Log:Jedi Order: It's a Cold Cold Summer Pt I
It's a Cold Cold Summer Pt I
OOC Date: July 15, 2019
Location: Vandor-1, Mid Rim
Participants: Rey, Syrus, Zandra naMuriel, Elrych Cometburn, Yuun, Aryn Cole
Vandor-1, Mid Rim
A cold mountainous planet located in the Sloo sector of the Mid Rim, Vandor, sometimes known as Vandor-1 or ID 53-80, The terrestrial planet orbited at least one star, with its years lasting for 435 days, had two moons, a breathable atmosphere.
Fort Ypso was a snowy mountain village on the planet Vandor. It contains the Lodge, a saloon with a gambling hall and a droid-fighting arena.
The Lodge served as the rough-and-tumble saloon in Fort Ypso on the planet Vandor that was owned by Tibbs Ospe. It contained a gambling hall, droid-fighting arena and hostel and a resident band with a Nithorn Singer and two humans. Adventurous scouts planned explorations at the bar, gamblers sought to reverse their fortunes at the sabacc table, and shadowed alcoves were perfect for conducting illicit business.
Vandor is a mid rim world with a cold atmosphere. Its pretty far out on the 'goldie locks zone' of inhabitable planetary orbits around their system's suns, so it has long local years and blistering cold winds.
General Organa had received a message from an old contact on this planet who said he'd heard some talk of ancient Jedi artifacts being discovered by an archaeological adventure society that came through is pub a few weeks back, he hadn't thought much of it at the time but just recently another team tried to get down there and find the location themselves, but they'd never come back. Something didn't add up to him so he was trying to get Leia's attention, see if she might be interested.
So here our adventurers are today, arriving via however many ships they want to fly to Vandor to land at the local Corubalni Spaceport. A snowy tundra stretches in all directions around the small outpost of Fort Ypso beside said spaceport, and interconnected bridges give way to domed buildings where citizens can seek refuge from the harsh low temps.
After arriving, Rey (in street garments made for cold weather, a mask with a vocalizer to carry her synthesized voice out from behind it) gathers her fellow travelers up and leads them through the market of this cold cold Fort/makeshift city, explaining as they go.
"His name is Carnicka." Rey says to the others. "I'd prefer it if someone else would do the talking, because I don't want a lot of attention drawn to myself here, for reasons of a quite obvious nature."
She looks over to her companions. "He's the current owner and proprietor of the Lodge. Its apparently a pretty rough place... so we should be on our guard."
Its afternoon local time, but the skies are a blueish gray and there's a light snow falling all around, citizens of Fort Ypso are traversing this way and that between market stalls and other domed buildings, Rey is leading everyone across a bridge-way toward a larger domed structure with a big 'THE LODGE' sign glowing above its busy entrance. There are a LOT of sights and sounds around here, a lively Fort, but its also got a dark underbelly feeling that is ever present...
Aryn Cole is no stranger to the colder environments, and as if recently, she prefers them. She is dressed in a set of V.I. Scout armor, a common sight among explorers, hikers, or general travelers who require something that provides protection and comfort through environmental functionality. The armor itself is not flashy, but rather flat black, the body suit beneath is a similar shade. She wears a shadowsilk poncho over her torso, concealing her utility belt and any weaponry she might be carrying. Aryn has no face mask, but she is using a black scarf to wrap her mouth and nose from view as they walk. Her ears are kept warm by a beanie cape she's pulled down over her bright blonde hair.
She's offered no words for anyone, not even Rey, whom she rode with to this world. Recent events have left Aryn on the quiet side lately, and she's elected to remain so while they walk. She brings up the rear of the group, and is easily one of the smallest as well.
"You know... they took all my cloths, my ship, my droids..." Comes the voice of Elrych as he walks along with the others, bundling up in what he can. He's got his shades on, the one thing the thugs of Iron Fist didn't take from him. Encased him in carbonite with them they did. He rubs his hands together, before bringing them to his mouth to blow in them. He had a scarf at the least along with his robes. "This place is really familiar you know. I swear I've been here before."
