Ask Coruscant No Arbor-Trary Trade

[The Storyteller]

MISSION PACK: FOR CONSITOR SATO
​

Finding plants on Coruscant these days was no easy feat. It had been that way for thousands of years. Not impossible, but not easy. The entire planet was a concrete and durasteel jungle. For plants to grow in the upper levels, the soil had to be brought in from somewhere and sunlight didn't reach the lower levels. They required artificial rays to make plant life possible, and it was rare to find those in the lower levels with the means to provide such artificial sunlight. It was hard to even find moss or algae in the lower levels due to the lack of natural sun, while the upper levels and surface of Coruscant was far too refined and clean to allow it. Yes, one had to know where to look to find plants, especially rare ones like the lightning tree.

Jedi Master Yuul Tik at Pilgrim's Point knew of such a location. An old friend, if one were to apply the term in the loosest possible sense, owned a nursery of sorts. A shop that sold rare and exotic plants. On Coruscant, they were quite pricey. The more exotic they were, the deeper one's pocket must be to obtain them. The contact that could help the Jedi get their lightning tree was a mysterious figure by the name of Trauba Vanan. He recently purchased such a fledgling shoot of a tree, and was willing to part with it...for the right price. His shop was easy to miss among the flashy, bright lights in one of the entertainment and shopping districts of Coruscant. The entrance had no signage. Simply a door between two nightclubs that led one down a long, drab and dingy hall that finally ended with a solitary door at its conclusion. The door was closed and the keypad flashed red. It was locked from the inside.

Just above the keypad there was a button, a doorbell of sorts. A handwritten sign was hung above the button. It read in basic, "NO SOLICITORS! Ring only if you mean business!"

@Darasuum @SlagathorTheUnknown

Spoiler: OOC Note

Reminder that this thread will be a DM thread with dice rolls when they become necessary.

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan already had a headache, thanks in no small part to the gaudy, pulsating signs that seemed to be the only light allowed on the lower levels of Coruscant. They'd left the glittering upper levels behind a while ago, and Ruzaan found himself longing for their return to the sunlight. Being used to the vast, grassy plains on his homeworld of Shili and the vibrant jungles of Yavin IV, everything about this world felt foreign; the rusting durasteel structures, the crumbling concrete, and those blasted neon lights.

Ruzaan tried to relax and avoid staring at the flickering lights, but that just led his gaze to linger on Master Ryker; or more specifically, on Master Ryker's artificial leg. The Knight hadn't told Ruzaan how he had lost his left leg, nor was the Togruta brave enough to ask. He tried to swallow his queasiness and his questions as Master Ryker led him deeper into the Coruscant depths.

Ruzaan tried to distract himself from the lights and the leg by reviewing the mission they had been assigned. Master Yuul Tik was in search of an exceedingly rare shoot from an even rarer tree, and had requested that a pair of Jedi make contact with an acquaintance of his(?) on Coruscant by the name of Trauba Vanan. It sounded like a fairly straightforward mission- make contact, buy the tree shoot, and leave- so he decided on bringing his standard kit: Jedi Wanderer robes, his double-bladed training lightsaber, a short-range comlink, and a Jedi Utility belt.

Finally, they turned a corner and headed towards what Ruzaan presumed was their destination; a nondescript, door at the end of a hallway shared with two nightclubs. Dodging a drunken Twi'lek who stumbled out of the nightclub on the right side of the hallway, Ruzaan wrinkled his nose at the overpowering smells of alcohol, sweat, and perfume emanating from the clubs.

"Master Ryker, are you sure we're in the right place?"

@Darasuum @Isen

 

[Orenth]

Hearing about this lightening tree had Jedi Knight Ryker curious. A plant that regularly collected electrostatic energy sounded both dangerous and interesting. The bearded man held his both of hands close to one another, almost in prayer but not touching eachother. Staring at the space between them as it got slowly wider. "Nothing..." He sighed through his nose.

The man's brow furrowed further as a new thought came to mind. "How did they even get that tree off planet?" He muttered to himself. The interference with electronics meant they must have had to go through great lengths to transport it to Coruscant from Radhii.

Byron looked at the keypad. The knight shrugged at the Togruta padawan doubted their destination. Raising a gauntleted set of knuckles up to the door he rapped them against it before waiting to see if there was a reply. The Jedi would also pull out his personav to double check they weren't in the wrong level or quadrant.


