It was a warm night on the agricultural world of Cyllene.  The local farmers were having a festival in the town square of the settlement Bandel.  At the local Inn, things were a bit more quiet and it was there that Jawn Maque'in could be found.

Few of the patrons noticed as the door the Inn opened and a beautiful blonde woman sauntered in and sat down next to the scruffy-looking gunslinger.

"My offer is still on the table," she said, ordering a drink from an equally attractive female bartender.  "We could really use your help."

Jawn downed his second Johrian whiskey of the day, and said "Another," to the bartender as he put his glass down.

He pushed up the front of his wide-brimmed hat before answering the blonde.  "And my answer is still the same.  Not unless, in addition to my pay, I get room and board, which includes," he said, tapping the top of his shot glass with his index finger, "drinks."

In reply to Jawn Maque'in (msg #2):

"You drive a hard bargain," the woman replied.  Sipping her drink.  "I'll talk to my superiors.  For the most part, however, you'll be operating off of a ship.  Is that going to be a problem?"

"As long as I don't have to fly the ship, and as long as the ship is fully stocked..." Jawn guzzled down his third Johrian whiskey, clearly indicating that he meant fully stocked.  "It shouldn't be a problem.  You just let me know when you hear back from those superiors of yours."  With that, he pulled the front of his hat back down and ordered another drink.

"I'll see what I can do," the woman downed a whole shot, paid and left.  The bartender watched her go.

"So, what are you doin' tonight, Jawn?" Maddie, the bartender and Jawn's current squeeze, asked.  "The locals are having their big festival.  We could check it out."

Jawn tilted his hat back up, and glared at Maddie with drunken eyes.  "We could, Maddie, we could," he said, a slight slur creeping into his voice.  "I tell you what, if that...businesswoman doesn't come back before then, we will."

"Okay," Maddie smiled and went back to work.  By the time her shift was about to end, Nell hadn't returned and likely wasn't going to until the next day.  "Alright, Jawn.  Let's go."

Right now Jawn was hoping he would be able to walk without Maddie's help.  He made sure to focus on only one step at a time and he managed to pull off an almost undrunk stagger.  "So, what kind of fun can we have at the festival?" Jawn asked, trying to disguise his hiccup.

"Well you've already covered the drinking," Maddie laughed.  "There's food and dancing.  Some weird Ithorian harvest festival stuff.  Trinkets and the like.  Maybe you could buy me something."

"Maybe I will," Jawn replied.  "What would you like?  Sky's the limit."  Then he stopped and thought for a minute.  "How much do I have left after I pay my tab?"

"Nothing," Maddie said.  She kissed Jawn on the cheek.  "But I'll pay for that and then you can get me something shiny.  Things are more fun when you aren't the one who pays for them."

"Very well then, something shiny it is." Jawn said, more confidently now.  Jawn headed towards the vending booths to find his girl a trinket.

The night was a blur of fun, dancing and delicious food.  Jawn was pretty sure that Maddie was probably the most amazing woman he'd ever met; she was nice, attractive and out-going.  The beautiful, polished wooden arm-cuff with carvings and set, green stones looked amazing on her shapely arm.

* * * *

As Jawn walked Maddie home, holding her hand, he thought about asking to stay the night.  But then he remembered how he'd ended up on Cyllene in the first place and changed his mind.  As they reached her door, he gave her a kiss on the lips and said "Thanks for the wonderful time Maddie.  Good night."  Then he turned and walked back towards his place.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:01, Wed 23 Apr 2014.

The next morning Jawn was woken up to the sounds of pounding on his door.

"Jawn!" Maddie shouted from outside.  "Jawn, wake up!  It's Ardulla!  He's parading around with his bodyguards; there's going to be a fight, I just know it!"

As bad as his hangover headache was, not helped at all by Maddie's pounding and shouting, Jawn knew what his duty as [insert equivalent word for sheriff here] was.  "I'm coming," he called back through the door.  He quickly got up, got dressed and pulled on his holster, checking to make sure his blaster was fully charged.  As he got dressed, he tried to remember what he knew about Ardulla.

