The Lorelei is berthed in a private hangar in the upper levels of the Queen of Air & Darkness. Even to the uninitiated, the Banshee-class transports are beautiful ships, incorporating organic lines with state-of-the-art technology. The end result of the Consortium's design team is a vessel which exceeds benchmark standards of high performance luxury transports in every category by as much as one hundred percent. The Lorelei is currently painted a deep, satiny blue with a silver 'KDC' logo emblazoned on the section of the hull just below the cockpit.

1130
The crew is currently loading supplies and cargo, as well as fueling the vessel and running the pre-flight check lists. Two of the security personnel are standing at the boarding ramp, ready to take luggage and show you to your berths.

OOC: If there is anything you need to do before you leave Nar Shaddaa, now is the time. I'll assume that you are taking all of the gear you bought, and only that. Any additional purchases will need to be handled through RP.

Kala stolled down a little earlier then the appointed time, mainly so she could look the ship over. It was a beautiful design, and hopefully underneath the exterior was a survivable ship. She had packed everything she owned for the trip, which was a whole lot of not much. She wore her blaster in it's hip holder, and her other weapon was in pieces in her two suitcases.

She walked up to the guards at the ramp and smiled. "Hello there. So, who can tell me about this wonderful piece of equiptment?"

The Lorelei was no Star Destroyer so Narik knew that on the flight with a full crew it would be tight. So before the designated launch time Narik made sure to get some air and privacy. When he could wait no longer he approached the hangar. Narik’s grey robes were as well pressed as usual. There were some changes in his appearance, an obvious hump of a side-arm holstered at his waist beneath his robes and a pack strapped to his back. Also the footfalls of his boots were heavier and made a hollow thump as he paced toward the star-ship.

Once at the boarding ramp Narik gave a crisp salute to the two security personnel. Their reaction he hoped would demonstrate to him whether they had any formal training and were more than pirates in smart dress. ”I’m Narik, my role in this mission will be to act as head of security so you can call me what you like right now but once we’ve reached landfall on Ryloth I’ll expect to be called sir” Narik remained at attention as he spoke ”what’s your names?”
This message was last edited by the player at 09:33, Thu 14 May 2009.

Kala
One of the two security personnel shakes his head. "Honestly, I've got no idea what the specs on this thing are. She is definitely beautiful, though. You'd be Kala Jorn, right? If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your bunk and then I can introduce you to someone who can answer your questions."

He leads her into the ship and down a corridor. He shows her the refresher and the mess on the way. Her berth has a set of bunks. "I'm afraid we've got a full compliment on this run, so we're having to use every bed available. Fortunately, the common areas are real roomy. You'll be sharing this cabin with the Mandalorian, Krysten Tyner, but she hasn't arrived yet, so I guess you get to pick your bed."

Once she has dropped off her things, he indicates she should follow him. "I'll introduce you to Xel Lur, our engineer who can give you the technical specs and anything else you might want. I understand that you'll be our pilot, so you probably want to know what this baby can do."

They reach engineering and Kala's first vision of the chief engineer is only of work boots and pant legs sticking out from beneath the main power core. "Xel, the pilot is here and she's got some questions for you."

Scooting out from beneath the power core, the chief engineer is revealed to be a blue-skinned woman with short, feathery white hair, and grease smudges on her cheeks and overalls. She's holding a hydrospanner. She doesn't bother to get up off the floor. "You'd be Kala, then. Sit here and hand me tools. I'll answer all the questions you wanna ask," she says, indicating the toolbox at her feet.

The security guard excuses himself and returns to the boarding ramp.

Narik
Narik arrives in time to see Kala being led inside and so there is only one guard there to greet him. The man starts to salute, but stops himself. "Sorry, sir, but we're not allowed to salute, as much as its been drummed into most of us. I'm Connel Rees. I used to be in the Corellian Defense Forces, but they've had to downsize since the Emperor started consolidating the military. Most of the non-humans are ex-Republic types, who got booted when the Imperial military went pure human."

"If you'll follow me, sir, I'll show you to your cabin. We've got a full crew and passengers this trip, so it's definitely going to be tight. You got lucky, though. According to Kienaan, you're to be our acting Captain aboard the ship, so you get the Captain's cabin, off the bridge."

He leads Narik through the ship, showing him the refreshers and mess, as well as the common areas. "The bridge is right up there, sir. And this is your cabin." The cabin is relatively spacious. It's certainly bigger than most of those Narik has had before, and he gets this one all to himself. "Unless you have questions, sir, I should probably get back to the boarding ramp."

As Connel Rees made his introduction Narik was surprised to hear of the number of ex-soldiers involved in Jaerad’s operation. Narik wasn’t sure if it was good sign that the Empire had forced so many honourable men and sentients into this life.

”I was enlisted with both the Republic and Imperial Navies. I saw action during the war with the Separatists, the last thing the galaxy needs now is another war. The Empire could do with learning some tolerance for the non-humans” he chatted to Connel as he followed him through the ship. The spacious cabin was welcome and Narik placed his pack and datapad on his bed ”thanks Connel, you’ve been very helpful. I won’t keep you from your duties I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunity to talk once we’re in hyperspace” although Narik had some experience of leading men his highest rank had been of a Senior Deckman so wasn’t used to be accorded the rank of Captain. Maybe this mission would have its advantages.