@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

After the Jedi knocked on the door, there would be a few awkward moments. The muffled sounds of the various clubs, bars, and raves still filtered into the dingy hallway. The base filtered in more than the rest, and the entire hallway shook with each beat. The hallway itself had not been particularly taken care of, as evident by the copious amounts of stains, dirt, and cobwebs that populated it.

Finally, the door would slide open, and standing there was a curious creature, a Tynnan. He looked like a beaver of sorts, with long, buck teeth. Short and plump, he would look rather cute and cuddly if not for the nasty expression on his face. He wore only a workman's utility belt and a monocle that was looped to that belt via a silver chain. He stood only as tall as as Byron's naval, and he did so with arms crossed.

"Can you not read basic, huh? They don't teach that in Jedi school?" He reached outside the door and pointed to the sign, moving his finger along the galactic symbols as he sounded it out very slowly. "See here? RRRR-IIIIII-NNNNN-GGGG." He stepped back inside the door and said, "Let's try it again and follow directions this time!"

With that, the door would shut, leaving them out in the hall.

Only to open again almost instantly. "Bah, I don't have time for this nonsense. Come on in. Maybe you listen better than you read." He turned around and started waddling into a large room filled with exotic plants and flowers. The room was oddly cold, but very humid nonetheless and it exploded with vibrant colors of flowers and plants large and small. Different groups of flora were under lights of varying colors, heat, UV and gamma waves, among many other variables tailored for each plant. The room was filled with them, leaving very little room for pathways to get around the room. Even the small Tynnan had to be careful navigating through the shop to not knock over or damage any of the exotic plants. "Leave your glow stick swords on the table and lock the door." He hadn't seen any evidence of a lightsaber on the human Jedi, but his monocled-self saw the Togruta's.

"I assume you're the ones that Master Tik told me would be coming?" the furball asked, still walking away from them toward a table in the back of the nursery with various papers, logs, receipts, and invoices strewn about it loosely. Of course, there was a credit register that was in fine working condition so customers could make their payments. "I'm Trauba Vanan, as you may have guessed...Though by the lack of reading comprehension you two have exhibited thus far, that's no sure thing." He went around to the far side of the table before climbing up so he would be closer to eye level with them. He would wait for them to approach the table before he leaned in close to Ryker, well into his personal space, looking at him closely directly into his eye through his monocle. "Do you have any idea what you're searching for, Sonny?"

@Darasuum @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

The door slid open and Ruzaan hastily adjusted his gaze downward, doing his best to plaster a pleasant expression on his face while the Tynnan chewed them out for knocking instead of ringing. Then, the door slid shut.

Ruzaan barely had time to be surprised at that when it slid open again and the Tynnan- Trauba Vanan, Ruzaan supposed- "welcomed" them into a plant shop every bit as eccentric as the owner. Ruzaan gawked at the number and variety of plants crammed into the store, feeling his headache receding almost immediately as he stepped into the humid atmosphere. He saw some turu-grass from his homeworld of Shili competing for space next to a strange, leafy plant oozing yellow liquid from its stem. It took a conscious effort from the Togruta to focus on Trauba's words... glow stick swords?

Although reluctant, Ruzaan did as their host asked and left his double-bladed training lightsaber by the turu-grass on the table; although he did palm the ion cell battery as discretely as possible, ensuring that it couldn't be activated. He also did a visual scan of the alleyway before closing the door. They'd barely met Trauba and Ruzaan could already tell that this mission was going to be a roller-coaster ride; no sense in welcoming other surprises by being lax in the areas he could control. Once this was done, he carefully picked his way through the shop and over to the table where Trauba was grilling Master Ryker.

@Darasuum @Isen

 

[The Storyteller]

After a significant wait, it didn't appear that the human Jedi had an answer to give. Trauba snorted and shook his head before turning his attention to the younger Jedi. "You Jedi are a peculiar sort. I would figured you for the apprentice, but 'Knock-boy' over here can't read basic and can't answer questions. What is he? Some sort of ride-a-long program participant?"

The little Tynnan hopped down off the table and pursed his lips as best he could with his buck-teeth as he examined the young Padawan. At just a shade over feet tall, he had up to look at Ruzaan as well. He poked at the Padawan's belly as if he was examining his constitution. "hmmph..." He clicked his tongue and shook his head before waddling back behind the table. He looked at Ruzaan Kai a long while before he said, "And what about you? You're a little wet behind the ears for a job like this, huh? Can you read? Speak at least? Do you even know what it is you seek?"

@Darasuum @SlagathorTheUnknown

Spoiler: OOC

It's been about three weeks, so we're going to move on since it's a mission pack thread. If Ryker wants/can jump in at some point, still more than welcome.

