Pink Party People Planet

[Reuben Azari]

Location: Zeltros​

Zeltros had a reputation which preceded it; it was the planet which was known throughout the galaxy as the hedonistic holidaymaker’s dream. The planet was in almost constant revelry, valuing parties, drugs, alcohol and having an emphasis on sexuality, it was a wonder the people here managed to get anything done. It was a culture shock to say the least and it was one of the last places one would expect to find a Jedi and yet behind all the wild parties and freedom there was a darker side, no matter how much it was concealed with this fiesta facade, which had led Reuben there that day.

There had been concerns about the increasing number of Zeltron women going missing, a scenario which had been seen time and time again, mostly with species valued for their grace and beauty, most notably twi’leks. With the number on the rise, an intervention had to be made since all evidence suggested that the events were connected and thus needed to be investigated. Although Zeltros was an independent planet, so intervening likely wouldn’t benefit the Galactic Alliance or even the Order directly, hopefully something could be achieved that would benefit the individuals involved and make a difference to them which was ultimately what Reuben believed the Jedi should be about.

This would be the first mission he had ventured alone since the disaster that was Kubindi back when he was five years into his padawan training, the mission that scarred him in more ways than one. He would never regain his sight and it took a long time for his confidence to recover too but now he felt prepared for whatever Zeltros had to offer… Or so he thought, up until the point at which he irked the gang who were behind the kidnappings by helping some of the women avoid capture- apparently the slavers weren’t keen on that.

Thankfully, most people were in too much of a drunken stupor or simply didn’t care enough to get involved in the predicament which was unfolding in the bar. “What do you think you’re doing?” A gruff voice asked angrily as he pressed the barrel of a blaster into Reuben’s side covertly since they were standing so close at the bar. Reuben was unfazed however, he would be able to sense when there was any real danger and knew he would react in time to stop it. “Is that a blaster or are you happy to see me?” He asked casually. “Outside, now!” The man hissed, grabbing Reuben by the arm and forcing it behind his back to lead him outside and Reuben let the man lead him even though he could've disarmed him the moment he could sense him pulling out a weapon. It would be to the slaver's own detriment that it wasn't obvious Reuben was a Jedi from his attire, it would be a mistake he wouldn't make again.

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

The crowd that had gathered around the Sabacc table in the corner of the bar gasped, as three of the eight participants folded in the same round. Sakadi's gaze shifted over the five who remained, probing their mind as she studied them one by one. Sabacc games like these were the only occasions where she found herself able to actually use her Force abilities and focus on something that wasn't the mess she had made of her life.

One of her opponents was counting cards. The others were either drunk or stupid; relying on dumb luck to win this round. She had to admit that all of them had good hands though, but none of them rivaled hers. There was truth in the saying "Don't gamble with Jedi". Or former Jedi, for this matter. A sly smile played about her lips as the Sephi leaned back in her chair. She was surrounded by a small group of Zeltron men and women, each trying to gain some sort form of attention from her. One of the younger, scantily clad girls caressed the Sephi's hair, while a muscular Zeltron male kept offering her drinks. Perhaps because of their limited telepathic gifts, they were able to tell that the Sephi was about to win. Either that, or they could sense the former Jedi's mood. But none of that mattered to her. What did matter, was that she would have another million credits to spend.

After some banter between the men at the table, one of them made the call. A few seconds later, the crow could be heard loudly cheering for the lavender skinned woman, as she displayed her cards for all to see. That would be her last round this evening; she had better things to do than play Sabacc all night, right? The former Jedi was lost in her thoughts for a second, as she tried to think of some activity that would keep her occupied. Something that would keep her from thinking about the past. The Force. Her mistakes and most importantly; the horrible person she was. Casually shoving some of her newly acquired credits to the Zeltrons who so desperately wanted her attention, the former Jedi stood up and walked over to the bar. Her limbs were tired, her joints burned as she moved and for a minute after she stood up, the room was spinning again.

