Game Trials of the Underworld: Crux

[Darth Akhlyn]

IC: Devkas Rixian
Aboard the Sugar Baby

As the ship finally rumbled into the black of space, Devkas decided to make himself comfortable for the time being. He went to his bag and rustled around inside for a bit. "C'mon, I know I packed it when I left. Ahh, there we go." The Devaronian withdrew his hand from his bag, and with it came a good sized insulated thermos. He tossed his bag onto his bunk and left the crew quarters, making his way to the cockpit.

"Devkas reporting for duty, Captain! Figured I'd come up and help keep an eye on our wayward co-pilot here." Devkas saluted Captain Rose and sat himself down in the chair behind her. He opened his thermos and took a nice, long drink of the Dantoo mead within, kept chilled by the container, all the while gazing out the window at their fast passing Hyperspace tunnel. "Hyperspace never gets old, does it? It's just beautiful."

 

[Omegon]

IC: Mortus D’non Velkor
Location: Coruscant

Velkor raised his eyes from the seatback in front of him, sitting up straight as Elaine leapt from the still-moving taxi. What the Kriff? He glanced backwards through the window, searching for her moving form on the sidewalk behind them, watching her slip into the crowd and run. Clearly, she was either paranoid or some kind of maniac. In either case, he figured, the mission was better off without her, if she was willing to run at the first sign of danger. Her payment though…. He imagined she would almost certainly be hunted down by their employers once they found out that she had taken the iridium bar and then quit.

Regardless, he was sure they could handle the job without her. After all, they were only here for some boring close quarters protection, and all the hard work was being done by their personal celebrity, Viper. He flicked a strand of hair out of his face, slicking it back once more. He wished he had thoughts to bring a comb along with him, and chuckled at the thought of nonchalantly leaning back in a chair and adjusting his hair in front of Viper and Nakamura. No doubt they would find it intensely vain and irritating, but then, that was his job after all!

Stepping out of the Taxi, he followed Viper into the bar, noting the sonic dampeners; clearly, Elaine wasn’t the only one who was paranoid, but then, perhaps Viper had reason to be. Those who had fame almost always attracted some negative attention, and for a mission as big as an imperial moff… Well, he supposed one could never be TOO careful. Responding to Viper’s question, he slipped into the booth, and nodded. “Yes, lets. So tell me viper, do you know why this particular moff is being targeted?” He leaned back once more, treating the booth like it was his home, spreading his arms leisurely, although this time at least refraining from putting his boots on the table. “Whoever he is, and whatever he’s done to make enemies willing to kill him, almost certainly will effect whatever the plan is.

Tags: @corinthia @Daxo_Grimmus

 

[Darth Kain]

Mini Combo

IC: Lemmy (played by @Catalyst) & Viktor Tarr (played by @Darth Kain)
Aboard the Sugar Baby, Hyperspace​

The Sugar Baby lurched in that all too familiar way, denoting that the crew was now sailing through the aether of Hyperspace. Lem stretched in his cot, letting out an involuntary groan. He was getting restless in his old age. There used to be a time when he could just relax. Nowadays he was so full of energy, a tiresome byproduct of his species advanced metabolism that only grew more powerful with age. He looked to the corner of the room where his droid stood plugged into the power socket. “Whadda ya say Turd,” the old Feeorin spoke up to the administrative unit, “wanna go make some new friends?”

3D-4XR’s auditory sensors brightened at the mention of his master’s favored moniker and the droid raised its conical head to look back at Lem. “Sir I don’t believe that to be the wisest course of action,” he replied nervously. “Perhaps it would best suit my primary function to continue monitoring your belongings, being as we are surrounded by brigands who would no doubt enjoy the benefits of your arsenal separated from your personality.”