Once Connel had left Narik alone he exited his cabin, he went to take a look around the bridge and then to search for the commons room.

Kala placed her bag on one of the bunks, and nodded slightly. She wasn't going to fight the mandalorian over bunks, and figured if she wanted to move her stuff, she was more then welcome to. She made sure her bags were locked, and headed off with the man towards engineering.

Once the introductions were complete, and the man left, Kala surveyed the surroundings. "Sure." She replied, as she knelt down at the toolbox. "Since I'll probably be flying this ship from time to time, I figured I'd start with the engines. How does she handle in the atmosphere, and space , and what's she rated for in hyperdrive?" She asked, as she looked down at the tools. "Also, since we might get shot at on occasion, how are we for weapons and shields?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Thu 14 May 2009.

Aadun waited in a nearby corridor, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and his head down.  He didn’t want to go to the ship and “check in” too close to time. This time, he was invited so there was no reason to rush over to the ship or to make up any elaborate schemes to get on board.  For a long time, he just stands here, watching the people as they mill about.

Eventually he sighs to himself and starts getting his stuff together.  He glances through, just making sure he wasn’t forgetting anything.  He couldn’t be sure that he could buy it once he was on planet since he’d never been there before.  This took only a few more minutes and then he was sauntering his way over to the ship, clearly not in any hurry at all.  He arrived at the boarding ramp and then waited there, admiring the ship.

The night had past with a certain air of restlessness. Neither nerves nor regret, the pinnacle of twilight was brought upon him by an inability to quiet his brain. Thoughts, questions, schemes, there was so much to do during what could very well be a two-week stay on the arid rocky world. Deep in the recesses of his mind, he could only wonder if Varis would come to them with a plan or if he would get the chance or be expected to enact his own.

By the time the afternoon sun was upon the casino, the swarthy figure of Sarrus approached. Hearing that Kienaan possessed a Banshee was one thing, seeing it was entirely another. It was a ship of ships, a gorgeous work of engineering after his own spoiled heart. When he arrived at the ramp, he could not help but stop and stare. However, as much as he admired the Crime Lord's vessel, part of him felt the emptiness of losing his own and that made him frown deeply.

Kaiten arrived at the ramp and joined the others in admiring the ship and awaiting his escort inside. His lightsaber wasat his belt, concealed by his robes and his mind was busy with the details of their mission. He wondered what he would do should he be asked to actually assassinate their target...well that would be a bridge to burn once he got there.

Kaiten had considered inquiring Jaeden about Keynes, but then decided against it for now. Keynes might have compained about him, and asking further could raise suspicions. Better first to gain Jaeden's trust by accomplishing this task successfully, then start his own maneuvering on behalf of the queen of Naboo.

Kala
Xel continues her work, asking for Kala to hand her tools occasionally as she answers the woman's questions. "This ship is one high-maintenance bitch, but she's worth every hour I have to put into her. If she had any cargo space to speak of, she'd be a first class blockade runner, because she's fast in atmosphere or in space, and she handles like a top-of-the-line fighter, too. In fact, between you and me, her sub-light engines are military grade, and so is her hyperdrive, which I've spent a lot of time tweaking to get to a Class 0.5.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting shot at, if I were you, either. Her shields are high-end, as strong as you can fit on a vessel this size, and she's got a second shield generator on top of that. If she takes a hit, she bounces back quick, which is good, since her hull is a little delicate, in spite of the reinforced bulkheads. She can fight back, too, but it would be better to run away. The quad laser cannons, ion cannons, and concussion missile launchers are all concealed and they're best kept as a secret against a serious need to use them someday."

She slides out from beneath the power core. "I think that about does it here. Now, I need to fine tune the hyperdrive again." She pats the power core fondly. "She's almost more effort than she's worth."

Narik
Narik looks over the bridge quickly, seeing the pilot's seat and co-pilot's seat are currently occupied by crewmen running pre-flight checks. The command chair is empty.

He finds the common room easily enough. It's currently empty, since most of the crew is busy right now, but there's enough seating for eight. He sees Aadun, Joron, and Kaiten all pass by over the next few minutes, being led by security personnel to their cabins.

Aadun, Joron, Kaiten
Security arrives back at the ramp a moment after Kaiten arrives to stand with the other two men. "Let's see. You would be Aadun, Joron, and Kaiten. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to your cabins. I'm afraid we're a bit tight on space this run. You'll have to share cabins. Two of you together, and then the third one will bunk with the Trandoshan, Bokha."

As the man leads you through the ship, he shows you where the refresher is, as well as the mess, and the common room, where you see Narik. Down a short corridor, he shows you to a pair of cabins, side by side against the outer hull. "Here we are. Bunk where you want. There's two beds in each cabin."

He excuses himself and heads back to the boarding ramp.

Narik
After he sees the three men pass by with security, Narik is surprised to find Varis entering the common area. She is attended only by a black and red astromech droid. She presses a switch on the wall in the common room and a panel slides back to reveal a turbolift. The astromech droid trundles into the turbolift alongside Varis. She smiles at Narik as the panel closes again and Narik hears the quiet whir of a turbolift as it moves upwards.

