Ask Coruscant No Arbor-Trary Trade

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan let out a sigh of relief as the threat level for the plant was downgraded from "evacuate the planet" to "just don't breathe lol". He was grateful for Master Izel's presence; those stakes hadn't even occurred to him. The Jedi still faced a formidable challenge, but thus far they had survived Trauba's skewering commentary.

Ruzaan briefly wondered if Trauba's dismissive attitude towards Rook had sent the three bounty hunters to their graves. The Tynnan didn't seem to hold Rook Bana in high regard, but then again, Trauba didn't seem to have a high opinion of anyone. Better to assume that Rook was incredibly dangerous- which he was, thanks to the toxic plant that Trauba had supplied to him. Despite the Tynnan's claim that no laws covered extinct plants, Ruzaan was pretty sure that there were laws on Coruscant concerning lethal plants.

Legal matters aside, Ruzaan still had questions. "Who is the surviving bounty hunter and how did you contact them?" The more information they had about Rook and his security measures, the better.

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel crossed her arms and scoffed at Trauba's dismissive responses to her concerns. The little alien clearly wasn't taking this matter as seriously as it deserved to be. The fact that Bana even knew about some ancient, hyper-lethal plant suggested he was no fool. And given that three trained bounty hunters had met their demise trying to retrieve it, it seemed likely to her the criminal was acting in the service of someone very powerful, or far more cunning then the impression being given. But it wasn't worth arguing with the Tynnan, they needed to get to work.

"A good idea." She nodded in response to Ruzaan's next question before looking back at the shop keeper. "We could use their insight. Have they since recovered from their injuries? Or are they at least in good enough shape to talk to?" Even if they had failed to retrieve their target, Izel hoped they had seen enough of Bana's compound to offer some useful information.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

Trauba waved a paw at them and said, "Baaah, you Jedi types. I can't tell you who I hired. Bounty hunters and their secrecy and all that."

He looked at them with one eyebrow lowered and one lifted as he folded his arms. "Maybe the Jedi aren't all they cracked up to be. Maybe the stories of great Jedi doing unbelievable and valorous acts are just that- stories." He nodded back to the sign and the doorbell. "I mean, half of your masters can't read. You're acting all yella about some two-bit thugs. All you have to do is bring a plant back."

He sighed and got out his datapad and threatened to start pushing numbers. "Or maybe I should try a few more bounty hunters. I went cheap last time. You get what you pay for, I guess. I'll guess I'll have to shell out a little more to get the job done." He looked up at the Master and the padawan, darting his between them. "Unless you two have reason to believe that you can get the job done..."

@Reyn @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan sighed; Trauba had no information to share except his usual stream of insults aimed at goading the Jedi into acting on his behalf. Unfortunately, it looked like they had no choice but to appease the Tynnan by repo-ing the toxic plant, since that was, according to Trauba, the only way he would part with the Lightning Tree. Ruzaan held back an insult or two of his own and looked to Izel; as the ranking Jedi on this mission, she had the final say. Part of him hoped that she'd call the Tynnan's bluff and walk away- just to stick it to Trauba- but he was also excited for the prospect of infiltrating a gangster's hideout on this, his very first mission!

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel was fortunate that her kind were difficult to read, because she was absolutely fuming in the face of the pompous little Tynnan's behavior. Were she not a Jedi, and were she not meant to be setting an example for the Padawan in her presence, she might have given the noisy little rodent a good smack on the head for his insolence. She was certainly tempted to. But the Vratix remembered the Jedi teachings, and controlled her emotions. "Of course we can get the job done..." She said in a low voice, edged with frustration. "It is not your thugs that concern me Mr. Vanan, only the plant itself. We'll get it back for you." She leaned a bit closer. "And you and I will be having a very long conversation upon our return." She looked at Ruzaan. "Come Padawan."

Without waiting for a response from the irritating little creature Izel would turn and start making her way down the alley, expecting the young Togruta to follow. The moment they were out of ear shot she would release an angered hiss. "Idiot," She'd mutter before looking at the accompanying apprentice. "The man is a fool, but he has what we need, so we'll just have to put up with him." She said. "Once we reach this bar he mentioned we'll observe the place first, see if we can identify the guards before engaging with them. Forgive me, but do you have any experience in a real fight?"

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

The corner of Ruzaan's mouth twitched upwards as he followed Master Izel away from Trauba and down the alleyway, leaving the Tynnan's final grumblings behind them. The concept of the towering Jedi Master reading the riot act to Trauba Vanan was an amusing one, and he hoped that Izel would allow him to be present during the "conversation". The Tynnan was bullying, opinionated, and prone to grand oversimplifications; Ruzaan realized that if hadn't been so thrown off guard by the mission thus far, he probably would be just as angry as Master Izel was.