Lem blinked for a moment, registering what the droid had said. After decoding the stealth insult, he raised his voice into a shout that echoed through the ship. “Fine then! Sit back ya useless pile o’ parts! I’ll go put my personality somewhere else!” He stood up and strode out of the room to find someone a little more exciting to engage. The crew members here were nothing remarkable, and he went through a roster in his head trying to decide who would be most interesting. The Morellian, Jax, was busy at the helm, and Lem was making a personal point of staying as far away from there as possible after his little spat with Rose. It wouldn’t do him any favors to be in her way after their display in the cockpit earlier. He’d just watched Devkas the Devaronian lurch that way as well through the cabin door. Oh how Lem longed to remove one of his horns and systematically reintroduce it to the man’s other orifices, but that would have to wait. No, the pressing matter here was the other pirate that had decided to join last minute. Lem hadn’t gotten his name, but he was brash enough to earn the Feeorin’s interest. Perhaps, with the right amount of prodding, they would find some common ground. They were both here, after all. Lem stepped into the doorframe of the Quarren’s room and loudly cleared his throat to get Viktor’s attention. “Name’s Lem,” he offered curtly. “Yer no stranger to the stars, I can tell. Ye got that look in yer eye. Look o’ one that’s seen some stories. I like the way ya handle yerself. We play this right, and maybe ya can get more than that seven percent cut.”

Viktor had been lost in the sea of his own thoughts with no navigational tools to see his way out. That is, until a familiar voice brought him back to reality. That voice was not one he considered friendly, however.

Turning his many-tentacled head towards the sound of the gruff pirate that was the Feeorin, Viktor was quickly given a name to attach to that ugly mug. Lem, no doubt short for Lemmy. Short, simple. Easy to remember. Tarr was not totally surprised to learn shortly after that Lemmy had a bit more respect for him than the others. It made sense. Strong minds clashed like the waves of a stormy sea; they did not whimper about, remaining quiet as others did the acting for them.

"You're right. I've got plenty of stories to tell," said Tarr, standing slowly from his bunk. "And this story here… will definitely end with more than a lousy seven percent take." He gazed down to the cockpit, where it appeared Jax and Devkas were cozying up to the captain. "Lads like them think sewing their lips onto the Captain's arse will earn them our fair share. If only they knew kissing arse only leaves you with brown lips."

He paused, looking back to Lem.

"First sign of trouble, they'll perish. And I have a feeling that you and I can convince Ms. Rose to give us their wages."

Lem chuckled as he pushed himself away from the Quarren’s bunk. "If I know how Rose operates, I'm thinkin' we'll have to do more than jus' cut some dead weight to see a bigger cut. See, 'fore you came on, it was still seven percent across th' board, a 'standard rate' if ya will. She's a stingy one, but it's kept her goin' this long. Way I see, if we wanna see our due share," a smirk drew at the corner of his mouth and his lekku wiggled in anticipation, "We do it the ol' fashioned way. We ain't mercs with a goin' price after all. We're pirates. We got a standard to uphold." Lem held out a meaty blue hand in an offering of camaraderie. "An' it's been a while since I had a mate to share my plunder with that weren't touched in the head."

The Quarren took hold of the Feeorin's outstretched hand, gripping tightly as he shook a single time.

"Aye, we are pirates," said Viktor. His eyes seemed to be unwavering from his associates. "But you and I know that a man whose first thoughts be mutiny is a man that cannot be trusted."

He released Lemmy's hand, crossing his arms and leaning against the bedframe of his bunk.

"We'll be mates, certainly. But partners? That's something that can't be decided in a single conversation."

The fallen pirate smirked.

"It might be decided over a game of Liar's Dice, however."

"Hmm," Lem pondered Viktor's offer. It'd been a long while since he'd been challenged to the dice. But he was still a competent liar. He smiled broadly. "I'd be delighted. Didn't exactly pack my throwin' bones though. How many sets ya got? An' do we wanna include some o' the other crew in our little game?" The old pirate's eyes glinted with a sly savvy. "Always good t' know who yer workin' with after all."

"I've got the dice, aye," replied Viktor. "Knew there would be a crew, and there's few things that can entertain quite as well as a game of dice. Even fewer that can tell me who's worth having on this tub."

