Rally to the Flag

[Talos Barrenfist]

​

For one reason or another Talos kept finding himself coming back to Corellia. Perhaps it was fate or the will of the force like those Jedi keep mentioning about. That’s a question for another time. Got a job to do. With this silent reminder lieutenant walked beside Senator Numenius Pax with an escort of four republic troopers down the pavement as the party approached a community center in one of the more well off districts in Cornet City.

Barrenfist was proud of his service to the Republic even though he didn’t understand it half of the time. Like Pax as a senator was as anti-war as they came but here is the man was going to a scheduled rally to recruit people for the conflict.

I don’t know much about how the senate works but I can’t imagine Pax here can be ordered to perform this task. It’s likely the fact the war is against the Hutts. The fat leeches do tend to piss off everybody that they’re not able to bride or scare.

Regardless, Barrenfist hoped the politician handle most of the talking. The idea of making a speech to convince a bunch of civilians to join up sounded to him daunting to say the least.

@Nefieslab

 

[Numenius Pax]

Corellia.

It was a strange place, in Numenius' mind.

Not only was it a place that lived and breathed nothing but heavy industrialisation... but it was also a metropolitan planet with some really lovely areas and even some resorts for holidays and the like. Cornet City was a bit of the first two - both heavily industrial and yet still filled with areas that showed nothing but wealth and sophistication.

But that was besides the point.

This mission was another recruitment mission, another chance for the senator for Corulag to push the average citizens of the Republic into the war, to galvanise the war effort as much as possible. As they were approaching the centre, Numenius caught Talos looking at him and smiled faintly.

"You want to ask me, don't you?" he asked with a small smirk, "You're confused as to why a professed pacifist is with you, right now, looking to ask others to go to war."

He sighed a little bit,

"I fought against going to war, Lieutenant... but war came anyway." he noted bitterly, "And when war is at your door, you can't afford to hide behind principles like pacifism. It's not easy. But if the Republic is to war, it is far better that it war well."

@Minuteman75

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

I must’ve been too obvious because this pen worshipper figured that out. Still a surprising attitude considering someone of his position.

Barrenfist decided he can work with that. Now that it’s a full scale war a lot more people need to be convinced to join up. Ushered inside by awaiting private security, Pax and Talos would find the center packed to the brim with people who sat in foldable chairs. Most of them were poor and middle class folk, judging by the clothing, talked among themselves.

Republic banners hang high the walls above with a few propaganda posters on display as the small party was directed toward the back where a massive stage awaited. Soon enough the audience took note of their arrival, watching with great curiosity and some nervousness. Talos refused to lock eyes with them and hid behind a wall of a calm professional expression so to not betray his awkwardness about being here. Once the guests were on the stage, a local official with a microphone began speaking.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please help me to welcome today our special guests the honorable senator of Corulag, Numenius Pax and Lieutenant Talos Barrenfist of the Grand Army.”

Polite applause followed as the announcer handed the mic over to Numenius to allow him to begin.

 

[Numenius Pax]

Numenius stepped up and accepted the microphone. He smiled at the audience, tapping the end of the microphone lightly with a little chuckle,

"This thing on?" he paused, as if listening to his own voice before tutting and turning back to the audience, "I don't really sound like that do I? Ugh. So whiny!"

There were chuckles and some laughs and Numenius let them die down before speaking.

"Alright... you know why I'm here. You know why the Lieutenant is here." he gestured to Talos simply, "We are here because the Republic is in peril and it needs you. It needs brave young men and women, like you, to sign up to support the war, to support our way of life. We need you in whatever way you can think. You think you can punch The Wook in the jaw for the Republic? Get to it! You think you can pants Tage Mak and not get stabbed? What the hell are you waiting for?!"

The crowd was getting more and more enthused, more invested now that he was going it all with such an informal and excitable air about him.

"How many of you will join? How many of you will do all these things and more?! Who here is going to pour salt on Nemro? One of you?!"

A resounding cheer arose from the crowd and Numenius allowed himself to relax a little bit as everyone seemed very interested in signing up. It was at this moment that things went wrong and a young woman with blonde hair pushed her way from the side of the crowd and drew a pistol,

"FREEDOM FROM THE REPUBLIC SHACKLES!" she shouted as she shot at Numenius twice with her blaster, catching him in the armoured section of his armoured suit and sending him clattering to the ground, burnt but not dead, "DEATH TO THE TYRANTS!"

