Log Date: 4/12/97, 4/13/97 Log Cast: Lando, Q'kylenar, Shenner, Luke, Drago, Gar'thriln, Izach, Spor'nir, Winter, Chaka, Magnus, Jeric, Kryton, Jeralic, Jaster Mereel, Paul Nighman Log Intro: On the shuttle _Darklighter_, piloted by the retired NR Admiral Jeralic Mandragon, Shenner and Paul Nighman have arrived on Tatooine on the hunt for Shenner's former employer, Grathix Stur'ttrakath. Paul wishes to see Grathix about artifacts that have been discussed between them before... and knows also that Luke and others have preceded him to Tatooine. He has therefore advised Shenner to allow their friends to keep a low profile by not publically acknowledging that she knows them, to which the girl has reluctantly agreed, knowing Mos Eisley as she does. Yet, Paul _does_ need to contact Luke... and he does not want to take the chance of anyone seeing him with Skywalker. Reluctantly acknowledging that Shenner has a better shot at finding the Jedi and remaining anonymous as she does so, he allows the girl to proceed without him into the city.... ---------- You bravely enter the Cantina. Chalmun's Cantina -Mos Eisley- The infamous cantina is just as it's been for nearly a decade. Dark smokey, and filled with some of the most notorious and dangerous characters Tatooine, or the galaxy for that matter, have every seen. Dimly lit, the cantina is filled with shadows, and many of the patron's use this to their advantage. The blue droid detector hums as it scans those entering. The places smells of countless tabaccs and liquids, as well as unwashed bodies. More noticable than the stench, however, is the sense of danger and foreboding that hangs here. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Lando => Q'kylenar => Luke => Misfit -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- ut leads to Main Street -Mos Eisley-. Lando A grin as smooth as his voice graces his dark face more often than not, though the eyes may or may not laugh so smoothly. A neatly kept goatee settles above it, his expression altogether strong and self-assured. His black hair is short and well kept. He is dressed in somewhat somber colors of grey and black; black trousers with grey side stripes and boots, and a light grey tunic with black simple trim. Around his waist is a dark belt, made of some rather tough looking material. Resting on his right thigh, and strapped to his waist is a non-descript holster, which contains a ordinary, yet well polished blaster.On his left wrist is a large metalic chrono. It has several small buttons and appears to be more than a run of the mill chrono. Luke A short, seemingly human figure wearing a long dark cloak comprised of thick, soft and thoroughly black material. His features are concealed from view by a dark cowl. Laced in front of his body in quiet contemplation are well tanned fingers. His voice, while soft and distant under the darkened cowl, is laden with a calm, undistracted purpose. Misfit A huge forboding figure stands before you, cloaked by shadows you can only make out the highlights of his appearance. He wears tight leather pants, pitch black in color. They are torn and stained in blood. He is wearing a tight black muscle shirt which clings to his muscled body. Around his neck is a thick chain. He wears a spiked black leather coat, well worn and broken in, you can see the creases in the jacket. The sleaves are cut short, a little past his elbows like a jersey. On the outside of the jacket, he has two black armbands wrapped around either one of his arms, on them, a picture of a skull inside of a black hood. The jacket has a huge rivetted and studded collar, it stands up around his neck. Around his eyes are huge black rings, making him look like death itself. He has long, black, shoulder length hair which is pulled up into a mohawk, the front is pushed down into his face like a spike. Q'kylenar Before you is a powerful looking figure you presume to be that of a human male. He is completely bald, thus brilliant brown eyes make themselves known. Presently, he wears a durable vest, the tone of the desert sand. Dusty boots are tucked into a pant of the same material, but in a darker tone. Secured firmly around the figure's waist is a generic belt, from which is attached a holster and blaster set within. The blunt end of a sword can be seen over his left shoulder; it is fastened securely behind his back. He is young, but at the peak youth. Far from a boy. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => 36T Blaster Carbine => Sword Lando walks deeper into the room and pushes past some beings. His eyes are still scanning the room intently. He stops and takes a good long look into a table in the shadows and makes his way there. Lando disapears into the Dark Booth. Q'kylenar brings his left hand to his mouth slowly as he yawns. His eyes fall upon the entrance and the new arrival, Shenner. He looks him over then takes a few moments to think. He takes another look and smiles slightly, looking into his mug. Lando looks at you for a moment. Unaccompanied, and unobtrusively, another figure enters the cantina. The slender redheaded figure flicks a look around the place, then plots a course through shadows and sentients to reach the bar. A skinny pale-skinned hand dips into a vest pocket, producing a few crumpled credits; the figure's low tenorish voice growls out an order for a hard cider. Thus obtained, the redhead settles down to doing some drinking, broadcasting with expression and stance an apparent utter obliviousness to any scrutiny. Luke is nestled in the far corner, secluded in shadow almost as black as the fabric he is entrenched in. As the man approaches his table, his head drifts slightly to the side as if speaking, although whatever soft words are said, blend with the cacaphonous drone of the room as well as the blaring number the band has just decided to go into. A tallish and nearly untouched glass of water rests in front of him on the table. Drago comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of him. Drago has arrived. Drago You see man about 6'4" (standing) or 1'4" (lying down), his long unkept hair reaches passed his shoulders and is of a sepulchre black color(and it ain't out of a bottle), a pair of blood red colored eyes return your gaze as he slightly tilts his head to get a better look at you, a goatee also surrounds his dark blue lips and he has black markings on his face. Appart from the eye color you also notice that his chalk white skin is very unusual for a human. He is wearing a sleeveless black leather vest with a big black shiny metal shoulder pad on the left side. A strap holding the shoulder pad in place continues diagonally down his torso and is attached to his gun belt. Wrist bands also made of hard black leather cover his whole forearm and have a few buttons and electronic switches on them. He wears black gloves on his hands. His knee high boots are made of hard black rancor hide and have a metal plate attached to the shin area, his knee pads are also of a shiny black metal and have the shape and design of a human skull. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => MB-450 Sporting Blaster => Vibro-Knife => Sword Drago looks at you for a moment. Gar'thriln comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of him. Gar'thriln has arrived. Luke's hood turns slightly to peer at Drago as he enters. He quickly resumes his conversation with the dark skinned gentleman, pulling the water to his lips and downing half the glass. The redheaded figure at the bar, cider in hand, turns casually around on the stool 'he' is occupying, settling a green-eyed attention on, of all things in this smoky, shadowy place, the band. The redhead's fingertips tap out a bit of a rhythm against the cider glass, inaudible under the din of the music, but nevertheless on the beat of the song being played. Drago scans the bar looking at the different creatures around, his gaze falls on the man with the water and an instant recognition flashes on his face, he turns to walk twords the man hesitantly but changes his mind and walks into the table near the bar Drago pushes through the crowd and sits at the table to the left of the bar. Gar'thriln enters the bar, his eyes moving coldly over the denizens. After a brief pause he heads for the corner table, mutting something.. and says, "nnylf mil", in Mandalorian. Gar'thriln pushes through the crowd and heads for the corner table. Q'kylenar places his mug on the bar and waits for the tender to refill it. In the mean time his eyes look over himself and he brings his hand to his collar where he makes a small adjudtment. The hand the touches his holster and he brings the gloved hand to eye level and shakes his head. The hand drops again and fingers around the weapon, seemingly wiping dust and grim from it's parts. After a time, and perhaps a half-glass of that hard cider, the slender redhead pushes up from 'his' seat and ambles casually up towards the stage-let where the band is playing. Green eyes glitter with something that might be critical amusement at the music; the band, in turn, notices the arrival's presence, two or three of their number flicking attention to 'him' from assorted sizes and shapes of eyes. The redhead doesn't disturb the song, though, and as it winds to a close, the figure waves a hand at the lead performer, drawing the being close for a hastily whispered conference. Luke pushes away from his table, now occupied by a dark skinned gentleman. He stands and swerves agily to miss someone who is obviously inebriated. The chunky alien mutters a few curses and bounces off a few tables before finding a seat. Un-fazed, the hooded person walks toward the corner table in something that can only be described as a business-like stalk. Gar'thriln lifts his eyes to Luke, giving him a defiant smirk as he crosses his booted feet on top one of the other two chairs at the table. Izach heads back out into the dusty streets. Izach has left. Luke steps up to Drago's table, leaning toward him to murmur a few words. Gar'thriln Your gaze meets the harsh, glaring grey eyes of a humanoid face that is strong and bronzed. Above his dark eyebrows is his muddy blonde hair, swept back, that ends on his large, strong shoulders against a dark burgundy cape. The cape is the backdrop for his deep black chestplate, shining like the surface of wet paint. At his sides, where the partial armoring does not cover him, his some sort of forrest green canvas-like material. At the bottom of the plate is a hardened loop that is snug around his hips, forming a belt of sorts, and on this belt is a smallish canvas bag, as well as a filled blaster holster. For his bottom half, the man wears the thick, but breatheable, material of a black flight suit, and these are tucked tightly into a set of brightly gleaming armored black boots, that reach up to his mid-calf. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Vibro-Knife => SBP-200 Blaster Pistol Spor'nir comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of him. Spor'nir has arrived. Luke emerges from the Dark Booth. Luke quickly seats himself in front of the gentleman and begins talking lowly. His words being deafened by the tune in full thrall. One gloved hand resting on the table in front of him, he rarely gestures. Luke pushes through the crowd and sits at the table to the left of the bar. Shenner smirks lopsidedly at the band's lead performer, and anybody looking in that direction might happen to notice a handful of credits slipping from the redhead to the musician. A few more hissed words are exchanged; then, the lead performer turns to the others, and a brief argument erupts between the musicians. Hands, one paw, and a claw take turns gesticulating at the redhead, before the lead performer utters another sharp declaration. The band members shrug -- but let the redheaded youngster slip in among their number. A new song starts up. This time, however, the redhead is singing _with_ the band, low tenor weaving in a harmony with the others. Gar'thriln looks at you for a moment. Winter comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of her. Winter has arrived. Gar'thriln sits in the corner table, one foot crossed over the other. He looks up, giving Winter a cold gaze and defiant smirk, recognizition flashing over his eyes. A white haired woman enters, barking back at a Port Authority guards in some gutteral language. She gives him an irritated gesture and walks into the crowd, going to the bar. Lando sits at a shadowed table, his gaze flickering between the rest of the between the band and the rest of the Cantina's occupants. Spor'nir looks about the Cantina, at all the people gathered around tables, drinking and chatting with fellow friends or business parteners.... Q'kylenar turns his head towards the commotion and smiles slightly as he takes his newly filled mug of ale and takes a small sip. Spor'nir sighs and heads for the bar Spor'nir takes a place at the bar. The redhead who's bribed 'his' way into the band doesn't try to dominate the song -- the lead performer is still quite briskly fulfilling that function, as voices and instruments pound out their cacophony into the cantina's smoke-filled air. But the redhead's holding a respectable place in the melody nevertheless, the husky tenor a noticeable addition to the number. Winter disapears into the Dark Booth. Winter sits down with her drink, looking rather irritated. Chaka comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of him. Chaka has arrived. Chaka heads back out into the dusty streets. Chaka has left. Magnus nods to everyone as he enters. Magnus says, "Hello", in Basic. Lando emerges from the Dark Booth. Luke stands up from the table to the left of the bar. Magnus looks around at all the people in the Cantina Drago stands up from the table to the left of the bar. Luke stands from the table and without a pause strides toward the darkened booth. He turns a cowled head toward the band and it's newly acquired backup singer, features unreadable. Izach comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of him. Izach has arrived. One or two of the members of the band cast a grudging glance at the redhead who's bribed 'his' way into their ranks; evidently, as their current number blares on, they've decided not to boot the redhead headlong across the bar. Yet. Thin face utterly guileless, and apparently unbothered by the language in which the musicians are currently belting out their melody, the redhead wails 'his' tenor backup. The dark skinned man trods up towards an end of the bar, dodging inebriated aliens as he walks. He looks up that bartender and calls out his order. The bartender returns with a glass of dark liquid and one with ice. He leaves the bar and ambles up towards the bandstand, looking at the redheaded kid and sipping his drink. Drago quickly scans the Cantina, throws a half witty smile at the dark skinned man and walks out in the windy streets. Drago heads back out into the dusty streets. Drago has left. Luke walks right by the dark skinned gentleman, red-haired singer and band, his stride brisk, he angles toward the dark booth then abruptly changes direction, weaving past a few tables and makes a beeline for the door. You sense: Luke whispers as he passes, "My contact says he can take us to Grathix. Meet me outside." Winter has left. Luke heads back out into the dusty streets. Luke has left. Shenner, it would seem, has at least an inkling of sufficient professionalism that the beings eyeing 'him' on the stage don't make 'him' flinch. 