Ask Saleucami Sunsets

[Prani Shalrazi]

Truth be told, Prani was nervous about going on a mission with the famous Macote Hassan. The temples were all buzzing about the renowned padawan that took down a Sith. All Prani remembered was the easygoing boy with slippers that was so excited about friendship bracelets. Had he completely changed from that boy? Was he…different now that he had murdered a Sith? She wanted to tell herself it was not murder - it was a war. Did soldiers murder? Or did soldiers eliminate the enemy? All of it left her feeling uneasy.

There was no room for a pacifistic Jedi in the Order, but Prani wanted to be more support focused nonetheless. She specialized in healing and incapacitating, but part of that was from a lack of saber and combat training. The girl was recently assigned a master which would hopefully change that, but she still didn’t see herself ever becoming a Crusader. She would never be a hero or valiant warrior like Macote.

As they all arrived from different planets, Prani touched down on Saleucami separate from the others. She walked to the designated area in the spaceport, spotting the Knight that was leading the mission.

“Ah, Shalrazi,” He called out with a nod, “Just waiting on Hassan and we should be good to go.”

Prani looked down at herself, dressed in combat ready attire instead of the obvious Jedi robes or one of the dresses she liked to wear. She felt uneasy about carrying a vibroblade on her, but she knew she would have to get over it. Their objective was to go to the outskirts of the cities where there was allegedly bandit activity. Prani wasn’t sure why she was assigned to a mission like this but assumed it was the Jedi Order’s subtle way of telling her to go on more combat trips.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Macote Hassan]

Getting the Space Bus fare together for this field trip wasn't easy. This was a volunteer assignment for Macote, one that he applied for at the very last minute, so the Order couldn't help him secure transport to Saleucami. After the planet's civil war, evil bandits and pirates plundered the noble citizens of Saleucami. After Ithor, Macote forced to go through all types of psych evaluations and therapy before he could go on another mission. The moment he was deemed fit to train, he went on the first bus to Saleucami.

And then he saw Prani! He hadn't really read the mission briefing too closely, so it was a pleasant surprise to see her. On top of his Kage combat armor, he always wore that friendship bracelet she had made him. A smile crept to his astral face as he approached, stretching out a hand for a high-five. Macote really didn't have that many friends outside of Shaw - it was cool to see a familiar face.

"Prani - Dudę!" He stopped and saluted the Knight. "Padawan Macote Hassan at your service, sir! Ready to move!" He had all the eagerness of a Boy Scout.

"Good. Shalrazi, Hassan, I'm Knight Perkar. I've been working at a clinic on this planet for the better part of two years - but things have taken a turn for the worst." The Jedi's previously-strict non intervention policy forced them to watch as the Civil War raged on, killing countless civilians in the process. "The bandits have stumbled on an old Resistance stockpile - that's a threat to everyone here."

Macote made a fist into his hand. "So we show up and show out, yeah? Prani's got awesome plant powers and you're a knight so I feel like we're unstoppable."

The knight tsk-tsk'd. "Violence isn't always the answer, Padawan. Why don't you and Shalrazi go secure some provisions before our trip?"

He gestured to the food court. Macote shrugged and walked towards the corn dogs. At least it'd be a few second to catch up with his homie!

@Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

Prani spotted the friendship bracelet right away and beamed at the sight. The fact that the Jedi she gave these out to still wore them meant everything to her. She shook herself out of her thoughts when he eagerly greeted her, and she matched his energy to wave enthusiastically, “The hero of Ithor in the flesh!” She called out. They barely had a chance to make intros before the grumpy knight cut right to the chase.

She shuffled over with Macote towards the food court, peeking through the glass at the corn dogs, “How do they make corn dogs?” She asked, fascinated. It was very much a ‘city’ food and she didn’t quite understand how the meat was perfectly encased inside…bread?

“So um..how’re ya doin’?” Prani asked awkwardly, “Ithor must’ve been so scary,” She said, unable to come up with any other topics. She didn’t know anything about him outside of his tendency to stab first and ask questions later.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Macote Hassan]

Stab first and ask questions later was pretty much Macote's personality. He was equally awkward, pressing his face against the glass as he watched the corn dogs rotate. "They dip it in a batter and fry it!" He responded giddily, thinking back to all the corn dogs he used to eat on Coruscant. "It's...kinda gross. A lot of them sit out all day. Get flies." He much preferred the other sorts of fried doughs stuffed with meat available on Coruscant - samosas, sambusas, egg rolls, empanadas - but his grumbling stomach told him to buy one.

When he reached into his pocket for credits, a small tumbling of coins came out. Not enough for a corn dog. He rolled his eyes. "Nevermind. Maybe I'll just...get a water and eat some nuts or something." That sounded quite Jedi-like.

