Dargo Karr

Star Wars - The Search for Justice (Closed RP)

Corusant - Recruitment Continues

After the attempt to employ Tellor Hunt had, literally, gone up in flames, Karr decided that a drink was in order...

That was three days ago.

Although the surface of Corusant boasted some of the best watering holes in the galaxy, Karr walked until he found what could generously be called a hole-in-the-wall. Although compared to the lower level cantinas it was luxurious and relaxing, compared with the other establishments in the area, the place was a dive. Karr settled in and, as long as he kept his tab paid, the establishment didn’t seem to mind that he hadn’t actually left.

Karr was busy unraveling the mysteries of the universe, with the assistance of some very strong Correllian brandy, when a familiar face walked in. Nason, Chief Aide to Senator Nalgen, was beginning to act more like a handler than an intermediary. It didn’t take much for Karr to appear disinterested as the man took a seat across from him and looked around.

“Well, at least your taste in quality has improved from the last tavern I found you in. You should be careful. If you keep this up, soon you might actually get a haircut and start shaving regularly.”

Karr took a long pull from his bottle, he had long since quit bothering with the glass, and looked straight at him.

“And perhaps if you had an original thought of your own, the Senator wouldn’t need to keep using you as his personal sock-puppet.”

Despite his tone, Karr had actually come to enjoy the verbal sparring with his benefactor. Nason had a keen mind and, if he developed his self-confidence a bit, he could become a quite formidable man in his own right. For a moment Karr had anticipated a retort, but the set of his jaw showed that Nason had bigger issues in mind.

Nason held out his hand, and Karr placed the bottle in it. Nason took a long drink and set the bottle on the table.

“We may have a problem.”

Karr was somewhat surprised. He had never even seen Nason drink before. Even when he had ordered a drink at the cantina during their first meeting, he never actually drank any of it.

“Clearly. Just take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”

Nason looked at Karr, unsure of how to begin, but, realizing he couldn’t possibly outmaneuver him, decided to simply be blunt.

“You know we have our ear to the ground where you are concerned.”

“I figured as much.”

“Yes, well. During a security investigation in the lower levels, your name came up. A local informant named Paf Vel was found dead, surrounded by mercenary body guards, also dead. It seems that they were killed by a lightsaber. When security investigated his comm device, they discovered that his last call was to the Hiring Hall, presumably where he hired the mercs, and this is when we caught wind of this, it seems that the next to last call was to you.”

Karr’s face was placid, but his mind raced. The Sith was making far greater progress than he expected in so short a time. If Paf was dead, then the Sith was on his way to the surface as they spoke. Karr needed more time. More time for his mission, more time to plan, more time to make arrangements. He looked back to his list of names. It seemed that he would have to jump around the list a bit to buy himself the time he needed.

“I need you to arrange a ship for immediate departure to Nar Shadaa. It looks like I have an appointment with Malcolm Raynor.”

Star Wars - The Search for Justice (Closed RP)

Corusant – Phase 1 of recruiting has begun

“At this rate, I’m going to have to compile a new list.” Karr muttered to himself as he walked away from the burning wreckage.

It had only been a week and already Karr had crossed six names off the list of potential candidates, and unfortunately all of them had been pilots. Karr had hoped to secure a low-profile ship and pilot before trying to recruit the rest of his squad, but chances were now looking very slim. The first person he had talked to, an older Twi’lek woman named Lyssa, had been very open to the idea of a job, until Karr told her that it would be payment on delivery after the mission was over. At that point, she told him that he could go do things with a wampa that were probably illegal in most civilized sectors, and maybe even some of the uncivilized ones as well.

The second meeting didn’t even go as well as the first. The pilot was human, and specialized in ferrying people of interest to undisclosed locations. As soon as Karr introduced himself, the man told him to get lost without even looking up from his drink.

The third actually took a few days to track down. He was a Sullustan pilot of a ship called the Galactic Finch, and Karr had managed to find him as he was leaving a brothel. Karr had actually managed to offer the pilot a proposition, and the pilot agreed to listen, and that was when Republic Security swooped in and arrested them both. Karr had spent a few hours in a cell before the Senator’s Aide showed up with a signed release. Karr was, of course, obligated to inform his employer of the complete lack of progress in his mission.