'He' continues to keep up 'his' part of the song, as it winds through its final bridge. Izach heads back out into the dusty streets. Izach has left. Magnus heads back out into the dusty streets. Magnus has left. Lando continues looking at the redheaded kid. He sets the glass of ice down on the bandstand and takes a big drink out of his glass. He dances slightly to the beat of the music, but his eyes never waver from the kid. Two of the other backup singers manage to meld their voice's with the redhead's tenor well enough that the resultant harmony is not only in tune, it's actually pleasing to listen to. The lead performer's voice rises in a thunderous screech -- and at last, in an explosive rain of chords, the number crashes to its close. Gar'thriln looks at you for a moment. Shenner turns and smirks broadly as the musician next to him impulsively smacks 'his' slender shoulder. The redhead salutes, then casually steps down off the stage, pointing a course back towards the bar and commandeering the abandoned cider glass. Lando follows the redheaded kid and smiles amicably as he reaches him. He takes his elbow and motions towards the exit with his head, leaning low to whisper to him. Lando whispers, "Let's go, Luke's waiting outside." Jeric comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of him. Jeric has arrived. Intercepted, the redhead whirls on the gentleman who's taken 'his' arm, and squints at him gruffly. "Hey, pal, back the kark off..." Jeric looks at you for a moment. Lando holds the kids elbow and growls out, "C'mon kid, those credits you owe me aren't going to magically appear in this cantina." Spor'nir leaves from the bar. Spor'nir heads back out into the dusty streets. Spor'nir has left. Jeric steps down onto the main floor and takes a look around, adjusting his eyes to the dimness of the cantina Shenner lifts 'his' slender hands, and blurts out hastily, "Okay, okay, no need to get touchy... let's go..." Lando walks quickly to the exit, dragging the kid behind him, "Put some spring in your step kid, I got creditors to pay too you know?!" Jeric picks his way through the crowd and slides into a booth Spor'nir comes in from the street, brushing the sand off of him. Spor'nir has arrived. Jeric disapears into the Dark Booth. You leave the noise behind you as you enter the dusty streets. Main Street -Mos Eisley- The air here seems to consists of about 50 percent sand and 50 percent odor. If you've ever seen a more miserable place, it was probably a block east of here. Around you the dregs of many races go about their unimportant lives doing their unimportant jobs. Smack in the middle of the block, with only a gaping dark open door leading forth to it's innards, sits the towns first blockhouse, the notorious Mos Eisley Cantina. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Kryton => Magnus => Luke => Drago => Poster: Professional for Hire => poster => Sign: Ship for SALE. -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- orth leads to Market Place East -Mos Eisley-. ast leads to Main Street -Mos Eisley-. outh leads to Power Station -Mos Eisley-. est leads to Main Street -Mos Eisley-. antina leads to Chalmun's Cantina -Mos Eisley-. Lando comes out from the bowls of the Cantina, eyes blinking as they addjust to the bright Tatooine sun. Lando has arrived. Magnus smiles, "How are you Kryton?" Kryton grins "doin pretty good, and yourself..?: Jeralic heads up Main Street to the east. Jeralic has arrived. Shenner, hauled out of the cantina in the grip of a dark-skinned gentleman, can be heard to be protesting hastily, "I got the money, honest, pal, I got it!" Magnus smiles, "I am doing ok, still looking for work though...." Lando walks out of the Cantina at a hurried pace. He lifts one arm, shielding his eyes from the blinding twin suns of Tatooine. He uses a the other to drag a redheaded kid behind him. Luke is leaning against the cool outer wall of the cantina, nearby is Drago. Luke's hooded head turns occasionally to whisper something, but otherwise is focused off into the distance casually. Kryton chuckles "most of the people on this planet are lookin for work.." Magnus looks towards the the loud commotion by the Cantina, but then decides to mind his own business. Magnus says, "'I know I know...just wish someone was looking for a starfighter pilot..." Drago is leaning up against the dusty wall very near Luke, occasionally exchanging whispers with him. Drago nods Izach heads up Main Street to the east. Izach has arrived. Luke turns to say something softly to Drago then sharply walks away down the street. He doesn't look behind him at the people who just walked out 'loudly'. Jeralic walks down the path. Though he's dressed in civies, he walks with a certain straightend, disciplined march as he looks around the crowded street, his eyes covered with a darkened visor Luke heads down Main Street to the east. Luke has left. Drago heads down Main Street to the east. Drago has left. Jeralic frowns. He walks over towards a vender, buying a beverage. He then starts to walk casually down the street Jeralic heads down Main Street to the east. Jeralic has left. Lando stops abruptly, sending the redheaded kid crashing into him. He looks around quickly and gazes down the east end of Main Street. He begins his trot again, dragging the kid behind him, "This way. I'll put you to work over here." Lando heads down Main Street to the east. Lando has left. Shenner is dragged, protesting all the way. Izach heads down Main Street to the east. Izach has left. You continue down Main Street. Main Street -Mos Eisley- It is difficult to determine, wich is the better or worse section of Mos Eisley since they do not differ all that much. However, if one were forced to label this section, they would most likely say just left of seedy. The less than respectable group that tend to congregate in the city do not venture into this neighborhood very often. Everything is, of course, covered in sand. Towards the south comes the stench of Dewbacks, emitting from their stables. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Izach => Lando => Jeralic => Luke => TKC Guard -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- orth leads to Customs Station 2 -Mos Eisley-. ast leads to TKC Office. est leads to Main Street -Mos Eisley-. Izach is denied access to the TKC office by some guards. Drago comes up Main Street from the west. Drago has arrived. Drago is denied access to the TKC office by some guards. Luke holds up a hand toward Drago and turns. Drago heads off to the north. Drago has left. Drago arives from the north. Drago has arrived. Lando walks in, still dragging the kid behind him, "C'mon, can't those short legs go any faster?" He says increasing his speed. Izach heads up Main Street to the west. Izach has left. As Luke turns away from Drago, he steps up casually to the dark haired gentleman and his 'companion', "Is there a problem?" he says. "Leggome, you pansy!" Shenner growls out, trying to wrestle out of Lando's grasp. Luke whispers, "Drago says he knows how to get there." Jeralic looks over at the dark haired mand, and the crowd that's starting to gather. He wanders in that direction, while at the same time seeming to keep his attention on a nearby booth selling the equivalent of hot dogs Lando shakes his head at Luke and grins, "No no problem." He turns back to Shenner and offers a small, menacing smile, "I'll let go of you, but if you get lost it's not my problem. I'm not going to around trodding all over town looking for you like some karking idiot." With that he releases the redheaded kid. Drago looks at the kid being dragged around in Lando's grip, "Hey who's the kid?" Shenner, released, says brightly to Drago, "Who, me? I ain't nobody much." 'His' gaze flicks from face to face, though, measuringly. Luke steps over to the red haired kid, eyeing the dark man warily, "Just be careful with him eh?" he asks, then turns to look at the kid carefully. Jeralic walks over towards the gathering. "Is there a problem here?", he asks quietly Luke whispers, "I think this Drago guy is trying to set us up. Do you know where Grathix is? And if so.. can you find him? I'm a little wary here, he doesn't seem to want to talk to me, even after he invited us.. I'm concerned this whole thing is a setup." Lando glowers at Drago and entones in menacing voice, "None of your business you two bit swindler. I have a good mind too..." He trails off as Jeralic approaches Drago smiles, "Hey calm down there Calrissian, I'm sorry for doing that but I need to get off this rock as much as anyone else, I'm sure you understand" Shenner, as the fellow in black leans close to 'him', narrows green eyes, and mutters something back. You whisper, "We gotta talk. In private." to Luke. Jaster_Mereel arives from the north. Jaster_Mereel has arrived. Jaster_Mereel heads off to the north. Jaster_Mereel has left. Drago smiles at the kid, "I'm sure the kid knows what I mean" Shenner eyes Drago and drawls blandly, in a tone that reveals neither agreement nor denial, "Yeah, pal. Right." Lando continues glowering at Drago and entones in his most sinister voice, "No I don't and I hope that you understand that this will affect any deals between us in the future....if you live that long." Luke flashes a menacing, albeit hidden glare at the dark skinned man before grabbing the red-haired kid by the arm, "Yeah, just be careful with this one. I paid good money for the kid." he growls before dragging 'him' off down the street. He nods non-chalantly to Drago as he leaves, muttering, "Dammit if everyone isn't -always- touching my property.." Jeralic leans over, whispering to the robed man Drago nods, "Fair enough Calrissian, now if we need to do this you still need my help, so I suggest you be more friendly" Shenner might be seen to swallow hard -- and yelp out another protest -- as 'he' is shoved from the dark-skinned man to the cloaked one. And dragged off to the north. Luke heads off to the north. Luke has left. Lando gives Drago a disgusted look as he listens to Jeralic, "Yeah you're going to find out just how friendly a guy I really am." leaving the sand behind, you head off north. Customs Station 2 -Mos Eisley- Station 2 might at one time have been a modern facility, then again maby not. As it is now, the only thing going for it is it's realative lack of sand and dirt. Cleaning droids constatly sweep and vaccuum the area, even following around the diritiest of occupants. The customs building sits between docking bays 86 and 87. These happen to be larger of the four bays in Mos Eisly, thus attracting a little care and up-keep from the city officials. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Luke -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- orth leads to Docking Bay 86 -Mos Eisley-. ast leads to Docking Bay 87 -Mos Eisley-. outh leads to Main Street -Mos Eisley-. est leads to Market Place East -Mos Eisley-. Luke drags you into an alcove, drops his hood and looks back the way he had come, "Are you alright Shenner? This place is dangerous." Shenner snorts, lowly. "Yeah, yeah, Luke, I know, I spent a whole karkin' year here," she tells you impatiently. But that passes, as she continues, voice low and urgent, "Paul sent me to find you. I gotta give you a message, see?" Luke nods brushing some hair out of his eyes, his voice surreptitiously quiet, "What message?" Shenner murmurs tautly, ticking off items on her slender fingers, "Okay... one. Paul and I came with Admir -- er, with Jeralic. Two. Says I ain't s'posed to act like I know anybody off the _Dragon_. Three. He's gonna say he hired me as his assistant and I ain't with the NR or nothin'. Four. Just gonna be real casual-like with him, see? Five. Paul's got somethin' Grath _needs_ to get this thing y'all're lookin' for, so without Paul, it ain't happenin'. Got all that?" Izach comes from the south. Izach has arrived. You sense: Luke seems distracted, but he is indeed listening. His eyes focused on the door leading in here, "Yeah, that's good. Paul's thinking on his feet." he returns to look at you, "Which is also why we put on the show back there. It isn't wise to let people know who your friends are here... but then, you know that." he smiles wanly adding, "Shen, I'm starting to get very concerned about Grathix's motives. He invites me here. I drop his name, only to arouse some uneasy suspicion in the cantina. I've been attacked three times over it so far.." he shakes his head, "I don't know what's going on. First of all, Grathix -isn't- a VP of Mandal Motors, whatever that is. I've learned he's in charge of some hunter group called the V'ez Tcha. Shen.." he says touching your arms, "I think he's setting us up.. plus.." his voice going distant again, "Drago dropped a few hints about Han.. and it involves Grathix.. whatever that means." he says all of this quickly, blowing right past your question, then blinking, "I'm sorry.. go ahead.. what else did Paul say?" Izach heads off south to Main Street. Izach has left. Luke senses, "Shenner takes all this in, her face going slightly pale at the mention of Solo. "That was it," she mutters, lowly. "You think he's got the General?"" Luke shakes his head, "I dunno Shen. But I'm not going to be as trusting of Grathix now.. his behaviour is strange. Why would he invite us here, then not want to meet with us? And why is he in charge of a bounty hunter organization?" his eyes flickering briefly, "It doesn't make sense.. his motives can't be pure." Shenner's face hardens, and all she says now is, "You want me to take that back to Paul?" Luke nods, "Yeah. Tell Paul to watch his back. I'm going to snoop around about Solo, see if I can meet up with Grathix on my own." Shenner shoves a