Zan and cold? She's not been to too many obnoxiously cold places in quite some time, though there was that trip out to Ilum a long while back. She's in warm street clothing, with a jacket that seems more or less the sort of thing smugglers might wear, or engineers. Leather jacket with lots of pockets. She has a hood over top of her hair, but raises a gloved hand to cover her nose, mumbling something about "I need to get some sort of face cover too. I'm sure I'm about to lose my nose to frostbite." She tucks her chin down, protecting what she can of her face, glad it's not too long a trip over to this Lodge. Her gaze goes to Aryn, and then over to Elrych, but Zan right at the moment is also quiet, making her way along with the others.
Rey walks alongside Aryn and glances over at her, she wasn't sure if the young woman of equal age was distraught or just being quiet due to the lawless feeling of this Fort. Either way, its Elrych's comments that draw's Rey's covered face over to him and her softly-roboticised voice speaks out to him. "They left you your life. Thats what matters most." She reaches out a gloved hand to pat his shoulder, glad to see him back with them. "I think you might be most qualified to speak for us here too." She adds before she glances back to Zandra.
"It should be warm inside." She tells the other woman close to her age. That might be the most enjoyable thing about this place that they're now all in line to stride into now.
There's two lines, one entering the busy entertainment establish and one streaming out of it. The ones coming out are by-and-large drunk and disorderly, loud and ridiculous, with just a few calm and darkly quiet types mixed in between the more jovial people leaving the Lodge.
Once the group makes their way into the Lodge, they're greeted with a sensory overload of sounds, sights... and smells. The air is thick with the smoke from all variety of substances, galactically legal... and the other kinds too. There's music playing loudly, people cheering and all types of species, humans are not the majority in this place but somewhere closer to a minority.
Card tables line the walls to the north, where gambling is very popular, there's a fight arena in the middle of the main room where two aliens are locked in a heated melee brawl with one another while people are surrounding its fenced-in-walls cheering and waving money around!
And the bar, where the drinks flow fast and bubbly.
Rey is leading everyone toward that, toward the bar, its where the owner is supposed to be... She looks back to the others as they draw closer. "He's there. I see him. The portly fellow with the blue vest." She doesn't want to physically 'point' at anyone in a place like this though.
Yuun has been quiet this time around, more attentive then before, just taking time to understand whats going on before commenting. He's dressed in cold weather gear, with a scarf around his mouth and nose and a hood that helps keep his eyes from being obstructed.
Aryn silently agrees with Rey. Elrych was the smoothest talker of them all, or the least afraid to convince people of what he wanted them to hear. As they draw closer to the establishment, Aryn pulls the scarf back from her face to reveal rosy cheeks and a nose. The scarf is tucked in around her neck for now and she moves over to hold the door for their group, falling in at the rear again. Aryn makes it her job to ensure they have a point of exit in case things get heated. Over the past few weeks, she's seen nothing but conflict.
"I was on a dig here a few years ago," Syrus says, having been here the whole time; honest. Being that he himself is a cool alien, Syrus feels right at home. Unlike all you other gross Human Jedi. Noting Aryn, the Kiffar gives her a once over. It's almost like the last time he saw here, she's was being dragged away by a murder cult. Though, she seems to be doing much better, now.
Sy unfastens the heavy fury coat he arrived in to reveal the tabard and robes beneath, and moves to the bar. Elrych gets a firm pat and a shake of the shoulder as he's passed, Syrus offering, "It's good to see you again, my friend."
"Wait what?" Elrych may have been a smoother talker than some of the others but he was by no means infalible. Anything was likely to blow up in his face. Then again, the others did have him as back up. "Right... ah. Well..." He glances around as they continue along. "I'll do my best then." He looks over to Zandra, studying her a moment. "You need my scarf?" He asks, moving to take it off so she may use it instead, all the while fixing his hair with his free hand. He rocks back and forth as Syrus pats his shoulder and shakes. "Yeah. Thanks."
