanted to talk to me they would have to re-establish the connection.) But I can also see Jarren turning off the comlink in disgust at the two just sitting there enjoying a drink. So let just leave it that my link was dead (off). Also I turned the link off or set to standby when Neera left, so if Dex and Ian actually wait the whole 5 minutes I would have missed out on the last 5 minutes of their dinking and silent.]

Jarren walks over to his two alien companions and laughs at Dex when he asks him about shopping and the comlinks. " Dex you must be an idiot if you think that I'm going keep an open comlink just so I can hear you make gulping sounds as you down your drink and wait for sometime past so that you don't leave at the same time as Neera." Jarren states coldly.

"I agree, we should meet back at the ship and talk about our next move. Lets not be seen to much together in the open, so why don't we take separate routes and you and Ian grab the permit on the way back. Or I can grab it and you can go directly back to the ship if you prefer." he replies

With that Jarren heads back to the ship and he'll pick up the Permit first if Dex says that he should. During his walk back to the ship Jarren is attempting to keep his anger in check. He is not so mad at the alien Human Dex as much as he is mad at the mistake he made back at the store. While he was annoyed at the smooth talking Human, his casual use of the force had really unnerved him. He knew that force users have been caught when they using the force while being tracked and if this Neera was really after him then he had just yelled "Here I am, come and get me" Dex wasn't the idiot Jarren thinks to himself, I am! Shaking his head Jarren lets his anger slip away, and continues to scan for anyone shadowing him on his way back to the ship.

Once back at the ship he talks to Coozer about the ship and how things are going, after some small talk he enters the ship and waits for the others.

Once the other arrives he agrees with Ian that Ian should be the marksman and that Jarren should stay with Dex since the alien asked about him. Plus the women intrigued Jarren. Jarren would then say that we could call Ian over once we were sure that it wasn't a trap.

As to Dex's question about if Jarren has any idea why Neera would be after him he once again laughs at the funny Human. "Lets see, well someone once wanted me badly enough to take me captive and place me on a ship with two other captive one was a Human that looked alike a Wookie and the other was a silver tongued wise guy who had a habit of being annoying. " Jarren replies.

When Dex demands that Jarren keep the comlink open this time Jarren asks" Would you like me to keep the comlink open when you go to sleep too? That way I can come over and read you a bedtime story when we wake up from a bad dream. Or in case you need a glass of water. " Not waiting for Dex to reply Jarren agrees to set up the Joko meet the same as before.

Neera

[OOC: Please correct me if this isn't what you had in mind, as this is getting a bit confusing to me. This email is in response to Travis' suggestion that Neera provide a “narrative of all the information she is willing to offer us based on the assumption we would ask reasonable and typical questions about who she is, what she wants, why she is looking for Jarren, where she comes from, et cetera." So, for what I write (below), I am assuming that Neera is face-to-face with Dex and Jarren, somewhere in Coozer's spaceport. Although, if that is the case, this skips how she got through the door. If your characters have anything to add/interject during the course of this, feel free.]

Neera sizes up the human, Dex, and his Omwati companion. She wonders briefly where the other human is, but quickly comes to a conclusion… it’s a tactic she would probably employ if she wasn’t alone. She also wonders if there are more than just the three of them.

She draws herself up to her full height, stands squarely in front of them as she makes eye contact, and draws upon her diplomatic ability. “First,” she begins, “I want to thank you for meeting me and assure you that I have no desire to waste either your time or mine. I offer you my guarantee that I’ll do you no harm, although I promise you that I will defend myself here, if necessary.” Neera considers attempting to persuade them of her honesty, but decides against it. How could they possibly believe her if she tried to convince them that her integrity was one if the few things she had left?

“My name is Neera, as you already know. I am someone, you might say, who would like to stay out of the Imperial radar. I don’t suppose you would actually admit to me if you were in the service of the Empire, but are you?” She pauses and waits for an answer, scanning their faces for any reaction to her question.

If either of them says that they do serve the Empire, a conflict may develop and she will retreat and defend herself as necessary. If they imply that they are not servants of the Empire, she will use her perception skills to ensure that she is not being lied to. If she believes they are being truthful, she will continue.

“It has come to my attention that one or more of your group is gifted with some special skills. Skills that most beings don’t possess.” Again, she looks at them for any reaction and says, “If you don’t serve the Empire, as you say, you must learn that the use of these skills puts you in danger, just as my attempts to locate you have put me in danger. This is vital to your survival. So, part of the reason I’m here is to offer a warning. I may be able to help you further in this respect, but not here.” As she contemplates her next words, Neera reminds herself that it is always best to offer too little rather than too much. Some people automatically distrust free information. “With that in mind, it is in our best interest to leave Mos Taike… better yet, to leave Tattoine, as quickly as possible. I’m assuming that since we’re meeting here, that this is your ship. If this is true, I’m asking for safe passage off of this rock. The sooner the better… for all of us.”

She takes a look at the ship and thinks to herself that it looks like it is held together with prayers and crate tape, but the anonymity it can provide is probably better than the alternative of regular transports from Mos Espa or Mos Eisley. [OOC: If we’re in Coozer’s office or outside the spaceport and she can’t see it, strike the assessment of the ship.] Neera realizes that if one of these guys knows what she’s talking about… the skills in question, they may be interested enough to take her with them. And, dare she hope, maybe she could learn from them.