Stepping past the mighty Feeorin, the Quarren spoke up, allowing those in the cockpit to hear him. "Anyone who wants in on a game of Liar's Dice better move their arses over here."

Without missing a beat, Viktor Tarr strode over to the game table with Lemmy in tow. Along the way he produced a few wooden cups, each with five six-sided dice a piece.

TAGS: @corinthia, @Darth Cruor, @Revnus

 

[corinthia]

IC: Jephego Rose and Devkas Rixian
Aboard the Sugar Baby​

“Devkas reporting for duty, Captain!”

Ah, there was that Devaronian-- Jephego had had a feeling he might come and cozy himself up to her. She couldn’t help but crack a smirk as he saluted her and sat in the passenger seat behind the pilot’s seat. “Figured I’d come up and help keep an eye on our wayward co-pilot here.” He had a chilled flask with him, and as he opened it up and took a drink from it, the delicate scent of mead touched Jephego’s nose. She sniffed. “Hyperspace never gets old, does it? It’s just beautiful.”

“You know,” Jephego began, pulling her hands from behind her head and cracking every pierced knuckle, “I’ve heard that if you stare at hyperspace for too long, you’ll go crazy. Or worse," she intoned, turning in her seat to look at Devkas. "Cross-eyed." She winked. “You gonna share that mead, big guy?" She indicated the flask of liquor with a nod of her head.

Devkas guffawed at Captain Rose's quip as she turned around. "Well I don't know, Boss. I'd love to give you some but I think I've already gone…" He took another drink, and as he lowered the flask he revealed his eyes were now crooked. "Cross-eyed." He laughed again and handed her the mead, crossing his arms behind his head. "So, what ya think about all the meatheads on this ship?"

Jephego took a long swallow of the mead; it warmed her throat. She shrugged at Devkas’ question. “They’re meatheads.” Took another swig. "If you all can keep your crazy eyes on the prize, we might do okay." She held the flask out for Devkas to take back.

Devkas smiled and shook his head. "You keep it if ya want. I only like to have a bit on the ride in. Helps steel the nerves, ya know? Takes a bit of the stress off of dealing with whatever shipload of yahoos I get to deal with at whatever given moment over in Crimson Dawn. Big Blue back there definitely brings back those happy memories." He said as he smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Right," Jephego said, screwing the lid back on the flask of mead. "You're Crimson Dawn. What's their schtick, anyway? The name is new to me."

Devkas sighed as he crossed his arms behind his head and kicked his feet up on an unimportant console. "Ehh, same old same old. Smuggling, killing, pirating. Got started up way back in the early Empire days. Bosses have been trying to get it back into high gear the past decade or so. I got roped into it a few years back when I tried to take the keys to a supply ship that one of their bigwigs was in charge of." Devkas chuckled at the memory. "Standard join 'er die negotiations, nothing too fancy. S'what about you, how'd you stumble into the glamorous life?"

Jephego sucked in a breath. "Empire days. I still can't believe what happened to the goddamn Republic," she muttered. She swung her legs over the arm of her chair, lounging. "My story is a little kriffed up," Jephego began. "Believe it or not, I came into this glamorous life two hundred karking years ago. I know, I look positively phenomenal for being two hundred and nineteen years old." She flipped a gold adorned braid over one shoulder with a flirtatious shrug. "I had an ultra-religious childhood and wanted to get out, really. Wanted something more than religious texts and poverty. I talked my way onto a pirate crew when I was eighteen and fell in with their leader, a Zeltron gal named Yana Medine-- pink bitch that she was-- and she taught me everything. Unfortunately for her, she taught me too well, and I had my eyes set on more than just small-time piracy. I wound up taking her ship and marooning her. I really made a name for myself after that. Made a lot of money, slept around, buried lots of treasure, killed a lot of people. But it turned out that Yana was a nasty grudge-keeper. She joined Black Sun, hunted me down, and had me thrown in carbonite. And now I'm here." Jephego flourished her hand.

