Log Date: 8/19/98 Log Cast: Podok, Han Solo, NPC Sluissi captain, Major Danvers (NPC), Podok's robot Log Intro: It probably wouldn't surprise Princess Leia very much to discover that shortly after settling in on Sluis Van, one of her husband's very first actions was to determine the location of the local bar. That bar has turned out to be the Hyperdrive Motivator, a name which brings up a surge of fondness in Solo's heart despite the recalcitrant behavior of that particular portion of his beloved ship's systems, and as his days on Sluis Van have begun to lengthen into weeks, he's made the Motivator his hangout spot of choice during his off-duty hours. With a good number of the base's stationed personnel off on the mission to the Caspar system, things are relatively quiet on Sluis Van, and a few of Han's junior officers have summoned up the courage to take on their CO in sabacc. Solo's legendary reputed skill at that particular game, however, appears to be irrelevant to a certain droid.... ---------- The Hyperdrive Motivator - Sluis Van The black obsidian marble of the exterior is used quite extensively here also. The only difference is a waist high border in light grey stone around the interior walls. In the center of the Tavern a large round bar also composed of stone sits hidden by patrons milling around it laughing and talking casually. Built into the bar, in front of every stool is a waterpipe. It's contents can only be guessed, but by the effects it is having on the engineers and workmen, it must be highly intoxicating. The mood in the place is jovial but with a sizzling pent up energy normally found in blue collar places on this planet. Behind the bar are high stone shelves with racks of liquers and various sundries. Hanging above the bar at symmetrically placed intervals are hanging plants and muted lighting rails. Several Sluissi bartenders whisk silently over to patrons with trays of drinks, or kindly lighting their cigarra's or waterpipes. Along the walls and discretely placed to optimize privacy are low deep blue marble tables, flecked with gold. Comfortable booth style seating wrap around each table affording the occupants with as much privacy as could be wanted in a place such as this. Music emanates from the ceiling and the volume level is just a bit too high, but the patrons don't seem to notice. Sluissi waitresses and waiters move through the crowd on snake-like lower bodies as if crossing a gentle mountain stream, perpetual smiles on their faces as they serve customers. -=-=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=-=- => Podok -=-=-=-=-=<>=-=-=-=-=- Commerce Avenue leads to Commerce Avenue - Sluis Van. Podok enters from the street. Podok has arrived. Podok steps into the bar, sucking in his gut as to fit through the doorway. He nods casually to the guardman, and with a loud heave, lets his gut giggle out again. He shifts his pants around his waist and shouts to the bartender, "Honey Ale, with a drip of Voline..." he says, in pleasant, Rodian-tinted Basic. He lets his eye domes travel about the bar, and finds a seat along the main bar. The place is fairly quiet, perhaps due to a large number of Star Ops personnel off on the Caspar mission. Still, there's a fair share of technicians and Ground Ops enlisted sentients frequenting the bar... as well as a scattering of officers, including one rugged-looking dark-haired Corellian with a General's sigils on his unbuttoned collar. He appears to be in the middle of a round of a card game with a captain and a major, and is grinning ferally across the table at the two. The prescribed drink slides out of a hole in the bar top, and Podok snatches it. His fat fingers wrap around the bottle. He glances around once more, and catches Han Solo in a reflection off the bar top. He looks over at him, and tosses him a casual, 'I'm off duty, don't bug me' salute. "General." he says, and sips his drink. He settles himself down on his barstool, but not without a considerablly loud groan of protest from the stool. Podok peers from his place over at the card game, watching it. His flappy elbows waggle each time he brings the drink to his snout. Podok Filling your field of vision at the moment is a very .... peculiar object. Four hundred pounds, green, and anal retentive as hell. That's Podok the Rodian, who lumbers in your area. Sagging bags of fat hang under his green arms, and jiggle when he moves. His face has two round bug-esque eyes that peek out and glint in whatever light may be nearby. He has a short, stubby snout that has fat caked to the side of it. He is wearing a light brown vest, with no shirt under it, allowing the viewer to see his three chubby Rodian nipples, and his huge sagging paunch. For pants, he wears khakis with many pockets. The knee area looks very stressed and worn, for, as any scholar of Rodian physique knows, '..it goes straight to the knees ... ' Solo's hazel gaze swings around, companionably enough, in the direction of the Rodian. "Corporal," he replies -- and then snaps his gaze back around to the uncomfortable-looking major, who's apparently sweating over his cards. It must be sabacc, though there's no sign of a field generator on or under the table to freeze the cards. Podok's interest turns to other things, as he pulls out his bag of 'stuff'. He sets it down on the bartop with a sound of thinks breaking, and pulls out a small device. It's boxy, with tiny little appendages, apparently legs. He hits a button and the machine lights up and shrieks, "Pzzat! Pfat! Zip --- I loathe your kind." The machine's tiny legs kick, and Podok sets the robot on the