Ask A Chance Encounter

[Jendu Gash]

The sound of a toolbox clattering to the ground rang out across Dekk's workshop, a run down building in the seedier district of a Cato Neimoidian bridge city. Jendu Gash stared down at the pile of metal implements he'd just dropped and then up at the three angry looking people stood in the open doorway of the workshop. An expression of fear spread across his face as he recognised the scarred faces of the street thugs that regularly came by the workshop for Dekk's protection money. He was the only one in the workshop at the moment, and these people had a reputation for shooting first and asking questions later. The Duros didn't take long to make up his mind. "Hey!" A gravelly voice shouted as he sprinted out of the building's back entrance.

The sun continued to set over the city streets as Jendu shakily clutched his stun pistol. The multitude of shouts and thudding footsteps behind him were drawing ever closer, but the thought of fighting these people was almost unthinkable. Where had it all gone so wrong? It was times like these that the Duros deeply regretted ever leaving Onderon. What would his father think if he could see his son now? Rounding a corner past a row of market stalls packing up for the day, Jendu came to an abrupt halt. One of the thugs had found a shortcut and now stood only a few feet away from Jendu, brandishing a serrated vibroknife that made its purpose as a weapon very obvious. "You got somewhere to be, boy?" The bulky Cerean man asked him with a smirk, stepping closer.

@Charles @Ruus’all Solus

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus'all dreaded these damned patrols. Cato Nemodia was soooo boring, too, which made it even worse. He was garbed in his Beskar'gam, green and red, walking aimlessly around the city waiting for just anything to happen. His WESTAR-17 was slung over his shoulder in it's sleeve so you couldn't quite make out what kind of blaster rifle it was. In his holster at his hip lied his WESTAR-35 blaster pistol at the ready- but he'd probably not need to use it. Then, his lightsaber was under his amorweave battle-skirt, masked an hidden from the public until the time was right to use it.

He was one decked out looking Mandalorian.

Just as he turned a corner, Ruus'all got the attention he wanted as a couple of thugs began closing in on some Duros kid in the market. Ruus needed to be careful though, he didn't want to stop legit officials or bounty hunters- they looked more like bounty hunters than officers -from catching a culprit.

"Hey there, fellas. What did forehead here do this time?" He said, moving to stand a few feet behind the man with his shiv out, ready to jump the gun incase these thug-looking characters turned on Ruus'all-Something was special about this kid, and Ruus'all needed him alive, regardless of what he did to piss these guys off enough to chase him down the street.

Ruus'all very subtly moved his right hand down to the handle of his blaster pistol, ready to quick draw and kill these suckers dead. The Force moving around them was vicious and bent on murder- the Dark Side emanated from these men, whether they were Force users or not. But Ruus wasn't an unreasonable zealot- if these guys could be convinced to shape up, Ruus would take that chance.

Buuuut, if push came to shove, Ruus would have to shove them down the nearest manhole and seal it off after dropping a frag grenade to join the motely crew. That would be mildly amusing.

@Headastator

 

[Jendu Gash]

His eyes half closed, Jendu had all but given up. The other two debt collectors had caught up with him now, forming an inescapable circle around him. With his hands slowly raising up above his head, the Duros struggled to find some desperate plea to choke out. Then everything seemed to stop. Someone else was here that had drawn the attention of the thugs for a brief moment. There was a calm, confident presence approaching, giving off a vague aura that made Jendu somehow know this man meant him no harm.

As the thugs turned their attention to the newcomer, so did Jendu. Wow. A Mandalorian? A real Mandalorian? He'd heard stories, but never thought he'd be meeting one today. The man spoke, but Jendu was too awestruck to really process what was being said. He had sometimes been able to tell if a force user had been present in the past and a similar feeling was currently emanating from the Mandalorian. Quickly scanning over his equipment, Jendu didn't notice a lightsaber. Then again, if there was even a chance this man could help Jendu out of his situation, he didn't care whether he was Jedi, Sith, bounty hunter or another criminal.

"Stay out of this, friend." The knife wielding thug responded to the newcomer with a menacing smirk. "We've got a debt to settle with this kid's boss." He continued, turning back towards Jendu and taking another step forwards. A momentary feeling of courage struck Jendu abruptly, his body moving before he could even process what he was doing. Drawing the stun pistol from its holster, he fired a shot directly into the thug's chest. The next moments were a complete blur as the thug stumbled backwards, his two friends exclaiming in shocked anger. "Help me!" Jendu yelped, jumping for cover behind one of the now vacant market stalls.

