Ask Scrub Squad Adventures

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra sneezed as he stepped into the foggy establishment. He had done spice many times before, and he could smell the different variants. He glanced over when Ferrin tossed him a coat. Ezra stared at the Pantoran for a moment, catching the expression on his face. Ezra met it with mild confusion, but he had been freezing this whole time. He didn’t quite know what to make of it so he simply stood there as Dash was approached by the apron guy.

Ferrin immediately volunteered Leon to participate. Before they knew it, Leon instantly dressed up and put on his heels. He was way too eager to play the role and clearly had just been waiting for someone to ask. Ezra was immediately annoyed when people started to boo, so he clapped for his buddy, cupped his hands by his mouth and shouted, “YEAH GET IT, BOYYYYYYY!” Only Leon’s friends were allowed to dunk on him.

Ezra watched with morbid curiosity as the music started and Leon began with a dramatic flex, followed by swaying and dropping it. He could only stare with fascination. Those clothes were perhaps a bit more flattering on Leon than Ezra expected.

Ezra nudged Dash with his elbow, “How come you don’t dress up and dance like that for me?” He asked moodily. He may have a heart attack if he saw Dash in some stockings. That was when he remembered there was a job to do. Ezra started moving through the crowds, getting his head quickly out of the gutter.

He spotted a Duros at a corner table and Ezra conveniently stood around at a moderate distance, relying on his sensitive ears to eavesdrop.

“-No I don’t know who killed Garbo,” The Duros said gruffly as he took a sip from his drink, “Was a man in a hood. He seemed to know some Jedi were coming to the planet and offered me some cash to send people on their trail and call ‘em Sith.”

“You let Garbo’s killer go?”

“No,” Shaw said as he slammed his glass down, emotion streaking into voice, “You don’t understand. This man in the hood. I think he was one of them. A…..” He lowered his voice, “..Sith.”

@Zay @Altaris @Alhon

 

[The Storyteller]

While they lingered in their club and dug into information about the assassin, a chill would wash over all four of the Padawans. At first, they might think it was only a cold breeze, but as they noticed the club was anything but cold, they might chalk it up to the mention of the Sith. But such a reaction shouldn't have been able to be produced from just uttering the name.

This subtle wave of darkness was produced as somewhere across the city, the last lifeblood drained free of Alton Vari and onto the floor of the warehouse where he had just been brutally interrogated and finally executed.

They would have a sudden feeling of being exposed (that had nothing to do with how much of Leon was actually exposed). It was the feeling that someone, somewhere knew about you and was hunting you.

@Sreeya @Alhon @Altaris @Zay

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t help but stare in amazement - watching as Leon got changed and took his place up on the stage, dancing and dropping it low. The Pantoran wasn’t about to admit how good Leon looked in those shorts, nor the faint regret at his own decision. Perhaps he miscalculated entirely, and would’ve been better served by doing the performance himself - if the look on Ezra’s face was anything to go by.

Shaking his head a bit to dispel the disbelief, Ferrin gleefully clapped for Leon as the fellow Padawan danced - whistling suggestively as Leon performed one move in particular that got the crowd going. Little did he know, Shaw had his eyes on the Padawan the entire time.

Pondering his own options to get onto the lounge floor, Ferrin glanced back at a few of the other uniforms that were hanging up in the dressing room, left from other employees. He couldn’t rely on super hearing like Ezra, and instead settled on a set of shorts, vest and bow tie - clearly left by one of the waiters that served drinks for the lounge. Without missing a beat, Ferrin snagged the outfit and quickly changed, stepping out of the changing room while Leon was still performing.

Snagging a nearby tray off the counter, Ferrin began to make his rounds across the lounge floor - subtly drawing close enough to Shaw to eavesdrop on the conversation taking place.

“So.. Did you get a look at this guy? Y’know..” He trailed off, avoiding mentioning the name Sith.

“Fuck that,” The Duros said with narrowed eyes, throwing back the rest of his drink - a feeble attempt to settle his nerves. “Even if I did, I got nothing else to say ‘bout it. I ain’t about to be some loose end to be tied up,” Shaw shook his head.

“So what’re you gonna do now?”

“With Garbo gone.. Get the hell out of dodge,” He stood his head. “Ain’t nothing left on Berchest for me, especially if we got Sith and other wizards poking around. Take my credits, that new Razorfin and dip,” Keys to which, little did anyone know, Ezra had tucked into his coat pocket.

Before Ferrin could overhear anything else, his senses were suddenly overwhelmed by that sense of Darkness - pulsating through the Force and sending a distinct chill down the Pantoran’s spine. It was unmistakable and impossible to ignore, and shattered any sense of confidence or security that Ferrin projected. He felt exposed, and suddenly knew that there was something - someone - hunting them.

It was the same feeling as being surrounded by ocean, and knowing that something bigger - stronger and more dangerous - lurked in the water below.

Ferrin felt fear lance through him, and it manifested in the way his hands trembled ever-so-slightly with the tray in his hands. He glanced over to Shaw, watching as the Duros took another draw from his hookah and prepared to leave - having clearly gotten his fill of the dances and prepared to make good on previous statements. Seeing their opportunity slipping away, Ferrin casually reached down to another patron - handing them a drink that was flagged down. In the process, the Pantoran made a faint gesture with two fingers - targeting the cup of the man sitting directly across from Shaw.

The beverage tipped, spilled across the table and poured right into Shaw’s lap - eliciting a string of curses from the Duros. The liquid soaked right into his pants, and left the man shuffling off towards the bathrooms tucked into the back of the hookah lounge - away from the rest of his friends and potentially alone.