table top and bops it on top of the head. "Quiet. Don't call attention to yourself." A few patrons glance over at the Rodian and his toy, and return to their drink. Podok's friend stares him down, "I need fuel... I'm running on fumes here, buddy." Podok yanks another toy out of his bag, obviously a power receptor. He hooks it up into the back of the machine and a soft, almost metallic sigh escapes the robot. "Ahhhh .... " it steams, it's lights brightening up each passing moment. Podok sucks on his drink, his snout buried deep into the glass, like a straw. The major at Solo's table reluctantly turns over his hand, and the captain -- a business-like looking Sluissi -- issues a short, soft noise of amusement at the other officer's predicament, as Solo turns over his own cards. The Corellian has the high hand -- not a sabacc, but still substantially higher than the major's. "Pay up, Danvers," Solo drawls, grinning. Major Danvers grumpily shoves over a pile of credits, then glances distractedly towards Podok's noisy little robot. "You've wiped me out, General," he mourns. "I'm out of it till next pay cycle." The robot unhooks itself and scuttles down the bar, and works its way around the bar. Podok, however, doesn't notice, as the machine words it's way over to Solo's table. A slight whirring can be heard, and the machine winds up and hovers a few feet off the ground, enough to see the game. "You ---" it says, it's front plate facing Solo. "--- cheated." The robot hovers plainly in view of the rest of the gamers. The major is in the middle of slinking off to -- well, he has no credits anymore, so he can't afford to drown his sorrows. Regardless, he pauses, while the Sluissi captain does his species' version of raising eyebrows. Solo's eyebrows go up too, and he shifts in his seat, levelling a sardonic hazel gaze on the machine. "Come again, short stuff?" he drawls. The droid wavers a few moments, and swoops down, near the backseat of Solo's pants. "You pulled a Stave from here." it says, whirring and then spins, and orbits the table a few times. "You gentleman may want a rematch." It then flutters away from the table, hovering over Podok's head. The chubby Rodian has obviously not been alerted to anything his droid has done. Podok looks at you for a moment. "You're sniffin' coolant fumes," Solo growls dismissively at the droidlet, clearly deeply annoyed. "I play fair and square." The other two officers exchange glances. The Sluissi seems inclined to dismiss the robot's claim -- knowing the Corellian fairly well -- but the major actually eyes Solo unsurely for a moment, perhaps weighing the benefits of accusing a hero of the Rebellion _and_ his current commanding officer of cheating. The droid scurries to the center of the table, and plays a holo-projection. It shows Solo reach behind him, but it does not clearly show if he pulls anything out or not. The droid whirs slowly, and then goes closely to the Major. "This man, is a cheat." he says simply. By this time, Podok has become aware of his little droid, "Shut that thing off, squirt." he says, and hobbles off his stool. He works his way over to the Major, and reaches up in the air to grab his droid. His arms flail stubbily, as the droid floats a few inches out of Podok's fat fingers. "I'm merely letting the other players know they've been dooped! Bamboozled! Pontificated!" it says, pulling odd words from a rather .... exotic vocabulary. Han glowers visibly at the droid, then shoots a glance at his two table companions. "You're not gonna believe a pint-sized tin can over me, are you?" he demands bluntly. The captain says calmly, "I would not think of it, General." And the major shifts from foot to foot, and pales slightly under Solo's piercing stare. "Uhhh..." The small droid hovers about, swooping through the upper areas of the Motivator, and screeches to a halt as a ready Podok swings his bag up, knocking the droid out of the sky. With a screech, it comes crashing down to the floor. It fires it's motivators up, and lifts off a little bit, but not before Podok can throw his bag over it. Podok scrambls along the floor as the droid tries to vacate, but to know avail. The chubby rodian clamps down hard on the bag, and the droid inside buzzes inside, "Let me out! I will _not_ stand for this. I am a diplomat for the New Republic! I'll put you in jail!" it shouts at its captor, and Podok throws a sheepish --as much sheep as a Rodian can manage -- look towards the General and his friends. "Sorry.." he says, "Last time I put a 'free thought' chip in a Holonet courier droid." he says, hitting the bag with his fat fist once more, for good measure. His lean face still set in offended lines, Solo looks up at the Rodian, and only Podok's apology for his -- companion's? -- behavior keeps the General from saying anything particularly rude. "'Sallright," the Corellian says grudgingly, before he shoots a glance back at the uneasy major. The major in question manages a weak lopsided smile, and blurts, "I'll see you in four days, Han... and beat you, too..." That seems to defuse the Corellian's temper a little, and he waves Danvers off. Looking relieved, Danvers vanishes off across the bar. Podok mutters, walking off away, cursing at the bag full of broken droid, "When I get back to base, that chip comes out." As Podok steps through the door, shrieks of protest can be heard from the droid, "No! I need this! I'll have your fat hide greased and tanned for this." The only response from Podok is a smack, and the droid errks and goes quiet Podok leaves the Tavern via the front door. Podok has left. [End log.]