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."