 

[Dash Pavan]

Of all of them, Dash could scarcely believe it was Leon who got forced into the role of dancer in order to keep them in the club. He was even more astounded when the other Padawan took to it like a duck to water, gyrating his Adumarian backside like he had several years practice under his belt. Dash stood watching aghast.

His ears pricked up at Ezra's question, though he never quite took his eyes off Leon. "You never asked..." he replied, wondering if he had heard the other teen right. He made a mental note to press Ezra on his secret tastes when this was all done. Maybe his boyfriend was not as vanilla as he thought.

Ezra suddenly moved away and Dash instinctively followed, eventually spying the Duros they had been looking for. Ezra looked deep in thought and Dash had a sense those pointy ears were listening in. He tried to turn away and act natural, focusing on one of the other dancers, but a sudden pall fell over him. He swayed, grabbing a pillar for support as deep sense of dread filled him. It felt a little like the holocron back on Ithor, but darker and all together more dangerous. A warning in the Force.

Looking up, he saw Ferrin a little way off somehow dressed as a waiter. A scantily clad waiter at that. Trying to ignore what a weird day this was becoming, Dash wove between the crowd towards the Pantoran, hoping to find out what he was doing. But there was a sudden commotion and a man was striding across in front of him. It was the Duros, heading for the bathroom.

Dash realised this was their chance, following the man and motioning to the others to catch up. Sidling into the bathroom behind Shaw, he waited for the guy to front up to the wall and start trickling before he spoke.

"So we'd like to know one or two things about Garbo and a Togruta diplomat" he said, calm but firm "how about you just tell us what we need and we'll let you get on with your night?"

@Zay @Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra’s ears twitched at the mention of Sith. Unlike when the discount mercenaries were blabbing about Sith, Shaw sounded genuine. There was fear in his voice, and it was clear that the Duros was on edge. Ezra looked up to spot Ferrin emerging with a wardrobe change, blending in as if he had been working at the establishment for years. What the hell was Ferrin’s story? How was he so good at being a class A crook at all times? More importantly, how was he a candidate for a Jedi? Ezra was both disturbed and impressed.

Ezra was about to head back to regroup with the others when he stopped in his tracks. He felt a chill run down his spine, and a sick feeling at the pit of his stomach. His mouth went dry. He looked over his shoulder, almost expecting someone to be standing there. Ezra hated this feeling, and he couldn’t explain what was happening. A quick glance at Ferrin and Dash suggested they both felt the same thing at the same time. It felt almost similar to what he felt on Ithor when Dash had said his eyes changed. It was unsettling and he wasn’t ready to talk about any of it with anyone.

He rubbed his temples, glancing up in time to witness Dash following Shaw into the refresher. Wait, what?

Meanwhile, Shaw was very paranoid after everything that happened. He was lost in thought when he started to do his business. As soon as he heard the voice of someone directly behind him, his heart sprang to his throat. The Duros whipped around in a panic, accidentally sending that stream drizzling over Dash as he reached for the small pistol he took from Garbo’s shop. His buddy had kept it under the register in case of a robbery. Shaw leveled the blaster and fired, not really looking to see if it hit anything. He bolted out of the refresher to get away, fully believing that Dash was an agent of the Sith.

From Ezra’s perspective he just saw the Duros charge out of the bathroom and had heard the shot going off. As only Shaw emerged alone, Ezra’s eyes widened as he feared the worst. Without thinking, the Force effortlessly came to his command, coiling around Shaw’s neck. The Duros was slammed back into the wall behind him, lifted almost a foot off the ground. He didn’t realize what he was doing at first until he saw the Duros’ eyes beginning to bulge. Ezra had never used the Force like this and it felt…unnatural. He quickly released Shaw once he gathered his senses, leaving him kneeling on the ground as he rushed past him to check on Dash in the bathroom.

Shaw wheezed and clutched at his throat, shakily pointing a finger back towards Ezra, “S-SSIIIIIITH!”


@Zay @Altaris @Alhon

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Baudelaire was dancing like a maniac on the dance floor. Some would say he was dancing like he’d never danced before. The lounge’s DJ fired off a holo that floated up above the stage and simulated rainfall as Leon transitioned into his finale, a group of house danced lept up on stage joining in for the final bit as the climax of the song entered it’s final rhythm, Leon let go. His body was a flurry of motion, he jumped to his feet, threw himself into a back flip and landed like a superhero at the same time all the lights in the room went out. It would have been perfect. The ultimate what in the fuck just happened moment. An absolute you can tell people if you want because they’ll never believe you kind of event. The perfect example of pic or it didn’t happen, and it was all tainted by an ice-cold breeze drifting over his exposed skin.

A dread that froze him to the bone. A fear that eroded his confidence. He suddenly felt stark naked and bolted from the stage. Hurriedly he pulled his clothes on, something was wrong. Something was really really wrong. He needed to feel the wind. He needed to feel the force. He needed to warn his friends. He— he needed to breathe.

Leon breathed in the Force, having faith that it was there to fill his lungs, and it was. His anxiety receded like a wave drawing back from the shore. Again he breathed, his fear was emboldened into determination. Finally, calm, Leon realized he’d started his little panic attack halfway through changing and decided to sheath his lightsaber before he got arrested. By the force, he was fucking dumb sometimes…

He was shaken by the presence. It was familiar, but just out of memory. It felt… it felt like he was being hunted. He literally shook the bad vibes off as he shimmied his utility belt up quickly and clasped it. Before he could make for the main room the apron dude appeared, “Th-that might have been the most beautiful dance I’ve ever seen, please take this.”