hand through her hair, and nods, tightly, green gaze turning visibly annoyed, now. "Okay. Look... when I was here before, and Grath hired me, he was at the Twin Suns Hotel and Casino. Y'all should go there, okay?" Luke notes the name, "Shen, this is turning more dangerous than I imagined before. I thought it would be a simple thing to land here, find Grathix, have Paul check out the artifacts for validity." he sighs, tightening his grip on your shoulders, "Just be careful. If you can.. stay on the ship and I'll meet you there. This contact of mine says he can take me to Grathix. If it's dangerous, I don't want you or Paul hurt. Do you understand?" he looks off distantly once more, "I can get on your ship without anyone seeing me, and we'll talk later." Shenner bobs her head, once, and promises in a mutter, "I'll go tell Paul, okay?" She turns, then points a slender finger up at you admonishingly. "Don't y'all leave us in the dark, okay?" For an instant, she looks vaguely hurt. "Didn't even know you were here till Paul told me we were comin'. Nobody tells me nothin'..." With that, the kid whirls, and vanishes off down the street, looking for shadows to conceal her passage. [And after a time, after Shenner makes it back to the shuttle....] Paul can be seen pacing back and forth in the cargo hold, his expression grim. He looks at his chrono and growls unpleasantly, and then continues to pace. The cargo hold is not big enough for decent pacing, and his long strides eat up the floor in seconds, so he is constantly spinning around to head back in the opposite direction. Eventually, the shuttle's hatch hisses open, and a breathless Shenner hastens into the craft, after glancing over her shoulder one last time to ensure that she wasn't followed. She pauses there for a moment, regaining her wind, before turning towards the interior of the shuttle. Paul stops his pacing about three steps after Shenner enters, due partially to her presence and partially to the fact that he has run out of room again. His face lightens noticeably and he walks over to her in two quick strides. "Any trouble? Anyone follow you?" he asks her in a soft and concerned murmur. "Nah, don't think so," she tells you, grinning lopsidedly, at least in response to your last question. "Sorry it took so long, I kinda hadda scout for Luke and the others, and once I found 'em, hadda figure out how to get their attention without _lookin'_ like I was gonna get their attention, see? Got your message to Luke, though...!" Paul's expression eases even further, and despite her words he finds his eyes scanning over her to make sure that she is alright. He sits down heavily and pats the spot next to him. "Just so long that you're back safe," he murmurs. "Good work," he adds in a lighter stronger voice. "So what happened, what did Luke have to say?" Perhaps unconsciously, Shenner's face brightens in a wide grin as you praise her. She plops down beside you and reports, "Well, he's glad we're keepin' low, but he's worried..." Her eyes darken, then, the grin slipping away. "He says he found out Grath's with some kinda group called the V'ez-tcha and he's startin' to think he might even have General Solo." This, for some reason, visibly annoys the girl. "He wants to talk to us here. He says he can get in here without nobody seein' him." Paul nods as he assimilates the information curiously, but doesn't seem overly alarmed personally. "V'ez-tcha, huh? Well that was unexpected," he murmurs under his breath. "Alright, I assume that means before I go to see Grathix, huh?" Shenner blows out a sigh. "Yeah, I guess -- especially if he thinks Grath's got Solo." The girl scowls, crooking up one leg and folding her arms over it. "He better _not_ have Solo." Paul stares at the kid curiously. "I know that Solo is a big hero and all, and a good friend of Luke, but do you have some kind of personal stake in this?" He seems puzzled at her vehemence. Shenner shrugs, not looking at you, and mutters, "Grath said he didn't want Solo for nothin' bad, but seems like stealin' a man ain't exactly friendly." Paul shrugs and nods. "Yeah, well it certainly isn't very good manners." He frowns then. "Course it doesn't change anything, I hope Luke is aware of that." Shenner looks over at you. "But if Grath can't be trusted..." Paul stares at the bulkhead idly. "Doesn't matter ... in fact, then it's all the more important that I somehow win his trust and find the artifacts ... because if he can't be trusted, then these artifacts cannot fall into his possession." He frowns then, considering the possibilities, none of which look too pretty. Shenner scowls again, then sighs. "So, well. Whaddya want me to do?" Paul doesn't respond right away, lost in his own thoughts. After a moment he turns back to Shenner and blinks distractedly. "Do? Well I guess we don't do anything until Luke shows up .... after that, well, it depends. If it looks like things are going to be dicey, then I'll go talk to Grathix and see what I can learn ... " He then considers Shen with a thoughtful and serious gaze and adds, "and you should probably stick with Luke or something." "What?!" Shenner straightens, dismayed. "Why?" Paul frowns and replies earnestly, "Look, if Grathix isn't to be trusted, and I'm going to Mandalore to boot, well, this could get really dangerous," he notes somberly. "I can't endanger you like that," he adds firmly. Her eyebrows drawing together, Shenner demands, "What, you think I can't handle myself in danger or somethin'?" Shenner thrusts a finger out, pointing out the shuttle's now-closed hatchway. "I lived _out there_ for a whole karkin' year, pal," she goes on, voice hardening. "Don't you gimme no mookla dung line about just sittin' and hidin' when somebody I l... a friend o' mine might be doin' somethin' dangerous, okay?" Paul opens his mouth and then shuts it. He shakes his head and turns to face Shenner directly. "That isn't what I'm saying at all, I'm saying that I have no right to put you in harms way ... I don't want to be responsible for endangering you Shen. What if something bad were to happen? Shen, I already failed you once, I can't do that again," he stresses. "I'd say we're both responsible," Shen tells you, her face falling a little as though she's not taking the idea of being seperated from you again very well but trying not to show it. Her voice relaxes a little, but this only serves to make her sound a trifle plaintive as she continues, "You asked me what I wanted to do... and I said I wanted to come with you." Her annoyed expression wavers a bit more and she finishes, "I still wanna come with you." Struck by her words, Paul sits still for a moment, considering them carefully before asking her a serious question. "Why would you walk willing into danger with me?" Shenner swallows a little, but meets your gaze steadily enough. Looking as though she can't decide whether to look casual or serious -- and winding up looking simply straightforwardedly earnest -- the girl answers, "You're my friend..." Paul smiles gently at that, his eyes still curious though. "And being your friend as well, how can I let you come with me?" he asks softly. "W-well, if it's gonna be dangerous, you need somebody you can trust, right?" Shenner argues, though all at once she seems to be having a bit of trouble looking directly