When Jawn got outside the sun was frustratingly bright and the sound of festivities couldn't be heard replaced with murmuring.

Jawn took a quick look around to get the lay of the land and see where the trouble might start.

Jawn noticed a crowd of people in the village square.  He could hear the rumbling sounds of a Hutt.

Jawn headed towards the square and the Hutt's voice, drawing his heavy blaster pistol in anticipation of trouble.  He even readied an action that if anybody raised a weapon he would fire on them.

As soon as Jawn exited the crowd he saw the large Hutt looking around at everyone.

<Well, well, a lovely time we're having, isn't it?> he said via his translator.  <I certainly hope you won't mind if I join in.>

"I don't think anyone will mind Ardulla," Jawn spoke up.  "So long as you keep things under control."  Jawn made sure to flash his badge to remind Ardulla just who he was.

<Hohohoho,> Ardulla laughed.  <The sheriff.  How quaint.>

Ardulla moved over to a booth set up for the festival to sell trinkets then slithered over to one that sold a lovely vegetable stew.

<Well, it looks like we've got time on our hands.>  Ardulla stared down the vendor.  <Perhaps we should think of renegotiating our protection agreement.  It looks like you could afford to give me more than you are.>

"Move along Ardulla," Jawn said.  "We don't need any of your racketeering here.  Just leave these folks be."

<Hohohoho!> Ardula replied.  <The sheriff is posturing.  I'll tell you what; this is a festival so let's have a contest.  My guard in a showdown with you!  Regardless of the consequences, I'll leave.  You can't lose!>
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:40, Thu 05 Feb 2015.

OOC: "I can too loose.  I'll loosen right up."  Oh, you meant lose.  JK.

"Very well, I accept," Jawn said, holstering his weapon.

OOC: I'm assuming that my readied action won't count for this duel. If not, then I leave my action readied, and I'll be sure to draw before he does.  If so, what do you want me to do now, roll for Init?

OOC Sure, we'll let it count.

IC Ardulla indicated for one of his burly Rodian guards to step forward.  Both stood at the ready to fire.

"<Go ahead,>" Jawn said in Rodese.  "<Make my day.>"

OOC: Not sure what else you want me to do here.  When he goes to draw, my readied action will make sure I draw first.  Do you want me to roll for attack?
This message was last edited by the player at 18:30, Thu 20 Nov 2014.

OOC Si.  Roll for attack.

OOC: 3 (ranged atk) + 9 (roll) + 4 (FP) = 16

OOC Roll for damage.

OOC: 13.  Remember that I have Devastating Atk(pistols), so his damage threshold is 5 less.

Jawn pulled and shot before the guard could even twitch, swiftly felling the Rodian, leaving a gaping hole in his chest.

Jawn swirled his blaster back into its holster dramatically.  "There, now you've had your contest, Ardulla," Jawn stated.  "Now get out of here and leave everyone be."

<Hohoho!> Ardulla rumbled.  <You win today, sheriff, but I'll be back.>

Ardulla and his shaken guards (dragging their fallen comrade) left.

When Jawn realized everyone was still staring, he shouted, "All right folks, show's over; nothing to see here.  Go back to your merriment and frivolity."

There was a cheer that went up as Ardulla and his men left.  The crowd pressed in on Jawn, patting him on his back.  Over everyone's heads, Jawn saw Orwaw and his fellow priests looking at you.  Orwaw nodded to Jawn in gratitude.

Jawn found the acknowledgement from the leader of the nature sect a little strange--they had never interacted much before--but he returned with a slight tip of his hat.  He attempted to wade through the crowd without being rude by ignoring them.  He was neither used to attention nor wanted it, but he knew the people needed someone to rely on to keep them safe.  He made his way towards Maddie.

As he reached Maddie's side, he said, "C'mon Maddie, let's get out of here.  My headache is starting to come back with all this noise."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:53, Tue 12 May 2015.

