Jubali groaned.

"Search him, maybe we can get some information out of him that way."

The weapon that the saboteur had dropped was a standard blaster pistol.  He was wearing a blast helmet and vest, with a hidden insignia of a fist over a heart.  He also had some spare explosives fuses and a comlink.

While Traest had searched his body, Tipler had moved past everyone else to start defusing the bombs.  Once the others were done searching the human, Tipler announced.  "Issa okey day now.  Meesa defused theesa bombs."  He swiped his long arm across his forehead in a sign of relief.

"Someone get a shot of that insignia," Jubali said.  "We'll need it."  Then turning to Tipler.  "Thank you."

Traest got out his datapad and took a holo of the insignia on the saboteur's vest.

"No problemo," Tipler replied to Jubali's thanks.  "It was as much for meesa safety as was for youssa's."

The rest of the trip to the moon was uneventful.  Even the landing was smooth.  When everyone disembarked, there was a great celebration from the Naboo and the Gungans, including Galak and Tipler, for the success of their first joint venture together.  As celebratory drinks were passed around, Jubali and Traest were left to their own devices while waiting for their shuttle back to the planet proper.

"Another successful mission, huh?" Jubali said, shifting anxiously next to Traest.

"Yeah, just barely though," Traest said somewhat absent-mindedly as he stared at a spot on the ground about ten meters away, seemingly lost in thought.  "These Army of Life guys are popping up way too much."

"Agreed.  I hope we get a chance to take them out for good."

"Well, hopefully Ranger Cardosa and Master Tabret have turned up a lead with that contact, Talbrek," Traest offered, kicking a pebble near his feet.

"So...you got anybody back home...family...a girlfriend..."

"You mean besides my mom and dad?" Traest asked rhetorically .  "I mean I was an only child, but I had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins.  I wasn't particularly close to any one of them more than another.  As far as a relationship, I was too eager to join the Rangers to worry about that."  He paused only slightly and then added "Before."

A shuttle suddenly came swooping down forestalling any continuation to the conversation.  Its downdraft rustled the nearby flora and whipped Jubali's robes and Traest's camouflage poncho.  Once it landed, the loading ramp lowered and Master Tabret walked down.  "So anything interesting happen on the flight?" she asked.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:47, Fri 26 Jan 2018.

"Oh, you know, sabotage, Army of Life fanatic, the usual," Jubali said casually.

Master Tabret arched her eyebrow, but simply said, "I will let you give me a full debrief on the way back to Naboo."  As the Jedi Master led them up the ramp, they realized that the ship was not just an ordinary shuttle, but their beloved Eclipse.

As the three of them sat in the medbay (with Dane piloting), Jubali and Traest told Master Tabret the whole story.  At the end all Sonora could do was shake her head.  "The Paladin is involved in too much here on Naboo."  She sighed before continuing.  "Well hopefully we can end that with your new mission.  Ranger Cardosa and I looked into that contact, Talbrek.  Apparently he is a Kubaz information broker operating out of Kwilaan Spaceport.  He even gave Ranger Cardosa and I a job.  But it is not us who are going to fulfill the job, it's you two."

With a little bit of wide-eyed shock, Traest put up a mild protest.  "But won't whoever we're doing the job for realize we're not you?"

"A valid question; but no, they shouldn't."  Master Tabret explained, "Talbrek told us that our new employers are to meet us at Frundle's Cantina and to just walk in and get a table.  He said our contact would find us and identify himself with the code phrase 'Banthas breathe nothing in a vacuum.' To which we were to reply with the phrase 'Hawk-bats drink nothing in the desert.'  I believe as long as you have the correct response phrase, the contact should believe you're the right people."

OOC: Does Jubali have any questions or comments?

"I'll never understand these contact phrases," Jubali said.  "Like, I know they're supposed to be things that don't come up in a normal conversation but something this odd would be just as much of a tip off."

Master Tabret gave a little chuckle at this comment.  "It does seem a little silly, but that's the way the contact wants to ensure he has the right people."  Jubali could hear the hum of the landing sequence as the Eclipse landed back on Naboo.

As Master Tabret led you to the landing ramp, she added, "And you won't be going alone either."  As soon as the ramp finished lowering, Jubali could see Galak and Tipler approaching, Galak with his hands full.  "Queen Amidala and Boss Nass insisted that they accompany you on this mission."

"I thought I'd get us some non-descript clothing, so we don't look like a Jedi, a Ranger, and Naboo Security Forces," Galak said as he approached.  As he started handing out the plain clothing, Tipler asked "What about meesa?"  "A technician's clothing should look normal on this mission," Galak answered.