at you. "I can guard your back, and I-I know I ain't exactly schooled or nothin', but I can help out, I know I can, I pick up stuff _real_ fast!" Her words rush through Paul and the more she talks, the larger his smile grows. "Well then," he murmurs softly, "if you're going to be my assistant, then I guess I better train you, huh?" He places a hand on Shen's shoulder, looking at her closely. "I am really honored that you want to come ... worried, but honored," he adds softly. Shenner manages to meet your gaze again, and her expression begins to blossom with happiness. "Your _assistant_?" she echoes, sounding amazed. Paul nods, his smile growing into a grin at her expression. "Well, yeah, I mean if you're going to come along we need both a good reason and cover story ... and to make it stick, well you'll have to learn a few things I'm afraid. Do you like the title of assistant? I think it sounds better than lackey myself, but feel free to pick a title of your own." His voice contains a hint of laughter in it, and his eyes sparkle with humor at the same time as being shadowed with concern. Shenner bursts into unsteady laughter. "Lackey? Well, uh, nah, 'assistant' is fine...!" Her eyes shine at you, though, as she demands eagerly, "What do I need to know?" Paul chuckles at her amusement. "Well, I should teach you some basic survival techniques for being in different environments ... some first aid would be wise, and then I guess we can talk about different cultures and some of the basics of archaeology." He chuckles again. "Actually, that will be quite a lot." Shenner promises again, "I pick up stuff real fast!" She turns slightly towards you, face brightening, hopeful, as though she wants you to start her instruction this very instant. "I know you do, you are a most apt pupil," Paul notes fondly. Rising up from the bench, Paul wanders over to his stuff and rummages through it till he brings out two things, a medical kit and his datapad. He comes back over with these things and sits himself back down next to Shenner. "Okay, well since I'm concerned for our physical well being, let's make sure we can handle ourselves in a medical emergency. He flips open the datapad and calls up information on Mandalore. Shenner sits up a bit, watching with bright-eyed interest, though she might possibly be noticed to be spending as much of her attention on your motions as she does the datapad you've retrieved. "You mean other 'n' if somebody shoots us?" Paul grimaces slightly at the idea of being shot. "Well, we'll try to cover a bit of everything, including getting shot and stabbed and all of those gruesome things, but first, let's look at a few of the basics." Pointing to the datapad he replies, "Now where we are going on Mandalore is a rather hot jungle area ... not like Tatooine where it is hot and dry, but hot and very steamy and moist. This makes for a number of problems. First of all, keeping your water levels high will be crucial ... you don't want to dehydrate while you're there. You also need to stay relatively cool, as you won't be able to cool off quite as readily due to the humidity." Shenner considers all this, listening with intently furrowed brow, and she asks you, "So this means, what, we gotta drink a lotta water? And wear... light clothes?" She peers down at herself. "This do?" Paul_Nighman looks at you for a moment. Paul considers the girl's clothes carefully. "White is good for keeping cool, but you might want to get something green, to blend in better with the folliage. I would lose the tunic, or at least get a light weight one, and you definitely will not want to wear the jacket - too hot and it will catch on things. You don't want a lot of loose clothing." He hmmms at her breeches and nods and then reaches down and takes one of her feet in his hands to peer at the boot more closely, inspecting the tread. Shenner blinks at this unexpected inspection of her clothing, but doesn't protest it. Her boots, old but serviceable, can be seen to have scuffed soles, but with a lot of good tread still left to them. Paul releases her foot and nods. "Yeah, your boots will do just fine for the most part." He then straightens and looks her in the eye. "Okay, not sure if I'm going to be too terribly clear, never taught anyone first aid before. In terms of the water, you want to drink as much as you can, but don't drink any water on the planet unless you're sure it's from a pure source or you can purify it ... cause every planet has a whole new set of germs that are just waiting to get their hands on you," he warns. "If you're thirsty, chances are you're already dehydrating." He opens up the med kit and stares at it for a second. "Oh," mutters Shenner at the concept of germs. Her brow crinkles again, but she nods attentively, her eyes flicking between you and the med kit; for a moment or two her gaze sweeps across its contents, but it then returns to you. The girl seems utterly absorbed in what you're relaying to her, taking in the gestures of your hands, your expressions, your tone of voice. "Okay, well where to begin. I guess you can understand the basics of patching someone up - if there is bleeding you want to staunch it and bandage it, making sure that it is cleaned out first and protected with an antibiotic to help prevent infection." He pulls out a few objects from the medkit. "Now, I carry this kit at all times and you're welcome to use it. However, you may find that it doesn't contain what you need, or enough of what you need, so you may find that you need to be creative. For instance, when Jessalyn's arms were badly cut in that barroom brawl, I took my shirt and ripped it into strips to bind her arms so she wouldn't lose too much blood, since there weren't any bandages or gauze readily available." His hands move in small gestures as he speaks, pointing at the box, touching on different objects as he mentions them, and mimicking a ripping gesture when he talks about the bandages. His expressions are facile, changing as he thinks of how to best express himself. Shenner's gaze flicks involuntarily to the shirt you're wearing now as you speak of the brawl, and with an effort, she yanks her gaze away from your collarbone. Your face is only slightly less safe to look at, and finally, she settles on your hands, as they're actually helping to direct her attention to the objects and substances in the kit about which she needs to learn. "Got it, I can do that," she mutters lowly. Paul nods and reaches into the kit again, pulling out a tube. "This is bacitracin, smear liberally on anything that you think might potentially get infected, and chances are it won't." He smiles at that. "Now, in case of serious injuries, the first thing that you need to watch out for is shock. When someone falls into shock, it's their bodies way of shutting off all but the most essential life processes, but it can have disasterous results. When I got stabbed, you might recall that I started to fall into shock. The symptoms of shock are pretty easy to recognize ... their pupils will dllate or they will be of different sizes, they will feel cold and clammy to the touch, they may suffer from dizziness, possibly nausea, and their pulse will be weak and thready." He then thinks of something and asks, "Ah, do you know how to check someone's pulse?" The girl