They were not pleased.

The fourth pilot, another Twi’lek, was amiable enough, and even agreed to being paid after the mission was over. However, as soon as Karr told him where they were going, he ran away like he was being chased by assassin droids.

The fifth pilot was a Zabrak, and he was… less than receptive. And more than a little rude. Karr spent some time in a bacta tank for laser burns after that.

As Karr crossed another name from his list, his personal com link began to chirp. As Karr answered it, he speculated what it could be about, but he was reasonably certain that he already knew.

“This is Karr.”

The background noise of a loud, and not particularly good, band poured through the small comlink speaker. This call came from a lower level tavern. As he expected, this was a call that Karr had been waiting for.

“Dargo, It’s Paf. I don’t have much time. I need to warn you that there is someone looking for you. He might be a bounty hunter, I’m not sure. All I know is that he’s brutal.”
It would seem that the Sith had finally arrived, and Karr had yet to recruit a single member for his team. Karr started to curse but paused as an idea came to him. He would have some arrangements to make.

“Thanks for the warning Paf. Tell you what, get yourself to a safehouse as soon as you can, and hire some guards in the meantime. I’ll foot the bill. Take care.”
Karr switched off the comm, knowing full well that if the Sith caught up to Paf, then he was as good as dead. Karr hoped that the guards would be enough to protect him, or that the arrangements he was going to make would catch up to the Sith first, but he doubted it. Paf wasn’t really a friend, but he was a good informant, unfortunately there was nothing more that Karr could do for him at the moment.

With the Sith’s arrival, Karr’s timetable had been moved up. With a grim determination, he checked the next name on his list.

The sixth pilot was more than Karr had dared to hope for. He was a human, named Tellor Hunt, and he piloted a Star Screamer class ship, the Wandering Dragonfly. Karr introduced himself to Hunt and found him to be a surprisingly cheerful fellow, for a smuggler. When Karr suggested an offer, Hunt was willing to listen. When Karr told him it would be payment on delivery, Hunt accepted it. When Karr told him where they were going, Hunt didn’t flinch. When he explained the details of the mission, Hunt actually surprised him by offering to take part in the job for no more than the cost of fuel and expenses.

“I couldn’t accept payment for this. Not when it could help so many people. Tell you what, I was just about to drop the Dragonfly off for a few repairs. If you can spring for the maintenance and fuel, we can leave whenever you’re ready.” Hunt told him.

After a hearty handshake, they agreed to meet at the spaceport in two weeks. Hunt fired up the engines and turned towards the repair yard, while Karr turned away to continue his mission. Dargo couldn’t believe his luck. Perhaps this mission wouldn’t be so hopeless after all…

And that was when the ship exploded.

It would later be identified as Spontaneous Catastrophic Engine Overload, but for now, Karr turned and walked away, muttering to himself.

Star Wars - The Search for Justice (Closed RP)

Battle of Narth – Two years since the start of the Republic/Sith War

The battle was going poorly. The Empire’s forces had perfectly led the Republic into an ambush. After an initial charge and hasty retreat by a small attack force, the Empire had managed to pull a fast one, flanking the Republic forces with more than triple the amount of ships that intelligence had reported. The lure worked perfectly, and unless a miracle occurred, the Republic’s ships would be completely annihilated.

Dargo Karr, recently promoted to Captain, specialized in such situations. Having been called in from advising a ground battle on Byss that was now firmly in the Republic’s favor, he was the only hope of survival for the troops in the command ships, and the pilots in the star fighters.

He had been told on the way to the command center that the situation was dire, but now, seeing it for himself, even he doubted his ability to salvage the battle. He analyzed the situation: nine Imperial Command ships to three Republic ships, twenty Sith-piloted fighters to six Jedi fighters, over five hundred Imperial fighters to just over one hundred Republic pilots, Republic forces surrounded on all sides, and the Empire’s forces laying down continuous fire.

No sooner had he taken the battle’s measure than the Imperial ships began to implement a maneuver that Karr was very familiar with. With the Republic forces completely surrounded, the Empire’s fighters pushed the Republic ships into a mass group in a concentrated area, while spacing their own ships in a close perimeter around the mass, leaving the Republic’s forces trapped like a fly in amber. Karr immediately recognized the battle plan and knew exactly who was on the Imperial High Command ship; a former friend named Xen Bats, who highly favored the maneuver. Which also meant that any moment, the Imperial ships would riddle the Republic forces with an area-encompassing barrage of laser fire and proton torpedoes.

