EliteCommander

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

"You have pride in your family? I never would have guessed." Sirka joked as she stepped out of the vault. "My family consists of a Ssi-ruu spy and one of his guards who decided to hook up a power coupling when they weren't supposed to. They passed me off to their servants to raise then turned me into a slave, so you can guess at about how much pride I have in those two wastes of flesh."

Sirka glanced back into the vault as Tor was closing it up. "Should have known that tapestry would have some crazy story like that behind it. Jedi and Sith alike are really big on all that mystical bantha fodder they're always spouting. If they weren't so tough to kill they probably would've been wiped out ages ago; the galaxy would be better off without the both of them around to pull everyone into their wars. We can ruin the galaxy perfectly fine without them."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Since Tarentek did not have much knowledge on this ritual, he was not sure if he could really provide any input; however, he did have some thoughts on the matter. Being officially recognized with this title of prophet could be beneficial on a diplomatic mission, not to mention the positive effect it would have on Onyx's morale. As well, there was a possibility that events in the not too distant future could impact Onyx's ability to go through the ritual at all.

"That is true. With the situation we are facing, the future is greatly uncertain. I do not know much about this ritual, but with the threat looming over us and the...potential problems that revealing your future plans in regards to outsiders could cause, perhaps earlier would be better?" Tarentek recommended.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek responded with a chuckle. "Hmm, I don't think I would be taking the first option. My race's regenerative properties doesn't extend so well to brain damage. I have thought about being unconscious through it, but I will need to be alert. We still do not know for certain that our enemy does not have a flying race among them, so an attack is not out of the question. No, I believe I can do this. I don't want to have a fear like this exerting its hold over my mind; I want to cure myself of it. In the end, I will be better for having overcome it. It may not work, true, but I would like to try."

Tarentek laughed once more. "I'll probably be regretting those words tomorrow. I have seen people overcome fears such as these, though, so I know it is possible. I recall during my education in Amman, a teacher spoke about some of the writings we had translated from the Human civilizations. They had an entire field of study for the mind called psychology. I myself did not study it, but I can't help but to wonder what the Humans could have done for a condition such as mine. Anyway, I cannot think of any more business I would like to mention."

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek shook his head. "I...do not think so. Well, I suppose I should mention that myself and Onyx intend to leave the village for a few hours tomorrow. I, well it is somewhat embarrassing to say, but I have a distinct fear of heights. My race is not meant to fly, so being high in the air panics me. I assume that my escort for my mission in a few days will be wanting to arrive as quickly as possible, so they will likely want to fly me there. Onyx is going to attempt to help me overcome my fear." Tarentek explained.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

Sirka placed down the case on the first table to the right of the door, though she couldn't help but to look around at the items the vault contained. She probably should have expected it from a vault commissioned by Tor, but the most prominent piece on display was a set of old Mandalorian armor. Very old. With the tapestry behind it, the armor was about the only thing in the vault that had any care taken to how it looked. Given how the Mandalorians prized their armor, it wasn't a stretch to say that this thing was probably Tor's most prized possession, or at least in the top few.

"Well, that thing's definitely ancient. Did you have that tapestry made, or did you find it too? I don't ever remember hearing anything about a Mandalorian being a Sith before, if that tapestry means something. Not that I'm a historian or anything." Sirka commented, glancing to Tor and waiting until either he answered the question, or Tony decided to destroy that ship for whatever reason.

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

Sirka hurried back to her room to retrieve her case of credits, and fortunately, had a memory good enough not to get lost on the way. As she picked up the case. she paused and stared at it a moment. It still seemed unbelievable to her that she was holding such an amount in her hands. The upfront payment from this job was far greater than the overall payment from any job she had ever taken before. It wasn't as if she was some well-known bounty hunter or mercenary in the galaxy. Granted, she was unique, but she was not quite sure how or why her current employers heard about her to even offer this job. Perhaps she had simply impressed the right person who passed on her information? She had taken some jobs recently that culminated in some pretty intense firefights.

