An Ill Wind [Coruscant]

[James Prent]

ooc: traveling about on Coruscant for Force users is going to be getting a little hairy. This RP is to show how public opinion is swaying against even the Jedi as anti-Force sentiments are rising. /ic:

James and her padawan, Iaura, were venturing outside of the Temple grounds for the first time together. The Knight felt that it was important that they spend as much time together as possible. Things had changed since the Clone Wars, of course, and Knights and padawans did not spend all their time in each other's company, but she felt that the Jedi of old had known what they were doing.

She flagged down a taxicab, and the repuslor driven speeder stopped beside them, the passenger door popping open. The droid driver swiveled his head to look backwards at the pair of women in their Jedi apparel. "Where'll it be, ladieeeeez?" The mechanical voice had an unpleasant buzz to it.

James let Iaura enter first, and sat beside her, shutting the door. "We're heading to the Senate. So, Old Imperial Center, please."

"Certainly, ladieeeez." The metal head swiveled back to face front, and the meter started as the flourescent yellow speeder accelerated into the air. "Would you like meee to provide you with informationz about our hiztorical landmarkz along the wa-a-a-a-a-a-"

James' eyes widened as the droid's voder stuttered like a broken record, and hastily interrupted, "No thanks, we don't."

The droid settled into silence, and she turned to her padawan. "So, have you been to this sector of Coruscant before, Iaura?"

[Iauraearien]

"Hmm?" Iaura turned to face James - she had been looking around at the surroundings, as she was apt to do. She had, of course, been listening to the conversation between her master and the droid.

"I don't think I have, no. It doesn't look or feel familiar..." She paused for a moment, and smiled slightly. "Then again I hadn't been here long before I found myself among the Jedi."

"Where is it we're going again?"

[James Prent]

"To the Senate buildings. They house one of the biggest collections of historical artwork on the planet, and a large library too." James sat back, watching Iaura look out the window. "The Jedi can get special permission t' visit the grounds, which is usually only given t' diplomats from other systems, or the delegations themselves. I thought it would be nice to get away from th' Temple for a bit of 'fresh air.' And, we're also meeting my other padawan there - he doesn't like public transportation."

She pointed out the window at a large, pyramid shaped building in the distance that towered above the other buildings near it. "That's the old Imperial Palace, where the Emperor lived before the New Republic took back control of Coruscant. Just to the left is the Holographic Zoo of Extinct Animals, in that other building." James laughed, listening to herself. "Sorry, I realize how hard it is to differentiate between the buildings here on Coruscant. To newcomers they all seem to merge together, which they do, but if you're familiar with an area it's easy to see where things are. So, I apologize.

"Each 'scraper has a multitude of different things in them - residences, shopping centers, speeder dealerships, even schools and sports arenas can be inside what appears to be just 'another buidling.'" James leaned forward, anticipating their venture onto the Senate grounds. She'd been there a few times before, through the course of her studies, and wanted to see what Iaura would make of the place.

[Rognan Dar]

There was a surtain air about the Order that just got to some people. Not many wanted to be kept locked up inside the walls. Many wanted to go out and see the planets, the galaxies. But few did, especially when they were in training. And you can only take so much training at one time without a break before you just shape and lose it all. So, a break in all that training and hard work would do well.

Rognan knew that he had been working Jacen hard, harder then he might have thought. So far, Jacen was taking all that he gave him to do and was still asking for more. He was such a eager boy, always wanting to know more, to know everything. But there was so much about the Force that was not known, that could not be taught. You had to live life and feel how it effects everything and everyone. So Rognan's idea was to take Jacen on a small break, a field-trip. The destination: The Holographic Zoo of Extinct animals. Here, Jacen would be able to relax a bit, but still learn some things, weither it is useful or not.