stifles a wince at the memory of your being wounded, and she says a bit gruffly, "I remember... you kept actin' like it was cold, and you wanted me to keep you awake. That was shock?" At your final question, though, she shakes her head. Paul shakes his head. "Well yes, I was going into shock, but I wasn't actually being very clear. Keeping me awake wasn't really all that necessary ... although is probably adviseable, just so you can keep tabs on how the person is feeling. The time you really want to keep someone awake is if they are suffering from any kind of major head trauma. Head wounds or blows will not necessarily show signs of shock, but you will get the same pupil dilation or difference in sizes. The problem with head wounds is sometimes if the patient falls asleep, they will slip into a coma, and without a medical facility nearby, that's bad." Shenner purses her lips and nods gravely, leaning against the wall behind her, listening. Paul thinks for a moment and then reminds himself, "Right, pulse points." He leans forward, bringing himself a little closer to Shen. "Now there are several pulse points that you can check, but the two easiest to reach are the wrist and the neck. The first thing you never want to do is try to find someone's pulse with your thumb, because your thumb as a pulse that might confuse you." He reaches out and taking on of her hands in his, he arranges her finger so that they lie across the pulse point on his wrist. "Now press here and you should be able to feel my pulse ... can you feel it?" Shenner's expression remains carefully studious as you set her slender fingers into place. You can feel her press, not hard, though definitely firmly; after a moment, she bobs her head at you. "Yeah. A little beat there. Slow." Paul nods. "Good. Now sometimes you'll find that hard to find, or if the pulse is very weak, you might not feel anything. In that case, the easiest and most direct way to find the pulse is at the neck," and taking her hand again, he presses two of her fingers against his neck, "right here. Personally, I never can find the wrist pulse easily, so I always just go for the neck ... although there is also a point on the ankle as well." He waits for her to confirm that she feels his pulse before he releases her hand. With her eyes drawn back towards Paul as he moves her hand again, Shenner swallows again, then nods in plaintive earnestness. "Got it," she affirms. Paul nods again. "Now, if someone is seriously injured you don't necessarily want to move them right away unless you know what has happened to them. If the individual is concious, find out what is hurt that they know about. If they are unconcious, the best thing to do it to keep them warn, check for obvious injuries, but move them as little as possible in case their is any kind of spinal or neck injury. The old rule is, if the face is red, lift the head, if the face is pale, lift the tail." He smiles a bit at that childish memnomic device. "It sounds silly, but it's true. Now, for really serious injuries, if blood is gushing out of the body at a furious rate, then chances are a major artery was hit, which is bad. This, " he notes, lifting out a tool, "is a compressor, and when you apply it to the wound point, it will compress the specfic artery that has been damaged. However, should you not have one of these, what you'll need to do is apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and the tourniquet points are up at the top of the arm and where the leg joins the torso. Any other bleeding, the best you can do is apply pressure and lots of it. If it is a very bad bleeder, you may find that torching it closed is your best option ... essentially get a piece of metal, heat it till it's red hot, and then sear the wound closed. It will hurt like hell, but it may save the persons life." Shenner's hands flit quickly down to her lap as you go on. The kid's momentarily troubled expression settles back into studious attentiveness, and she fastens her regard on your hands again, nodding at the indicated compressor. He pulls out another tool and waves it in front of you. "This is an extractor, and it has settings here for object size .... so it can extract objects as large as small projectile devices like darts, bullets, small spearheads ... but it can also remove thorns and splinters. At it's lowest setting it removes chemical anomalies like poisons. You place it at the point of entry and just turn it on ... it will keep drawing until it no longer finds any trace of the foreign substance." He places it back into the kit. "If you don't have it, removing objects can be tricky and dangerous, and I think I'll leave that for another time ... suffice it to say that if the object is large enough, sometimes it is better to leave it in ... if you remove some projectile weapons, you actually open the wound up deeper and remove the major clotting agent in the wound, which is the weapon itself. With poisons, the most you can usually do is to cut at the entry point immediately and suck out the poison and spit it out, repeatedly. However, never do this if you have any cuts or sores in your mouth, or you'll just poison yourself in the process." Paul leans back with a sigh, thinking. "Well, there's more but lets pause. Do you have any questions? Is there something that I didn't talk about that you want to know about?" Shenner grins crookedly. "I, uh, think I got it all so far... ain't got no questions, no." Paul gives her a wry smile. "Okay, good. I'm sure that I'm going to forget something, but I think I've touched on the main basics ... lemme know if you think of anything else though ... hmmmm, should talk about broken bones at some point ... and more on head trauma's." He casts his gaze to the ceiling as he runs through different types of injuries in his mind. The girl slides you a sidelong glance, and it stays on you as you look towards the roof of the shuttle. Her gaze softens a little, brightens, and at least in that moment, it might seem as if waiting for you to continue is the most important thing in her personal universe. "How come more about head stuff?" she pipes up. Paul's head drops to catch Shenner's gaze again. "Huh? Oh, well because head injuries can be serious. First of all they bleed like crazy, so they can be distressing, just because they look so bad. In addition, if the person has a concussion, they can go into shock or even into a coma, and you might not even notice ... that's why you want to keep them awake. The symptoms for a concussion are similar to shock, but are more likely to be the dilated pupils, dizziness, and severe nauseau. If the injure is very serious, they might suffer from a fractured skull ... but there's not a whole lot you can do in that case." As he talks, his gaze becomes more and more unfocused, as his mind works through the various permutations, but then abruptly focuses on Shen again. "In fact, the most important thing you have to remember about any injury is not to panic. Most fatalities and injuries are due to the victim or the person delivering the first aid panicking. You'll make hasty decisions and mistakes if you panic. You need to remember to work quickly, but to work smart and remain calm at all times. I hope you don't have to figure this out, but if you do, I think you'll be surprised at