@Minuteman75

Spoiler: Tags for being mentioned

@Clayton @Sreeya @Malon

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

Standing beside Pax with arms crossing his chest Talos looked on as the former began his speech. He was surprised to be mentioned but refused to display the shock as the pep talk went on. Not bad, not bad at all. He mused, seeing how the crowd was eating up the policitan. In a strange way if sorts made him think of how his father would rally the clan before they all set out for combat, reminding them who they were and what’s at stake.

Of course there are more colorful phrases involved and gory details. Homesickness hit Barrenfist like a punch to the gut but outwardly he remained calm for all to see. It was in that moment that the blonde woman came out from one section of the assembled, crying against the Republic before shooting Numenius with a raised pistol. As Pax fell to the ground and screams erupted, Talos instantly acted.

With a swift draw he aimed and fired four stun bolts into the shooter, causing her to collapse face first to the floor unconscious. While the some guards rushed over to secure the woman and her weapon, Talos and the others attended to their charge. Sliding over to Numenius, Talos prayed to the dragons that the man was fine.

“Senator are ya alright?” He asked with great concern.

 

[Numenius Pax]

Numenius was not having a pleasant day of it.

Groaning in clear pain, Numenius reached up to try and touch where he had been hit in the chest by the blaster bolts. Thankfully his armour was top notch under the lining of his suit... and moving still broke open the already bloody burn against his chest from what power had managed to punch through the armour and be dissipated into his skin. Slumping back against the floor, he groaned through gritted teeth and tried to sit up.

"Gods this hurts..." he hissed before nodding, "I think... I think I'm alright."

Some kolto would not go amiss.

Over to the side the woman had been disarmed by the guards but now she was being accosted by the crowd, who seemed to be baying for her blood and on the verge of rioting to get it. Numenius clutched at Talos' arm, hissing in pain as he used it as leverage to finish sitting up,

"Stop them." he urged the Lieutenant, "They're not animals and not murderers - don't let them become either."

@Minuteman75

 

[Talos Barrenfist]

The lieutenant breathed a sigh he had holding back. The last thing he wanted was another senator to die on his watch. The fates were merciful this time. “Oh you’ll be back singing papers before long senator. Hopefully the hospital food here will be half decent.”

He smiled at his attempt at humor before hearing the noise behind him. Turning he saw the once frightened crowd now enraged were now trying to grab the fallen would-be assassin to tear her apart. Immediately, the wounded Pax pleaded for him to stop the people from taking their revenge. Personally Talos didn’t blame them one bit, however they needed the blonde alive for questioning.

Without bothering to nod at Pax, the lieutenant jump off the stage, shouting. “Stop, don’t kill her!” The angry mob paused, and stared at the marine with confused expressions. One of them a purple skinned Twi’lek in worker overalls ask.

“Why? She shot the senator, that makes her an enemy. We’re sick and tired of the cartel pushing us around.”

A number of the others echoed the worker’s sentiment. Standing firm against the mass of people Talos answered.

“This is not the way to do it. We need her alive for interrogation and to be judged by the courts. If any of you truly believe in the Republic and want to take fight to the Hutts then grow a frakkng pair and sign up like Senator Pax just said!”

Shamed by the sharp rebuke the people let go of the unconscious woman and the gurads dragged her away. Meanwhile paramedics were already on the stage to treat Pax.

 

[Numenius Pax]

Numenius groaned a little bit, rolling his eyes a little bit at Talos' joke but still waving his right hand at him in amusement.

"Indeed - this is my signing arm." he chuckled a little bit, wincing at the pain before shaking his head, "No time for hospital Talos - I'll get some kolto slapped on it but after that I'm on the move again. Going to have to replace my suit though..."

That was going to get annoying.

His back up suit was grey - no one liked grey suits, it was why they were known across the Galaxy for being back up suits! Rubbing his hand over his face as a paramedic got to work on him, Numenius let the man make sure he was stable before waving him off. It wasn't as bad as it had first seemed.

Standing, he moved back over to Talos, patting the other man on the shoulder,

"Mission accomplished Lieutenant... now how about a drink?"

He could use a pint.

/End Thread
@Minuteman75