His thoughts were turned back to the present as Izel laid out a general plan and asked him a question. The smile suddenly disappeared from Ruzaan's face. "No" he said, a bit sheepishly. "This is my first mission. I, uh... I still use a training lightsaber" he said, indicating the double-bladed hilt hanging from his belt. "But I can still come with you, right? As long as I don't try to chop off a limb, Rook Bana and his thugs won't know the difference!"

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel couldn't help but chitter amusedly at Ruzaan's response, the Padawan was more worried about being left behind then walking into a deadly firefight. Good. "I'm sure you will do just fine." She said, assuring him that she had no intentions of sending him home. "Just stay close and follow my lead. Things can get chaotic on the lower levels. They will likely try to separate us. Just remember your training, and don't allow yourself to be goaded into rash action. Think carefully on everything you do."

The Vratix turned her gaze forward as she kept walking, leading them towards the transit station so they could get on their way to level 1315. It would be a long journey. Now was a good time to try and put the apprentice at ease, so he would be better prepared for battle. While Izel had no intentions of starting a fight if she could avoid it, she had been doing missions like this for a long time now. She knew how it usually went. "Have you ever been to Coruscant before?" She asked as they walked, already having a feeling of what the answer was. The boy looked like an iriaz in the headlights. "It's quite something isn't it?" She continued as she surveyed the brightly lit buildings surrounding them. "So alive, yet in such a different way then in the wild. Can you feel how the Force intertwines with all the people here?" She looked back at the Padawan, antennae twitching curiously.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

To Ruzaan's relief, Master Izel didn't seem to mind his presence, even going so far as to express confidence in his abilities; a welcome change from Trauba's constant belittling. He listened carefully to Master Izel's advice, feeling a twinge of alarm as she mentioned the possibility of being separated. Ruzaan hated being alone- even a tribe of two made him feel vulnerable- and the mechanical environment of Coruscant, with its flashes, lights, and unfamiliar noises was hardly comforting to him.

As he followed as Master Izel led them towards the transit station. Ruzaan grimaced, remembering the uncomfortable ride down to level 167 with Master Ryker. He hoped that this Rook Bana made his hideaway somewhere on the upper levels of Coruscant where some sunlight still filtered through the smog. Coruscant transit was even more unnerving to Ruzaan than space travel since it combined the claustrophobia and complete lack of nature, with traffic.

Ruzaan smiled when he received his ticket. Level 1315! Sure, it'd take them a while to get there, but at least it would be up near the top of the tallest towers on Coruscant! However, his good mood quickly evaporated when the transit slowly took off and began descending even further into the depths of Coruscant. Uh oh...

Master Izel must've sensed his distress. "Can you feel how the Force intertwines with all the people here?" she asked.

Ruzaan opened his eyes, not realizing he'd squeezed them shut. He took in a shaky breath, refusing to let go of his white-knuckled grip on the transit cab's pole. He didn't want to stretch out his already-overwhelmed senses into this jarring, concrete jungle. He didn't see how the Force could flourish here amidst such a barren void. Instead of plants, Coruscant had twisted durasteel structures; instead of animals, it had millions of humanoids scraping out a meagre existence far from the sun's weak rays.

Still, with the Vratix Jedi's encouragement, he exhaled and let his senses flow out into the area around him. He wanted to recoil at first, but pushed through the discomfort. Ruzaan gasped slightly as he felt a connection with the Force- different than what he was used to, but still present- a rapid heartbeat that raced in time with the traffic flowing from level to level. It was messy, it was unusual, it was caffeinated; but it was there.

"I can't believe that this was the home of the Jedi for so many years!" Ruzaan exclaimed, his nose wrinkling. "I can't imagine being stationed on Coruscant long-term, I think I'd go insane!" He checked the Level counter on the transit that slowly ticked upwards the further they descended, stopping every few minutes to pick up or drop off passengers.

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel chittered again at Ruzaan's response. "The old Jedi Temple was on the city's surface, things are somewhat calmer up there." She explained. "Even so, it is a good thing to subject oneself to all aspects of the Force, to feel not only it's calm waters, but it's waves and rapids as well. It expands your perspective of the galaxy. And as the Code itself states, Ignorance, yet Knowledge. Chaos, yet Harmony." She lowered her head and reached out herself. Even though the pace was quick and brutal, unrelenting, there was a rhythm to it, an order. The voice of the Force remained beneath the surface, as it did within all life, guiding people and events along the path it desired. "A Jedi must learn to look beyond the material, and find peace wherever they are. The Force is the root from which everything else grows. Find it, and you can find your center." Whether or not Ruzaan would follow her lead, Izel would continue to listen to the Force in a sort of pseudo-meditative state, feeling the very life of the planet as it remained in motion around her.