Arriving at the bar, followed by the Zeltron girl who hadn't been able to stop caressing the Sephi's hair, she ordered a Chandrila Special, a kind of cocktail that did a good job at keeping her mind as unfocused as possible. Blankly staring in front of her, she wondered what the current state of the Galaxy was. She had been here for... how long now? The pheromones seemed to be getting to her. "So love... got anything to do tonight?" the Zeltron girl asked her teasingly. As a response, the tired Sephi shook her head. "Is that so?..." the girl continued, pursing her lips as she moved closer to Sakadi. "Why don't you do me then?" she whispered into the Sephi's ear, who deeply exhaled. She couldn't keep up with these kriffing Zeltron, who were obsessed with pleasure and parties. She came her looking for just that, solace and pleasure, but only found swindlers and performers.

The former Jedi had many reasons to reject her offer, but she couldn't bring herself to care about any of them. Except for one. She wasn't going to sleep with some random Zeltron, no matter how attractive the girl looked. No. her mind instantly shifted to Mid, and even Eithni. No. Raising her glass to escape the past again, she completely missed the actual Jedi present in the bar, as some criminal lead him outside.

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

Once they were in an alley that connected two streets outside the bar, the man shoved Reuben forward and released him, keeping his blaster aimed on him. There was no danger yet, that man had no intention of pulling the trigger so soon, it was just a scare tactic so Reuben turned around to face him with no sign of fear. “Who do you work for?” The man asked. “Oh please, you’re hardly going to take down the whole organisation.” An answer which didn’t please the slaver, understandably, and only caused him to scowl. “Who?!” The man insisted, his finger resting eagerly over the trigger of the blaster.

Instead of responding, Reuben took the opportunity to diffuse the situation and quickly held his hand out, using the force to prevent the man from pulling the trigger for the few seconds it took to pull out his lightsaber, ignite it and bisect the blaster to eliminate the threat. The man seemed stunned and only managed to gather one word to express his anger. “Jedi.” He hissed, glaring at the knight before him. Within moments, the lightsaber was gone again, he knew it would be unwise to draw more attention than necessary.

“Leave.” Reuben warned the other man who had begun to seem apprehensive now after being disarmed but still seemed to have an admirable amount of courage. “Leave, this isn’t your planet, Jedi.” The man retorted to which Reuben rolled his eyes, he had grown tired of this man and his empty threats. Reuben approached the man who could do nothing but stare the Jedi down and waved a hand across his face, slowly. “You want to leave this planet and never return.” He told the man who repeated the words back before promptly acting on them and leaving, mindlessly.

A rather peaceful end to the situation was unexpected but welcomed, though this was far from over since the man had only been part of a larger group, a bigger problem and depending on how deep the roots ran, there could be the need for more Jedi to get involved but soon he hoped to establish whether or not that would be necessary. The last thing the Jedi needed now was to waste their resources since they were entering a war on two fronts, they would have to prioritise missions and ensure the safety of their own.

Reuben walked back inside and up to the bar to order a soft drink, he wasn’t against drinking but didn’t agree with drinking on a mission when he would have so much responsibility placed on him, especially after being newly promoted. At least this way he could nurse a drink and observe any accomplices that might have accompanied the slaver without looking out of place.

In mere seconds a pink skinned woman approached him and Reuben prepared himself for what could likely be described as the accosting of the century, but what else could be expected from a culture that valued polygamy. “Hey,” The woman greeted him as she disregarded all personal boundaries and slipped an arm around his shoulders. Most of the people who visited this planet seemed to be very keen on this type of behaviour but Reuben was less than impressed. “I’m having a party later at my place if you wanted to come.” The woman continued. Reuben gently removed her arm from his shoulder and declined her offer. “No, thanks.” He replied before diverting his attention elsewhere in the hope that she got the message. The woman seemed irked but walked away before any other words could be exchanged, thankfully.

His eyes fell on a human male talking to a Zeltron woman at the bar, while there was every chance that the man had honest intentions, there was also every chance that he didn’t. When the man noticed Reuben looking he returned his gaze to which Reuben averted his eyes. “What are you looking at?” The man asked, irritated. “Nothing.” Reuben replied, not making eye contact. “Did you want to join us?” The woman asked playfully. Reuben started shaking his head when he stopped after realising this could be an opportunity to get the slaver away. He held his hand out to the woman. “Do you want to come back to my place instead?” He asked to which the woman shrugged and took his hand, joining him at the bar. Reuben hoped this man was who he thought he was otherwise it could lead to a very awkward situation but after a few moments of staring each other down, the other man backed off.

