Ask Sullust Lost Souls on Sullust

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC

It wasn’t every day that a Ranger teamed up with a Jedi. If this Ranger and this Jedi had anything more to say about it, well, it would be one more day of days to come. Cooperation between the Sector Rangers and the Jedi Order was on the up and up, the two factions setting aside their differences to combine their resources and acknowledge their common cause.

Sith, Syndicate, and anything and anyone in between—they marked the pool of lava beneath a bridge that connected Jedi with Ranger. Today, one Ranger and one Jedi would cross that bridge. For one of them it was like a match made in the stars. For the other, well, hopefully the same?

Zad Ruzed liked Drow Venn the moment they shared drinks in a bar back on Byblos. They were two of the same souls separated by space, circumstance and time, united just then to maintain their unity now, linking up to reach the planet of Sullust and begin their operation to break the bridge between the Sith and the Syndicates. And send them burning in a lake of lava.

The Iron Justice touched down on an unremarkable mark of rock. What was unmistakable was the facility in the distance: a resupply and refuel station for starships and otherwise. It was accessible via a bridge that spanned a lake of lava from one side to the other.

Why the Ranger’s ship had not landed on a station landing pad was because of the bunker located outside of the fueling depot and beyond the bridge. Intel had proven that the Sullustans had detained Sith prisoners inside that bunker as much as their equipment, and the latter is what one Ranger and one Jedi were after today.

So the former stood outside his Iron Justice waiting on the latter. Sullust air was barely breathable so Zad Ruzed had his breath mask over his head. It would have been nice to enjoy a cigarette right about now but that could wait. For now, he would wait for his partner and for their ultimate quarry: a slave freighter that would be docking to refuel.

@Fantasy Liver

 

[Drow Venn]

"Well I didn't really ask you now, did I?" Drow snapped at Sparky, his faithful if belligerent astromech, who beeped his distaste for the planet. The Ishi Tib couldn't really blame the little guy - the last time he'd been here with Sparky, the poor bot had been blasted by lightning from the Eternal itself. It had damaged his personality matrix and earned the droid his new nickname at the same time. Drow wondered if the dark side energy radiating through the lightning had been what made Sparky turn more violent or if it had just been coincidence. Regardless, the droid's passive nature may have changed but his loyalty certainly hadn't and Sparky beeped a reluctantly affirmative noise letting Drow know that he would guard the ship and not fly away.

The rocky outcrop where Zad had landed was big enough for Drow to land near the Iron Justice so his Y-Wing remained there as the Ishi Tib Jedi Master made his way over to meet Zad at the other end of the bridge. In his backpack were a series of black clothes and a mask that would disguise his identity but, for now, there was no need to hide his Jedi status. In fact, it was quite prudent to embrace it for this particular mission.

"Zad, good seeing you again in person." Drow said as he made his way to the human. As they made their way over the lava bridge, the two of them would catch up and Drow would tell some stories about the last time he'd been here, where he'd helped blow up the Sith factory, literally disarmed a Sith Lord, and helped liberate the planet. All of this had been done wearing the uniform of a Sith trooper, which was ironic because they were here now for that very purpose.

"Halt. State your name and business outsiders." The stubby Sullustan guard said at the entrance to the bunker.. He was wielding an almost comically oversized force pike and looked to be taking his position very seriously. Drow couldn't really blame the guy for being a bit overzealous with security; the planet was still recovering from Sith occupancy and while the planet was recovering, the risk of Sullust falling into chaos was a real and present danger.

"Drow Venn's the name, partner." the Ishi Tib said with a small smile as a glimmer of recognition flashed over the Sullustan's face. The team of heroic Jedi that had helped liberate the planet were not exactly household names on Sullust but they were close to it, especially for those who had served in the resistance movement.

"K-knight Venn? It's my absolute honor, sir! If there's anything I can do for you..." the Sullustan squeaked out, giving an off-kilter salute.

"Master, now actually. There actually was something you could do for us, Fertin." Drow said, spying the man's name on his name badge. "My associate and I happen to be in the need for some Sith armor and we were hoping you could lend us some."

"Well, I'd love to sir but it's really not up to me. If you talk to Lerruna in Storage, she can probably help you out though. I'll buzz you in!" Fertin said, enthusiastically buzzing them in in an attempt to be helpful.

"Appreciate it, Fertin. But can I ask one small favor from you, pal? I'd prefer if this little meeting was kept between you, me and my associate. Jedi business, you know?" Drow said offering a hand for the Sullustan to shake. Fertin graciously shook it and promised to be discreet.

"You heard the man - lead the way!" Drow said to Zad, gesturing to the open door of the bunker. Getting in proved easy enough but Drow had a sneaking suspicion that actually convincning this Lerruna character to give up the armor might prove a bit trickier.

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Zad had come to Sullust in his trademark black leather duster, not needing to disguise himself until he actually got his hands on a disguise, while his counterpart had elected for no less. Amid stories about liberating Sullust with factory explosions and Sith Lord duels, well, it was evident how the Jedi Master was treated around these parts.

The guard with the force pike all but treated Drow as a celebrity, a hero, and clearly there was more to it than what one Ranger’s naked eye could see. Oh, sure, he had read the reports on Sullust, but he had not lived through them. That much changed everything.

After the exchange of pleasantries, Zad gave a humble nod Fertin’s way and had nothing else to say as he followed up on his partner’s cue to lead the way. The bunker had been opened to the pair of Ranger and Jedi just like that, no fuss, and already this was going as smoothly as one could hope for.