Devkas whistled. "Damn, two hundred nineteen? And here I was thinking you didn't look a day over a hundred thirty-five.” Jephego shrugged and rolled her eyes at this. "And yeesh, carbonite. Real bitch of a thing from what I hear. Ahh well, you know what they say. No time for plundering like the present."

"Is that really what they say?" Jephego chuckled, casting Devkas a catty sideways glance.

The Devaronian winked. "They do now. S'one of the best things about the present."

Jephego opened the mead again and drank. “I dunno about this present,” she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “It’s a little shocking to wake up after a hundred and ninety year nap in carbonite only to find out the karking Sith rule everything.” She gazed at the hyperspace tunnel outside the viewscreen out of the corner of her eye, a little wistfully. “Well… almost everything.”

"Sith, Jedi, it's all the damn same. Buncha wizard yahoos with fancy swords." Devkas started cracking his knuckles as he spoke. "Galaxy's always a mess whoever's in charge of the goddamn thing. A shit ton of psychos bathing in the blood of their victims or a shit ton of self righteous hippies spouting nonsense. Either way, they're all up there duking it out while down below the rats scurry about unseen, picking up each and every crumb. And I much prefer being one of the rats."

“I think we deserve to be better than rats.” Jephego raised her brow at Devkas. She sat up and rummaged in the pocket of her purple greatcoat, coming up with a box of cigarras and a zip-lighter. Lighting one up, she leaned her head back to stare out the viewport above their heads. “Although I don’t disagree with you-- about the Sith and the Jedi. I grew up on Jedha reading every scrap of religious text my mother put in front of my nose. And I tell you what, it’s all just a bunch of well-written bullshit.” She took a drag. “I couldn’t care less about it all. It’s never served me.”

Devkas shrugged. "Nothing wrong with being rats. They're quick and sneaky, but they’re tough in a fight when it comes to it." Devkas smirked. He nodded his head at her cigarras. “Mind if I bum one off ya?"

“I’ve been a rat,” Jephego said, offering her box of cigarras to Devkas. “I’m karking over it.”

Devkas took the box and lit up a cigarra. "Well, let's see just what we can become once we get to the job site, then. Personally, I'd prefer to be one of those bigass Fyrnock things on Anaxes."

Jephego laughed. “We really will see.”

"I guess we will. How long until we get there, anyway?"

“Roundabout seventeen more standard hours, I think. You’re welcome to get some shuteye or have a cup of caf in the galley in the meantime. I’ll be here, sleeping, drinking, or smoking.” She winked.

Devkas stretched and stood. "Sounds like a plan. I'll head back and get some shut-eye. Come grab me if you need anything from me." He smiled and winked back.

“Will do, my friend,” Jephego said. “Try not to let those other two give you too much of a hard time. Lemmy especially.” She waved a hand as Devkas exited the cockpit, heading back to his bunk.

He waved a hand in acknowledgement as he went. "Don't worry 'bout me, boss. I've handled bigger idiots than these guys before."

TAG: @Catalyst, @Darth Kain, @Revnus, @Darth Cruor ​

 

[Samwise]

IC: Nakamura
Location: Coruscant ​

Nakamura had taken note of Elaine jumping out. Thinking he should've grabbed the payment bar before she jumped. "Beginning with four, now three...This will be interesting."

He patiently waited for the speeder taxi to come to a full and complete stop before exiting out. It didn't take a mad scientist to figure out that those things don't stop unless they are at their destination.

With the motion to follow behind Viper, he obliged as he isn't all to familiar with the location.

Notes.

Everywhere he has gone so far, he always takes notes of his surroundings. Perhaps the mental notes of his surroundings will provide aid in the future, but he didn't know. Such a large galaxy to make a name for yourself when you are starting out.

He looked around at the booths, seeing many people speaking. Some he can hear the conversation, some he cannot. It intrigued him as he had not been to any locations like this before. "Interesting." He slightly murmured to himself as he took a seat at the booth Viper and Velkor sat at.