Leon frowned extremely creeped out as he looked down to see a 50 in his hand. Without hesitation, he snatched it up, thanked the dude, and got the hell out of there. As he hit the main room he looked for the homies. The flash of iridescent light caught his attention and he was pretty sure he’d just seen Dash head into the bathroom after someone. Now on high alert, Leon moved through the crowd with his guard up. Any sign of attack and he’d be ready.

That's when a gunshot went off. The place erupted with panic as patrons hit the floor of scrambled for an exit. Leon was bulled into by a yelping Wookie and sent crashing into a table. He pushed himself up but was knocked back down as the stampede of people began to press in around him. He was kicked and stepped on, then he felt the darkness in the room. Without thought he sank into the force, a foot was coming down to step on him, he rolled left, then shifted right, basically slithering his way to an opening.

The Padawan finally made it to his feet, pulling Lionheart at the same time the Duro screamed, "S-SSIIIIIIIITH!"

Leon glimpsed Ezra bolting through the bathroom. The Duro's shaking hand was pointed in that direction. Had Ezra just gone after the Sith!? That's when he remembered seeing Dash go in before the gunshot. Leon's heart sank and he was moving before he realized it. Still empowered by the force, he crossed the space in the blink of an eye bursting through the door just behind Ezra and fearing the worst.

@Alhon @Altaris @Sreeya

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin was still stealing glances at Leon’s dance when things started to escalate out of control. While the Pantoran had attempted to delay the Duros with the spilt drink, he didn’t expect Dash to corner the man alone mid-stream. Handing off a few other drinks, Ferrin slowly began to migrate in that direction - weaving through the crowds that crammed into the hookah lounge.

What Ferrin wasn’t expecting was for the gunshot to go off, followed by a flash of azure from beneath door. The sound immediately made multiple people drop to the deck, and the Pantoran heard a few more shots go off elsewhere in the lounge - clearly from some spiced-up, paranoid patrons who fired out of instinct.

Ferrin wasn’t sure how he’d been part of two shootouts in little over an hour, but he really wasn’t happy about it.

Scrambling to his feet, Ferrin just barely caught a glimpse of the exchange between Ezra and Shaw - golden eyes going wide at once. He saw the Duros lifted and choked with the Force, and felt the emotion that radiated off of his fellow Padawan. Ferrin didn’t know what to do in that moment, but he stepped forward all the same. “Reed!” He hissed through gritted teeth, low enough for most not to hear - but loud enough that Ezra would. Even if he was overheard, Ferrin deliberately used a name that the quarter-Sephi would recognize without exposing his identity.

Ferrin watched as Ezra released the man and sprinted off into the bathroom - presumably chasing after Dash. He watched Leon do the same, while the entire lounge seemed to fall into a state of panic, the combination of gunfire and mentions of Sith turning the lazy establishment into a madhouse. The Pantoran knew that things were only going to escalate out of control, and that he needed to act quickly if they could salvage any of it.

Without a word, Ferrin opened himself to the Force - reaching deep into the current all around them. It was an ocean of energy, vibrant and alive all around them, connecting each and every soul that swam amongst it. The Pantoran could feel the chaotic ripples that radiated from every panicked patron and employee, and quietly expanded his consciousness through the lounge. For all the negative emotions and anxiety that swirled, Ferrin attempted to project dueling sensations of calm and security - like a warmth and sense of peace that spread throughout the room, targeting everyone closest to him. It was much the same maneuver as Zathria has applied on Al’Doleeem, if far more amateurish.

It wasn’t nearly as effective as what Zathria had pulled off, and it was utterly exhausting - but Ferrin hoped it would be enough to placate the crowd. He banked that the majority of them didn’t see what happened to Shaw, preoccupied by the gunshots.

“Everyone - please!” Ferrin stepped into the middle of the room - biting down the dizziness and sense of exhaustion that hit him all at once. “I can assure you, everything is under control. There are no Sith on Berchest,” He smiled. In seedy places like the lounge they were in, it wasn’t entirely uncommon for a blaster to go off or someone to get into a fight.

“How about a round for everyone - on the house?” He smiled, waving down to the portly man. In his employee uniform, Ferrin looked entirely legit - and the portly man quickly moved to fulfill the promise, instead of losing all of his customers. The Pantoran waved a hand for music and dancing to continue, slowly beginning the crowd down from their uproar. His attention promptly turned to Shaw, recognizing the Duros was still on the ground and shaken.

Without missing a beat, Ferrin stepped up to the Duros - extending a hand down to help the man off the ground. “Are you alright, sir?” He asked, genuine concern and good nature bleeding into his tone. “I believe this is all just a misunderstanding - I can promise that you are very safe, and there is no Sith here.” Ferrin flashed open the flap of his vest, revealing the lightsaber hilt tucked into it - the symbol of the Order etched into the metal. It was clear to see and identify.

“We are here to help you - and to hunt the real threat.” Shaw would feel none of the Darkness or chilling presence radiating off of Ferrin. Only that sense of peace and calm projected through the Force from before.

“Why don’t you have a seat for a moment?” He knew the man was rattled, and his tone was nothing showed concerned for the man’s wellbeing.

 

[Dash Pavan]

When Shaw whirled, raking piss across Dash's coat and pulling a nasty looking blaster, the Padawan only had a second to react.

He tried to twist away as the gun went off, realising in an instant how stupid he had been. But he was not quick enough.