They stood, now, infront of a display, reading about one of the many extinct animals. Rognan was surprised that there were so many. Not that he knew of all the ones today, but there was sure a lot that are gone, ones that would have been great to see in the flesh.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Jacen? Kind of like a history book, here. All things from the past that are now gone, but locked away inside a computer for all to see for years to come."

[Jacen]

The young Padawan was happy to be out of the Temple and relaxing with Master Rognan. Sure he had been out to see Betsy and Robert, but nothing like this. He was actually out. It was farther than he had ever been from the sector he was from and it felt great.

He was also happy because though he was supposed to be having a break, he was also learning. Maybe nothing useful to his training, but who knew when this kind of information might be useful?

Jacen looked at the ocean hologram and the sleek aquatic mammals inside. He looked at the small screen in front of them and read the information.

Tursiops truncatus or more commonly known in its time as the bottlenose dolphin. One of the most popular and smartest mammals alive on a distant and now extinct planet called Trilliton (for more on Trilliton please press the green arrow). Hunted during the time of men and later kept in places of display and taken out of thier natural habitat, these aquatic mammals slowly dwindled in numbers so that by Tilliton's twenty-fifth century the only remaining bottlenose dolphins were the ones kept in captivity.

"Very much so," he answered. "However it is a shame to be looking at all of these lost animals. So many of them were beautiful and powerful. So smart....kinda makes you wonder if this is how we will end up in the future."

[J'ktal Anajii]

It wasn't that J'ktal didn't like public transportation; it was that his speeder was faster, cleaner and not to mention a great deal sportier. Dressed in a well-tailored black, three-piece suit with a charcoal shirt and matching tie, J'ktal looked no part the Jedi padawan he was in reality--though a silver and black-handled lightsaber did take residence inside his vest.

The gray mongoose idly straightened one of the long locks of headfur which hung down before his face and then checked his watch. While primitive by other standards, his gear-and-spring movement had never failed him. He was early. He was always early, but he kept both eyes--one natural, one synthetic--sharp for his new master, and any other Jedi he might see. Still no sign of them, and he knew he was at the right place. Pulling a piece of hard candy from his pocket, the Death-Shadow unwrapped the crinkling plastic and popped it into his mouth, discarding the wrapper in a refuse bin next to him.

Strawberry. J'ktal liked strawberry.

[Zem Vymes]

It was the third one this week. Had I slept? It all seemed like I'd seen it before, and this was a nightmare. It wasn't a skin-crawling horror. It was the kind of unpleasant and mundane tragedy that one endures, only because it had better be the last.

It never seems to be.

"Body's still warm. This kill's fresh."

I spoke to nobody in particular. A brood of forensic photographers perched at my periphery like pallbearers; perhaps vultures. They said nothing out of some phony reverence for the slain, but it was obvious they were there for the blood.

She'd seen her attacker. The way the cauterized canyon ran across her left breast, it made it unavoidable. My eyes traced the burned trail of flesh. The wound left an ashen, puckered line across the woman's supple curves. It was like looking at the statue of some ancient goddess, beautiful despite having the arms cracked off and smashed ages ago.

"Speculation on cause of death - laceration of vital organs with a cauterizing blade. Further speculation - a lightsaber."

The wound cut deep. Deep enough to slip a hand through her ribcage. Whoever had done this was an appreciative person. You have to appreciate beauty such as this in order to destroy it so profoundly.

The other two were angels too.

I rose to my feet as the bile rose in my gullet. That slow acidic burn never really went away. It only served to make me hard. I don't even remember being any other way. Somebody else might find it tragic. For me, there were always bigger tragedies.

"We've got ourselves a predator out there. They're either a force user, or they shop for the same hardware."

An attendant scribbled away on a datapad, drifting away from the other vultures as I stepped aside from her body.

"It's not enough that we let these head cases out in public, but we give them lightsabers too."

I turned toward an open street, a sneer of disdain spread across my face.

"And these are the people who defend the Republic?"