Karr knew Bats. He wasn’t a bad person; he was actually a good man, he just hadn’t seen through the Sith’s lies like Karr had. If Karr could talk to Bats, maybe convince him to accept their surrender, the Republic soldier’s lives may be spared. Karr opened a comm channel to the Imperial High Command Ship.

“This is Captain Dargo Karr of the Republic Command Forces requesting an open comm channel to Xen Bats.”

The line was silent for several tense moments. Karr began to wonder if he might have been mistaken, when the holo-projector flickered to life. Xen Bats, his old friend, stood in silent judgment. For the sake of the people fighting, Karr had no time to waste.

“Xen, I want –“

“That is Colonel Bats to you. Traitors do not get to address me by my first name. If you contacted me because you wish to ask my forgiveness for your treason, you waste your time.”

“Xen, please, listen to –“

“I have nothing more to discuss with you.”

The image blinked out and the holo-projector went dark. Karr’s spirits fell. He should have told someone else to negotiate. He should have known Bats would not listen. Now, knowing that he was watching, Bats would kill these men out of pure spite. In Bat’s eyes, Karr would never be more than a deceiver…

Wait. Deceit. That gave him an idea. He turned to the Command Center’s ranking officer.

“Colonel. Open an all-stations comm channel and announce our surrender!”

Colonel Tine, a proud Twilek officer, could hardly believe what he was hearing.

“Surrender?! The Sith will never accept a surrender when they have us in such a vulnerable position! This is why you were brought in!”

Karr could not control his temper. The thought of what he was about to do made him sick.

“Just do it! Tell the Empire we will jettison our ammunition and dock our fighters as a show of good faith. Just keep the Imperial Command talking for five minutes!”
Karr ran to the personal office of Colonel Tine and sealed the door. Colonel Tine was one of the few officers capable of broadcasting encrypted messages to all the Republic’s ships simultaneously. Karr waited until Colonel Tine began broadcasting the Republic’s surrender, and the fighting ceased for a moment, to broadcast a secure message to all the Republic ships.

“Attention all Republic vessels, this is Captain Dargo Karr, listen up. In a moment, Colonel Tine is going to tell you all to jettison your ammunition and dock your fighters. You will comply. Fighters will jettison everything, even fuel. Command ships will jettison all ammunition with the exception of a single armed proton torpedo. While this is happening, pilots of the command ships will calculate jumps to light speed through any opening in the enemies perimeter that you can find. The moment the Imperial Command Ship refuses to accept our surrender, all command ships will fire their proton torpedo at the jettisoned ammunition and then immediately make the jump to light speed.”

Many pilots, most notably the Jedi, found the plan distasteful, but, seeing no other way out, agreed to comply. On orders from Colonel Tine, all the remaining ships jettisoned their payloads and docked on board the Republic Command ships. Karr walked back into the Command Center a few minutes later, just as General Svol, commander of the Imperial forces, issued his reply.

“Well Colonel, it would seem that you are as good as your word. You can always trust the Republic to take the noble path. Thank you for docking your ships. They will be so much easier to destroy this way. Consider your surrender denied.”

Without further prompting, the Republic Command ships fired on the derelict ammunition as they made the jump to light speed. With the Republic ships already at a safe distance in hyper space, they didn’t even feel the shock wave as the chain explosion of the accumulated mass of ammunition and fuel destroyed the surrounding Imperial vessels.

A chorus of cheers erupted in the Command Center as the Republic ships reported back safe and sound. Hollers of elation and claps on the back echoed throughout the room. Colonel Tine strode purposefully toward Karr.

“Dargo, you saved hundreds of lives, destroyed thousands of enemies, and pulled a crushing victory out of certain defeat! I will personally see to it that you are commended by the Republic High Command! Mark my words Karr, you are going to be a General one day!”