When the man was out of sight, Reuben released the woman’s hand. “So where do you live?” She asked. “Sorry, I don’t really live here, that man was just a slaver so I was getting him to leave you alone.” He replied. “Oh.” The woman sounded surprised but not overly. “Doesn’t mean you can’t come back to mine.” She added with a smirk. “No, thanks.” He declined politely. “Oh come on, please.” She pleaded, wrapping an arm around his waist, causing him to step away from her. “No.” He said, more assertively. “I only live around the corner.” She tried reasoning with him. “No, please leave me alone.” He said again, beginning to get irritated. The bar was a wishwash of pheromones, drugs and alcohol but it was only the pheromones he could take notice of as the woman spoke to him. “Come on, it’ll be fun.” She tried again, at which point Reuben had had enough. “Look, back off!” He was clearly irritated by now.

@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

Her attempt to politely reject the Zeltron girl by ignoring her failed to bear fruit, as she continued right after. "Silence means consent you know..." her hand was already on the Sephi's upper thigh before she could protest. Could she even protest? This was Zeltros, the party planet. There was no need to hold back, was there? While the former Jedi was still lost in thought, the scantily clad Zeltron girl, as agile as she was, took place on Sakadi's lap. Wrapping her arms around the Sephi, she continued teasing. The scent of the pheromones was heavy with her this close, and Sakadi felt how the girl tried to project joy in Sakadi's mind. But despite her diminished and faltering abilities, the Sephi's mind was still an unconquerable fortress. She was never going to let anyone enter her mind. Never.

With the Zeltron girl now tightly pressed against her, the former Jedi believed she had found her entertainment for the evening. It didn't last for long, however, as after just one long and passionate kiss, the woman on her lap suddenly looked up, fixated on something happening on the other side of the bar. And she wasn't the only one. Slowly but steadily, a large portion of the Zeltron population in the bar glanced in one and the same direction. Following their stares, Sakadi's gaze fell upon a familiar face. A former acquaintance of her, which truly made her wonder if the entire Jedi Order had come to this planet. Were they going to build a temple here or something? First Kyi, and now Reuben Azari..

She had only worked with him once before. If she remembered correctly, he was Ashlyna's Padawan. Unlike Kyi though, she didn't care much for this particular man. Whatever he was doing here was none of her business. Plus, she doubted he'd recognize her among the crowd. He had other problems to deal with now. Did he not know that the Zeltrons could faintly sense emotions? This was why she had never allowed Padawans to go on missions alone. They always made stupid decisions.

Caressing the skin of her new friend, Sakadi managed to attract her attention again. "Sorry... where were we?" she said with a faint but genuine smile. It made her wonder how they did it, how they kept on partying day after day, night after night. Was that something she could learn?... Could it possibly solve her problems? She truly needed to find a better way to run from all the issues she had. She needed to run from herself.

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

A few heads turned in their direction at Reuben raising his voice and among them he noticed, surprisingly, a familiar one. The lavender-skinned knight he had been on a mission with not too long ago was one of the faces on the other side of the bar, only she had been missing for a while now and given that she was on Zeltron at a time like this, entertaining a woman no less, it would seem that her position within the Order was compromised. He didn’t know her well but he knew there must’ve been something seriously wrong for her to find solace in a place such as this.

Questions raced through his mind but the Zeltron woman soon made sure she was the centre of attention again. She placed a finger under his chin and turned his head back towards her to which he frowned and swatted her hand away before turning to leave. The atmosphere in the bar was a mix of pheromones and liquor, making the situation begin to seem unclear. His eyes briefly returned to the Zeltron woman who had so desperately desired his attention moments before but he continued, leaving the frustrated woman behind.

As Reuben approached Sakadi, he was intercepted by a man who blocked his path and then another pne who blocked another side, they had come from a larger group of men in the corner of the bar. “We saw you go outside with Tony, where is he?” The man asked. “He’s probably still out there, we went out for some fresh air or well er… fresher air.” Reuben replied at which point the man grabbed him by the front of the shirt and pulled him close roughly, looking down on the other man. “If you’re lying, you’re dead.” The man warned before releasing Reuben and walking outside with his companion. Once they were out of sight, Reuben approached Sakadi, looking her and the woman she was with up and down, he didn't care that he was interrupting- there were more important matters to attend to.