After everyone got changed aboard the Eclipse, Ranger Cardosa and Master Tabret gave them one final send off.  "Make sure to stay in com contact," Master Tabret reminded.  "We won't be far away."  "But if there are no other questions about the mission, it's off to Keren with you." Ranger Cardosa said.

"Okay," Jubali replied, glad to have friends back.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:58, Sun 08 Apr 2018.

Twilight was setting in as they walked down the streets of Keren, and vendors were starting to turn on their lighted signs.  The entrance to Frundle’s Cantina was easy to find--a steady stream of heavy foot traffic, as well as the word "FRUNDLE’S" painted on the side of the outside wall in meter-high letters was a dead giveaway. A brightly-lit notice above the door proclaimed that no one beats Frundle’s drink prices, a sure sign that virtually every bar in Keren was less expensive.

Just inside the entrance, a small vestibule awaited. A host droid--a modified auto-bartender with a humanoid torso riding on a tracked lower half--offered to seat entrants, although Jubali noticed that most of the beings going in ahead of them seemed to be ignoring the droid. The bar was busy, but not packed. Various species intermingled throughout the smoky environs, although most beings appeared Human or Gungan. The droid pointed you to three open booths: one in a darkened corner far from the entrance, one well-lit and near the bar, and a third near the entrance (and behind a booth full of noisy Gungans).

"Which table would you prefer?" the droid asked.

"Uh...a little input here, guys," Jubali pleaded.  "I've lived half my life cloistered in the Jedi temple."

After Galak and Tipler gave similar looks of uncertainty, Traest finally spoke up, whispering to the group.  "Definitely not near the noisy Gungans, they're likely already drunk.  The booth near the bar would be great if we were interested in staying here a long time and wanted quick service, but as we're just here for business, the booth in the corner allows us to see who enters and leaves, but can barely be seen from here."  Then he spoke up loudly to the host droid, "We'll take the booth in the back corner."

"Very good, gentle-beings," the droid answered.  "Follow me."  The droid led the group to the booth in the corner, and after they were seated, he made a noise similar to an organic clearing its throat, and then began rubbing its digits together in a gesture that usually indicated an expectation of money.

"Pay the droid, Galak," Jubali smiled.

Galak's eyes widened, not realizing Jubali might be joking.  "Me?" he asked incredulously.  "I don't have any credits on me."  As Galak's gaze scanned the other two, Tipler said "Don't look at meesa!"

Once again Traest came to the rescue.  He handed the host droid a ten-credit chip.  It almost sounded like the droid sniffed at the offering, but made no comment.  "What can I get each of you to drink?" the droid asked, completely ignoring the fact that both Jubali and Traest were probably under-aged.

The group looked to see if Jubali would order anything first.

"Just water," Jubali replied, waving her hand.

"The same," Traest said.

"Meesa too," Tipler added.

"I'll  have an Alderaan beer," Galak said, somewhat surprisingly.  When Traest glared at him after the droid left to get the drinks, Galak explained: "I was afraid he'd get suspicious or upset if none of us ordered anything.  Alderaan beer was the mildest thing I could think of."

When the droid came back, he gave Galak his beer first, and then proceeded to nearly dump the water cups on each of the rest of the group before scooting back towards the door.

Galak had barely taken one sip of his beer and Jubali was only halfway done with her drink when a young, nervous-looking Human male dressed in a featureless gray technician’s jumpsuit came through the door. Like most everyone else, he ignored the droid and started walking towards your table.  Without pausing, he took an open seat at the edge of your booth. After gazing intently at each of you, he finally spoke: "Banthas breathe nothing in a vacuum," he said, awaiting your response.

"Hawk-bats drink nothing in the desert."  Jubali replied dryly.

The young man visibly relaxed at having received the proper reply.  Without further introduction he dove into your instructions: "You are to proceed to docking bay 33 at Kwilaan Spaceport and take control of a ship docked there, the Majestic Gundark. This ship has been loaded with your cargo--a shipment of bio-material.  Take the cargo to the remote colony world of Stend IV. Land outside the largest settlement, unload the cargo, and release it into the environment."  He paused briefly here as his face became serious.  "Do not bother opening the crates: the locks on each one are chemically bonded, and will only open when exposed for a full minute to air that matches the exact atmospheric composition of Stend IV. You will not get paid the remainder of your fee unless the Army sees that the crates were opened on the planet for which they were intended."  He stopped, and looked at each of you to see if there were any questions.

"Sounds good," Jubali replied, looking at the others.