Karr left the room. He didn’t respond to the praise. Didn’t hear the congratulatory shouts. Alone in the hallway outside, he collapsed against the wall. He had abandoned the Empire because of their merciless tactics, and yet he had just used manipulation, trickery, and deceit to kill a good man. Xen was his friend once, and his last words to Karr were the venom spat at a traitor, devoid of honor. Karr tried to tell himself that it was necessary, that the Imperials would not have shown mercy, but the more Karr replayed the battle in his mind, the less he was able to convince himself that Xen had been wrong.

Star Wars - The Search for Justice (Closed RP)

Corusant’s lower levels are quite active. With everyone who comes there seeking their own personal damnation, next big score, or the next sucker to take advantage of. Most places you go you would have to shout to be heard over the din, but here, in the relative comfort of a small quarters, the ambient roar was muffled to a dull moan. In the darkness, surrounded only by the light of a few vid screens and datapads, Dargo Karr studied each screen in turn. He had arranged for quite an elaborate system to be set up with a direct link to the Republic’s data centers. And while the Senate was footing the bill, he also arranged for state-of –the-art security systems and locks to be installed. He never cared about security before; he had nothing worth taking. He rarely even bothered to lock the door. But now, surrounded by profiles and dossiers, security reports and holo vids, he was finally beginning to feel like himself again. As long as the Republic was picking up the bill, he could have ordered a few comforts for himself, but he didn’t. The chair in which he sat was hard, but sturdy, and after so many years drinking and passing out in cantinas, he doubted his ability to sleep in a bed anymore.

Turning his attention to one of the datapads, he scowled and promptly dismissed the profile on the screen. He had been scowering records and reports for days, searching for candidates for his team to retrieve the stolen Safety Net plans…

It was going poorly.

He had organized clandestine operations before, of course, but then he had been serving in the military, and always had a wide pool of the best and brightest who were anxious to do their duty. Back then he could pick names almost at random and put effective teams together in a few minutes. Now, after days of searching, he had only a handful of possible candidates. All of whom would have to be recruited, and all of which had more than a few reasons to tell him to go pull a rancor’s tooth. Karr had his work cut out for him. He realized immediately that the odds of success in this mission were practically nil. Combine that with the fact that they wouldn’t be paid until after the mission, and it would be a hard sell. He could lie to gain their support. Tell them the mission would be easier than sunbathing on Tattooine and the money would make them filthy rich, but he wouldn’t do that. If there were any peace or redemption to be found in this mission, it would only come from the truth.

As he was about to dismiss another potential recruit, he received the alert from one of his vid screens that let him know that someone was calling him. He had disabled the standard ringing tone; it was insufferably irritating. Karr sighed heavily. It was probably the Senator’s representative looking for a progress update. Again. Karr was beginning to remember why he hated dealing with politicians. As he hit the button to answer the call, he was ready to give the little worm a piece of his mind.

“Look, I will never be done if you-“

His voice caught in his throat. There was no possible scenario he could have predicted that would lead to this. He sat slack-jawed. So surprised that a gentle breeze could have bowled him over.

The woman on the screen was strikingly beautiful, and all too familiar. Luxenna Bats was the daughter of Xen Bats, the old friend that Karr had killed in battle just a few years ago, and, technically speaking, she was still his god-daughter. Karr had never dared to show his face to her after the battle that claimed her father, but he had arranged, through a series of intermediaries, for all the money he won hustling games to be given to her as anonymous gifts. Luxenna was silent for a moment as well. The weight of the moment was clearly more than she had been anticipating, but, in the end, she had been preparing for this moment, and she recovered herself first.

“Hello Dargo. Don’t say anything yet, or I may lose my sense of purpose.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath, then began to recite what was clearly a carefully prepared warning with an almost business-like efficiency.

“I didn’t follow my father’s footsteps in the military, but I still have friends there that keep me updated. Mostly gossip and the like, but occasionally I hear things worth knowing. I don’t know who exactly, or why, but the Imperial upper chain have sent a Sith warrior to hunt you down. Not a common foot soldier either, an actual Dark Jedi. I don’t know what they want with you, but it can’t be good. I don’t know where he is, but he is on his way, if he isn’t there already, so you need to go underground, before he finds you.”

Her warning delivered, her stoic demeanor began to slip, and she once again appeared as a vessel of uncertainty and confusion. Karr didn’t trust his own voice. Couldn’t move to clear the burning wetness gathering in his eyes. After a moment that felt like an eternity, the combined whole of his remaining faculties was just enough for him to ask “Why?”