How had it come to this? A once respectable Jedi knight in some sleazy bar, entertaining a Zeltron, frankly looking like she had hit rock-bottom. “Sakadi?” He tried to get her attention, looking at her almost pitifully after realising to the extent of what she had become. “I need to talk to you but not here, not now.” He said, glancing over his shoulder to check the men hadn’t come back. “Please.” He seemed desperate. After noticing the drink on the bar beside her, he changed his tactics slightly and tried bargaining with Sakadi. “I’ll buy you a drink somewhere else.” He offered.


@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

When she heard someone call her by name, the former Jedi knew it had to be Reuben. As a mute, she had hand signals for everything. Everything except her name. Even the local bars and casinos she visited didn't know her by name. Perhaps that was a good thing, for the person that was Sakadi Marathi Sinvala was somewhat of a celebrity on this planet. She had been an entertainer herself after all, an opera singer who had traveled through much of the Galaxy as a child. Zeltros had been one of those planets, although her parents had been adamant on keeping their visit as short as possible.

Then, there was her visit to the planet in her second life, after she had devoted herself to the Jedi Order. She had gone back to Zeltros to be part of one of the most influential parties on the planet, only for it to end in a terrible heist. A heist that robbed some people of their lives, without her being able to save them. She had done all she could; made herself publicly known as a Jedi to protect the other victims, but it had been to no avail. Even back in her early years as a Padawan she had possessed a knack for ruining lives. And now, during her third visit, she had hoped to lose sight of the person that was Sakadi Marathi Sinvala and all that she had been. Opera Singer. Jedi Knight. Lover. Warrior. Savior. In the end, she had failed at all of those respective roles. Lost her voice. Broke her code. Broke a heart. Had fought dishonorably and failed to protect those who needed her most. It moved her, but not in a good way.

Sakadi tilted her head slightly as Reuben observed her and the Zeltron girl. Did he have to watch? Could he not wait? It felt really inappropriate for him to watch, and for them to continue. Gritting her teeth, the former Jedi turned to Reuben. Her expression had an angry "what" written all over it, as she pondered what planet she would have to visit next to finally be left alone. First Kalanda on Eriadu and two Jedi Knights on Zeltros. Almost as if the Force was trying to place obstacles on her path.

The Zeltron girl, realizing that Reuben wanted something from the Sephi, bit her lip. She would have to let the Sabacc champion go for now. With a deep sigh, the Zeltron girl stood up. "Fine.. she's all yours.." she exclaimed, as she gave Reuben a cold stare. "Sorry hun, we'll continue this next time. You here tomorrow?" she asked Sakadi, who nodded in response. "Good.. I'll be looking forward to it.." she said, as she blew the lavender skinned woman a kiss and left the two Force sensitives alone. It annoyed the former Jedi greatly. Here stood Reuben, asking her to follow him because he was apparently going to buy her a drink in some other place. Yeah, right. As if he would. She didn't want to talk to him, or any member of the Order for that matter. Her features clearly displayed her frustration, as she followed closely behind the taller Knight. Reuben lead her straight to exit, outside of the bar. That really irked her, the last thing she wanted was to be alone with him.

Luckily for most of the scantily clad Zeltrons, it was warm outside at this hour, in the middle of the night. Sakadi observed large groups of people; most of them drunk, moving from one bar to the other. The ground was littered with cups and the muttering of the party goers didn't fade away in this part of the district. Well, did it fade anywhere on Zeltros during the night?

Once outside, Reuben didn't stop. The man was looking for a private place to talk with her, but no place on Zeltros was truly private, although the way it seemed he had yet to find that out. During his search, Sakadi started to ponder what he wanted to talk about. The pitiful look he had given her hadn't gone unnoticed to her. Surely he wasn't here for the same reason as Kyi had been? It wasn't entirely unlikely that that was the case. Reaching deep within her jacket, Sakadi's dominant hand found the cold metal hilt that was her indigo colored lightsaber. Was she going to need it against him? Would she need it to escape from him?