Eventually they would arrive on level 1315, a place far more inhospitable then the marketplace they had come from. There was darkness and fear here. Filthy streets, people with cruel and unsympathetic expressions. Beggars in the gutter. 1315 was not the worst Coruscant had to offer, but it was damn close. A young Padawan like Ruzaan likely would have been accosted under different circumstances. Thankfully with the large insectoid's presence, most of the people seemed to give them a wide berth. The two aliens fit in much more here as well. There were many more of their kind then on the higher levels, though there were still a good number of humans too. As usual, no other Vratix though. Izel took a look around, giving a displeased click as the smell of the level hit her antennae, and pulled up her hood. "Come on," She said to the young Padawan. "Let's see if we can't find this Keggers place..."

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan listened intently as Master Izel spoke about the importance of expanding one's horizons in regard to the Force, his expression betraying his gratitude for her wisdom. At Izel's request, he began to meditate, slowly expanding his senses out into the area around him. As the transit continued to descend, Ruzaan was more clearly able to make out Master Izel's comforting presence in the Force amidst the whirlpools and whitecaps of Corsucant life; the Jedi Master providing a "home base" of sorts for him to return to whenever he felt overwhelmed. With some practice, he began to feel more at ease.

Whump. The transit bumped softly as it docked on level 1315. Ruzaan opened his eyes, blinking. How much time had passed since they left level 167? The two Jedi were the only passengers still on the transit bus, and Ruzaan stretched his stiffened legs before exiting the transport.

The smell of level 1315 hit him like a freighter. Ruzaan was hard pressed not to gag as the scents of sewage, decay, and despair that filled his nose. He followed Master Izel's lead and pulled up the hood of his cloak, feeling the uncomfortable weight of predatory eyes burning into him. Again, he felt a surge of gratitude for Master Izel; her towering physique would work in their favor should any unwelcome attention befall them. It was probably too much to hope that Rook Bana and his thugs would take one look at the intimidating Vratix and surrender the plant, and three dead bounty hunters were evidence to the contrary.

As he followed Master Izel in search of Keggers, Ruzaan took one last look around behind him to scan for danger. There were more dangers on this level than what awaited them at Rook's bar.

@Isen @Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel remained on alert as they searched the level for their destination. There was far more than just Bana's thugs to be worried about here. The law had little hold on these areas of Coruscant. Instead the streets were ruled by whatever gangster happened to be in charge. Thankfully, at least for now, no one was trying to shake them down. "Keep your hands in your pockets." The Vratix advised Ruzaan. "Be mindful of anyone that bumps into you. Pickpockets abound..." As she said this the insectoid focused her gaze on an approaching young Devaronian, who promptly grinned sheepishly and turned away, thinking better of his intentions.

Eventually they would find what they were looking for. And 'seedy' hardly did the establishment justice. The building looked like it was barely holding together, with more of the neon letters in Keggers dead than glowing. There were a few people outside, some talking and laughing, others stumbling drunkenly away. Izel stood with Ruzaan on the opposite side of the street, partially hidden by the dead streetlamps and the shifting crowd. "Don't approach just yet..." Izel said softly to the Padawan as she watched the entrance closely. "Examine everyone around, identify any that are armed. Identify any that seem to be alert, they're our security that need to be dealt with." Of course they couldn't just stand in one spot too long either, lest other studious eyes notice them and grow suspicious. But a few minutes time should be enough to see what they needed to see. Who was guarding the front door, and how many people and of what character were coming in and out.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

Level 1315 didn't hide it's danger. Seedy folks of all kinds staggered down the feet. The Jedi were alone in wearing their hoods even though criminals wanted on the planet walked freely here. They had nothing to fear on level 1315...with the exception of each other. The cops didn't come here. If they did, Trauba wouldn't have had to get outside help.

Keggers had a big neon side with a double entrance with boarded windows. It was dark inside, but the flashing lights and the loud music gave enough indication that Keggers was hopping. It also wouldn't be hard to notice the thirteen swoops that lined the outside of the entrance, many of which still had the ignition keys in the bikes.

There appeared to be two bouncers at the door, both wearing black vasts with patches. The one on the left was a large Trandoshan holding what appeared to be a very fast, rapid fire carbine in his hand. On the right was a purple Rodian with a pair of blaster pistols on his hips. All of this added up to Keggers not only being a seedy dive on one of the most dangerous levels in Coruscant, but also the well-protected base of a swoop-bike gang.