She looked back at him. Her expression became somewhat clearer; maybe even softened a bit.

“Why do I bother warning you? Why don’t I curse you? Why do I still care about the man who killed my father?”

She looked away for a moment. She bit a fingernail nervously. Her Heart and mind were at war, for obvious reasons. Unable to reconcile the two, she looked back at Karr.

“I honestly didn’t know what I was going to say when I called. I didn’t know for sure if I would warn you away or ensure you walked right into his hands.”

And then, her face smoother. A soft, gentle smile appeared on her face. The years of inner conflict had drained away. Her heart and mind had settles on a side. She looked Karr straight in the eyes.

“You look like bantha fodder. At first, I thought you were sending me the money out of some kind of obligation, and yes, I knew it was you, I’m the daughter of a strategist, remember? I thought perhaps you were trying to absolve yourself, but looking at you now I can see that you only wanted to take care of me, and you have hated yourself more than I ever could. I started a clinic, did you know that? The Xen Bats Trauma Recovery Center, using the money that you sent me. We have physical therapy for wounded soldiers, grief counseling and support groups for families, victims and traumatized soldiers. It is completely free, and everyone is welcome, regardless of which side they have supported.”

Perhaps it was the stunned silence, or maybe the confusion on his face, but she seemed to answer his unspoken question.

“How can I forgive you so easily? Well, it wasn’t easy. I hated you for a long time. For a while it felt like I blamed to whole war on you. But, like I said, I still have friends in the military, and I can find things out when I want to. I saw the holo vids from the Battle of Narth and the records of the transmissions between the Republic and the Empire. I know you tried to talk my father down but he didn’t want to listen. And I also know that you only destroyed them when they tried to kill you all after you had already surrendered. I wanted to blame you, I really did, but I have watched those vids hundreds of times. I know every word that was said, and I had to admit that you were a good man placed in a bad situation.”

She glanced at her wrist. Her tone became business-like once more.

“My time is almost up. Go to ground Dargo, the hunter will be there soon and I don’t want you to die.”

She reached over to end the call, but paused. She looked to the screen once more, the softened expression returning to her face.

“And Dargo… Take care of yourself.”

The screen shut down. Karr sat staring at the empty space where she had been, his mind reeling. An hour passed, the only sound was the constant muffled roar of Corusant’s comings and goings.

When he finally looked up, a new man looked through his eyes. The one person in the universe that could have saved him had just thrown him a life-line. He believed, for the first time in years, that redemption was truly possible. He picked up his datapad with a new sense of purpose, and looked at the list of names. Thirteen potential candidates to meet, a Sith Stalker on his tail, a suicide mission to plan, and a planet to save. A wolfish grin crossed his face.

“Looks like this might be fun after all.”

Star Wars - The Search for Justice (Closed RP)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Senator Nalgen, a representative of the Coynites, has spent many years, and a vast portion of his personal fortune, developing plans for a project that he calls the “Safety Net”, which will drastically improve the quality of life for the citizens of Coyna.

However, the plans for the Safety Net were stolen by a thief named Yinem Fone and taken to Sullust, where they were given to Eryd Tyls, a vicious Barabel gangster.

Not wanting to alert Tyls that he knows where the plans are, Senator Nalgen has quietly sent out his most trusted aides to hire a group of specialists to retrieve the plans.

---

Corusant, the jewel of the Republic, has many fine restaurants and cantinas with exquisitely prepared cuisine from all over the galaxy, and near-limitless varieties of drinks to satisfy even the most refined palette. On any given day, any one of those establishments offers wonderful music, dancing, and high-quality entertainment.

This was not one of those places.

This cantina was found in Corusant’s lower levels. It was dim, dank, and the band was bad enough to drive a translator droid to madness. Nason, Chief Aide to Senator Nalgen, was clearly out of his element, but personal comfort was not his concern. He was here because reliable sources had informed him that the person he was looking for could be found here. He scanned the cantina; the man he was looking for should be in back next to the game tables.

He must have been misinformed. There was only one man next to the game tables, but he was a thug. Powerfully built, bruises on his face and arms, and draining a mug of grog, this man could not possibly be a master tactician, could he?