Narik gave a nod to the pilots but did not want to interrupt them so he went to the commons room and settled in there. As Aadun, Joron and Kaiten passed him he was more relaxed that they had previously seen him. He sat on a seat in the corner leaning against one of the walls. He waved a greeting but didn’t stand up.

Even as Varis Rei passed through he didn’t move but raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of a turbolift behind the wall. Despite his new assumed title of Captain it was evident who would be control of the operation.

Krysten was one of the last to show up, carrying her luggage in one hand and leaving the other free to grasp her carbine if needed.  She waited at the bottom of the ramp for one of the security personnel.

"Indeed," Joron replied when security returns to the ramp.

Despite any feelings to the contrary, the young gentleman maintained an air of serenity and aloof dignity when herded throughout the Lorelei. At times on their merry tour, he perked his brow but generally walked without asking questions. If anything, the Banshee-class had lived up to its expectations, leaving little, if anything, to fuss about. When the tour found its way to the common room, he offered Narik a courteous nod in greeting before they were shown to their cabins.

"Thank you," he said to the security officer before turning to look at the gentlemen with him. "When everyone is aboard and settled in, perhaps we may reconvene in the common room to discuss the mission? I would love to hear more on everyone's skills and your opinions." Then, with a smile, Joron walked into the first cabin to store his utterly modest amount of possessions.

"I will be there shortly." Kaiten replied to Joron, then went and stored his personal belongings in his cabin. Thereafter he took a brief walk of the ship, inspecting the bridge and the engines, before finally going to the commons where Narik was seated. Kaiten recalled seeing him in the arena and win a wager there. "Well, that was quite a fight wasn't it Narik? Unpredictable to those who only judge by appearances."

"You would be Krysten," says the security guard as he walks back down the ramp. "Please follow me. We've got a full ship this run, so you'll be bunking in with Kala Jorn. There's plenty of space in the common rooms, though, so you shouldn't feel too much pressure. Just hope she doesn't snore, I guess."

He leads Krysten through the ship, pointing out the refresher, the mess, the common room, which is empty, and shows her to the cabin. "I'm not sure whether Kala really cares if she has the top bunk or not, but good luck. Hopefully, Bokha will get here soon. Excuse me."

With that, he heads back the way they just came.

Aadun followed along interested in just checking out the ship and listening to the others for now.  Once he is shown the barracks, he goes ahead and places his things in the room with Bakha since it seems as good of a place as any to sleep.  It doesn't take very long, since he didn't bring that many things to begin with.  Afterwards he heads for the common room, figuring the sooner he meets up with his new comrades, the sooner he could figure out exactly what he's gotten himself into.

"Hello everybody," he says when he enters the room and gives a nod of his head to the people who were already gathered.  "I'm Aadun Ogden, it's a pleasure, I'm sure."

"Ahh. Well, it's a very custom ship. Usually that means they spend as much time down in the shop, then they do in the air." Kala replied, as she absorbed all the information about the ships as she could. "I'm used to flying some YT series transports, and the occasional fighter from time to time. So, any sort of ship is fine by me. This one just seems... different and unique, which is good, and bad at the same time. No one knows it's specs, but if someone wanted to find us, there's not that many of this class out there..."

She followed Xel to the main core, to see what was there, and if the woman wanted to continued talking.

Krysten dropped her luggage on the other bunk from Kala, as she didn't care whom had which bunk and also ensured the integrity of the seals before stepping out of the room and heading towards the common area, just in time to hear Ogden introduce himself.

"Hello again, Aadun."

She gave him a non-committal nod as he replied and continued on towards the bridge.  She was currently mainly interested in learning the layout of the ship as completely as possible.

It took only a modicum of time but without further ado Joron completed the small task of stowing his gear then left the cabin. Part of him had hoped to catch the Trandoshan or others on their way into the vessel but the rest of their group seemed....elusive. With a small nod to those already within the common room, the wayward young noble walked through the threshold and eyed those present.

"It seems improper to discuss thoughts and stratagem without all present. Has anyone seen Bokha or the others?" He asked with a small tilt of his head. The man in the gray robes had arrived prior to them, so it was possible the reserved man knew if they had or not. However, it seemed he had vanished without a trace. Just where had he run off to?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:40, Sun 17 May 2009.

Kala
Xel responds briefly to Kala's comments. "Yeah, she's definitely unique. But finding her is harder than you'd think. After all, with the altered transponder and other precautions, you've got to make a visual identification."

As Xel starts work on the next bit, she says to Kala, "You might want to make your way up to the bridge and check her out. You know, get a feel for her before you have to take her up."

Common Room
Narik is nowhere to be seen when the others arrive in the common room.

As Joron speculated on the whereabouts of the team a panel from one of the blank walls of the common room slid away to reveal a turbolift. Narik stepped out; the panel smoothly shut behind him forcing him to quickly snatch at the tail of his grey robes to prevent it catching in the door.

The ex-soldier nodded to those already assembled ”I saw the Zeltron board before I did, I don’t know about the Trandoshan” he answered Joron truthfully. The role of organising the group seemed to have naturally fallen to Joron so for the time being Narik let himself be led. ”I’m Narik” he introduced himself as he returned to seat he had taken earlier.