A stab of pain blossomed in his side and he went down onto the hard tiled floor, crying out as Shaw ran past him out of the door. He felt for the wound, panting and biting his lip almost hard enough to draw blood. The bolt had punched through both Ezra's coat and Dash's own and he could feel skin through the hole. Skin wet with blood.

"Fuck!" He gritted his teeth, pulling off the piss-stained coat and throwing it aside. Lifting his own jacket, he saw that the blaster bolt had skimmed his side, burning through all three layers but most of it's width absorbed by the clothes. The shot had glanced his ribs, just enough to score open the skin but not enough to bore deep. It was a flesh wound, but one that still bled and hurt like hell.

He tried to stagger to his feet, feeling no relief whatsoever. How could he be so stupid, just walking up to Shaw? He had been stupid all day, he saw it now. Knowing nothing about their mission, first getting torn a new one by the Orcolan, then pissed on and now shot. All the others had done more fighting than him, all had done something useful. What had he done? He was supposed to be a fucking Jedi.

The pain rippling from his side only added to his fury. All this for a stupid Duros that was not even the main guy they wanted. Dash was done with chasing leads and getting knocked to pieces. He was angry and he was hurting.

He barely noticed as the ice formed around his fist, coalescing into a razor sharp weapon several inches long. He was too busy hauling himself up and out the room, revenge in his heart.

Too soon he bowled into Ezra and Leon coming the other way, though fortunately with his instinctive weapon held low. "He's there!" Dash hissed, eyes fixed on the Duros over their shoulders "Fucking shot me. Let's get him".

Rolled 10/20 for dodge

@Sreeya @Zay @Altaris

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra barged in almost expecting to see a body, but instead Dash collided into him on the way out. Relief washed over his face until he noticed the graze on Dash’s side. Ezra’s eyes widened, but fortunately he knew to carry supplies since he had been on several missions that went sideways. As Dash tried to charge towards Shaw, Ezra pushed him back into a wall next to the door in the bathroom, “Just stop,” He said as he glared at Dash.

Without a word, he reached into his bag and pulled out bacta patches, rolling up Dash’s shirt to apply it quickly, “What the fuck were you thinking barging in after Shaw like that?” The anger in his tone was unmistakable. It wasn’t often that Ezra was pushed to genuine frustration, especially not towards Dash, but the situation had them all stressed. The silver eyes that were normally icy appeared even more frigid just then.

He didn’t mention how he almost seriously hurt Shaw himself. Ezra was still not happy with how easily he almost lost control because of his concern for Dash. He was beginning to see why the old Jedi teachings mentioned so many things about attachments - he witnessed it first hand. The thought was still nagging at the back of his mind.

“Shaw isn’t our enemy,” Ezra stated firmly as he finished applying the bacta patches. It was a warning for Dash to keep his temper in check and a reminder to himself. With that, he began to walk back towards where Ferrin was.

Meanwhile, the Pantoran’s efforts to calm the crowds and Shaw worked beautifully. The Duros was sitting across from Ferrin and having a drink. He spotted Ezra at once and coiled back, moving closer to Ferrin, “He almost killed me!” He said, pointing at Ezra.

“You shot one of us,” Ezra replied dryly, glaring at Shaw in a way that suggested he wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Shaw grumbled to himself and took another drink.

“And you stole my coat.”

Ezra looked down at the coat, turned to glare at Ferrin, and handed it back to Shaw, “Let’s cut to the chase. We’re Jedi, we were supposed to meet with Garbo but then we found him dead. You allegedly saw a Sith. Do you know where he went?”

“Fine, but you’ll have to get me a way off planet,” Shaw said, “This Alton Vari diplomat knows some intel that’s super valuable. However, there were people that didn’t want that intel getting out. It’s only now I’m learnin’ the info could be damaging to the Sith. Garbo was the man on the outside coordinating things between ‘em so people couldn’t find Alton easily. Somehow Garbo got iced and I’m guessin’ the Sith tortured him to find out where Alton is. I’d be surprised if Alton is still alive, but last I saw, the Sith ran off towards the blue district,” The Duros explained.

The blue district was poverty stricken, full of crime and seedy. It was the perfect place to hide, but it gave them a lead. Ezra hated the thought of it, but this really did sound like one of those instances where they would have to ‘trust the Force’.

@Zay @Alhon @Altaris

 

[The Storyteller]

They would each feel the gentle tugs of the Force leading them into the blue district. Things gradually would become more questionable the further in they went, and each step would seem as if it took them out of the civilized areas and into the area that everyone tried to pretend didn't exist.

Crime of ever type was rampant down here, and no law enforcement even bothered to patrol the area anymore. Even as the streets began to change, the Padawans would immediately look very out of place here, sticking out like sore thumbs with their fur-lined coats, lined jackets, and preppy striped shirts. In fact, the only thing that actually fit in down here was the K-16 that Leon carried.

They would quickly begin to attract the attention of ever pickpocket, thug, and con artist along the streets. "Customers" disappeared into back alley establishments containing nothing but a bed and a clock to keep track of the time paid for.

Large, neon letters reading "The Warehouse" were only half-lit on the front of one of the buildings that did look as if it had once been a warehouse. Now, it was converted into one of the many establishments whose repute was so bad it wasn't even "questionable." Everyone knew what "The Warehouse" was and four Padawans were most certainly not old enough to ride.

@Alhon @Zay @Altaris @Sreeya

 

[Dash Pavan]

Dash nearly went to barge past the two Padawans, but Ezra pinning him to the wall got his attention. He had not heard that tone before, or felt the other teen's growing strength used against him.