Zan's grin is obvious since it lights up her face and her eyes, and she nods to Rey, easily. She doesn't hold up the group, but she does give Elrych a nod, in agreement with Rey's assessment. "You might well be the best suited," she agrees. "It's a bit out of my league for sure." Her eyes widen as she glances around the place, quietly sidestepping a couple aliens in the middle of what is hopefully just an animated discussion. She smiles a little ruefully, expression sobering a bit, and one hand raises to rub at the back of her neck. Startled, her gaze goes to Elrych and she shakes her head. "You don't need frost bite either, Elrych. Thank you for the kindness, but I am okay." There is a genuine concern for his wellbeing in there, and it does hopefully come through. Syrus and Yuun each get looks as they speak up, and then Zan takes another look around as they enter the zone, so to speak. "This is some kind of party."
Rey continues to lead the group through the busy establishment, past the fighting arena where the one of the aliens' has the other in a choke hold, while the one IN the choke hold is using its four arms to try to punch the Holder with all four fists at the same time!
The audience is loving the action!
Droid wait-staff zip past the Jedi Initiates as they move ever closer to the large bar on the far wall, lit up by warm glowing orange and yellow lighting. The droids spread out and deliver drinks to the various tables that had ordered them.
One particular conversation may reach any ears who Listen well enough to hear it as they pass by one of these packed tables. "I'm tellin', I found her! The Jedi Witch! I know where she is! She's hold up on the backwater world Narkisi IV. My buddy ran cargo out to their facility just the other day and he said he caught a look at her, same girl. We're gonna put a team t'gether, get us that huge stack'a money..."
Rey doesn't seem to react to this conversation, whether she'd heard it or not. She's seemingly too busy approaching the bar now that there's a gap forming at its busy counter.
Once there, she tries to signal the owner, Carnicka and after a moment he approaches, blue vest on and all. "What can I get ya?" He asks, a blading portly human male in his 50s.
Aryn parts from the group once they are inside and finds a seat nearby, but where her back is to the wall. It just happens to be near the group discussing the conception of a team to hunt down the Jedi Witch on Narkisi. She unwraps her scarf when she's taken a seat and casually watches the door to the way out. Short glances are paid to her companions, but she'd rather blend in then be singled out if something did blow up in Elrych's face.
Elrych takes in the place, his shades remaining in place. He catches the conversation of one fellow at the bar talking about Rey, who was right there in front of him and he was none the wiser. The corellian smiles and laughed, enjoying the environment, "Now this is my kind of place." Walking over to the bar he leans up against it. "Herm... Oh well. Some Alderaanian whiskey. I know its rare but I got the creds if ya know what I mean." He looks around the establishment... "I swear I've been here before but I know I havn't." His brows knit in confusion.
Zan has never been here, not ever, and she's sure of that. For the moment though, she's doing her best to not let her inexperience show so as to not make herself a big target. Which, well, she doesn't feel she is. She does concentrate a bit, taking this moment of quiet to concentrate a bit on centering herself. She does seem a bit calmer and more confident out of it, her gaze going around the place, curiously. A glance at the bartender, and she simply says, about Elrych, "He's buying, same for me." Because well, why not?
Yuun walks in with the others and now inside a warmer building, he seems to relax a bit more. Still he is quiet, taking in the person Syrus is talking to, "It seems we have the right people here for the job." he smiles a little bit. He scans the room, watching everyone for a moment and now utilizing the Force to help him sense for danger if there is any.
Seeing Aren split off from the group, he follows her and sits down at her table, "Kriffing hell its cold." he says to her playing along not giving away his cover, if no one knows they are Jedi this is a good thing. "How're you holding up?" he asks Aren.
Deciding against the bar, Syrus instead turns his attention to the cage match at play. It's a dirty, brutal sport, but it's popular for a reason, and the Kiffar is engaged, for sure. His hands find the pockets of his big coat and he watches with rapt attention.
Rey's not a drinker, she's never even had a sip of an alcoholic beverage. She's told the story of what had turned her off of ever wanting to try it to a few people, so when the drink(s) are ordered, she simply takes a moment to look side to side before her masked gaze falls down onto her left hip where her satchel is resting. She takes a moment to reach inside of it and pull out a datapad that she keys on while the drinks are fetched.