Neera looks at Dex and at the Omwati, hoping that they would believe her. She wouldn’t blame them for asking more questions, but what more could she offer them? If they knew that she was a Jedi, they might reject her completely. Or worse, turn her in to the Imperials. Her name might be on the Empire’s locate-and-detain list, but she certainly didn’t want to find out for sure. She could determine if one of these two was a force user, but at what cost? She had already broken her own rule by drawing on the force earlier. Would it make a difference if she did it again? Experience told her that it might. Better safe than sorry. Neera exhales deeply and waits for a response, although, she recognizes the fact that she can’t trust them completely… if at all.

Jarren

Jarren watches as Neera approaches, his hand resting close to the butt of his gun. If this women was going to turn on them, she might try it in the opening moments he thinks to himself as he scans the area for any signs of anyone else trying sneak thru the shadows.

Giving a slight nod as she comes to a stop in front of them, Jarren waits for her to make the first move. As Jarren and Neera make eye contact, Jarren is struck by her almost overwhelming strength of personality and a personal magnetism that seems to be almost electrifying. It wasn't just that Neera was beautiful [OOC: I'm assuming that Neera is very beautiful, but I'm not sure since her Comeliness score was not listed on her character sheet] it was more that Jarren was sure that if he closed his eyes he could feel her presence as if it was a tangible thing.

Jarren had felt this kind of charisma once before and the memory flooded back into his mind. Jarren went back to a time that he had no fond memories of. A place that only conjured up images of pain, sorrow, and loss.

A man dressed all in black towered over Jarren and the others assembled with him. The man, whom they would came to know as the angel of death, could break your will just by his sheer presence. Jarren and the other children gave him that nick name, for when a Omwati child would not measure up to the endless testing and training, the angel of death would come and send the child back home. Of course no one ever survived the trip back to the planet. Being cast out of an airlock in to the cold of space made sure of that. The lifeless body would then burn up during reentry. These constant examples made all the children train and study harder and, as the years passed, Jarren and the other children no longer cried themselves to sleep. They became tools of the Empire, brainwashed to believe that severing the Empire was the noblest of goals.

Neera's voice brought Jarren back to the present. A small smile crossed his lips as Neera tells them that she wants to stay out of the Imperial radar and wanted to know if they worked for the Empire. "An Imperial agent might make that same statement, just so that she could throw the people off guard she wanted to get close to. …But no I am not in the service of the Empire, I hold no allegiance to anyone." replies Jarren.

Jarren tries to sense Neera's motives. Was she an agent for the Empire, claiming her innocence by telling them that she was worried that they might be Imperial agents and that she wanted nothing to do with the Empire? Well, if that was the case, Jarren was already on to her, for he had done the something many times before. Once he even had to execute a Stormtrooper to gain a group of force adepts' trust. Jarren relaxes as his instincts tell him that Neera is sincere.

Something about Neera makes Jarren believe that he can trust her and that she is sincere in her offer to help. So with reluctance Jarren says, "I think that I might be the one you are looking for. If you could offer any help it would be very helpful." "As far as leaving this rock, I think that we still have business to conduct first." With that Jarren looks to Dex to take over.

Dex

"Ah, Neera, we are so glad you could make it," Dex exclaims to the approaching Neera. "Of course you already know my Omwati companion."

While always suspicious of strangers, Neera's introduction seems genuine, and Dex concludes that she is no threat to them. He can't help but chuckle when she asks if any of them are Imperial agents. She can't possibly be serious, Dex thinks to himself. Maybe she is just good at detecting lies, he thinks, and wants to gauge their reactions. "I can assure you none among us serve the Empire," he replies.

As she continues, Dex finds himself at a loss. 'What the hell is she blabbering about,' Dex thinks to himself when she starts talking about 'skills'. Dex is becoming convinced that she is delusional and paranoid. Then, he realizes that the 'skills' she is talking about must be the force; that strange and lost religion of the broken Jedi knights. 'She is way off her nut if she thinks any of us possess Jedi powers' he thinks to himself. When Jarren claims that he is the one she is looking for, Dex is dumbfounded. He is wondering if maybe he has come down with a bit of the old 'Ian disreality'.

Dex is about to ask Jarren about his response to Neera before thinking the better of it. He tries his best to compose himself. This is nearly surreal. Who ever heard of Jedi's and magicians anymore? Dex begins seeing some mysteries fall into place: Why Jarren is asking Coozer, and probably others, about magicians and sorcerers; and how Neera would know of the Omwati.

"Well, as I am sure you have deduced, our ship is not going anywhere until her repairs are complete. Our good man Coozer is diligently working on correcting this as we speak, though it is doubtful that he will have the work complete for a few days yet.

In the meantime, what do you say you treat me and my fellows to dinner, while we get to know each other? I hate to impose in this manner, but it seems our funds have been Mos Espa'd [I am delegating this to be Star Wars lingo for Shanghaied], and we really could all use a good meal. I can assure you the favor will be repaid when we are able." Of course, Dex has no intention of paying her back.

"Our other friend should be joining us momentarily."

While we wait for Ian to return, Dex will ask Neera how she has come to know a scumbag like Leem.