The Rhinnalian wanted to stay angry, almost pushing back, but Ezra's hand on his side was enough to stay him. The bacta patches brought a lot of relief and the icy weapon around his fist shattered into nothing, the spell that sustained it briefly broken.

The more his fury receded, the more he picked up on Ezra's own, acknowledging they were both pretty stressed out. Still, some vestige of the anger and frustration he had felt a few moments ago would not leave him immediately. For once, he found himself saying nothing at all. He just let Ezra walk away.

Dash stayed leaning against the wall for a long while, taking in how the others were unhurt, Leon was back in his usual garb and Ferrin seemed to have calmed both the room and Shaw, seemingly with the Force. More than anything though, he noticed it was Ezra, not Dash, that Shaw feared. "He almost killed me!" It seemed that peacemaker Ezra had gone for Shaw too, in some way. So he was allowed, but Dash was not.

They eventually got their answers out of Shaw and headed off into the blue district. Dash managed to swap his pants for a rather similar pair from the dressing room. He was damned if he was taking another step in torn pants.

The blue district was appalling in virtually every way and was made no better by Dash's foul mood as he walked in silence, replaying the events of the Crystal Dragon in his mind.

He felt too many things at once to settle. Anger and frustration, both at getting shot and his reaction, but also at being told what to do. Embarrassment that it happened in front of his bro Leon, his pseudo-nemesis Ferrin and the boyfriend he could not bear to disappoint. Oh, and fear. He was fucking scared of the Sith.

The bubbling emotions made him feel unusually untethered, but equally more alive to the Force than he had ever felt. He was almost touching it constantly and sensed it would come instantly if needed. He eyed the suspect figures in this part of town coldly. The way he was feeling, no mugger or murderer had better mess with them now.

They reached the large warehouse which almost seemed to offer itself up as a place of enquiry.

"If we're going in there, we better do it as a team" Dash said, with even more venom than he intended.

@Altaris @Zay @Sreeya

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon saw the exchange between Ezra and Dash, he also felt the fear in it. Seeing Dash relatively unharmed and being taken care of helped ease his mind. He knew the two were crazy about each other and he knew how much it hurt to lose someone you loved, but the power of the fear he felt concerned him. Leon would put a reassuring hand on Dash’s shoulder, “Glad you’re okay, dude.” Then he would give the two love bird their moment.

As he returned to the main room, he was surprised to see Ferrin had basically managed to order chaos. Leon rolled his eyes at Shaw’s accusation, “Ezra? Yeah, right.”

Maybe Ezra hit the dude a little hard, he was still getting a hang of the finer points of force control, and the emotions of the moment were elevated. Shaw was fine but obviously rattled. Ezra took the lead and managed to get some useful information. That was great. He was trying to stay positive. The general mood in the group was edgy and that wouldn’t help them if they were actually about to face a Sith.

The Blue district was a bummer. The crystal in this area glowed a bluish-purple that bathed the surrounding landscape in neon. It was like the light had been inverted. What was dark was now illuminated, vibrant, and the blueish-purple light. Leon remained aware of their group's morale as they trepidatiously closed in. Eyes followed them everywhere they went. To the denizens of the Blue district, he was sure they looked like an easy meal ticket. Rather than do anything to encourage an attack, Leon focused on keeping his head down and moving forward.

He ended up next to Ferrin and said, “Dude, you’ve been crushing today. First to move back in the store then you magically corral a bunch of freaked-out spice heads? Glad you got assigned to the mission.”

A pulsing red neon glow caught his attention as he “The Warehouse” bink on and off.

Dash called for them to be a team. There was obvious emotion in his voice, so Leon made sure to support him. “I agree,” he said taking in the building. It had character. The kind that told you to fuck off. He breathed in. “I know this is weird to say, but I feel like we’re expected. If we aren’t all on the same page this could go bad real fast,” he put his hand out in the center of their group, “Put ‘em in, ya goons!” he said flashing his impish grin. “We’ve got this. Scrubs on 3?”

He’d do it alone if they left him.

Going through the front probably wasn’t the best course of action, but he’d let the others decide, “How we getting in?”


@Alhon @Altaris @Sreeya

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

In truth, it was probably a good thing that Ferrin had found himself a seat within the lounge. Reaching out into the crowd - tapping into the emotions of so many others, and projecting his own influence - was beyond exhausting, and sapped the Pantoran of his energy visibly. Even as his friends returned, they would notice the normally energetic and quippy Padawan was out of it.

His golden eyes lit up slightly as the others returned - though the Pantoran immediately stepped up a bit when he caught sight of that glare. “Like I said,” Ferrin said with a reassuring tone, placing a hand protectively on Shaw’s shoulder. “No one is going to hurt you. They are with me, and were protecting our own.” It was a reminder of who the Pantoran was - and that he wouldn’t let anything happen to the Duros.

“He wouldn’t truly hurt you,” Ferrin said, glancing back to Ezra briefly. The Pantoran had witnessed the choke, and knew that the quarter-Sephi had heard his shout to stop. All the same, Ferrin wasn’t going to reveal what had truly happened. All of them made mistakes, and not all of them needed to be advertised.

He listened to the conversations that took place, nodding along when they were directed to the blue district. Reaching into his pocket, Ferrin handed the Duros a piece of paper with a hotel room number written down on it. It was meant to be the place where the Padawan’s would be staying on the planet, assuming their mission lasted a couple days or more. “Keep your head down, check into the room and stay there. We’ll get you off the planet soon.”