Nason took a seat at the bar and positioned himself so that he could observe the man while he reviewed the file on his datapad. The bartender approached “So what’s your poison?”

Nason ordered a drink that he wouldn’t even touch and started reviewing the dossier…

Dargo Karr was a Sith Tactician in the early days of the war. His battle plans were bold and often alarmingly effective. Almost a year into the war, Karr arranged a meeting with Republic officials and requested to defect, claiming that the Sith had fed him a lie that they just wanted to reclaim what was taken from them, but the merciless battle strategies that they employed revealed their true nature. Karr served as a Republic strategist for over a year, tipping the scales of several battles and earning numerous commendations in the process. But after all his efforts, he simply resigned his position and walked away. When his superiors asked why he was leaving, he said that there were others like himself, idealistic but ignorant of the truth, in the thrall of the Sith, and he could no longer bear to turn the Republic’s forces against them.

While the Senator’s Aide reviewed the dossier, a wiry Rodian approached the man at the Ukjon table. “Do you just enjoy the pretty lights, or do you actually play?”

The man in the corner took a long drink from his mug. He didn’t bother looking up. “I will play anyone that has the credits to lose.”

The Rodian took a seat and dropped one hundred creds on the table. The man grunted and finished his drink. “One hundred creds. Hmph, amateur hour.” He then placed a matching stack of creds on the table and fired up the board.

The Rodian angrily stormed away. He had likely never been so thoroughly beaten. Nason could only look on, amazed. He was no stranger to the game himself, in fact he was quite skilled, but he had never witnessed such bold and decisive moves. The man was clearly a genius, but looking at the profile image on his datapad, and seeing the man in front of him, surely they could not be the same person. Lowering his eyes once more to the datapad, he saw the last official photo of Dargo Karr. He was a soldier through and through. Short, well-kept hair, clean shaven, immaculate uniform, sharp eyes and a hardened demeanor. He looked back up as the man put the creds in his bag. His blonde hair was long and unkempt, he had not shaved in several months, his clothes were in tatters, and his face and body bore the scars of more than a few bar brawls. But his eyes, despite the glaze of cheap booze, were still sharp and observant. He had learned all he could from observation. If he wanted to know if the man in front of him was the man he sought, he would have to take a more direct approach.

Leaving his untouched drink at the bar, Nason approached the man and counted out 500 credits. “Care for a game?”

The man ordered another drink before turning back to Nason. “I was wondering how long you were going to stare at me before you said something.” As the man fired up the board he added “I don’t give lessons, and I don’t do refunds.”

Nason held nothing back. He opened strong, and used the most effective strategy he had ever learned to keep the pressure on… He lasted seven turns. As the man took the credits off the table, Nason knew that this was the man he was looking for. He put two thousand credits on the table. “How about one more game?”

The man pushed the reset button on the board, and gestured for Nason to make the opening move. Nason knew he couldn’t win, but he needed time to try to enlist the man’s help. He opened on the defensive.

The man stared calmly at the board. “You offer enough credits to ensure my attention, then play not to win, but just to occupy my time. You clearly don’t belong here, so what do you want?” The man’s opening move was aggressive. This game would be over soon. Nason knew that he would have to get straight to the point.

“Are you Dargo Karr?”

The man’s next move left Nason confused. A fairly limited piece, placed in an open space on the edge of the field, it seemed like a useless gesture. Had Nason’s question shaken him? The man’s eyes never left the board. “Beneath your cloak, your clothes smell of flowers and soap, your nails are treated, your hair is professionally trimmed, you have cash to burn, and your datapad bears a Republic seal. You are a government official, so you obviously already know who I am, now what do you want?” Karr’s next move was to bring a piece to the center of the board. Unexpectedly straight forward. Karr was trying to lure Nason into abandoning his defensive posture, but he wouldn’t fall for it. He continued to build his main line defense.

“You don’t miss much. I suspected who you were, but I needed to be sure. Now that I am, I have a proposition for you.”

“Not interested.” Karr drove a piece left of center into the middle of the defensive line. Nason couldn’t figure out what Karr’s plan was. His moves seemed random, and his strategy was erratic. Perhaps Nason’s questions were getting under his skin. Capturing the piece that invaded his line with one of his rear defenders, Nason added “You will be well compensated.”