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan did his best to casually observe the establishment for threats- although calling it an establishment was being generous. Rook Bana clearly spent far more of his ill-gotten credits on fast speeders. matching vests, and subwoofers than he did on upkeep, but that didn't make getting in any easier. Two bouncers stood by the door; a Rodian and a Trandoshan, standing guard over not just the entrance but also the swoop bikes that were parked out front. Although several of the bikes had keys in the ignition, the well-armed guards were clearly deterring any of the other criminals on Level 1315 from taking a joyride.

"I've got an idea for a distraction" he murmured to Izel, eyeing the swoop bikes. "Or a way out."

Then, a thought occurred to him. "Getting in might be more difficult. Do you think they'll card me?"

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel's antennae twitched as she silently observed the bar. Swoop gangs, utter scum. And thirteen bikes meant at least thirteen armed and unfriendly gangsters inside. It would be difficult, but the Vratix had dealt with worse. As Ruzaan spoke up she looked down at the Padawan, nodding in agreement with his observation of the bikes. They could certainly prove useful. Especially considering their owners had been foolish enough to leave the ignition keys in. As the young Togruta voiced his fears over being carded the Jedi Master chittered lightly. "They don't strike me as the discerning type. Just stay close and let me see what I can do..."

With that Izel figured it was about time to get started. Taking her pike in hand, which for all intents and purposes appeared as a simple staff when not ignited, crossed the street and approached the entrance to Keggers, expecting the Padawan to follow. As the Vratix neared the bouncers stepped in front of the door. The Trandoshan was one of the few creatures Izel actually had to look up to make eye contact with. The lizard crossed his arms and growled menacingly, but it did nothing to faze the inectoid.

"Get lost bug." He spat contemptuously. "We don't want your kind here." Izel let the insult pass over her unanswered, instead taking on a friendly tone and making a subtle movement with her hand as she spoke.

"Oh come on, you know me! I'm here all the time!" She turned towards the confused Rodian and made the same gesture. "You'll let us in won't you? You love having us around!" Izel wasn't expecting much in the way of intelligence from common underworld thugs. If the mind trick worked and the bouncers lowered their guard, she would make her way inside with Ruzaan. If not... Then she would have to think of something else, or the Padawan would need to quickly step in and try to smooth things over.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

The Rodian gave a look of acknowledgement and chuckled a bit as he looked at the pair. "Yeah, I know you! You're here all the time!" He said. "They'll loving having you around in there."

The Trandoshan snorted, not buying any of it. If Izel would walk through the threshold first as expected with deference given to the Master Jedi, a razor-sharp claw would extend and poke at the chest of the young Togruta. "Not you," he spat out. "You ain't old enough to replace a thrust flap on a swoop bike, much less to enter a place like this." A wicked grin opened up in his maw and he looked at his Rodian partner. "And you know us, law and order all the time."

The two got a mighty laugh at that, but their attention soon turned back to Ruzaan. The Rodian replied, "You heard him, junior. You can scram or wait on your nanny to get her drink and come back."

@Reyn @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

Ruzaan's heart skipped a beat as the Trandoshan's claw thudded against his chest. He'd heard that Trandoshans were massive, and this one was typical of its species; even Master Izel was shorter than the bouncer that stood in front of them. That ruled out intimidation, although that hadn't really been on the table to begin with.

Ok, plan B... Ruzaan had heard of Jedi able to manipulate others' minds- using the famous Jedi Mind Trick that Master Izel had just employed- but he wasn't confident in his ability to pull that off. Instead, he opted to bluff the old-fashioned way; as long as they were having a laugh at his expense, he might be able to appeal to their sense of humor. These bouncers were not law-abiding citizens and clearly didn't view him as a threat, and he intended to keep it that way.

Rather than take offense at their words, Ruzaan threw back his head and joined in with the bouncers as they laughed at-and now with- him. "Don't tell me that the legal drinking age on Coruscant has gone up again?" he chuckled, gently pushing his way forward towards the door behind Master Izel and brushing aside the claw as he did so. "Don't worry, I promise to be on my best behavior" he said with a sarcastic smile that covered up his concerns. I hope this works...

@Isen @Reyn

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel noticed that her mind trick didn't seem to have any effect on the Trandoshan. That could prove problematic. The ruse worked on the Rodian however, and she was allowed entrance, but as the insectoid started to make her way inside Ruzaan was stopped. They seemed to be the discerning type after all. She laughed along with the bouncers and the young Padawan, supporting the Togruta's bluff. The Vratix would keep a close eye on the troublesome Trandoshan, and if he still tried to stop Ruzaan she would speak up.