Narik had a moment where he was sure he recognised the younger man in brown and grey robes. All was revealed as Kaiten brought up the subject of the arena, ”I was lucky to back the winner. I saw the pair as even although I suspect many others who came to watch the fight did not hence the favourable odds I was able to obtain. It takes more than possessing a blaster to win a firefight, hey?”

One of the crewman from the bridge walks back to the common room. "Narik, sir, I have just been informed that the Trandoshan, Bokha, will not be joining the mission. We will be ready to launch on schedule, in five minutes." The crewman then excuses himself and heads back to the bridge to finish up the preflight.

It was a moment of inquiry, a time where eyes flickered and narrowed as the wall panel slid to reveal the man that had been in the room only moments ago. How the man in gray knew of what had to be a secret panel caught Joron's interest, as did the question of why. From what he gathered at the meeting, Narik was a new member of Jaerad's employ but this...this made him think slightly differently. With nothing short of a colluded gaze, he mulled those thoughts for a long moment as he listened to the man speak.

"Joron," the noble replied with a faint smile. In a way, the introduction somehow felt hollow and without its typical flair but such things were to be expected, at least until that other matter was resolved. The discussion between Narik and Kaiten while curious, did not hold his attention as much as the secret panel. "Whatever were you doing back there?" He asked, his eyes flicking curiously to the wall he exited.

However, when the crewmen arrived, Joron couldn't help but frown; it seemed further discussions would have to wait.

"Hey," he had said, when the woman in armor went through the room, not wanting to say her name since he couldn't remember what it was.  He was so sure she had told him, though so until she introduced herself again, he'd just have to get around saying anything.  Also, the armor itself was still bothering him.

After that he finds himself a seat and decides to watch the other people interact.  He made a mental note about he slide away panel on the wall, after Narik came in, but didn't give it any more thought than that.  What he did notice was that Joron seemed to react to it.  Also, upon hearing about Bokha, he gave an audible sigh of relief that he didn't have to share a room with him.

When the crewman announced the launch schedule Narik sat with his hands in his robes. ”Acknowledged” he answered the crewman formally ”one of our crew, a Zeltron is elsewhere” he informed the human before he returned to the bridge.

Narik then turned his attention back to Joron ”Varis Rei occupies the upper level of the starship. I was confirming our orders. As we have now all been informed launch will be in five minutes. I suggest everyone finds a seat and straps themselves in.”

Upon hearing Narik's explanation, Joron gave the wall one last glance before saying, "I see."

With curiosity sated -or so it seemed- the mission's male delegate acquiesced to to the soldier's suggestion and walked to an unoccupied seat where he could keep his eyes on the entire room. After strapping himself in -should the sofa offer such a thing- he turned to Narik to continue their conversation. "I take it there have been no changes in our mission plan?"

In response to Joron’s query Narik nodded his head ”things are as they were. We will travel to Ryloth and enter the city as a trade delegation with Varis as the chief delegate. It would be worth our while to plan what we should do after that. Should we divide our team to approach Orn’s offspring and assess our targets the Distombe Clan simultaneously or remain as one?”

"I think it would be prudent to give such hard working bodyguards a chance to unwind during the trip. A most...rewarding evening at a club the young Distombe frequents? At most, one member of the delegation could go, if for nothing more than to give reason to their being present or to act as a distraction. A chance encounter may happen...where," Joron stopped there, humming in a sing-song manner rather than outright stating how their target would die. "I had hoped that the  Trandoshan would be of some use to us. But now..." he trailed off with a frown. "In the end, it should not prove difficult to play on the Distombe's pride or lust. An accident could easily be arranged with the former, the latter is death by pretty poison."

"Splitting up would get the job quicker and if certain crew members feel like they would be better at certain jobs, then nobody has to have their time wasted.  It would draw the least amount of attention if we were in small groups, also.  However, the level of danger we will each face inreases if the group is smaller," he says, looking at Narik.

After that, he turns his attention to Joron and says, "As far as the assassination goes, we should figure out who wants to actually take the hit and devise a plan around that.  I'm betting most of us won't care, but we should at least ask first to see if somebody doesn't want to sully their hands.  Once we know why everyone is here, it should work itself out."

Joron looked to Aadun and nodded. "I agree and that is exactly why I wished to discuss the matter further before we arrived." After all, thinking up ways to be rid of a person was one thing, having the people or tools at their disposal to follow through with a preconceived plan was another. "This ship is probably the last safe haven we'll see once we're on the planet. Even with our cover as a trade delegation, once word of our arrival has spread, I'm certain more than a few curious eyes will be cast our way. It's best to make use of our privacy while we have it."

Kala had nodded to the mechanic, before heading out. She made her way through the common room, and up to the bridge, giving a passing nod to those assembled. Once on the bridge, she looked for the crew who were probably beginning their pre-flight checklist, seeing if any of them was giving orders.

When Kala walked through the room, Aadun made sure to give her a wave back, before turning back to Narik and Joron. "She seems really busy, I wonder where she's going.  Anyway, back to what we were discussing.  I couldn't agree more," he responded to Joron and then he nods his head.  "I don't like going anywhere unprepared.  Since we're in agreement, I suppose we should try to assemble the rest of the group as soon as possible so that we can make these decisions."