“No doubt. Not interested.” Using the gap made by allowing his piece to be captured, Karr used the idle piece he had placed earlier in a questionably legal, if not altogether respectable, move to drive straight into Nason’s command center.

Nason was speechless. Five moves. Game Over. And on top of that, he had utterly failed to convince Karr to so much as hear him out. Nason got up, and was about to walk away, but a thought occurred to him. He had played Karr’s game and left him utterly bored. If he could offer Karr a challenge, and perhaps peak his interest, he may still have a chance. It would mean divulging Republic secrets, but Karr didn’t seem like the talkative type. It was worth the risk. Taking the last of his credits, he sat back down and looked at Karr.

“If you can figure out the answer to a riddle, these credits are yours and you will never hear from us again. If not, I ask only that you listen to what I have to say.”

Karr eyed the stack of creds, but did not reach for them. “The promise of some peace and quiet is more appealing than your money. Ask your question so I can get back to my drink.”

Nason leaned forward, so as not to be overheard. “How does one turn a planet into a utopia, reduce crime to almost nothing, and provide for the needs of the population of a planet for only the cost of a dozen droids without using slaves or forced labor?”

Given what he knew about the situation, the answer was obvious. The Republic had developed state-of the-art droids. The plans were stolen. They needed help getting them back. The only thing that left Karr wondering was “Why come here? The Republic has tacticians and special operations forces of their own, so why come here?”

Karr looked at Nason steadily. “You have my attention. Speak your peace.”

Nason breathed in relief. He didn’t even realize that he had been holding his breath. Karr had given him a chance to play a new game, and it was Nason’s turn. He couldn’t waste it.

“Senator Nalgen of the Coynites has spent many years developing plans for a project called the “Safety Net”. It will improve the quality of life for the citizens of Coyna, reduce crime, clean trash and pollution, and increase the planet’s trade revenue. The Safety Net is a highly advanced web of construction droids, only a dozen at first, which will harvest minerals from trash and waste and create raw materials, from which the droids will build large complexes that will contain free-of-charge medical droids and services, rest areas, security droids, and more construction droids. The construction droids will then move on and begin building another facility within fifty kilometers of the previous one. After the planet is covered in a net of these facilities, the construction droids will then shift their function to perform maintenance on the facilities.”

Even Karr was impressed by the ingenious simplicity of the plan. Now it was time for the real reason for the visit. Karr looked at Nason “But…”

Nason sighed. “But, surely anyone could see the potential to create a self-replicating army of war droids. The plans were stolen by a thief named Yinem Fone and delivered to Eryd Tyls, a Barabel gangster operating out of Sullust.”

“And you need someone to recover the plans, but despite having government resources at your disposal, you are down in the gutters trying to recruit a wash-out.” The puzzle now clear in his mind, Karr followed the line of logic. “That means that you’re afraid that going through official channels could tip-off the thief or his employer. You think someone in your cabinet is on the take, and you need a team not affiliated with any government branch so the Barabel won’t see it coming when they come to steal back the plans.”

Nason nodded. “We can get you to the planet, but you will have to determine the exact location of the plans and how to retrieve them . What’s more, until the plans are recovered, we can only provide enough funding that won’t raise any eyebrows. It will be risky, it will certainly be dangerous, and the support that we can provide is minimal at best. Aside from the knowledge that you will greatly help a planet, and the promise of later reward, there is little that I can offer you. I asked you to hear me out, and you have. I understand if the risk is too great. The choice is yours.”

Karr smiled and his spirits rose. Almost at will, the glaze on his eyes vanished and he saw clearly for the first time in years.

“Sounds like quite a challenge.” Karr stood and took the Aide’s hand. “Looks like you’ve got yourself a boy.”

Star Wars - The Search for Justice (Closed RP)

This roleplay is a Star Wars Old Republic setting game. Right now it is just a way for my friends and I to keep in touch since we are all moving, and we are not interested in any outside players. However, if that changes down the road, I will let the site know via an OOC post. Comments and constructive criticism is welcome, but we are not grammar nazis or lore critics, so if our events or timelines or general universe knowledge isn't 100% accurate, well, we don't care. Hope you all enjoy the story.