[James Prent]

The speeder cut through several airlanes, and James tightened her grip on the door as they plunged down to avoid a garbage scow. The droid driver aimed the cab up again, and they soon arrived at the far end of the large courtyard in front of the Senate. Iaura and James piled out of the cab, James leaning back into the bobbing repulsorcraft to hand the droid a credit chit. She didn't thank him for the lift - he was just a droid, and there didn't seem to be a point.

The droid stuttered something she didn't hear, and the speeder pulled up and away. James gestured to her padawan, and they started the long walk across the courtyard towards the imposing building. Beings cluttered the area, a few hot food stands were set up a respectful distance away from the steps of the senate, and the courtyard buzzed with life.

As they walked towards the steps, James stopped near the middle of the courtyard. "See," she tapped her foot on the ground. "Underneath us are probably high class apartments, or maybe a holomovie theatre. On any other planet, it would probably be dirt." She laughed, "Which to me, just sounds ridiculous. I mean, t' find actual ground level on Coruscant is nearly impossible. But, we're goin' to be late. C'mon, I don't want to keep J'ktal waiting."

They continued on their way, passing a near-human who was completely covered with silver paint. He was standing still, holding an umbrella, with an upside down hat in front of him. James dropped a credit chit into it as they went by.

At the base of the senate steps she could see J'ktal, standing tall in his customary black. Although she'd never seen him in a suit before... but it stood to reason. The two women approached him, and he turned towards them, nodding in greeting. James smiled. "J'ktal Anajii, meet Iauraearien, my other padawan. Iauraearien, this is J'ktal."

[Iauraearien]

Once again, Iaura couldn't help but stare around her as they got out of the cab, and as she followed James across the courtyard. She had seen many places over the last few years, but none compared to this. So many buildings, so many people, all of them so different. Soon they arrived at the steps into the senate and approached someone she didn't recognise, but had guessed the indentity of.

After being introduced, Iaura greeted her master's other padawan, and smiled. "Nice to meet you, J'ktal."

[J'ktal Anajii]

The gray mongoose nodded in greeting, and tucked his piece of candy into the side of his cheek before responding, "It is good to meet you as well, Iauraearien." He hadn't seen her around the Complex before, but that was understandable considering he had been on Yavin IV for the last few months.

Turning to James, he asked, "I recieved your message, but it said little about what we would be doing today. I hope I did not overdress."

[James Prent]

She smiled at her two padawans - both so very different - and answered J'ktal's question over a sudden gust of wind. "We're being allowed access to the Senate's huge collection of art for the afternoon. I know you're a big fan, J'ktal, and Iaura, I was hoping maybe something might jog your memory. There are priceless originals, and copies, of art from nearly every system the New Republic spans."

James put a hand by her eyes, shielding them from the wind gusts that appeared to be kicking up. "Looks like the rain's goin' t' be hittin' a bit earlier than predicted. WeatherNet said this morning that it was only planned to last for an hour, so it should be over by th' time we leave." She started hurrying up the wide stone steps, gesturing for the other two to follow her.

[Arrukaa Deynarrusaa]

She watched, perched belly down on the roof of a mid-level scraper. Macros zoomed in on the sight down below - the Watch officers swarming the still warm bodies that lay scattered in the alley.

A slim, pink tongue flicked out to dance across the surface of exposed teeth, sliding over enamel from one end to the other. As slender fingers worked to adjust the focus to a more acceptable level, the solitary figure lay; content in simply watching the aftermath of what had transpired not long ago.

The macros were pulled away then, and the figure rolled to her side, away from the ledge so that she could sit up. Her body seemed to contort as she stood, every muscle working in artistic tandem to move her body.

She had another errand, and punctuality in this case was a key thing.

Her slender frame, clad only in black leather that covered only the most vital of regions, straddled the sleek speederbike that sat on the opposite end of the roof.