"Right." The Bartender says to the visitors and he grabs some glasses and the ordered whiskey. Pouring them out he then slides them across the bar, three of them, for Elrych, Zandra and Rey.
At the fighting cages, Syrus is greeted with an upclose and personal view as the two combatants slam into the fence right in front of where he is. The four armed creature is throat-pressing the gray skinned bulkier being up to the fench and going for gut shot after gut shot with his other three fists!
At the table that Aryn and Yuun sat down at, a few drunken and disorderly types walk past them and one can be overheard snickering after staring at them. "Cute little Loooove Biiiirds." He's saying to his friends as they all wander past.
The table beside them is still going on about the Jedi Witch and how he and his group will raid that whole facility, kill every last one of the residents if they don't hand the girl over, because "That many credits? They don't come in a life time, ever, less you're some kinda CSA big wig, or some damn fool lucky gambler!" He laughs and slams his big pink meaty paw down on the table several times before throwing back half of his amber hued drink, spilling a lot of it down the sides of both of his mouth holes.
And at the bar? Rey is passing the datapad over to Elrycn so he can see it, she taps the screen where it reads <We're Friends of Alderaan>. Clearly she's impatient and not great a small talk.
Aryn turns to look at Yuun, displaying the new mark she earned from a recent mission on the planet Umgul. A thin, angry red scar has been carved by her left eye and down the respective cheek. It's so fresh, it's still healing. Aryn leans forward on the table some, sweeping her blonde hair back. "I'm alright." She manages after being asked, though her attention shifts to those accusing her of being in love with Yuun. Her cheeks grow a little redder.
Elrych has no qualms about drinking, which he does. He'll tap the glass with Zandra if she'll take it too before downing it. "One thing Iron First didn't get..." He leans in and whispers, "My bank account." He reaches into his robes and pulls out way more credits then he probably should to pay for those shots. "A round for the whole house on me." A wink to the bar keep. His attention moves to Rey, still keeping an ear on the talkative fellow reguarding credits and rey. He notices her deposition and frowns a bit, also reading what she wrote. "Relax. Try the drink. Patients... yes?" He clears his throat. "We're friends of Alderan you know. Havn't had this stuff in ages." He watches Aryn and Yuun from across the room, remarking to himself that the Doctor looked good in bar light.
Zan does take her drink and she tips it against Elrych's before she sips it. She doesn't choke or make faces, but she doesn't down the glass either. There are ways, obviously. She lets Elrych do the talking while she listens. She listens to Elrych and the bartender, her gaze flicking over the bar, taking in Yuun and Aryn, Syrus watching the fight, and the rest of the place with a look of satisfaction, like this is absolutely the best place to be, and she's debating where to start.
Looking at the scar when Aryn turns to look at him. His eyes narrow slightly as he sees that and he leans in playing to the part of love birds getting close enough that it gives the illusion that they are sharing something intimate between one another. "I'm glad." he says as he brings his hand up to nearly trace the scar, "You healing ok?" he asks taking in the scar and looking at her gently.
"My goodness. What a row," Syrus offers to nobody in particular as he watches the display of martial prowess. The big Kiffar is honestly having a great time. A lot of Vandar just reminds him of a colder Jedha. His eyes move over to the bar, though, then to where Yuun and Aryn are. Papa Volo remains ever vigilant.
The bartender takes a moment to put the whiskey back on the shelf behind him and when he turns back about to see all those credits get dropped on the counter he gets a bit of a slack jawed expression before he looks up to Elrych. The word starts to spread out across the bar, and beyond that someone just bought everyone a round and it results a series of cheers that even draw eyes off of the fighting arena for a spell.
"Big spender." Carnicka says as he swipes the credits all up and nods to his serving droid commander. "Setup a line over at the far end." He tells the flying droid whoe organizes all its smaller droids to swing around and prepare for the drink orders that are likely coming in from all the tables and booths now.