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Knock boy? Ruzaan tried to keep his facial expression neutral as Trauba continued to insult Master Ryker. The Jedi Knight didn't respond to the repeated digs, however, so Ruzaan elected not to either. We're supposed to be working with Trauba, he reminded himself. Byron clearly had thick skin, and there was no sense in stirring the pot.

Soon, however, Ruzaan found himself the unwelcome recipient of Trauba's attention. The Tynnan waddled over and prodded him in the stomach, all whilst continuing to barrage them with questions, which would've been comical if the questions weren't so demeaning. Still, Master Ryker remained silent. Perhaps this is his way of testing me? Ruzaan wondered, finally deciding to speak up.

"I sincerely apologize for getting off on the wrong foot. Yes, we are the Jedi that Master Tik spoke of. My name is Ruzaan and this is Master Ryker. It is an honor to meet you; Master Tik spoke very highly of you." That second part was a lie; Master Tik had used a word in their native language to describe Trauba that had no equivalent in Common. The best translation was something akin to "one whom I respect but do not admire".

"As you've guessed, we are here to inquire about the lightning tree that you have." Ruzaan continued. "Master Tik said that you had a healthy shoot? No doubt it will thrive at the temple on Yavin IV; a living testament to your mastery of your craft."

Ruzaan put as much earnest charm as he could into the final sentence, gesturing around to the multitude of exotic plants that packed the store. Given Trauba's obvious botanical skills combined with his condescending attitude, perhaps flattery would prove a useful tool when dealing with him.

@Isen @Darasuum

 

[The Storyteller]

When the youngster said that the bearded human was Master Ryker, Trauba did a spittake through his buck teeth and looked at the man with a completely perplexed expression. As the Togruta started rattling off the string of high praise, the Tynnan could only manage a smirk to one side of his mouth. He knew Master Tik well enough to know that this was at the very least an exaggeration of Tik's scouting report.

But, when he said he expected the tree to thrive at the temple, Trauba threw his little paws in the air and shook his head violently. "Bahhh! No, no, no! You have no idea what it is you are after!" He looked back at Ryker quizzically and then back to Ruzaan. "He's Master Ryker? Master? Really?" He tutted through his massive teeth and said, "Fooled the kriff out of me." He pointed back at Ruzaan and said, "You...you follow me."

He would lead Ruzaan through another small pathway to a back room. It was locked with four different padlocks and then required a passcode to the keypad lock. Once inside, the plants there were spread out a bit more, and each one blocked off in their own cubicle with a red ray shield protecting each one that required another code to disarm. Whether or not it was warranted, the plants in these particular room were very well guarded.

In one cubby behind the red film, Trauba pointed to the plant inside. It was a small shoot of a tree, no more than about six or seven inches high with two small branches starting to sprout from the top. The tree sprout had some sort of insulated pot that it was growing in and covered in an airtight glass dome that did not allow any air from the outside into the glass. The bottom of the pot had holes, and one could presume that the plant got it's oxygen and food fed to it from them.

Inside the glass, sparks of energy zapped from the tips of the sprouts to the glass like a plasma ball. Trauba looked at the Togruta and said, "That's what you're looking for, Sonny. No doubt it could survive in a Temple somewhere, but I doubt anything else will even try surviving up close to it. And goodness forbid if that tree somehow how got planted into any forested planet. The whole damn rock would be in ashes in a few weeks." He looked back toward the main room and where the human Jedi was left standing. He shook his head and looked at Ruzaan. "This ain't no toy or some pretty piece of decorative shrubbery. There's a reason that Master Tik wants this sprout, and he wouldn't tell me what it was. And it ain't none of my business to know. But it is my business to tell you that if you walk out of here with that tree, you keep it in that glass until Master Tik is control of it. Him I trust. You I don't." He nodded back in the direction of the bearded Jedi. "And I certainly don't trust him to follow the damn directions."

@SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan was shocked. He'd memorized the mission report, but it seemingly had not included any important information. This mission was one roller-coaster ride after another, and he was starting to become annoyed with just how much he didn't know; how to deal with Trauba, why the Jedi wanted a tree that sounded more like a biological weapon than a plant, and why Ruzaan appeared to be going it alone. His very first mission as a Jedi was spiraling out of control. Ruzaan stared at the lightning tree shoot for several seconds, composing himself. Finally, he sighed and held up his hands in an admission of defeat.