And from one of its' lean saddlebags, she retrieved the tools she'd need for the job, placing them in the pack secured to her back. A repeller gun, blaster with silencer, tranquilzer bolts...

... and the lightsaber.

[Rognan Dar]

"Yes, it is a shame that we can no longer see these creatures as they once were. And that is a keen insite you have. Maybe even us humans will end up inside a holoprejector, all gone, only remembered by those that come to see what was once among the living. There is no way to really tell. But as history proves over and over again, life will end. Weither by war or diesease or famine or hunting or whatever. you can't really tell what is going to happen. And if you do know, then its not always possible to stop it from happening."

Jacen had gotten Rognan to think a little more about his question. His answer came from personal experience. Though, nothing on such a scale that a whole race was wiped out, but he knew how easily it would be to do such a thing, if it enough people wanted it to be done.

[Jacen]

Jacen nodded thoughtfully. In truth he had only been talking about the Jedi since there were so few of them left, but now that Rognan mentioned it maybe the humans would end this way as well. He looked around at all the different species in the zoo. There were Sullustans and Rodians, Bothans and humans. Almost every species that he could name and a few that he couldn't. Will we all end up like this one day? Master Rognan is right. Life ends and it does begin again...I guess I just never thought of all of us dieing out before.

Jacen shuddered and looked up just in time to jumpe out of the way of a large salt and pepper-colored wookie. "Oops...sorry."

He looked over at of holographs and noticed how they were all intermingled. There were large herbivores standing along side even larger herbivores. Looking at the animals a question came to him from Rognan's statement.

"Master...," Jacen started and paused. Taking another breath and looking back over at the holographs he turned to look at Rognan. "Master...do you think any of these were like us? Sentient like us?"

[Rognan Dar]

"Hmm...," It only took Rog a moment to find a suitable answer to his. "I do not believe they were. If they were sentient, then I dont think they would even be in here, put under as extinct animals. Some, I'm sure, might be smarter then others, but not to a degree of being able to know right from wrong, or how to run a government, or to even have a language that all could be able to understand and learn.

"I dont think that there is a list of Sentient humaniods that have been wiped out. I know there are, but I dont know who they are. But I could be wrong, and there might be a record. There might even be something in the Archives about past races. I guess you'll have to check later." Rognan finished with a friendly smile. Jacen was a knowlege seeker. He knew that the boy would want to know all he could, and that he might be finding him in the library for a few days. "So, what do you say? Still want to explore the lost, or are you up for something different?"

[Jacen]

Jacen took another glance around. He really wanted to look around, but he could always come back here anytime. Besides what could be better than a new adventure?

"Something different," the Padawan said with a smile.

[Zem Vymes]

"Get it cleaned up. Send em down to the meatlocker, and have Forensics on it like white on rice. Hair samples, blood, skin under the nails, semen. I need something."

Whoever did this one was a cold fish.

"There'll be more, and this sicko's close enough to smell his stink. I want a net around this district. Fifty kilometers. Every scab and junkie that isn't stumbling in a straight line, I want their tails in the cooler."

I paused, turned around, and nodded to Sgt. Burckharf.

"That includes our pals in the brown bathrobes, capice? I don't give two frells if they're Luke Skywalker. Their immunity ends at the Temple. If they're walking, they're on our turf. Put em in the pen, and we'll sort em out. If any pencil-pushers want to see heads roll over it, take a message. Maybe I'll call em."

I tore myself away from the carnage, and walked back to my cruiser. One of the errand boys met me with coffee. It was already cold, but I drank it anyway, out of procedure's sake.

"Get this crap cleaned up. We'll have media and rubberneckers on us from here to Sunday. Get the lead out."

Where was it all going from here? Who were these people? What was the common thread? No relation, no mutual friends. All fileted like a fish with a Jedi's weapon.

I fished a half-smoked cigar from my jacket pocket, bit down on it and lit it again, as traffic picked up in the skylanes overhead.