By the time they started walking towards the blue district, Ferrin was just barely starting to feel better - the dizziness and lightheaded sensation gradually subsiding. He didn’t miss how off they appeared in the area, nor the eyes that were upon them.. But Ferrin also didn’t feel entirely out of place, strangely enough. He glanced over when Leon spoke, flashing him a small smile. “It ain’t nothin’ - just doin’ that I can to help.” He nudged the Padawan with his elbow. “Speakin’ of crushing it, you ever consider moonlighting as a dancer?” He said with a playful quip.

Ferrin rolled his eyes a bit - but ultimately added his hand to the group chant. “Scrubs!” He said with a smirk, his gaze lingering when Leon asked his next question.

“That,” Ferrin said, jutting a chin towards the front door. “Is precisely what we’re gonna do. Just follow my lead and act like you’re the shit,” He said, before proceeding past right through the front door of the establishment. Unlike the hookah lounge, there wasn’t any security to block that at the door of yet definitely illegal establishment. Ferrin carried himself casually - chewing his gum as he strolled into the warehouse. Walls had been built into the building to establish private rooms for their ‘clients’, though it did little to muffle the sounds that echoed and left little mystery as to what was being sold.

They didn’t make it far inside before they were stopped by a Chiss woman - elegantly dressed and with her hair perfectly done. “What exactly do you four think you’re doing?” She asked harshly, crimson eyes narrowing into thin daggers. “We don’t cater to kids, so move—“

Ferrin put his hands up, flashing that charming smile. “Relax, relax - we aren’t here for all that. Just running a delivery for the boss,” The Pantoran subtly reached down to his pocket, pulling out the very top of a little ziplock baggie. In reality, the bottom half was filled with little breath mints that kept the Pantoran’s breath minty and fresh - but it was clear he indicated a shipment of spice was tucked into his pocket.

The woman eyed him suspiciously, her gaze flicking to Dash, Leon and Ezra. Ferrin scowled, “I mean, if you don’t want it..” He shrugged. “But I don’t make runs for anyone who flakes out. Can tell your boss that,” He said, turning and prepared to leave.

“Fine,” She said with a huff, jutting her chin towards a cluster of rooms in the back. “Third door on the right. Do not go snooping anywhere else.”

Ferrin smiled and continued right along - quietly figuring out how he was going to continue spinning this. Normally, the Pantoran was able to back up his bullshit and lies somehow, but he knew that he didn’t have the goods that he claimed, and the manager didn’t request such either way. He took in a breath, reaching for the door handle to open the office ahead of them.

The moment he met eyes with the manager, Ferrin couldn’t help but crack a grin.

“Sorc!” Ferrin said with a spread of his arms. “Long time no see, buddy!” The Zabrak in question went wide eyed upon spotting Ferrin, almost in disbelief of seeing the Pantoran. It was very clear the two of them knew each other, though none of Ferrin’s friends would possibly know from where. It was the best luck that he could’ve hoped for.

“Durr?” He blinked. “The fuck are you doing here?” The man immediately looked somewhat uncomfortable and not happy to see the Pantoran. Ferrin grinned, stepping inside and flagging the others to do so.

“Oh, you know! Just exploring the best parts of the city. Heard you had yourself a place here - had to come check it out.” The Pantoran glanced back to his companions. “My boyfriend Reed,” Ferrin gestured to Ezra. “And our buddies, Neon and..” He looked at Dash. “Glub.” He said with an entirely straight face. “Shit man, I haven’t seen you since that fiasco on Zeltros.” He grinned. “Can’t believe we made it out of that. Good thing I was there, eh?”

“Yeah..” The Zabrak shifted a bit.

“You know, I was actually hoping you could help us out.” Ferrin planted his elbows on the table. “We’re looking for someone, actually. Togruta - middle aged, high-roller type. Maybe came in with someone else?”

Sorc narrowed his eyes. “I can’t go telling you who comes in here, man.. Goes against how this place works.”

Ferrin frowned a bit. “Oh come on Sorc - what’s the harm? It’s only a one time thing. Besides, I keep your secrets, don’t I?” He arched his brow. “I mean, if the missus ever found out what was going on in that—“

“Alright, alright.” He waved a hand, suddenly looking a bit red in the face. “There was a Togruta who came in here a few hours ago - with someone coming in after too. Mysterious type. Room 564.” He shook his head. “Just get outta here.”

Ferrin smiled. “Always good to see you, buddy.”

@Sreeya @Alhon @Zay

Roll: 20/20 to get inside/investigate the warehouse..

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra was silent on the walk towards the Blue District. He was largely inside his own head, thinking about how he had lost control. From the sounds of it, only Ferrin had noticed it out of the whole group, but he hadn’t said anything. Ezra’s gaze flicked over to him every now and then, trying to figure the teen out. He had jumped to Dash’s defense, kept Ezra’s loss of control a secret and had managed to salvage the disaster he almost created from his attack on Shaw. It left him feeling even more frustrated at his use of the Force. He could vividly picture how terrified Shaw looked and how his eyes began to bulge.

Leon complimented Ferrin on his accomplishments and Ezra found himself agreeing. Ezra nudged Leon with a grin, “If you put on a show like that on Ellora, maybe Motep would’ve been in a better mood,” He said as he kept walking.

When Dash spoke, Ezra could tell he was still in a bad mood. He calmly looked at his boyfriend, but he didn’t say anything. They needed to move on from what happened and that came in the form of Leon putting his hand out. Ezra scoffed, but he put his hand above the others, “Scrubs!”

This time, Ezra knew better than to take point in a scenario he couldn’t navigate. Fortunately Ferrin took charge and easily slipped into a new persona that adapted to the district. Even more questions began to pop into Ezra’s mind. At this point he was wondering if Ferrin was really a slick undercover spy. He sounded more shady than most of Ezra’s spice dealers.