The dynamics of the team were an eye opener to Narik. He had long been used to the strict hierarchy involved with the military. Here they discussed the plan democratically, he wondered how they would fare if required to make a snap decision. Who would they turn to? It also came with the territory that killing was included and that everyone was expect to get their hands dirty. Then he remembered that some of these people were civilians. Those people he had pledged to protect. People for whom killing another sentient was no way the norm. It may have surprised the others to learn that any that stood up and said that they would not kill would earn the respect of Narik. The taking of another’s life was to be carefully considered and approached with an element of fear. If fighting could be avoided it should. Unfortunately Narik did not see an option in this mission to avoid killing.

”I agree that we should divide ourselves. Better to avoid attention and move more swiftly” he paused considered the others meeting each of their eyes, these were the people both the Republic and Empire had failed, the galaxy had been dragged through a war with the Separatists and was now ruled by the iron grip of the Emperor. Narik feared any rebellion that would devastate what was left, destroying the lives and homes of many civilians. Where he could help to keep peace and distance others from killing he would ”I will kill the Distombe” he announced his intentions gravely and without relish ”no-one else need accompany me unless they wish to”.

As Kala entered the bridge, Krysten gave her a nod while standing out of the way for the crew.  She was watching them work, gauging their efficiency and competency while at the same time memorizing the location of the various stations so that, should it be required, she would be able to at least stand in for a crew member.

The crewman sitting in the pilot's chair sees Kala enter and stands up to allow her to take his place. "The preflight is finished, ma'am. She's all yours."

As far as Krysten can tell, the crew is competent and efficient.

"Very well. Is our course already plotted?" Kala asks, as she takes a seat, and begins to familiarize herself with the controls, where they were placed, and what all of them would do. The crew and any others watching her could probably tell she was used to doing this, the way she settled in.

"And do we have to contact any ground control, and request takeoff clearance, or are we going to be just heading out?"

Aadun grows quiet for a moment in thought.  "Considering the political situation, it seems logical that our little socialite would have protection, whether he knows it or not.  His family probably has him guarded."

He then smiles for a moment and then nods his head.  "I may be wrong about this, but just in case you should consider taking at least one more person with you.  I'm not doubting your skills, but numbers can make for a tricky situation."

Noting the crew's capabilities, Krysten turned and began making her way to the common room.  There was no need to be anti-social, after all.  She managed to enter the common room just as Aadun was finishing his last sentence.

She took a seat silently, returning any greetings with a nod while waiting for the rest of the group to continue.

With the launch of the starship imminent Narik grew tense. Once they were airborne there would be no turning back and blood would be spilt. Whose blood would be decided by the fates but Narik would try his best to prevent it being his own.

As the armoured female entered the common room Narik turned to face her briefly before he replied to Aadun. The Zabrak had a point ”I’ll not refuse any that want to help” he agreed looking around the room at his companions.

"We have clearance for launch, ma'am and have a flight path to orbit already plotted and approved."

"Understood." Kala replied. Her hands began to fly over the controls, the engines beginning to cycle up. When the ship was ready to move, she eased it out of the hangar, and began to follow the flight path that the crew had gotten. Soon, they would be out of the atmosphere, and into space.

"Is our hyperspace course plotted as well?" Kala asked one of the crew.

[Private to The Force: You rolled 18 using 1d20+14 ((4)). Pilot check]

"Yes ma'am, the hyperspace jumps have already been input into the navicomputer and will only need minor computational adjustments based on our hyperspace jump point."

In the common room, there is a slight jolt of motion as the ship lifts from the hangar bay and eases out into the Nar Shaddaa sky. To those with piloting skills, Kala's take-off feels like it could use a little work, but that could easily be attributed to this being a new ship to her.

The motion of the ship as it took off may have been a little rough. Narik however made no comment. He had flown in smaller and bigger crafts, some were smoother others jarring. Nothing compared to the violent shaking of a ship being blasted by a bombardment of turbolasers, something Narik had been exposed to during his military career.

”We are decided then than on landing a group of us will begin surveillance on our target whilst the others make contact with Orn’s children. Does anyone want to volunteer to make that contact?”

Kaiten listened silently to the others, and when Narik asked his question he nodded slightly. 'I volunteer to meet with the children. We must be careful in executing this plan however, as the children will not be able to protect us from the fallout from an assassination.'

Whether by the ongoing discussion or the sudden jolt of the ship, a low throaty sound emitted from Joron Sarrus. It seemed almost odd, how people volunteered for one duty or another without clarification of their skills and why they felt they would be useful in that position. However, things were what they were and Jaerad must have given them each a certain position for a reason. Considering Narik was made head of security, he felt no compunction in the old soldier's request to do the hit.

"I have no objection," the noble began, eyes flicking to the man in gray. "Just be mindful to consult our female companions; it would be prudent to know where they stand." For a man so used to enacting his own plans, it seemed somehow odd to give control to another. But wasn't that what he had to do with the Crime Lord? Pushing those thoughts aside, he took care to point out a single thing. "Though his knowledge may prove unnecessary, do not overlook Brill. He, too, may have something to contribute to any plan you might have."