"You're right" he said, turning to Trauba. "There is a lot that I don't know, and I understand why you don't trust me." That was difficult for Ruzaan to admit- he wanted Trauba to like him- but he realized that the Tynnan had seen right through his flattery. Then, his brain seized on one critical aspect of the mission report. "But on the subject of trust; Master Tik did mention that there may be a side mission as part of the deal for the shoot? Perhaps if we-" Ruzaan glanced back in the direction of Master Ryker, then amended his statement "-I was able to help you with something, it could help restore your trust in the Jedi?"

@Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel's time on Coruscant was proving to be very busy indeed. She really would have preferred to be back with Nara and Lieutenant Velt, preparing for their mission, but they needed time to make preparations. And her former Padawan Isen had asked for her help. And that she could not ignore. Apparently the Jedi were trying to acquire some special and rare tree for some reason that was beyond her. It didn't particularly matter. Isen didn't seem to totally trust those that had been dispatched to get the job done themselves, and so had asked her to tag along. She had time to kill, so she agreed.

Following the directions given to her the Vratix made her way to Trauba's nursery. Or at least what was supposed to be a nursery. Given the unassuming, out of the way entrance, she easily could have been walking into a spice den for all she knew. Knowing Isen's famous lack of humor was the only reason she didn't take this all for an elaborate prank. Reading the sign the Jedi Master sighed before ringing the door bell. "Let's get this over with..." She muttered to herself as she awaited a response.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

"But on the subject of trust; Master Tik did mention that there may be a side mission as part of the deal for the shoot? Perhaps if we-I was able to help you with something, it could help restore your trust in the Jedi?"

"Pffft," Trauba said. "It's not trust in you I want. It's..."

Before Trauba could give him the mission, a red light started flashing above the door to the secured room and a constant ringing sound began to echo through the entire store, including the secure room. Trauba waved the Padawan to follow him out of the room, and once they were out, he locked all the locks and punched in the pin to secure the keypad alarm as well. "Come on," he told the young Togruta. "Business is business, and this may be a paying customer."

When he got to the door and opened it, Trauba's little eyes got real big and he pulled out a tiny blaster that was hanging from his utility belt. A Vratix that seemed a giant to him stood at the door. "What do you want here? Gnaw on some leaves, bug? Huh? Trying to destroy the corporate crop, are you? Not on my watch!"

@Reyn @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

As a high-pitched ringing echoed through the store, Trauba ushered Ruzaan out of the back room and secured door to the Lightning tree with a series of electronic and physical means. "Business is business, and this may be a paying customer" said the Tynnan.

"That sound is a good thing?" Ruzaan's question was ignored by Trauba as the eccentric shop owner answered the door.

The sight of the newcomer was as relieving to Ruzaan as it was startling to Trauba. Jedi Master Izel Thral, all 6'5" of her, loomed in the doorway. Ruzaan knew the Vratix to be a talented Jedi and a willing teacher, and had briefly studied Form III under her instruction back on Yavin IV earlier that year. Once you got past the intimidating appearance of Master Thral, you could learn a lot from the Jedi Master.

Trauba, however, did not have the benefit of this knowledge and Ruzaan watched in horror as the Tynnan set about threatening Izel with the tiniest blaster Ruzaan had ever seen. It would've been comical if Ruzaan could understand master Thral's body language, but the Vratix was notoriously difficult to read. Ruzaan wasn't sure if the Jedi Master was amused or sizing up Trauba for a punt, so he hastily intervened.

"Master Thral! Trauba, may I introduce you to Jedi Master Izel Thral?"

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel certainly wasn't expecting to be met with a Tynnan when the door opened, nor for him to brandish a weapon and start squeaking insults at her. She tilted her head slightly, antennae twitching, bemused at the scene more than anything else. Before she could reply however a somewhat familiar face appeared to defuse the situation. Ruzaan Kai, one of several young Padawans she had taught a few lessons in Soresu to. As the boy introduced her to the noisy shop owner the Vratix took a step back and bowed her head respectfully. While she didn't like being called a bug, she was willing to let that slide for the sake of expediency.

"Mr. Vanan, I was told you have a lightning tree you are willing to part with. I am here to make a deal on behalf of the Jedi." She glanced at the young Togruta. "And I appear to be late. For that I apologize." She could tell Ruzaan was feeling nervous, perhaps not quite up to the task of completing a mission on his own yet. No wonder Isen had asked her to keep an eye on the exchange. The Vratix briefly looked at the expansive nursery beyond the doorway. This little alien had quite the impressive collection. Looking back to Trauba she spoke again in a more joking tone. "And while your herbage looks positively delicious, I promise to keep my hands to myself."