Durr? Ezra listened without saying a word, letting Ferrin do all the talking. He was glancing around when Ferrin casually introduced him as his boyfriend. Ezra’s head turned abruptly to stare at the Pantoran, but mercifully his face remained impassive. He dreaded looking at Dash right then. Glub? Didn’t they all just have a cheesy teamwork moment? Now the claws were right back out.

Ezra walked in after Ferrin, trying to pretend he couldn’t hear all the moaning coming from the other rooms. He was in no mood to walk in on Alton doing that. They already had one mishap when Dash accosted someone while they were taking a leak.

Alton’s room appeared to have the door slightly ajar. Ezra didn’t barge in this time, using the Force to open the door all the way so he could peek in. There was nothing but a bed and a cushy couch in there. Right away he could tell it was empty, though some belongings were scattered and left behind as if in a hurry, “Looks like we just missed him,” Ezra said with a sigh.

They could wait somewhere to see if Alton returned, sort through his belongings for a clue, or they could continue exploring the Warehouse.

@Alhon @Zay @Altaris

 

[Dash Pavan]

The warehouse was the very opposite of the kind of place Dash wanted to go right now, but Leon Baudelaire was irrepressible. Dash was still pissed off, unusually so, but the Adumarian's impish grin did make it hard to sustain. When he had them all throwing their hands in, shouting some senseless chant, Dash might have just managed a smile.

"Scrubs" he said, joining his lacklustre voice to theirs. He managed not to freeze anyone's arm, which was an achievement.

His eyes narrowed at Ferrin's confidence at getting them in though. His view of the Pantoran had been softening, but this was the side of Ferrin he remembered from Zeltros, the cocksure 'man of the hour' act that Dash felt was just a cover. Still, there was little he could do but stew in silence as the other Padawan not only got them in but talked them all the way past a particularly imperious Chiss woman.

Of course he knew the suspect Zabrak in the seedy warehouse backroom. Dash watched silently, trying to take in the gall with which Ferrin tried to strongarm the man. Then the Pantoran introduced Ezra as his boyfriend. What was the idiot playing at? Did he want or expect Dash to blow his top, right here in the middle of whatever little stunt he was pulling? Or did he think he could keep throwing this shade every time they met without consequence.

Dash just stared at the floor, cold fire in his eyes. Ezra of course did nothing. He was getting quite good at that.

Room 564 was their next destination. Dash was still a maelstrom of emotions as he walked the halls of the warehouse. He was half sure he could have got this far just by talking with the Chiss woman and hated the sense of being on Ferrin's expedition.

When Ezra waved the door open, Dash strode forward into the room, having learned little from his bathroom encounter. Nothing moved inside and they needed to get on and find this guy so they could get out of here. Dash was drawn to the dresser in the dimly lit corner, finding a small cylindrical canister still held some residual heat.

"Travel meds" he said matter-of-factly "maybe our diplomat is heading for the nearest spaceport". He turned, wondering if the Sith had gone after him and if Ferrin could bluster his way past the Dark Side too.

@Zay @Altaris @Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

As the Padawans made their way into the room that had been rented out by the Togruta, they would suddenly wish that they had walked in on him in the act rather than in the state he was currently in.

The sight that greeted them in the room was likely one of the most horrific that they had ever seen. One body lay on the floor. An employee based on her state of attire and she had certainly had the quicker death. A clean removal of the head with what could only be a lightsaber strike. Collateral damage over the real target.

The body of Jedi Knight Alton Vari lay on the bed, tied down with fuzzy handcuffs that were supposed to be for a very different purpose. A Twi'lek by race, both of the man's lekku in addition to another part of his body had been removed, blood pooling around all the areas in large enough quantities that there was no question it was his cause of death. Numerous other injuries including removed fingernails, diffuse cuts, and multiple bruises also adorned his bright red skin.

Laying on the table next to him, just out of reach was the Knight's lightsaber and an empty syringe free of fingerprints.

There were no notes, no datapads, and no little clues left behind to point them in the right direction. The man they hunted was a professional and clearly no stranger to killing.

@Sreeya @Alhon @Altaris @Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

“Oh yeah, I’ve got a holo coming out this summer that teaches you my choreography step by step, it’s called: Leon’s Dance Grooves!” he laughed as Ezra nudged him, “That might have awakened the Lind of Wife in him!”

“Scrubs!” yelled Leon.

Ferrin took charge and got them in the front door. He’d always hoped his first time at a brothel would be exciting. This… well, this was just awkward. The Chiss’ glowing red eyes flitted over him, and he did his best to look older, which in hindsight was probably the wrong thing to do, luckily, it didn’t matter!

Ferrin was either actually carrying drugs, or was as good at bullshitting as he said he was. Leon locked up his facial expression and adopted a bored, uninterested look. The same one Ezra wore when he was rambling on too long about force theory. He followed along when Ferrin waved them on. Then The Pantoran ran into an old friend. The whole thing reminded Leon of an old Holo he loved as a kid, Space Ventrua.

Leon blinked when Ferrin introduced him as Neon. What? Why? GLUB?! Oh no… all his positivity for nothing… Neon could feel the roiling emotions coming from Glub. If the Sith found them like this they’d be screwed. The Zabrak gave them the room number and they made their way to it. Finally, they’d get answers. He thought, like a moron.

The grotesque scene displayed in the room was something Leon would never forget. The blood. The blood was a lot. It was thick in the air, like every breath held the tang of iron. It was enough to make his stomach turn, but he stowed his disgust. They were Jedi, this was their mission and the only way to proceed was to accept the truth no matter how terrible.