The look in his eyes said it all. Joron wished to hear more of Narik's plan and how he aimed to end the life of the young socialite. However, he soon turned to Kaiten to ask a simple question. "Tell me, do you speak Ryl?"

Krysten picked that moment to speak up.

"I am fluent in both Ryl and Bocce, and I can understand Huttese.  I can take part in either the assassination or meeting with the offspring, though I would prefer the offspring, as I can tend to be very...persuasive."

The lift off was a bit of be desired, and Aadun couldn't help but make a face but otherwise kept it to himself.  Once the conversation started back up, he went back to listening to everyone talk about the plan.  He wasn't sure yet whether he would be a better fit to go with Narik or to try and talk to either of the children.  Neither one jumped out at him as being something that could use his personal touch.

Once there was another lull in the conversation, he says, "Sorry, I don't speak Ryl.  My, uh, art is in something else."  With this he paused for a long moment, always slightly reluctant to talk about his skills with strangers.  "I'm a slicer and I want to be placed where my talents may be used."  At this point, he stops and gives off a friendly grin. "Though if there is no such place on this mission, I could be persuasive as well."

Cockpit
The ship slices effortlessly through the atmosphere and into orbit. Once in orbit, the crew makes the minor adjustments necessary to enter hyperspace and the co-pilot activates the hyperdrive after announcing it over the ship's intercom. At this point, Kala is free of her duties as pilot until the ship nears Ryloth, about thirty-six hours from now.

Common Room
There is a familiar lurch that comes on the heels of the announcement that the ship will be entering hyperspace, but otherwise the transition is smooth.

For any plan of action it was essential to be clear about all the factors that would be involved, Narik could not say that he was even close to forming a plan yet. His thin lips formed a smile ”until a team has been selected and we have made initial surveillance of our target I have no definite plan” he drew his hands from his robes and spread them out to indicate want to encompass the whole group in the discussion ”I have never travelled to Ryloth. After the meeting with Orn I spoke with someone who had. Orn’s declaration that he had been exiled from the city was no mere inconvenience. The surface of the planet is inhospitable, the Twi’lek dwell in caves. Living outside of the city must be harsh and difficult. In the city we will have to be wary, there will be few options to run and it will be easy for others to monitor our movements. The same can be said for our target however. Alternatively if the target leaves the safety of the city our task will be much easier to complete” Narik gave his summary ”in short we must learn more of the city and our target before we can formulate any plan.”.

Joron turned to the Mandalorian and offered the lady an inquisitive yet sincere smile. Just how was she persuasive? With words, a blaster or other means? Regardless of that, he was happy to hear that she spoke Ryl. It would certainly be a benefit to their duties, especially if used properly. Beings were known to fall back on their native tongue when in the presence of off worlders and when another does not know his guest speaks his tongue...

"As do I," he replied to Krysten. "Perhaps you could elaborate on your method of...persuasion?" When Aadun spoke of his talents, the noble's eyes flicked to him quickly. "Good, good...then you will be able to locate whatever bugs await us and tap into local security systems to help survey the area? Tell me, are you also good with machines?"

Looking to Narik, he nods in reply to the man's words. "Indeed. Beyond public appearances as a member of the delegation, I will be happy to assist you in the assassination." However, even as he spoke those words, his eyes foretold that he still had to speak to the other members of the delegation before things were definite. If he couldn't assist with the hit itself, he could at least assist in the plotting.

Kala made a note to spend some more time in the cockpit, studying the controls, and figuring out this new filly she needed to tame. Either way, she had a group of individuals she needed to introduce herself to. So, she let the co-pilot take over, and headed down to the common room.

Soon, she arrived at the room, seeing the group was already in discussion. "We're about 36 hours out of Ryloth, unless something pulls us out of hyperspace. I'm Kala Jorn, I fly ships, and I help diffuse potentially hazardous situations." She said, with a slight bow. Taking a seat, she nodded to the group. "I've met Aadun over there... and seen some of you around the casino."

One of the security guards walks into the common room a few moments after Kala gets there. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. Varis has invited you all to dine with her this afternoon. The meal will be served at two-thirty. She wanted to give you plenty of time to get ready and change, if you desire. She would like me to inform you that the attire is dress casual." The man actually looks a little uncomfortable announcing all of this.

After his announcement, he returns to his station.

After Joron had offered his assistance in the tracking and killing of their target Narik nodded but made no comment. Then as the final member of their group Kala joined them Narik spoke again to introduce himself ”Hello Kala, I’m Narik. We have been discussing our option once we reach Ryloth. It has been decided that we will divide into two groups. Krysten and Kaiten will make contact with Orn’s offspring whilst Joron and I begin observation of our target” he indicated with his hands his companions as he explained their roles ”I propose you join me and Joron as we begin our investigation whilst Aadun go with the others to speak with Brill”.

Narik kept his appearance smart at all times so at the announcement that their would be a formal dinner hosted by Varis he didn’t move but waited for any reaction to his proposal from his companions.

Krysten nodded towards Joron.

"I'm best at using my presence to intimidate, though I can also use physicality to forcefully persuade my target."