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

The malicious intent flooding Ruus'all's senses only increased after the kid stunned a thug and the other two began screaming and yelling threats of death or worse things to the kid who decided to hide.

Ruus'all's reflexes took over, quickly drawing his blaster pistol and only firing two shots, hitting both of the other thugs right in between the eyes. "Death isn't very good payment, fellas. It's kind of petty." Ruus turned on the stunned thug who was slowly regaining consciousness, pointing his pistol at his head. The Mando then gestured with his hand for Jendu to get out of hiding. "Alright kid, you should start explaining what was going on. Officers will be here any minute." Ruus said quickly, keeping his eyes on the last remaining thug in case he tried something stupid. "How much does he owe you? I bet I can pay it off. Also, please don't tempt me to use this on you- it doesn't have a stun setting and I think you're a little better looking than the other two, so it would be kind of sad to ruin your pretty face." Ruus'all chuckled.

@Headastator

 

[Jendu Gash]

Jendu opened his eyes, half expecting to find a laser burn in his chest after the flurry of blaster fire. To his surprise he was still alive and apparently unharmed. Only one of the thugs, the one he'd stunned, seemed to be still standing and he was wearing a decided unhappy expression. The large metal club he'd been holding made a loud clang as it hit the ground. The Mandalorian, blaster still pointed at the Cerean paralysed in shock, spoke to Jendu and gestured for him to come out of his makeshift cover. This man obviously wasn't here to harm him, otherwise he'd already have done it. "My, uh- my boss owes them credits, I think, sir." Jendu stuttered, the adrenaline in his system slowly leaving as he breathed heavily.

The Mandalorian spoke to the other thug, who barely seemed to register his words, hands now raised above his head. "Forget about it, there's nothing to be settled here anymore!" The thug shakily responded, utterly defeated. Jendu realised he was still tightly gripping his pistol and hastily holstered it. It was embarrassing to think about how obviously defenceless he must look to his Mandalorian saviour. "Thank you." The Duros said to the man, who somehow seemed to be much larger than Jendu despite their small difference in height.

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Poor kid. Stuck dealing business with people his boss should've dealt with. Ruus'all holstered his gun and took the thug's, blaster pistol, just a normal DL-18, before kicking the Cerean in the side of the head to knock him out. Then, the Mando tossed the weapon over to Jendu.

"You ain't bad with a blaster, kid. Name's Ruus'all Solus." He said, patting the kid on the shoulder. But as he touched the boy, the Force swirled over his senses again and that special feeling Ruus got about the kid only increased. The Duros was Force Sensitive, Ruus could feel it perfectly.

How was he supposed to say that to him? Did the kid already know? Ruus had an idea, "I'm a member of the Jedi Order. Cool right? Mando Jedi are hard to come by these days! So I'd reckon yourself to be one lucky son of a gun." Ruus teased, elbowing the kid playfully in the shoulder.

Depending on how the kid responded, Ruus could go from there. If Jendu knew he was Force sensitive, maybe he'd be interested in the Jedi Knight business Ruus'all spoke of. "Who's your boss? I think I need to have a word or two with him. But I suggest we get moving." He said, ushering the kid to walk with him away from the fight scene onto a separate street.

@Headastator

 

[Jendu Gash]

Jendu caught the blaster pistol instinctively, it's grip fitting his shooting hand nicely. He'd used a DL-18 once or twice back home, his father insisting that he at least get some experience with a blaster before setting out into the galaxy. He could see why this model was so widespread, it felt easy to draw but weighty and powerful in his grip. The Mandalorian revealed his name as Ruus'all Solus with a pat on Jendu's shoulder. "I'm Jendu Gash. It seems like I owe you my life, Ruus'all." The Duros said, taking on a more calm demeanour now that he was sure he was safe.

Then Ruus'all told Jendu he was indeed a Jedi. "By the force..." Jendu thought. It had been a long time since he'd last met a Jedi. If he played his cards right this could be his ticket off this dump. "My Boss? He's a Sullsutan, Dex. He owns Dex's workshop." Jendu explained half-heartedly, more focused on the fact that a real Jedi stood in front of him, in the flesh. A Mandalorian Jedi at that. "I guess you already know I'm, uh... like you, I guess?" Jendu asked, almost certain that Ruus'all would have picked up his force sensitivity by now.

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Man, the kid went right for it didn't he? Ruus'all's plan worked, though, and now came for the fun questions.