"Jawn!  You're a hero now!  You've got to stay and enjoy the adulation some!"  Maddie placed her hand on his arm.

"I am NOT a hero!" Jawn seethed, pulling his arm away from Maddie, trying to keep the flashback from appearing before his eyes.  "There are many things I am Maddie, but a hero is not one of them."  He stomped off towards Maddie's bar.  "I need some stimcaf," he called back loudly.

Maddie looked over at Orwaw who grimly nodded to her.

"Jawn, wait!"  Maddie followed the gunslinger into the bar.  Jawn nursed his drink as the two sat alone in the dark.  Maddie took his hand.  "What do you mean  you're not a hero?"

Jawn considered pulling his hand out of Maddie's, but decided he might have hurt her already when he had done so before, so he squeezed her hand instead.  At the same time he squeezed his eyes shut still trying to repress the images that threatened to appear before them.

"It's nothin' babe," Jawn said as he opened his eyes again and gave her a weak smile.  "Just somethin' that happened a long time.  It doesn't matter now."

OOC Roll for Perception.

OOC: 7 + 13 = 20.

"Here, on the house," Maddie poured Jawn a drink then one for herself.  "To leaving the past where it belongs."

OOC: And apparently someone's Deception or Stealth check was higher than my Perception roll.

"I'll drink to that!" Jawn said emphatically, clinking his glass against Maddie's before downing the drink in one gulp.

"Let's go back out there, just you and me.  No past, no future.  Just now."
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:45, Thu 21 May 2015.

Jawn seriously considered Maddie's offer, but then thought better of it.  "Naw Maddie.  If we go back out there, it won't be just you and me.  The festival's still going on.  I'm just not in the mood for a crowd."  Instead he got up and walked over to the dart board, picked up a set of darts and started to toss them.

After a few darts Jawn found himself losing focus and his darts missing their target.

"On second thought, maybe I'd better go sleep this off at my house." Jawn commented, thinking somehow he must already be drunk again.

"Are you alright?" Maddie asked, moving over to Jawn.  "Here, let me get you back to your place."

Maddie put Jawn's arm over her shoulder and attempted to lead him out of the bar.  After a few minutes of stumbling around Jawn hazily became aware that they were not heading back to his place but into the woods.

"Hey!" Jawn said trying to sound both upset and indignant, and failing miserably.  "Where are we going?"

"I'm taking you to Orwaw," Maddie explained.  "You seem a little more worse for wear than just drunk."

Through the haze of whatever was affecting him Jawn realized this wasn't the way to Orwaw's either but by then it was too late, Jawn and Maddie exited into a clearing where the entire village was gathered together around a large pit with a bonfire.  Over the pit was a wicker cage.  Waiting in front of the fire was Orwaw.

<Take him,> Orwaw ordered and two burly villagers came and took Jawn away from Maddie.  Jawn looked back at Maddie who was looking down at the ground before she seemed to slip back into the dark forest.  The villagers placed Jawn in the cage and hoisted it high over the fire.  Jawn could feel the heat but it wasn't quite unbearable.

"Orwaw, what's going on?" Jawn demanded in as stern a voice as he could muster in his stupor.  "Why are you doing this?"

<You are our champion!> Orwaw explained.  <And you shall continue to be our salvation!>

He turned back to the crowd.

<Bring the sacrifice!>

Dragged in by no less than 15 strong men was Ardulla the Hutt, trapped in a net.

<I shall have all of you skinned alive for this!> Ardulla shouted.  <The Hutts will never let this insult stand!>

The men dragged him to the edge of the fire pit then rolled him in.  Ardulla screamed as the flames consumed him.  The excessive fuel of his fatty body made the flames reached as high as Jawn's cage.  The last thing he heard as Orwaw and the villagers chanting as the heat overcame him.

* * * *

Jawn woke up coughing and shivering on the ground.  He could tell by the cool air and the lightening of the sky it was early in the morning.