When the guard came in, she seemingly paid him no attention, though she heard and understood him.  She would have to polish her armor if she was going to appear appropriate for the dinner.

Kala blinked a few times. Her race wasn't exactly one that had fallen into obscurity, had it? Shaking her head, she looked back at Narik.

"I think my talents could probably be better served on the team that is going to meet the children. I have a natural talent in making people understand, and do as I ask, and I can be rather persuasive, with words and such alone." She said, as she gave a little shrug. All of the sudden the air seemed to get a little sweeter perhaps, some faint something on it. "You must understand, my homeworld has been invaded many times over the eons we've existed, But, no one has ever stayed as a conquerer for long. There's a reason for that... So, I ask you to please let me be on the team that talks to the children..."

08:12, Today: Kala Jorn rolled 33 using 1d20+14. Persuade, Change attitude.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:22, Sat 23 May 2009.

Narik’s selection of Kala to accompany him had not been based on any trait her species were renowned for. His reason however he did not explain. Instead he accepted her choice without comment or complaint, ”Kala you can go with the team to talk with Brill if you wish”.

”Then Aadun your talents could be use to us as we assess our target, if you’ll agree to join us” he asked the Zabrak.

"It would depend on the machine, I would suppose.  I brought my tool box, just in case," he responds to Joron and then sits back and listens to the proceedings.  When Kala made her plea his jaw dropped a bit, but he tried to quickly hide it.  He made a mental note that he'd have a hard time with her and was sort of glad when Narik put them on separate teams.

"Sure, I'll join you.  I can hold my own in a fight if it comes to it, so I shouldn't hold you back, or anything," he says to Narik and then goes back to listening to the conversation.

It was a gentle reprieve, the news of their estimated time of arrival mixed with the invitation to lunch. When Kala introduced herself, Joron Sarrus made a point of acknowledging the Zeltron with a small nod of his head and the utterance of his first name. Beyond that, he did not speak of his trade nor did he speak of his skills. However, that may have been more to do with the sudden appearance of the security guard than it did with secrecy. His attention stolen, he turned to address the guard.

"A luncheon with the Duchess sounds lovely, thank you." Joron casually replied before returning his attention to the group. Interested in the Mandalorian's response, he gazed toward the reflective visor until she spoke an answer. "I see," he gave her a brief nod. "A most different approach than..." His eyes looked to Kala who was presently conversing with Narik.

Then it hit him, the sweet scent in the air that could only mean one thing. With a small twitch of his lips, the noble shifts his body and eyes the human and alien coolly. [private to Kala Jorn: You may sense a sudden burst of pain from Joron - perhaps as a tactic to distract his mind and body from your scent.] It was amazing how some people could be looked down upon for using poisons or other means to control a person and not Zeltrons - a species that could control sentient beings through use of their pheromones and emotion projection. Kala's natural abilities were the perfect reason why she was suitable for either side of the fence. However, observations were one thing, interaction was another.

"We have two weeks, there's no use to be hasty." he stated with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Our eventful itinerary will likely have much to do with Brill's business and it is very likely all of us will be present at the initial meeting. After all, we're part of Kaartuum Design Consortium. This cover should enable us to meet with him as we please to further any needed...negotiations. Depending on time of arrival and time of any scheduled meeting, we may or may not have ample time to observe our surroundings. If there is time before, Aadun, Narik and myself may play the role of tourists and learn what we may and act as necessary. If there is not, we will seek refuge from the mundane negotiations in one of the clubs the young Destombe finds pleasure. Others would be free to join us, of course."

Beneath his humble facade, there was something incredibly lurid about Joron not unlike a skilled dejarik player. His mind was already anticipating possible moves and there was no sure way of telling how far he'd already planned ahead. And in a brief moment of silence, the noble eyes look to Krysten and Kala, perhaps seeing either of them as a means to lure the Head Clan Member into a deadly trap. Without missing a beat, his eyes continue on to Aadun and Narik.

"There are many ways to be rid of the Distombe, ways that include either of your skills." Indeed. Between outright use of a blaster or a blade, droids could be sabotaged, consoles or speeders rigged to explode and all while security was helpless to record it all. "Though my mind often questions the daughter, Sinya. Have the three of you given that any thought or will you be relying on your-" Joron paused and offered Kala, Krysten and Kaiten a curious smile. "-charms and play it by ear?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:38, Sun 24 May 2009.

They had been warned that Orn’s daughter Sinya would be more difficult to deal with than his son Brill. That warning had led Narik to reason that assistance from her could not be relied upon, it was an avenue worth investigating however so the soldier agreed with Joron idea ”it’ll be worthwhile making contact with Sinya but we must treat any contact with her with caution as it was made clear to us that she does not have the same ambition as her father. We would not want her to obstruct us, I believe intimidating her would be a bad idea” he advised the group.

”Again I agree than we will be on Ryloth for two weeks but we should not assume we can afford to take that long. The Ziveri Clan may not be the only clan to with an ambition leader. Other rivals may also have plans which could prevent our own if we leave it too late” he warned.