how calm you'll be in an emergency ... and then you'll panic after it's over." Shenner half-smiles. "I think I already know what that's like," she murmurs, glancing off for a moment, away from you. Stretching out for a moment, Paul nods. "Yeah, I figured you might." He stands up and stretches again, the confines of the small ship beginning to wear on him. He idly starts to pace again, not in the obsessive way that he was before, but as a lion who has tired of his cage and hopes for an opening might - slow and easy, but ready to spring if given the opportunity. "I ain't borin' yah, am I?" Shen asks after a moment. Paul stops in surprise looking back at Shen. A funny little smile cracks his lips. "Shen, I don't think that option even exists in the realm of possibilities." He then begins to slowly pace again, but it is keyed down. "No, I just hate waiting when we're this close to getting started ... I mean I want to be on Mandalore -now-, not stuck on this tiny ship waiting for Luke to come and grace us with his presence." Although the words might seem harsh, the tone is merely frustrated, but not angry. "The ship's soundproofed, ain't it...? Play your guitar...?" Paul stops again and considers that option. Feeling edgy, he's not sure if he can just sit and play. Still, he realizes that perhaps it would help settle his nerves a bit, and perhaps Shen would like him to play for her. He smiles a little at thought, since he rarely ever played for anyone but himself. He leans over and opens the case and then sits down on the floor of the cargo hold, in front of Shen and begins to tune the guitar, trying to decide what he should play. Pleased, Shenner sits back again, just smiling a little, and fiddling with one hand at the ocarina pendant she's _still_ wearing. "Jammin' always, uh, settles me down," she offers. Paul shrugs a little as he finishes his tuning. "I used to play for fun, then for spite, then for solace, then for love, then for pain, and then for skill ... it's been a long time since I've played for pleasure," he murmurs softly, almost to himself. Then, looking up he asks, "Any requests?" Shenner chuckles softly. "Play me somethin' I don't know," she suggests. "Bet you know a lotta songs I don't..." Paul cocks his head to one side. "Well, yeah, I know a lot of songs ... what kind of music would you like? I'm afraid I don't know much contemporary music ... most of what I know is classical, a little folk, and my own stuff." "Uhm... anything I could play this thing to?" Shen holds up the ocarina, half-smiling, shyly. Paul nods and then thinking for a moment, he picks a lilting folk tune, with a earthy quality to it. The pace is moderate, but the light air of it makes it seem faster than it really is. It is a playful piece, something that sounds like it would be played for a party or a celebration of some kind. Shenner's eyes begin to brighten again, and after seven or eight measures, she lifts the delicate little shell and begins to pipe through it, simply sticking in short, sweet little notes here and there in the melody. Paul nods in response to her interspersing notes, and keeps the pattern of the music repeating over and over again, allowing her to test out the little instrument and get a feel for exactly how it works. His hands move flawlessly, easily over the strings, and he begins to tilt from side to side along with the catchy rhythm. The girl catches on quickly, and after a time, the contribution she's providing to the music grows more confident, more complex. Her face grows steadily more lit from within, and she watches you as she plays, looking for your cues in the tune... and perhaps just watching your hands on the guitar's strings. Her green eyes veritably glow. Paul watches Shen closely now, as she grows more and more in tune with the little ocarina, making it create complex patterns and sounds. He smiles warmly as once again she somehow manages to pick up an instrument and make it hers in mere minutes. His eyes grow more intense on Shenner's face, taking in her obvious pleasure and feeling a responsive chord deep within himself. Shenner plays, and as she plays, watches you in return. When her gaze meets yours it stays there, and her face pinkens a little, only adding to that radiance suffusing it as she makes the ocarina pipe and twitter its way through the song. You can see her smile a little around it, as much as she can while sending enough air through the fragile shell for it to make music. Holding her gaze steadily, Paul begins to draw back on the guitar, letting Shen take the lead and following her instead. Paul's smile lingers on the corner of his lips, and his eyes burn into the young woman's, as he watches and waits for her commands in the subtle nuances of her face. The ocarina, carrying the melody now, skirrls and chitters almost like a pair of small birds on a sunny spring day.... an incongruous thing for this girl of tempestuous, mercurial moods to be playing, but play it she does. Every so often she draws out notes, making the song change time signatures, but keeping up the fluttering tempo. Only after many minutes of this does she begin to slow, the notes begin to soften, as she seems to decide to draw the music to a breaking point; when she does, it's to lower the ocarina and explain, gaze still bright and lingering on your face as she does, "Don't wanna cramp my fingers..." Paul follows her along on her twists and turns and then gently lets the guitar fade out as she draws to her conclusion, letting her end the piece on her own, with just the last chord of the guitar ringing out gently for accompaniment. At her words, Paul merely nods, the smile on his face just a sweet reflection of his thoughts. "Sounds wise," he replies, his fingers already touching the strings again and playing a random rambling melody. Shenner stretches each of her hands, just watching you now as you play. She continues to watch you as she rises to settle onto one of the acceleration couches; there, she lies down on her belly, pillowing her chin and keeping that bright, half-shy, half-bold gaze fixed upon you. Her rapt expression is a silent request for you to keep playing... but after some time, she begins to drowse -- perhaps her little jaunt out into Mos Eisley was more tiring than she'd told you. Eventually, her eyes drop closed. Paul obeys the demands of Shen's eyes, relishing in this small token that he can give her in thanks for a gift she probably never knew she gave him. His hands move on the strings in a soothing soft melody. As her eyes drift, he keeps playing, watching her tenderly and feeling a strong surge of protectiveness rise in him. He waits until her eyes close and stay that way for a long time. He keeps playing, guiding her subconcious along until she starts to dream, and then he let's his hands ease up softly. He puts the guitar away and finding a blanket, covers the girl. He touches her hair lightly for a moment, and then finds some bedding of his own, pulling Dr. Canto's blanket from his luggage and wrapping himself in it, he lies down on the acceleration couch across from hers and finds that he is indeed quite relaxed after playing. A small smile touches his lips as he looks at Shen again. "Okay kid, another point for you," he murmurs and then easily drifts off to sleep himself. [End log.]