"Don't move, you're still weak."  Jawn recognized the voice of the Rebel woman, Nell.  Jawn closed his eyes, they were dry from the smoke and heat from the night before.  He felt as her cold fingers touched his forehead, then his neck as she felt his pulse.  "The medkit seems to be working.  You'll be fine in about half an hour."

Jawn heard the sound of voices in the distance and heard as Nell turned towards them.

"Imperials are coming, I can't stay," she said.  "You'll be fine and I'll come back for you."

Jawn heard her packing up her gear then taking off into the forest.  A few minutes later he heard the less elegant sounds of Stormtroopers hustling into the clearing.

"Well, well, well, what have we here," he heard a silky voice said.  Jawn opened his eyes and saw a tall, thin, Falleen.  His dark, crisp attire made it clear he was an Imperial of some sort.  "Get him up."

The Stormtroopers hauled Jawn from the ground and brought him before the Falleen.

"I am Imperial Inquisitor Anilidae," he stated.  "What happened here?"

Jawn's head was still reeling from everything that had happened, and now this Imperial expected him to explain it.  But he knew better than to delay his answer too long, especially since he was greatly outnumbered, and he wasn't even sure he still had his blaster on him--and he wasn't about to feel for it with stormtroopers around him.  He also thought that he remembered that Inquisitors were special agents for the Emperor, though he couldn't remember exactly what they did.

Finally he decided to tell them, "I'm not sure exactly.  These crazy locals drugged me, then put me in a cage over a fire.  They threw a Hutt into the fire, and I thought they were going to kill me.  I passed out and then woke up here on the ground just before you arrived."  Jawn spoke hurriedly, his voice carrying the anger that he felt.

Anilidae touched Jawn's face with his fingers before stepping back.

"Take him to the shuttle," he instructed.  "But carefully, he's our guest."

The Stormtroopers hauled Jawn off.  As he looked back he saw Anilidae pondering the grove.

* * * *

The Stormtroopers hauled him off to the village and onto a landing pad where their Lambda-class shuttle sat landed.  The Stormtroopers deposited Jawn in a chair then ordered the pilot and co-pilot to take care of him while they returned to guard Anilidae.  The crew grumbled but went about their task of patching Jawn up.

Just as they were finished all three heard a chirping of an astromech droid.  The two crew members turned and sure enough having somehow an R2 unit had stealthily rolled up the landing ramp.  It was crimson coloured with silver accents .

"Lost without your owners?" the pilot asked, clearly referencing the now deserted township.  He and the copilot approached the droid.  As soon as they were within reach the R2 unit extended its shock probe and attempted to fire at the Imperials.  They tripped over one another in surprise and in the confusion the Rebel woman dashed up the landing ramp and shot them both dead.  The R2 unit made a unsatisfactory sound.

"Language, darlin'," the woman said.  "You distracted them just as I'd asked.  Now go get this ship all opened up for us so we can take off."  The R2 unit beeped a reply and trundled off.  "Looks like those pilots did my job for me.  How're you feelin'?"

"Better, I guess," Jawn replied, still a little confused as to what had just happened.  However, he only added, "I thought when you were recruiting me you said you had your own ship."

"My friend has that covered, I could pass up a chance to steal an Imperial shuttle!" she replied.  "I'm Nell, by the way.  I never did give you a proper introduction."

She leaned over and offered to help Jawn up.

Jawn took the proffered hand only somewhat reluctantly, glad to finally be standing.  "Nice to meet you Nell.  I'm sure you already know my name is Jawn Maque'in.  So what now?  I'm pretty sure those other Imperials are going to come back soon, and I'd just as soon not be here when they do."

The R2 twortled from the front.

"Sounds like we're ready to take off so I can get that done too," Nell moved into the cockpit.  "You can join me up here if you want."

"Sure," Jawn replied, "just a sec."  Jawn made sure that the landing ramp was up and that everything else was secure and then headed to the cockpit.  He knew he wouldn't be of much use up there, with no piloting or computer skills, but he didn't want to just sit in the back by himself.