"How long have you known?" He challenged. For all Ruus knew, Jendum had figured out only yesterday that he was Force sensitive. Or maybe he was self taught and picked up earlier in life. Maybe his folks didn't like it and told him to shun those powers. Maybe they didn't care which was why he had never joined the Jedi- or the Sith for that matter. "Do your folks know? Or the people that take care of you? What about those thugs? Or Dex?" He didn't want to overwhelm the kid all at once, but he needed to know in case Jendu needed further protection, and potentially training.

If Jendu had been lying earlier and the thugs were after him because they'd make a fortune selling him, Ruus needed to talk to the surviving criminal and figure out his other contacts so Ruus could take them all down. Or maybe Dex set him up for something similar- Human Trafficking was the galaxy's current number one crime industry mainly because of how neglected it was. The Mando-Jedi wasn't going to be as aloof as the rest of the galaxy seemed to be.

Ruus'all couldn't blame humane nature, however. It was mainly a psychological thing. Most people didn't believe that someone could possibly steal away a child to sell them for money. It was so horrific and terrible that most just assumed no one was truly that evil to do such a thing- including the Sith. So, criminal bastards made use of that bit of sociology and sometimes fed those thoughts to ensure it stayed hush hush.

What enraged Ruus'all the most was all these people worrying about who's face was on who's energy drinks instead of the 12,000 children that suddenly vanished yesterday. "Where are your guardians? Do you have a place to spend the night? Sorry if I'm rushing you, bud. I'm just making sure I cover each base before I run home."

@Headastator

 

[Jendu Gash]

Jendu was slightly taken aback by the barrage of questions he received from the Mandalorian. He wasn't quite sure which to answer first. It seemed natural that a Jedi would take such an interest in meeting a force sensitive, especially one who'd just almost been murdered in the middle of the street. "I've, uh, always known. My grandmother was a Jedi. A knight, I think..." Jendu replied, taking a moment to recall the stories his parents had told him about his late grandparent. He'd only met her when he was too young to remember, a fact he often regretted. It would have been an experience to have a Jedi knight as a living relative.

It seemed like Ruus'all had assumed Jendu was younger than he really was. The Duros was more than used to this and it had served him well over his last year of travels more often than not. His wiry frame and young face combined with his complete lack of experience in dealing with the wider galaxy gave others more of the impression of a teenager than the young adult he was. Jendu let out a short, awkward chuckle. "My parents back home always knew I was different. I don't usually tell anyone else." He continued. "I'm renting a room a few streets over though. I'm not as much of a kid as I seem, but, uh, thanks for the concern." Jendu finished, awkwardly rubbing his right arm with his left. It dawned on the Duros that there was no way he could stay on Cato Neimoidia now. He didn't know much about Dex's dealings with the thugs that had chased him, but once word got out that he'd been involved in two of them getting killed Jendu would probably be next.

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus cringed a bit as he realized that Jendu wasn't really much of a kid. He was pretty independent, too! Buying his own apartment and living out on his own dealing with the real struggles of life. The Mando had to remind himself that the Duros was more capable than what his appearance told the public.

"So the Force has been in your family, huh? That's cool." Sometimes Ruus'all wished he knew his own family tree, but he didn't care enough to figure it out. He was apart of Clan Solus. That would always be enough for him and they would always be his first family.

"I'll escort you back to your place then, if that's alright. Probably shouldn't head back to your work, considering recent events." He pointed out, letting Jendu take the lead. No one was going to bother a Mando escort, and if they did, they'd be in for a surprise when this particular Mando ignited his lightsaber. "Sorry about the assumption, kid. I gotta respect the self-reliance though. Where are you from?" He said casually in his mellowed out tone. Maybe Jendu wanted to go home and relax- like Ruus.

@Headastator

 

[Jendu Gash]

Jendu breathed a small sigh of relief. Having some protection on his way home would make the walk a lot safer, however short it was. This district of the city was pretty sketchy at the best of times, which were definitely not now. "An escort would be great, thanks. I wouldn't want you to go out of your way though, Ruus'all." Jendu said tentatively. His shaky voice had calmed down significantly now, returning to its default slightly awkward tone. The Jedi asked him where he was from. "I'm from Onderon. Only left there just over a year ago, to my father's protest..." Jendu replied, trailing off a bit as he finished his sentence. His thoughts went to his father and younger brother back home. What would they be doing right now?