Leon stepped to Alton’s side. The Jedi Knight had been tortured to death. They’d been humiliated. He tore his gaze away from the body where the glint of Alton’s lightsaber caught his eye. He picked it up. He closed his eyes meditating on the saber, but whatever he’d hoped to accomplish turned up nothing. The only thing Leon could discern was the blanket of dark side energy that seemed to permeate from the walls. A part of him was glad he couldn’t feel more. He was already going to have nightmares about this place…

@Alhon @Altaris @Sreeya

 

[Ezra Thorne]

Ezra’s ears went pink when Leon brought up Lind of Wife. It was not one of his prouder moments on Ellora when he blurted out something incredibly stupid in a hall full of Elloran elders. Clearly Neon would never let him live it down. Ezra first stepped in behind Dash to look at the travel meds. However, when they peered deeper into the room, the gruesome scene was apparent at once. To Ezra’s credit, he didn’t stumble right back out this time.

The discovery of the Knight that was supposed to lead them on the mission was horrific. All thoughts of Scrub squad and their otherwise petty bickering melted away in the face of this. Ezra felt sick to his stomach, especially as he had seen Master Vari at the temples. To see him butchered and tormented like this was something he would never forget.

He was rapidly attempting to process this. Externally his expression remained impassive and stoic, “We are way out of our depth here,” He said as he looked around at everything. He could tell the cuts were made by a saber - a Sith. Ezra leaned down to look at the syringe closely, noticing how everything was left behind perfectly as if waiting to be found. He glanced over to see Leon reaching over for the lightsaber, “Don’t touch that, dipshit!” Ezra hissed at his friend, but it was too late (roll: 3/20), “This entire thing is made to implicate us!” Now the murder weapon in the room had Leon’s prints all over it.

That was when he stepped back out of the room, beckoning for the others to do the same. They likely thought he was crazy because this was the second time he was worried about being framed. However, he turned out to be right the first time, and the way everything was neatly left looked incredibly suspicious.

“I don’t think we should keep chasing this ourselves,” He looked across them all, “And that’s not me being porgshit, that’s me being real. This isn’t a fucking game. We need to call in our Masters and let them know what happened.”

He was almost entirely convinced authorities were going to swoop in on them.

@Alhon @Altaris @Zay

 

[The Storyteller]

What did every youngling and Padawan crave? It was no riddle, it was a simple answer. They all wanted a lightsaber, and there was no way they would be able to resist it.

It was only Ezra's recommendation that the Padawans vacate the room that might save them from the ambush.

The room shook as the wall flew inward in a flash of fire and debris. An explosion from a bomb planted in the room next door had been intended to outright kill all four, but the timely retreat combined with something of a guess as to when the Padawans had actually entered meant that the Sith couldn't be precise.

While it was a shame that it wouldn't be lethal, the impact would still be felt both physically and psychologically. It was all about grinding them down and shaking their resolve until he could sweep in for the killing blow. He was so close to achieving his goal.

@Zay @Alhon @Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Ferrin Sipal]

Ferrin couldn’t help the smirk that worked it’s way into his lips - clearly satisfied with the success of his bluff. The Pantoran wasn’t about to reveal how he knew the Zabrak, or where he’d developed his skill at being a top-tier crook, but it certainly was working to their benefit at that moment. Of course, now that they’d advanced beyond danger, Ferrin had no qualms taking little pot shots at Dash to fuel the seemingly endless rivalry between them.

Any sense of satisfaction vanished when they found Master Vari. Though Ferrin was seemingly an expert at keeping his cool, and rarely allowed his inner-most thoughts to surface.. There was no masking the horror that etched into his features. The fear that lanced through him - and the overwhelming sensations of failure. They had failed Master Vari. They had fallen short of their duty - and the Twi’lek was dead because of it. It was a self-destructive and unhelpful train of thought, and one that a more experienced Jedi might have brushed aside.

But Ferrin wasn’t a more experienced Jedi. And the sight of Master Vari’s mutilated body would haunt him for years to come.

The Pantoran was only snapped out of his daze by the voice of Ezra - reprimanding Leon for touching the lightsaber. He winced, and immediately followed Ezra out of the room - stopping in the hallway where they gathered. He listened to everything that Ezra had to say, and couldn’t help but agree in the end. They were out of their depth, and the Sith likely knew it.

Even still, Ferrin couldn’t help but speak up. “We need to contact the temple - but we can’t sit on our hands waiting for them to arrive.” A horrifying realization dawned upon Ferrin. “Shaw is the last person who knew anything.. And we sent him to our hotel. He’ll be—“

Ferrin’s words were unceremoniously interrupted by the eruption behind them - fire flashing across the Pantoran’s vision as the bomb went off in the room behind them. Entirely out of instinct, he latched onto the person closest to him, which just so happened to be Leon. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around the fellow Padawan while turning his back to the door - attempting to shield him from some of the debris.

It wasn’t anywhere near foolproof, but it made Ferrin the first to be struck by the blast of debris.

He felt the lick of flames, metal and chunks of stone that tore into his back - tearing through his right shirt, into his flesh and imbedding deep into place. To make matters worse, the kinetic blast sent both Ferrin and Leon sailing further down the hallway - ragdolled away from the initial blastzone. At some point Ferrin lost his grasp on Leon, and his body didn’t come to a halt until he slammed into an adjacent wall face-first - crumbling to the ground at the base of it.

@Sreeya @Zay @Alhon

Roll: 1/3 to attempt to protect Leon.