"Take us away, T8," Nell said once everyone was strapped in.  The ship lift up and was soon heading into space.  As they exited the atmosphere a light on the console started blinking.

"The comm," Nell said.  "How good are you at impersonations?  We may be getting called from the Imperial's main ship."

"Will it be audio only, or visual as well?" Jawn asked.

"Just audio from the looks of it."

"I'm good either way," Jawn said, a little bit of pride creeping into his voice.  "I just wanted to know if I needed to go strip one of those Imps," he said, jabbing his thumb towards the back.  "Go ahead and patch them through."

"Pilot!  Is the Inquisitor finished with his search?"

"Not yet, he's asked us to pick up some more troops so he can speed his search." Jawn lied.

There was some mumbling on the other side of the line before the officer got back on.

"Proceed as instructed."

A list of data pulled up on the screen.

Jawn breathed out a sigh of relief, understanding how close that had probably been.  He pored over the information, trying to find a way that they could look like they were picking up more troops, while actually getting away with the ship.

Nell charted up a course on the Nav.

"If we go this way we'll aim towards them until here, it'll only be a short hop to turn and jump into hyperspace."

"All right, let's do it then," Jawn agreed.  "Will your friend be able to make it off world safely in your other ship?"

"He'll be just fine," Nell said.  T8, hooked into the ship, navigated them into space and vaguely in the direction of the Imperial Star Destroyer in orbit.  As they made it farther into space their ship began to change trajectories and aim for deep space.  Almost as soon as they had changed directions, though, Jawn saw two TIE fighters heading their way.

"Are we going to make the jump point before those TIE fighters reach us?  Or do I need to worry about getting to a gunnery station?" Jawn asked with concern.

"Uh...I'd get to a gunnery station, just in case," Nell said.  "Hurry and get us out of here, T8 darlin'."

Jawn got to the nearest gunnery station as fast as he could, powering it up, putting on the headset hanging nearby and sighting in on the nearest TIE fighter.  "I'm holding off until they fire at us, just in case we can make the jump first," Jawn said through his headset.  "And also so you don't realize I have no experience with ship weapons," he thought to himself.

The TIE's drew closer but it didn't take long to get out of the gravity well and T8 took them into hyperspace.

"Well, not even close," Nell said.  "Well done, Tate, remind me to give you a good cleaning when we get back home."

"Tate?  You've named your droid?" Jawn said a little in surprise.

"T8, so Tate," Nell said.  "Made sense.  He's got more personality than most people I know."

"I s'pose," Jawn said incredulously.  "To tell you the truth, I've not interacted much with droids," he admitted.

OOC HA!  I just realized: "More personality than some people I know", who recruited her?

IC  "Well, this little guy's gonna be hangin' around you a lot," Nell said.  "He's our main astrogator."

OOC: Well, technically it was the girl in the group, whose name escapes me; but yes, I know, Red Smirn, who you once said got blown over by the wind because he was two-dimensional.

"I guess I'll have to get used to him then," Jawn admitted.  "And I do appreciate you getting us out of that last scrape," Jawn said, addressing the droid.  "So where are we heading anyway?" he asked.

OOC Cala Worner.

IC  "Our ship," Nell said.  "We're stationed far away from anyone in the middle of no where."

"And, uh, what sort of facilities does this ship have?" Jawn asked finally starting to feel more like himself.

Nell laughed.

"More than enough to keep even you happy."

The ship lurched as they dropped out of hyperspace.  Before them was the massive emptiness of space.  As far as the eye could see was empty planets or other nearby celestial bodies.  The ship continued forward until it an Action-VI transport came into view.  Heavily modified, it's top was covered in antennae and there was a large hanger bay in it's side.  Pointing forward as a heavy double turbolaser and small point-defense double laser cannons spotted the hull.

"Ugh, I hate this Lambda Shuttles, they're so tall but we should still fit in the hanger."