Prani asked the question that literally everyone else had been asking him. How was Ithor? He could still feel the battle in some ways - the spray of blaster fire, the screams of civilians, but the killing blow on the Ewok sith was just a moment in time. "It..." He didn't know how to phrase it politely. "I was on Coruscant, you know? My family got..." He still didn't have the language to describe their brutal evisceration by Exalted. "It was bad. Ithor was nothing like that." Ithor was like a conventional battle, with soldiers and lightsabers. He didn't feel much about striking down an enemy fighter in those conditions. "They were invading, I happened to be there. I'm just glad it went better than my Master's battle on Denon." Macote realized, on Ithor, he was ready to die. None of this ephemeral bullshit really mattered - he would just die in war, the way his parents had, the way his master had.

How he averted that so far was a mystery. He didn't wanna be the weird kid talking about death all the time, so he shifted the topic as they walked through the spaceport snack bar. "How about you?" His eyes furrowed as he spotted some inexpensive fruit he could snack on. "You, uh, make a lot of Jedi friends?" Weird question, dude.

@Sreeya

 

[Prani Shalrazi]

“Oh I got some credits!” Prani said cheerfully, forking over enough to get corndogs for them both. She wasn’t sure about the proper way to eat them so she would follow his lead.

As he spoke about Coruscant, Prani almost blurted out that she knew Shaw. However, trying to personalize on a tragedy sounded like tone deaf thing to do, so she said nothing. Prani was normally overly talkative, but all the bullying from the other Jedi pushed her to be more careful with what she said. She listened quietly, nodding with sympathy. In truth she went through hardships on Genessa after the Sith attacked and two Jedi her age were brutalized. Children were tormented and killed and she would never forget that day. But how could it ever compare to having your entire planet overrun by abominations?

What did someone even say to something like that? ‘I’m sorry’? That sounded pathetic. Should she whip out her hallikset and play a song? She stood there awkwardly, her mouth full of corndog when he asked her a question. Prani stared at him in silent panic, managing some mumbled garbling before she began to choke. She coughed and slammed a fist into her own chest but that corndog was out for vengeance.

Meanwhile, Knight Perkar skidded into the scene out of nowhere, panic flashing in his eye, “Padawans! This has turned into a rescue mission! Several Jedi have been captured and this planet has been declared a Sith planet!” He blurted out before he took a moment to stare at them. The future of the Jedi - a padawan choking on a corndog and turning blue.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Macote Hassan]

The corn dogs were not fresh & hot. Instead, cooking all day in the swamp air, they had that soggy quality that no one actually ever wanted. Macote looked suspiciously at the flaccid corn dog, reaching in to take a nibble of the dog. He squinted at Prani as she stared at him, slowly lowering the corn dog. As she began to respond to him, though, her words were caught in her throat along with the batter-fried sausage on a stick.

Was she choking? Macote's old Master was a doctor. He had learned CPR! But that was years ago and he couldn't be bothered to keep up with the certification for it...It was do or die. Macote leapt at Prani, doing the universal sign of choking as he approached. "This...might hurt." He curled his two fists into a ball and propelled them at Prani's gut, hoping an aggressive onslaught against the Corn Dogs would drive them out of her mouth definitively. (Roll: 13/20)

As she coughed out bits of corn dog onto the ground, he looked up and finally recognized the shock-and-horror stricken face of Knight Perkar. Was he just standing there, watching Prani choke? Was he one of those weak-willed Jedi, who would rather stand around and watch children die than take action? "You could have helped, Knight."

"Watch your tone with me, Padawan. While you two struggled against hot dogs, I just got word that our people were kidnapped here. We have to rescue and evacuate them."

An 'emergency broadcast' message appeared across screens in the spaceport as a tall, lean Sith covered in tattoos, began to approach the podium. He was flanked by a small, lizard creature - the Prophetess of the Zealots of Tsuusan - and members of the Wroonian council. A sly smile kept to his face, as he pushed away long locks of hair to display a prominent, draconic earring that perched on his right ear.

"Citizens of Saleucami - I am Vossari Khaldun, emissary of King Kressh, Lord Arcanos, the great uniter of Korriban!" Vossari paused, fiddling idly with a ring made of ice that sat atop his hand. "As of today, you are now citizens of the realm of Arcanos!" The King had not yet announced his grand design - the Stygian Caldera - so Voss dare not mention it. "Already, your gracious King has arranged for a three-day feast and planetwide celebration for you. So, partake, and be merry! You are now subjects of the Sith King's rule." At the sound of a feast, and the heralding of Saleucami's political and spiritual leadership, cheers erupted from around the halls.

Knight Perkar's grimace grew. "Now you see what we're up against. Keep your wits about you - we'll sneak out through the swamp."

Macote looked at Prani, hoping she had recovered her bearings by now. A pallid seriousness took his face over - completely scrubbing whatever joy had shown moments before away as his mind went to the mission. "Understood, Knight. Prani and I will do whatever we can to succeed." They couldn't just launch a wanton attack on the Sith here, of course. They were now in hostile territory.

"Let's do it." Macote followed in lock step behind Perkar as they headed into the swamp. Trees, seemingly miles high, jutted out around the spaceport, enveloping them in darkness the moment they left. "Your plant powers could really come in handy here." He mentioned to Prani, hand on his lightsaber as it sat on his hip. He refused to be caught off guard.

@Sreeya