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

The small Tynnan twitched his nose a little, looking back and forth between the exceedingly tall Vratix and the young Togruta. It would appear that the Jedi needed all hands on deck for this little task, and one of the Jedi in question had six of them. Trauba narrowed his eyes, looking the Vratix over before snorting and holstering his tiny blaster. "Fine, at least you can read and follow directions."

He motioned to the table where he instructed the Ryker and Ruzaan to leave their lightsabers. "Get your glow sticks, boy, and step outside." He gave a glare to Izel whom he clearly didn't trust with the leafy goodness that permeated his store. "We can conduct business out in the hall."

After Ruzaan would step outside, Trauba would be careful to hide his punching in the keycode to lock the door behind him with one paw covering the other as he hit the buttons. He turned back around and put his hands on his hips. "Alright, Master Jedi, short stuff here can attest that I have what you are looking for. It's packaged for delivery in a way that won't shut your ship's systems down heading back to whatever ancient hole in the wall hide-a-way you two came from. It ain't gonna come cheap, but it won't cost you a single credit either."

He folded his arms and said, "I need to hire you for a job. You do the job, you get the tree sprout." He looked between them both and said, "And this is ain't no negotiation. We don't haggle over terms. Got it?"

@Reyn @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Thankfully, Master Thral didn't kick Trauba. Ruzaan admired her self-restraint; the Tynnan's constant barrage of unfiltered insults were beginning to grate on him. Short stuff?

Ruzaan followed Trauba's instructions, reclaiming his lightsaber from where it lay by the turu-grass and putting the ion cell battery back into place. He briefly wondered if the Lightning tree had been the reason for Trauba asking them to leave their lightsabers behind earlier, but didn't have the technological know-how to answer that. The sweet scent of the turu-grass, native to his homeworld of Shili, brought a pang of homesickness along with. It had now been a little over a year since he had joined the Jedi Order, and while he had grown much in that time he still struggled with homesickness from time to time.

Focus on the mission, Ruzaan he reminded himself, just in time to hear Trauba offer an unusual- and interesting- proposition. Ruzaan took a breath to answer, then thought better of it and looked to Izel. Better to let her take the lead on any negotiations, although Trauba was making it quite clear that the only way the Jedi left with the Lightning tree was to complete whatever crazy task the Tynnan asked of them. What have I gotten myself into? he wondered silently. He had a bad feeling about this.

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel had to stifle a chitter at the Tynnan ironically referring to Ruzaan as 'short stuff', taking a step back and allowing the two aliens to join her outside. While Trauba locked the door she looked towards the young Padawan and gave him a reassuring nod. "Padawan Kai, good to see you again." She acknowledged him in a friendly tone. "Keeping up with your techniques I hope?" She was becoming quite accustomed to working with apprentices now, much more than she had when she took her first. She'd found being a teacher was something she enjoyed greatly. Hopefully she could show the Togruta something useful during their time together here.

Finally Trauba turned and spoke up, and much as Izel expected, he wanted a favor. As the Tynnan became adamant about no negotiations the Vratix simply raised a hand. "Yes I know how it goes," She said with a slight sigh. It really feels like every random person in the universe has some sort of tedious quest to sidetrack us with... She thought to herself. "Just tell us what your problem is and we'll solve it. That's our specialty." She finished lightheartedly as she glanced back at Ruzaan. This type of thing he was going to need to get used to.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

Trauba snorted through his buck teeth and pointed an outstretched digit of a small paw toward Izel. "Despite your kind's propensity for eating my wares, you're growing on me." He eyed the tall insectoid up and down and nodded. "You seem competent enough anyway."

He looked at teenage Togruta and wondered if he was ready for what was about to be asked. At the end of the day, it wasn't really Trauba's concern if he lived or died. Maybe the big grasshopper could take care of it alone if the Togruta met and unfortunate end. With that in mind, he turned his attention back to Izel. "It's a simple repo job. A Twi'lek by the name of Rook Bana owes me a plant or 25,000 credits. Yeah, you heard that right, twenty-five thousand. He ain't got the 25,000, so I need my thornsuckle plant back."

He chuckled out a snort and said, "In case you're wondering, the thornsuckle plant is believed to be extinct, but nay...I found and protected the only living strain. It's incredibly poisonous, one of the most poisonous plants ever to live in the galaxy. We had a deal. He would pay 25,000 up front and 25,000 upon delivery. I delivered, but I didn't get my money. I don't want his credits anymore. I want my plant back."