The bunker was like any other one could expect from a crippled world recovering from crippling occupation: there were guards between guards, this one standing at attention with crossed brows, that one sitting down with cigarra and lazy eyes; a sickbay passed along the way, staffed with patients and personnel; the mess hall sporting bowls of grub beside a citizen passed out on the table.

My kinda haven, Zad smiled, breath mask off, as he moved along with his partner. Eventually the Jedi and Ranger were led to the storage area where they waited to receive one Lerruna. She would be hard to spot amid a majority of Sullustans until a voice sounded louder than the others.

“Kap, what is that, a fruit peeler? It would make my day if it was because it might mean fruit, but it ain’t so give me the tool I asked for! Wyle, come on, those containers don’t load themselves! Drut, what are you, druk for brains!? Get those blasters contained!”

“Uhh, excuse me, miss?” Zad beckoned as he approached the female Sullustan. She turned around to expose her nametag: ‘Lerruna’.

“The kark do you want?”

Zad could have flashed his badge just then, was tempted to, but it was already proven that Drow had more sway here than any Ranger could hope to.

@Fantasy Liver

 

[Drow Venn]

"You must be the lovely Lerruna..." Drow began with a smile before he was rudely cut off by the loud and boisterous Sullustan woman.

"Ger, rough this guy out on the way out if he doesn't get to the point." Lerruna sneered. Drow straightened his back at that and raised a hand to placate the Sullustans around him.

"Forgive me. We're looking to acquire one of the Sith uniforms that you currently have in storage" Drow said.

"And why would I loan that out to you? I don't know you." Lerruna aksed

"I'm Jedi Master Drow Venn. I once helped liberate your planet from the Sith." Drow said. A few Sullustans gasped but Lerruna looked unimpressed.

"Well geez thanks. My hovercar got trashed during that uprising. That covers who you are but what do you want the uniform for?" Lerruna asked. Inwardly, Drow wanted to scream. He'd always been more gifted as a fighter than a talker but he'd been taking steps to get better at the former but this Lerruna was a tough nut to crack.

"I'm afraid I can't reveal that information." Drow said honestly. Lerruna rolled her eyes.

"Then why the hell would I loan you my suit?"

@Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC

Lerruna was a rough tough customer and client, the kind that someone like Zad Ruzed could expect as much as be impressed by. Who else could run an ‘import/export’ operation like this one? He liked her already and smiled as much to show it.

What was a Jedi Master to do? Raise a hand, of course, and if the Force followed that little handwave then it was too subtle for one Sector Ranger to notice. The latter just kept his cool, played it cool, kept silent and played quiet. His two creds would come soon enough.

Well, Drow had done his best. No one could fault him for the attempt. He just probably wasn’t as used to dealing with people like these as his partner was. After all, Jedi heroism got you pretty far between the stars, but only so far beneath them. Allow me, Master Venn.

“Is it tight? The suit.” Zad asked as casually as concerned, lighting up a cigarette before offering one to Lerruna. Had she accepted or declined? “Those Sith Trooper uniforms...never looked too comfortable...and I’m not much for uniforms to begin with.”

The Ranger exhaled, more like sighed as if dismissing the entire endeavor itself and turning around right now. “Look, I know you have less time for shenanigans on your hands than you have time itself, so we won’t waste any more of it. Just...this Jedi guy beside me, he once helped liberate your planet from the Sith, right?”

It was a question addressed to the room at large, heads nodding, some mumbled voices. “Suffice to say, then, that we ain’t trying to procure Sith uniforms for any kind of ceremony in honor of their defeat at Sullust.” Zad looked Lerruna in the eye, not to levitate but to level. “We’re trying to stop the same attempt at conquest from happening again, here or elsewhere.” He shrugged. “If that ain’t enough then tell us what is.”

@Fantasy Liver

 

[Drow Venn]

There was a terse moment of silence as Lerruna measured the Sector Ranger's words carefully. The man was making some valid points but her propensity to hate most anyone who crossed her path was telling her to get rid of this man and his Jedi friend. She bit her lower lip and motioned for her worker to open the door.

"This suit comes back completely intact to me in seven planetary rotations. You don't tell me what it's used for and I won't ask. But I got a brother who's a bounty hunter and I have no hesitation sending him after you both if you make off with my suit, Jedi or no. Do I make myself clear?" Lerruna asked the two. Drow nodded emphatically even as her underling procured a suit that looked to be about Zad's size. The Ishi Tib turned to his companion to see what he would do.

OOC: I'm fine wrapping up this thread after your reply if you are @Die Shize

 

[Zad Ruzed]

Spoiler: Music OOC [Recurring]

Zad looked at the suit. It did look tight. It’ll do. Once it was in his hands he gave Lerruna a nod. There was no need to argue anything. The two were in this giant ant hill of a galaxy together whether they knew it or not, and they were not alone. There was a Jedi standing right beside them, a whole Jedi Order, and a whole organization of Sector Rangers.

“You’ll get it back. Guaranteed. Seven rotations." Zad assured, easing smoke out between his lips so that it didn't get in anyone's face. "Here’s my card just in case you want some peace of mind beyond my word.”

Spoiler

After the exchange, the Ranger and the Jedi were back outside ready to take the next step—together.

[END THREAD]​

@Fantasy Liver