Some people brush past Syrus on their way to the bar to get their free drink, and its a moment or so later that the four armed alien has the bigger fella pinned to the ground and after several more punches? There's an electric buzzer buzzing three sharp times, then the crowd cheers / boos as a winner is declared and all four arms go up high into the air, the cold blue light above the fight pit illuminating the alien creature's musculature quite impressively in this display as he's declared victor!
Free drinks start to flow, and the Bar Owner? He heard that Friend of Aleraan bit and he leans over onto his right elbow. "That a fact?" He asks Elrych. "So you know her then?" He says. "She sent you lot?" He asks, spying Zandra and Rey. "Doesn't look like much of a team." He comments further, noting Rey not even reaching for the drink he'd poured her.
Zandra gets a nod from him, before he looks back to Elrych. "You up for this, kid?" He asks then and next. "You realize the last team is either Varna food, or frozen popsicles by now."
Zan nods back to the bartender, and grins at the rush to get their free drinks, just staying where she is, not moving. There's definitely not a dangerous look to her, but a competent one. Or maybe confident - she saves her worry and uncertainty for other times. The comment by the bar owner gets a slight crease to her forehead, and a half shrug. Her lips quirk in a quiet smile, but she doesn't say a word. Course, that look on her face, does she need to? The drink is finished and set down on the table, in a reasonable display of at least basic drinking ability.
"It's fine, I'm fine.. I promise." Aryn replies, lightly cupping his cheek with one of her gloved hands. She manages an unconvincing smile then sits back in her seat and glances over at the others, then the door. Her other hand comes back up to brush through her hair idly, her thoughts on the warmth of the room, their surroundings, and where they are headed after this. She looks back to Yuun. "Want to go get our drinks?"
Elrych glances to the bar tender a moment, a look of 'you're really asking me this right?' on his face before lifting his booted foot up onto the bar top to expose the gold second class blood stripes on his breeches legs. "Oh... I'm sure." he lets the foot drop, "You know, her and I. We got a thing you know. I ant going to let her down. Popcilce or whatever I'm going to get what ever I can back." Elrych's blue eyes are taken away a moment, to a girl dancing. Only he can see her. "Who's that?" She disappears when a big alien passes in front of him and he blinks in confusion as if he just saw a ghost.
He nods, "Sure." he smiles as she cups his cheeks and he nods his head as she tells him she's ok. He gets up and goes to get their drinks. Nothing super heavy but he does get some Wyrens Reserve if they have it. He does have some money.
Lifting his hands to applaud, Syrus smiles broadly at the display of butt-kicking before he finds that he's quite quickly run out of things to look at. Hrmm. It's then that he's turning to go join the rest of the party at the bar, curious to see why Elrych is stretching his hammies on the bar.
There definitely are dancers and entertainers in the bar / Lodge, but they're not where Elrych's random gaze had gone. Because of this, Rey's covered face goes to look where he'd looked and then she looks back to him. Her face is covered up, but the ever-so-slight tip of her head would indicate the underlying confusion in the young Initiate's well being.
At the same time, however, the Bartender / Owner speaks up again and with a light chuckle he nods his head slowly. "Right." He says to the young man's bravado. "Well. If you're up for this, my Scavenger Droid is waiting to take you guys to the wreck site. You'll want to bundle up, its at least an hour long trek up the Spinnaker Trail." He goes about preparing a few more drinks before he continues.
"I'd recommend heading out in the morning, and just enjoying yourselves here for the rest of the evening. If ya head out now? It'll probably be dark before ya finish, whatever it is goin' on up there."
He tosses his bar towel over his shoulder and places his hands on the counter's edge. The Lodge itself is enjoying those free drinks, the droids are flying about to deliver.
When Yuun returns with the drinks, Aryn accepts hers and sits back a bit. Its brought up for a sip, to get a general taste, then she downs the rest in a practiced motion. Alderaanian anything was what her family made their credits on. She'd been drinking their vintage her entire life, so it was nice, for a change, to have a small taste of home. "Thank you." Aryn says softly to Yuun, and this time manages a more genuine smile.