As the sonic dampeners kicked in from the codes, he continued to look around. His nose wrinkled when he couldn't hear anything outside of the containment field of the sound dampener. He can see, but not hear. Constantly running his eyes to keep an eye on his surroundings. Even as Viper and Velkor spoke.

"So why are we having to tag along to kill the Moff? Your reputation is quite known."

Tags: @corinthia , @Kint Dranlor

 

[corinthia]

IC: Jephego Rose
Aboard the Sugar Baby – Arriving in Japrael ​

The navicomputer dinged—Jephego snuffled and stirred in the pilot's seat, where she'd fallen asleep in the last five hours or so of their hyperspace journey with her legs akimbo, arms folded across her chest, and head lolling on her shoulder. She abruptly sat forward, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands and yawning. Briefly stretching, she shook the crappy sleep she'd just gotten out of her limbs, and put her hands back on the controls of the Sugar Baby, disengaging autopilot and taking over as they came to the end of their hyperspace route. She pulled her inter-ship comm headset over her head, settling its headband between her horns and adjusting its earpiece to sit nicely over her ostentatious gold hoop earrings, and fixing the microphone so it wasn't poking her cheek.

She flipped on the P.A. system. "Good morning, crew of the Sugar Baby," she sing-songed, rousing the crew from wherever they'd settled over the course of their eighteen-hour hyperspace journey. "This is your captain speaking. We are about to drop out of hyperspace in the Japrael sector, so get yourselves ready—I'm going to cut power so we stay off any radars while we do a little bit of reconnaissance."

Taking a deep breath, Jephego nodded for Jax to ease off the hyperdrive, bringing them out of the screaming blue tunnel of hyperspace back into realspace. The stars around them shrunk from stretched out lines into tiny white pinpricks, and Jephego gasped.

"Kriff me running," she swore under her breath.

On the console, proximity alarms blared and the radar screen flashed, displaying a generous handful of other ships in their area, hanging still in space, waiting. Outside the viewport, Jephego could see the ass-end of a massive, looming frigate and the red sigil painted on its hull. Crimson Dawn. Damn it. No time to cut power, now. Jephego scrambled at the controls, readying the Sugar Baby to do some creative turning around so she could jump them out of this situation. She cast a peeved glance at Jax, shrugging and grumbling, "I karking hate uninvited guests."

How in the hell did Crimson Dawn know about the Onderonian supply lines being vulnerable, though? As far as the rest of the galaxy was aware, nothing had changed about Onderon's current arrangement with the Sith. Jephego had only learned about what was going to happen through her relationship with the Sith themselves—and as far as she had been concerned, she'd had the perfect shot at an unimpeded raid. Now, clearly, that plan was dashed.

She slapped the P.A. switch. "Hey, Devkas?" her voice boomed throughout the ship. "Your people are here." Jerking the yoke and slamming her left foot down, she veered the ship away from the potential confrontation. "I need people on guns in case our friends here get frisky; someone up top, someone down below. Get to it!" She flipped off the intercom.

Jephego didn't have much of a plan—all she knew was they were not equipped to be doing battle with anyone, much less kriffing Crimson Dawn. This enterprise was supposed to be a straightforward smash-and-grab to prove to Cash that she was worth the investment and start building up some funds. This was unexpected. They had to get out of there and regroup. Stat.

TAG: @Catalyst, @Revnus, @Darth Cruor, @Darth Kain ​

 

[Catalyst]

IC Lem
Aboard the Sugar Baby
​

Lem was not great at Liar's dice. Sure, he could handle the first part, but it was the dice that gave him trouble. He cursed silently between rounds as the cubes in his cup routinely turned up singles and doubles. The hours passed, with Viktor repeatedly calling him out on his lies, and Lem's own shouts of denial echoing through the ship every time he lost. Occasionally, he tried to call out the old Quarren with mixed results. There was a particularly lucky round where Viktor overestimated the luck of Lem's roll and the Feeorin pirate was able to get some satisfaction, but it was only sprinkled in between rounds of misplaced optimism and thunderous swearing.