The sun had finally set over the fog-covered streets of the city, casting the streets into a dimly lit smog. It was always hard to see at night time in the city's poorer areas, the air filtration equipment being maintained incredibly irregularly. Jendu would probably have to stay with his older brother, Azel. Last time they'd spoke he'd been working somewhere on Corellia, which would be a nice break from Cato Neimoidia and also a good place to lay low for a while. After that, who knows. Asking his father for more money seemed out of the question, almost like an admission of failure on Jendu's part. For now he could focus on the conversation at hand and getting home.

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

"Hey, it only means he cares, bud." Ruus patted the Duros on the back again. Ruus'all had actually never been to Onderon, so he he'd have to go off what others had told him or mentioned about the planet. Some said it was poor yet beautiful, others said it was just poor. They had a Senator though, right? And a noble family of sorts as well, so they couldn't be that bad.

Jendu probably got a lot of experience from that one year away from home. Especially in a town like this. "If you're ever interested, the Jedi are always recruiting- and I ain't that bad, right? So maybe you'll just hangout with me more often, I dunno. But anyway, I'm just throwing it out there that you're always welcome. If the Jedi Order doesn't suit you, I've got some Mandalorian colleagues that would be more than happy to take another foundling. All you gotta do is say the word, kid." Ruus'all said reassuringly. The Duros seemed distraught, Ruus could sense it, and hopefully he could find comfort in knowing that he wasn't all alone in this big galaxy.

@Headastator

 

[Jendu Gash]

Jendu and Ruus'all made their way through the streets towards the Duros' run-down apartment block. The crowds of workers coming home from their long days had begun to subside, momentarily casting the streets into a quiet unease before the same inhabitants of the city came back out for their nightly cantina visits. Jendu considered his Jedi escort's offer. He doubted he was cut out for life in a Mandalorian Clan. They always seemed like they were made out of far tougher stuff than Jendu or anyone else from his life. A Jedi, however... Maybe he could be a Jedi. The thought of joining the Order wasn't unfamiliar to Jendu, but up until now it hadn't seemed exactly real. His mother crossed his mind, as she did all too often. If she had gone anywhere all those years ago, it would've been back to the Jedi Order. Right?

"You know what, Ruus'all?" Jendu said, a touch more upbeat than usual. "I might take you up on that. Life as a Jedi has got to be better than this at the very least." The Duros continued with a vague gesture to their current surroundings. The clattering of a large rodent rummaging through a trash pile next to them drove his point home. He'd never really managed to stay in one place since Jendu had left Onderon. It might be nice to find somewhere to call home. He'd still have to stay with Azel for a while, he imagined, but Jendu never really felt there was a bad time to visit his brother.

@Charles

 

[Ruus’all Solus]

Ruus smiled warmly from behind his T-visor and patted the kid on the back again. He was glad to see Jendu beginning to become a little more relaxed and happier. "Sure thing, kiddo! Tell you what, if I help you pack, will you come with me to Onderon?" He said to the kid, keeping his eyes peeled as he scanned over the crowd of bustling workers heading back home. Ruus' hand dropped to his blaster again, just incase someone felt lucky- Ruus was feeling lucky, too.

"Then when we get you situated and out of this cesspool, I can take you to meet the rest of the Order- fair warning, none of them wear cooler armor than me, alright? So if anyone asks, tell them Ruus'all Solus has got the coolest looking gear, heheh." He teased the younger guy as they continued their way into Jendu's apartment. Glancing over his shoulder every now and then to make sure any shady figures stayed out of the way.

@Headastator

 

[Jendu Gash]

Back to Onderon, huh? The thought was still slightly uncomfortable to Jendu, the inevitable lecture from his father already making his day worse. But after today's mess, it was time to call it quits. Maybe striking straight out into the galaxy alone after spending 19 years in one house, on one city, on one planet hadn't been the best idea. Dad probably wouldn't be happy about him running off to join the Jedi either. But this was something Jendu felt like he could handle. The galaxy probably wouldn't feel as big and terrifying if he had the whole Jedi Order to rely on.

"Sure, Ruus'all. That sounds good." Jendu said with a smile, swiping his key card on the doors to his apartment block. The fact that this place even had physical key cards was a sign of both its age and cheapness. "And, uh, thank you, again." He added, feeling a pang of embarrassment at the situation the Jedi had helped him out of. "I've just gotta hope all the Jedi are as friendly as you, right?" He joked back at Ruus'all, grinning. This was the first time he'd felt actual excitement since leaving home, he realised. As the slightly rusted doors of the block's elevator shuddered open, things began to look up for Jendu Gash.

@Charles