Shrugging off the thought for the moment, Sirka rushed back to the cockpit, as she assumed they did not have too much time before they would be heading down to the surface. "Alright, got the case. Who wants to take me to this vault?" She asked as soon as she entered the cockpit.

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

"I will follow your judgment, but...I believe Onyx may be right." Tarentek began. There seemed to be no easy solution to this problem, and he completely understood why Raldel would want to get his children out of the village before taking such a risk. It was possible he could justify it to them, but Onyx's argument also seemed reasonable. If Raldel seemed confident in his decision, then others could be more willing to accept it.

"If we can gain evidence of the strength that our enemy commands, it might demonstrate the severity of the situation. Desperation could convince them to take what they perceive to be a risk in seeking alliances with outsiders." Tarentek added after Onyx finished her explanation of the previous night's events.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

There was no way that such an announcement could ever be considered a pleasant affair, but altogether, it was not going as badly as it could be. The initial reaction, as expected, was one of surprise and confusion. The shock had still not worn off from the crowd, and many were likely going to be afraid for the future, but none had turned particularly aggressive just yet, even among Harriet’s packs. Although, anything could still happen.

The speeches that the lieutenants gave presented the kind of message that Meesei had been hoping for, but only time would tell how much it helped. Likely, they would have to keep reinforcing the idea that they should stand united to their respective packs for the idea to truly set in. For the moment, however, it was time to address the clan’s questions and concerns, which would likely be more difficult than Meesei would like. She needed to answer as much as she could, but there were some details that still had to be withheld until the trial. For instance, the first question, as understandable as it was that the Nord would ask it, was not something Meesei could divulge at the moment.

Meesei stepped forward to the railing of the mezzanine to give her answer. “As Darahil explained, the judge or judges will be trusted individuals who can be entirely independent in this matter. Unfortunately, I am afraid I cannot yet disclose who specifically these judges will be until we are closer to the trial in three days. We want to ensure that our judges cannot be influenced, or even intimidated, before the trial begins, as we wish for it to be as fair as possible. What I can say, however, is that, since we were involved in the investigation, neither myself nor anyone in my pack will be judging Harriet in her trial. Understand that secrecy is not what we want, but unfortunately, it is necessary in this case.”

Ashes [EliteCommander and Vesuvius00]

Tarentek felt more comfortable around Raldel than any of the other villagers, apart from Onyx. He both appeared and felt more relaxed as they entered his home. The smell of food in the air that permeated the home served as a good reminder to Tarentek of how many hours it had been since he had eaten, but he could wait until they made it back to Onyx's home.

It seemed that Onyx wanted Tarentek to go first, so he gave a slight, respectful bow to Raldel before beginning. "Oh, I just wanted to update you on my condition. Under Onyx's care, my health has improved greatly. I no longer feel the same soreness and fatigue, and my scars are close to healing. I was even well enough to spar a few minutes ago. It should only be a few more days before I am ready to set out for Tel Nof. I...well, we did also have a few worries about how to go about informing your people about potential alliances with other races. From my understanding, your people may not take that news well, but I do not have any solid ideas on how to make delivering it any easier. My only thought has been to prove the severity of the danger we face."

Star Wars - Scum and Villainy

Sirka crossed her arms and looked at Tor with a hint of skepticism. What he described for their vault seemed rather excessive in her mind. "So...let me get this straight. You spent all the effort and money to get this room turned into a small fortress for your valuables, complete with a complicated and high tech security system that can only be opened by you two? You went through all of that to protect your money instead of, like, a bank account with an insurance policy? I'm sure there are plenty of ways to get illegal funds into the system without much issue; politicians do it all the time."

Sirka gave a chuckle as she shook her head slightly and shrugged her shoulders. "Ah, whatever, at least you have it here and now. I'll trust you not to try anything. After all, you're the ones that'll have to deal with an armed and enraged Ssi-ruu in the middle of your ship if you double-cross me. I'll be right back with the case." She said before turning to exit the cockpit.