"We do have the other matter to attend to as well then. If one team is talking to Brill, and another is going to the clubs that the young target frequents, who is talking to Sinya. Remember that it was suggested in the meeting that we talk to both siblings at once, and that Sinya would be harder to persuade then Brill. And that suspicion would be raised if we don't talk to her at the same time. I am sure she keeps tabs on her sibling, who comes and goes from his office. Hopefully we have enough disguises and fake identification to fool any spies or such that she has." Kala said, as she nodded her head a little. The sudden burst of the pain emotion had caught her attention, though, she was wondering why Joron had done it. If he was trying to resist her particular pheremones, he was going about it the wrong way, or he just liked to cause himself pain. If they were going to work together, he would be exposed to them all the time, after all.

"So, aside from the need to have someone fairly persuasive talk to Sinya, we also have to figure out why exactly would it be harder to convince her. Being a woman means nothing really in this situation, as there have been plenty of women in power or aspiring to get power who would do something like this... I think we are going to need someone to tail her, preferably someone who doesn't meet her, since they would only raise suspicion. There is obviousally more to this then meets the eye. So, we need information, we need to know exactly what is going on here." She said, as she nodded.

"I would agree that intimidation on Sinya is not our best route. Whatever is causing her to be more difficult than Brill will also mean she would not react well to threats. A threat is only good if you are either willing to carry it out, or can convince the person that you will carry it out. I think she would be the kind of person who might react poorly to either thing, and we might find security coming after us. Trying to persuade her that this is the right thing would be ideal, especially if we manage to figure out what exactly is holding her back from following her father's wishes."

Giving a small shrug, she relaxed in her chair. "So, shall we prepare for the dinner, or keep discussing our plans?"

”I believe that Orn gave the explanation for Sinya reluctance that she held no desire to get involved in politics, rather she would remain a regular citizen of Kala’unn than be its head” Narik offered as explanation for what might be the most difficult obstacle they would face ”it seems we are not yet in a position to make many decisions regarding the mission but rather we should focus on gathering as much information as possible. Maybe the next discussion we have should be to prioritise what information we should aim for and what we will do to get it”.

”For now however we should prepare for dinner” the soldier stated as he gathered up his robes and headed toward the bridge and his cabin.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:46, Sun 24 May 2009.

'Orn, was a hard man to read...' Kala thought. 'I doubt he was telling us the whole truth.' She stood up and nodded to the others. "Well, I will see you all at the dinner. I have to... freshen up, as they say." She said, as she followed Narik out of the room, and headed for the shared quarters.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:38, Mon 25 May 2009.

"Indeed." Joron nodded to Kala. "We need only find the right buttons to press. Gathering information will be important in this endeavor." At times such as this, a plant or droid could be adequate for spying or coercing through honeyed whispers. With Aadun to aid them, it shouldn't prove difficult to keep an eye on things. That, however, did not preclude someone else from doing the same.

"Personally, I feel that I will retire to my cabin and prepare for dinner. We may discuss this further another time." Standing to his feet, Joron offered the group a polite bow then ventured out of the common room and toward his shared quarters.

Kaiten listened quietly to the others before saying, "I can volunteer to speak with Sinya. I am skilled in...persuading people. Any who wish to join me are welcome." He then nodded at Joron and aded, "Yes, let us prepare for dinner. It would be best not to keep our host waiting."

Krysten listened carefully to what the other people in the group were wanting to do.  She would enter her notes into her datapad later.  When they began to break up for dinner, she headed towards her own quarters.  There wasn't much time, and she still needed to wipe down her armor.

She reached the room she and Kala were going to be sharing shortly before Kala did, and went about removing the armor plates she would be unable to reach.  Digging into the footlocker she had claimed, she found her small tin of wax and the cloth wrapped around it.  Opening it up, she began expertly polishing the plates of dark blue armor.  Her quick, efficient movements quickly moved the armor from a dull blue to a dark sheen, gleaming in the shipboard lights.  She was a couple of plates in when Kala stepped in, and Krysten gave Kala a nod of greeting.

"We met last night, albeit briefly, at the casino.  I'm Krysten."

Kala wandered into her room, and saw the woman polishing up her armor. 'I wonder if she sleeps in that...' She thought, before shaking her head. "I'm Kala, Kala Jorn. Pilot, and negotiator." She replied, as she nodded back to the woman. Normally, she would have offered her hand in greetings, but the other woman was occupied.

"It's always hard to figure out what to wear when someone says to dress casual..." Kala said, as she began to go through her outfits. "On my homeworld, Casual is... well, a little revealing. But most of our companions probably couldn't stand that type of thing, at least off the bat..."

Eventually, she came upon a dress that would be almost skin-tight, but wasn't that revealing. "This one work?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:30, Mon 25 May 2009.

Aadun lagged behind while the other people in the group were getting up to leave.  Finally, when the room was pretty much clear, he stood up and walked off to his room.  'This is going to be interesting...' he thinks to himself and tries to mentally put everything together.  Since they had two weeks, it would be prudent for them to spend part of it on reconnaissance and watching, which was fine for him.  He kind of wondered how well they'd get along, all things considered.

When he got back to his room, he remembered that he no longer had a roommate, so he claimed the bottom bunk for himself.  He finds a mirror and washes his face, cleaning up his appearance and he puts on some clean clothes, but nothing fancy.  It was best to take "casual" at face value, after all.

Time progresses forward. This thread resumes after dinner.