He pulled out a datapad and started to share some documents with the Jedi via a form of air drop onto their datapads. "I'm sharing with you some information. It's the bill of sale and a letter from Coruscant law enforcement that they are too busy to retrieve a stolen plant. It goes on to say that I have a right to procure it by any means necessary." He finished sending the documents and looked up at them. "I've tried four different bounty hunters and none of them were successful. Maybe a couple of Jedi will be. Bana is a thug. He thinks he's a big shot gangster, but it's visions of grandeur as far as I'm concerned. He cound found on level 1315 at a seedy little bar he extorts called Keggers. The bounty hunter that survived told me the plant is there, but well-guarded."

He stuffed the datapad back into a pouch on his belt and looked back and forth between Izel and Ruzaan. "That's it. That's the job. You fail or bring me back a dead plant, no deal on the lightning tree. I get my thornsuckle plant and you get your lightning tree shoot. That's the terms. Got it?"

@Reyn @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Suddenly, the extra security measures at Trauba's shop made sense. No less than three people had died because of a squabble over the most poisonous plant in the galaxy, which had previously shared a roof with a tree capable of killing all life on a planet. Briefly, Ruzaan wondered what other plants of mass destruction were being cultivated by the Tynnan.

Regardless, there was a mission to complete. Ruzaan had learned his lesson from the lightning tree earlier; know what you're dealing with. "What kind of precautions do we need to take when dealing with the thornsuckle plant? Is the poison airborne?" he asked Trauba.

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

The more Izel learned about this job, the more horrified she became. Not because of the alleged danger Trauba spoke of, she had dealt with far worse than common gangsters, but this plant. She silently read the information on the deadly herb as it was transmitted to her datapad, slowly raising a hand to her head in disbelief. No sooner had Ruzaan asked his question then Izel looked back at the Tynnan indignantly.

"You sold one of the most poisonous plants in the galaxy to a criminal!? On the most populated planet in the Republic!?" She asked, her polite demeanor quickly melting away. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea how many lives you've endangered?" She looked back at the datapad, shaking her head. "How in the galaxy did you not get arrested as soon as knowledge of this transaction was brought to the police? This is... Negligence on a level I can barely even comprehend..." She looked back at the tiny alien, her tone becoming deadly serious. "I need you to tell me everything you know about this man Bana. Who is he connected to? If this plant can be weaponized it could potentially kill the entire planet." The lightning tree was no longer of any importance as far as Izel was concerned. All that mattered was retrieving that plant before those idiot gangsters got people killed, or worse, sold it to someone who would kill millions.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

All Trauba could think about was how many questions this big bug had. So judgmental. The little beaver-like creature didn't get angry or show any signs of remorse, however. More or less, he just rolled his beady little eyes and waved her off. "First of all, I wasn't arrested because there are no laws on the books for sale or possession for a plant that everyone thinks is extinct. Second of all, get off your high tauntaun. Not everyone in the galaxy gets free room and board. Some of us really have to work for a living, not sit around humming in a lotus position praising some mystical force that binds the universe together."

He shook his head as he walked between them, sort of bumping them both to create the necessary room. He stopped at a panel in the wall of the hall, and there was an annoying buzzing sound coming from it. He opened it, slammed his paw into the mess of wires and it stopped. "Kriffing humans and their shoddy wiring." He looked back at the two Jedi and said, "As for your more pertinent questions about what the plant is capable of, what do I look like? Some sort of bio-chemist? I don't know. Remember, it's a plant, not a virus or bacteria that will replicate itself all willy-nilly. In order to create a bioweapon that would kill off a planet, it would have to be farmed in massive quantities or cloned a million times over."

He walked back between them to where he was originally standing by the door. "And you'd need a lot more damn brains than Rook Bana to do either one. I'm sure he's using it as an assassin's poison. Put in someone's drink, cook it in someone's brownie, put it on a tip of a poison dart...child's play crap like that."

He looked at the young Togruta and said, "As for precautions, wear gloves. Don't eat it. And, uh...don't breath in the spores. The spores are the real killer. So, feel free to cover it up so you don't accidentally suck some into those little lungs of yours." He tutted his tongue and said, "Yeah, I reckon it would kill you pretty quickly." Trauba looked back at the Vratix and said, "And if you don't want me to have this plant so I can sell it to someone else, come up with 50,000 credits then you can take it back to your monastery."

@Reyn @SlagathorTheUnknown