"He might be wet behind the montrals, but you're looking at the next best swoop racer in the lower levels." She boasted proudly. "I heard you were looking for new talent," She waved her hand behind her back as she said this, again trying to call on the dumb Rodian to support her lie. "So I figured I'd bring him by so you could take a look. I've already got an offer from one of those human gangs in the 1200s. But I wanted to try and sign him with our own kind first." Relying on the speciesism common in the lower levels was usually a sure bet Izel had found. Even though aliens were often just as prejudiced between each other, they typically banded together when they ran up against humans. She only hoped that same prejudice ran through the Trandoshan, otherwise this could become very awkward very quickly.

If there was no further trouble, she would lead Ruzaan into the cantina, and begin searching for their target.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[The Storyteller]

The Rodian seemed to be completely buying it, but the Trandoshan...well, not so much. He crossed his arms and stood as close to eye to eye with Izel as he could and stared at her for a good while. He snorted in her face and said, "Have it your way. He can go inside...under one condition. You understand how it is, right? We have to know he's not a copper trying to bust us for letting minors in the establishment."

He motioned with his head across the large pathway between both sides of the street. "You see that Cingulon over there? He owes me 500 credits. Only, I don't exactly want the credits anymore. I want 500 credits worth of a beat-down."

He looked around Izel toward the young Togruta and said, "You beat him to a pulp, 500 credits worth and you get in." He looked back at Izel and said, "Short of that, the cop-bait sidekick stays outside."
@Reyn @SlagathorTheUnknown

 

[Ruzaan Kai]

The Trandoshan was simply not giving up. His mind racing, Ruzaan bought himself a couple seconds by glancing across the street towards the Cingulon, grimacing as he sized up the alien. Even if Ruzaan had wanted to fight, the odds were stacked against him; the Cingulon looked to be about twice his weight. He also doubted that the story the Trandoshan told them was true; nobody who owed a Trandoshan money would knowingly loiter across the street from them. Any way he looked at it, fighting was out of the picture.

Briefly, he considered submitting and waiting outside while Master Izel did recon, but the Vratix had warned against splitting up. There were many opportunistic eyes at this level, and Ruzaan had to admit that he would make an easy target; he was effectively unarmed, because pulling out a lightsaber would bring a lot of unwanted attention.

That meant he had to go with plan C. He hated plan C, but Ruzaan didn't see that he had much of a choice. Doing his best to portray the attitude of a cocky swoop bike rider he turned back towards the Trandoshan, threw back his head, and laughed. "Do I look like a goon to you?" he jerked a thumb at Master Izel. "She already told you; I'm a swoop racer, I ain't gonna waste my time trying to fight someone twice my size! But if it's a beatdown you're looking for, what do you say you and me race? 3 times around the block; if I win, you let me in. If you win, I'll wait outside."

This Lightning tree had better be worth it... he told himself. A race would distract from the mission, but then again nothing about this mission had been straightforward thus far.

@Reyn @Isen

 

[Izel Thral]

Izel crossed her arms as the Trandoshan made his 'offer'. This was getting ridiculous. Clearly he was just toying with them now. She would have spoke up, but Ruzaan beat her to the punch, fully committing to the act and challenging the lizard to a race. The Master's first instinct was to call it off, but as she paused to think, a plan started forming in her mind. This could actually work... If there was one thing swoop gangs loved, it was swoop races of course. A race would draw most everyone in the bar outside to watch, leaving the Thornsuckle mostly unguarded...

"Oh please," Izel said dismissively as she looked at Ruzaan. "This overgrown lizard is beneath you. Besides," She looked back at the Trandoashan and spoke in a ruthlessly condescending tone, "We wouldn't want to embarrass this fool in front of his friends now would we? If you're so afraid of the new kid stealing your thunder, we'll just look elsewhere. And when your boss is kicking himself over not hiring him, I'll make sure to tell him who was responsible for the lost opportunity." With that the Vratix turned and started to walk away, gesturing for the Padawan to follow. Hopefully the gangster would take the bait. The brainwashed Rodian certainly seemed to find this funny, laughing up a storm. With any luck the Trandoshan's wounded pride would drive him to accept against his better judgement. And if he didn't... Well they'd just need to find another way in. There was no way they were going to beat up some random bystander, and Izel had no intention of letting the young Padawan out of her sight for any extended period of time in a place like this.

@Isen @SlagathorTheUnknown