Elrych reaches into his cloak once more and pulls out a data card, "My contact information. Just bought a band new 775 if you need anything offloaded. You know... for our mutual friends." He looks between the others, "I'll discuss it with my companions. Probably is best if we head out in the morning. Though, they may not look like much, they could do a night climb. I'm sure of it." A chuckle and a knowing look to the others. "Shall we?" Said more to Rey and Zan than the others who are else where.
Zan listens to the advice, and gives Elrych an upturned brow, asking a question. Cause at the moment, he's got the lead, after all. She glances around the lodge, and gives the group a thoughtful look. At Elrych's question, she nods her head once. More cold gear, that is definitely called for - they can probably scavenge some up, right?
Yuun sits back down and he sips his drink, "You're welcome." he smiles to her. He does take a moment to look around as they sit there. He lets out a sigh, "I'm glad we came here, even though it's cold, it's still pretty nice." he smiles.
"I have some extra coats I could loan out," Syrus says. "Though, they may be too big for the majority of you," he adds, looking around at the group. "And I'm not opposed to a quiet evening here. Well, relatively quiet."
Its not even remotely quietly, truth be told.
Rey doesn't protest the idea of them staying here the rest of the evening as she turns away from the bar and moves to join Aryn and Yuun at their table. She reaches a hand up to raise her goggles up so her eyes are exposed at least, its hot in that suit now that they're inside this place.
Her hands come up, (she left her drink at the bar) and she setttles them on the table, pulling her gloves off one hand after the other. "We'll have to setup in the hostel." She says softly, pointing across the room toward the marked area where there's a desk and a set of stairs that lead up to the rooms where people stay, presumably, it was a big building based on the exterior of it after all.
A moment or so later and there comes a large lumbering presence, walking up behind Yuun specifically. Its a tall droid, probably 7 feet in height. It has a blocky body and a cube-like head. "I am Doddix." The droid announces. "I will be your guide for the expedition. I am told you are leaving in the morning. This is a wise choice. You would likely all freeze if you left now."
It looks to Syrus, and Elrych, its blue glowing eyes observing them before it looks down to those at the table. "This looks like a good team. I am sure you will all survive." It almost sounds sarcastic, but its a droid, so it has a dry wit to most everything it says.
Elrych would make sure that their rooms are accomidating and pay if any were short the funds. However, he would return to the bar and have a few more drinks, looking for that dancer he had saw. When he had enoguh and grew tired, he moves to retire to to his room. A glance back would yeild a surprise. "Father..." He mouthed as he watches that dancer and his father. A younger version share a drink in a booth not too far away before disolcing into a group of aliens who didn't resemble them at all. Elrych had strange dreams all night of floating in space. Stars, Nebula, traveling through out the galaxy like he was part of it. He remembered the images as they were familiar. He woke up with even more questions the next morning.
Zan had a few drinks but not too many. She wanted to have a straight head for the mission the next morning. So, it was a night of keeping an eye on folks, and maybe discreetly finding out who that guy is who wants to go to Markisi IV, though mostly to learn if he has the wherewithal to actually get there. Or not. She's not trying to start anything, just mostly passively gathering information, as she can. And then of course, to the hostel for the night in the room that's assigned.
Syrus, however, kept to himself, as he is often wont to do. Eschewing what was no doubt a /very/ luxurious Vandoran motel room for the more spartan accomodations of his Broadstar's cargo bay. He's got a nice cot, okay. And it's home. He'd spend the majority of the night reading ancient texts quietly under dim light. Occassionaly, he'd step out onto the landing bay; the harsh, brisk air a reminder of the troubles that face them in the morning.
Looking to Rey as she joins him and Aryn at their table a smile shows on his lips as he looks at her, "Hello." he smiles to her. He looks out the window and nod his head to her about leaving in the morning. "Sounds like a good idea." he chuckles. Though slightly there is a small shift, he still smiles, but Rey and Aryn sees him become alert, and he glances behind him before the droid fully gets to him. "Hello." he responds his voice still calm and he doesn't turn to face the droid, "Nice to meet you and it would be good to head out tomorrow. When do yo want us to meet you?" he asks the droid.