Glancing over her shoulder, the former Jedi noticed three large muscular man doing their best to follow them. Perhaps the normal, drunk population of Zeltros didn't notice it, but she would still need quite a few more drinks before she'd stop noticing people trying to tail her. She was going to be quite angry if this had anything to do with Reuben. The idiot had drawn all the attention to him inside the bar, so it wouldn't surprise her if some of the men had chosen him as their target. Theft and murder was quite common here, after all.

@Sunfrog

 

[Reuben Azari]

There was no way of knowing what to expect when he approached Sakadi, partly because he didn’t know her very well to begin with but now she hardly seemed recognisable to those who knew her initially anyway so he doubted it would matter and although he tried not to show it, he pitied her and what she had become, how had she come to despair in a place such as this? If there were any way he could help to ease her suffering then he would try and coax information out of her to allow him to do so- when they were out of harm’s way.

Once they left the bar, Reuben walked briskly, trying to get away from the bar and the men he had angered inside it, but made sure that Sakadi was close by. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she likely came here for solace and to escape whatever ailed her so he kept an eye on her to ensure that she didn’t slip away. The situation had begun to snowball into a small predicament but with any luck they would lose the men and find somewhere somewhat quiet, or at least somewhere without a raging party, to talk.

Reuben certainly didn’t enjoy the solitude that came with being a knight, at least being a padawan there was the moral support of an older, more experienced Jedi to accompany you on missions and take a majority of the responsibility for the mission. Only now he was free to make his own decisions, including his own mistakes. Arguably making mistakes was one of the best ways to learn, though it was undoubtedly one of the best ways to get killed too. However, being a Jedi meant you never truly stopped learning.

He imagined that Sakadi would look upon him with contempt because she only knew him for who he was as a padawan but he wouldn’t be doing himself any favours by leading her into the face of danger rather irresponsibly. No doubt Sakadi would be angry that he had brought her into this situation but Reuben tried to remain calm despite being aware of the presence of three strangers following them. It would seem that there would be no diplomatic closure to the situation, things had escalated far too much for that, these men would want answers, answers they wouldn’t like.

It only took a fourth man to appear in front of them for Reuben to realise that they could be getting into some serious trouble, whoever he had angered was clearly powerful and had a lot of lackeys and these wouldn’t be the only ones either. For the first time in a long time, he was afraid, he didn’t have Ash to support him any more and he wasn’t the most confident in his own abilities despite being capable of handling multiple enemies at once but his expression showed no fear and he hoped Sakadi couldn’t sense his apprehension.

There were people bustling around all over the place, they were still on a high street, which made Reuben hesitant about taking his lightsaber out, though his hand coiled around the hilt for comfort. The men appeared to be well armed, it didn’t seem like this would be like a good old-fashioned fist fight and when two of them reached for blasters and then trained them on the Jedi before them, Reuben’s hand tightened around his lightsaber hilt and he could only hope Sakadi was still armed.


@Powerfullhorus

 

[Sakadi Marathi Sinvala]

It took her a second, but the former Jedi finally recognized the men. They all had matching tattoos on their left forearms. All of them were Zeltrons. Oh, this was trouble.

The particular district they were in was a dangerous one. It wasn't uncommon for slavers or spice sellers to make an appearance in this district, mainly because of it's current top dogs. A large Zeltron criminal organization called the Redfaced. The kidnapped not just men, but the women and children too. And for what purpose? To sell them off-world to Hutts and other vile creatures who were looking for living trophies.

Normally, the Zeltron government would've swiftly taken down an organization like the Redfaced. But this was not an ordinary gang of human traffickers. This particular organization had managed to infiltrate the law enforcement and government of the planet. In other words, they were the law. And Reuben had managed to piss them off.

Sakadi quickly gauged Reuben's reaction to the four men who were closing in on them. His expression showed no fear, but from his posture, Sakadi could tell that he wasn't enjoying this. Luckily for him, the Sephi had friends here.

A quick glance to one of the Zeltrons near the bar they had just left was all she needed. Instantly, the man moved in the direction of the Sephi. And he wasn't the only one who started moving. Five more joined him, turning the odds in their favor.

Placing an arm on the shoulder of one of their assailants, the tallest of her Zeltron friends immediately grabbed the attention. "Yo, you don't happen to be harassing Marathi here right? Cause I don't think any of the lads would take that well..." he said, his tone slightly threatening as he gestured at his friends behind him.

@Sunfrog