The PA crackled to life, and Jephego's voice echoed through the galley where they sat. "Good morning, crew of the Sugar Baby. This is your captain speaking. We are about to drop out of hyperspace in the Japrael sector, so get yourselves ready—I'm going to cut power so we stay off any radars while we do a little bit of reconnaissance." She sounded annoyingly cheerful. Lem looked to Viktor with a brow raised, committed to finishing one more round. He lifted his cup, peering at the sweetest roll he had seen all night. He was ready to clean this salt-sucking squid out. As he opened his mouth to make a wager, Jephego's voice rang out once more, in a decidedly less cheerful tone. "Hey, Devkas?" her voice boomed throughout the ship. "Your people are here." Devkas has people? Which one's Devkas again? "I need people on guns in case our friends here get frisky; someone up top, someone down below. Get to it!"

Lem stood up quickly and slammed the cup next to his array of dice. "Four fives!" he cackled in Viktor's face "Shove it in yer tentacles! I call the top guns!" He continued chuckling as he strode from the table to the central access hatch of the freighter. He opened it and climbed up to the gunner's seat, settling himself in and flipping on the targeting computer. A peek out of the viewport told him everything he needed to know. Crimson Dawn. He pulled the gunner's comm from its mount and nestled it under his lekku. "Lem on the dorsal turret," he chimed up to the front. "We knockin' over Crimson Dawn now Rose? Usually I charge extra fer that!" He wheeled the cannons around and trained them on the frigate, keeping an eye out for any fighters that would undoubtedly have a far easier time shredding the old freighter.

TAG: @corinthia @Darth Kain @Darth Cruor @Revnus

 

[Darth Kain]

IC: Viktor Tarr
Aboard the Sugar Baby​

You would think that after hours of hearing the pair of pirates having a hell of a time playing the dice that one of these lily-livered mercenaries would have attempted to join. Instead, the hours flew by as Lemmy and Viktor played their game, with the Quarren being the winner more often than not. The Feeorin had been a formidable liar, but luck had not been his lady tonight.
That is, until the captain spoke through the intercom about their arrival and the roadblock in their way, throwing off Viktor's own run of luck.

Upon slamming his cup to the table, Lem shouted in celebration, "Four fives! Shove it in yer tentacles! I call the top guns!"

A smirk crossed Viktor's tentacled face as he stood up as well, letting his cup of losing dice clatter onto the table.
"Let's hope you're a better gunner than you are a dice player!" he laughed, stomping his way to the hatch that led down to the bottom guns. The pirate climbed his way down, seating himself and getting familiar with the controls. It had been years since he manned the guns of a ship, but he trusted himself to the job more than any of these bilge rats.
Speaking into his comms from the ball turret, he responded, "I'm down here. Let's not piss off the Crimson Dawn. I just got on good terms with them. Well, terms where they ain't trying to murder me."

TAGS: @corinthia, @Darth Cruor, @Revnus, @Catalyst

 

[Darth Akhlyn]

IC: Devkas Rixian
Aboard the Sugar Baby
​

Devkas awoke with a start at the sound of the Captain's voice over the intercom, alerting them of arrival. 'Here already?' He thought to himself as he got up and stretched. He ignored his roommates' dice game and went over to his duffel to get ready real fast. He changed into a second shirt and strapped his armor on, then placed his blades into their scabbards. After getting his blasters holstered he walked out of the quarters...

And immediately was greeted with a blaring alarm and the Captain's voice coming through again. "Devkas, your people are here." 'What the...' the Devaronian immediately booked it to the cockpit, wondering just what was going on. Soon enough, he got his answer: A giant CD Frigate right ahead of them, looming like a vast, predatory bird. He quickly turned towards Captain Rose. "I swear this ain't my fault, Cap. What's the play?"

Tags: @corinthia @Darth Cruor