[James Prent]

Light raindrops were starting to fall as they finally reached the top of the steps, and J'ktal opened the door for the two women. Once inside the first floor of the Senate buildings, James headed straight towards the visitors desk.

Beyond the desk was a row of weapons detectors, and several armed security guards. The Jedi paid them no mind, lightly brushing droplets of water from her hair as she approached the woman sitting at the desk. "I'm Jedi Knight James Prent, here to visit the art galleries with my padawans. Everything's been arranged." James smiled warmly.

'Shirlee,' the woman in the booth, smiled back. "Let me check the computer. I need your primary identification cards," she paused, glancing up at J'ktal, "issued from the government on your home planets. Then I'll get your visitor badges ready for you."

James slid hers over, and waited for her padawans to comply as well. Iaura had been issued a Coruscant ID card, since she had no memory of her past, or where she'd come from. It had taken a bit of help from the Jedi Order, of course, but everything had been taken care of. James was again reminded that whatever her padawans did ... it ultimately would come down to her first. But she had a good feeling about Iaura. And, about J'ktal, although she wasn't sure he returned the feeling.

Outside, the rain started falling harder.

[Sergeant Dirka Burckharf]

While the Commander gathered his thoughts, Burckharf lingered a moment longer at the body. She watched as a team set about the careful process of lifting it into a body bag. She watched as, between four of them, they carried it away. There was a certain respect afforded to the dead, yet the reverence afforded to corpses in caskets was not found here. To the members of the Watch, this was one body in a million. The handled it like the carcass of some slain game animal.

Blinking, Dirka found herself staring at a chalk outline. She sniffed the damp air. Officers in the Watch said that Sergeant Burckharf had a nose for crime. She had hunches about things, things that forensics took days if not weeks to uncover. Just little, silly things, but things that would ultimately tie together the case. Things like what the killer had eaten for breakfast, or what cologne he wore. As she looked down at the white silhouette of the murder victim, she sniffed the air again. She could smell nothing but cigar smoke.

Stood beside Vymes, she glanced over her shoulder to the speeder that the body was being loaded into. “She has only one wound. Contrary to popular opinion, the Jedi weapon isn’t one that any thug or even swordsman can just pick up. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, Commander… but in my experience only someone trained in how to use a lightsaber could kill with a single blow.”

[Zem Vymes]

"You're just as likely to kill yourself with one of those things. A slip of the wrist, and it's your own arm."

I nodded in the affirmative to Dirka's hunch.

"So now the obvious question is who? Why's gonna have to wait."

[Arrukaa Deynarrusaa]

It was strange, how the rain still fell to the lower levels. Rukaa thought it wouldn't have been able to make it this far down, but apparently she was wrong. It amused her.

She had left the Watch officers far below, to mop up the mess that she had so artistically created. And it was a rather lovely display of cauterized flesh and bone, in her opinion. Magnificient, really. Unique.

The Cizerack female descended lower through the levels of Coruscant as her thoughts trailed to and fro. She thought of Sarrtarroa; of his submissiveness and of how it had irked her so. As her body twisted, contorting through the maze of ducts and insulpiping, she thought back to the Watch officers. She had watched one in particular as he went about his rounds, looking over each body. The way he walked, the way he stood... he had seen death too many times, yet did not appreciate the beauty in her work. Or perhaps he did, and simply chose to ignore it?

No matter. Rukaa continued on. She did, afterall, have a timetable to keep, and a rather important meeting to attend.

[J'ktal Anajii]

J'ktal slowly reached into his coat and withdrew a black leather wallet, flipping it open to reveal a the badge of his station on his homeworld, then snapped it over to show Shirlee his identification card. All in Nehantite.

"You did say from our homeworld," he said dryly when she looked up at him. Flipping it back closed, he slid it back into his pocket, then followed James and Iuara through the weapons detectors. James's lightsaber registered, and was inspected, but the archway came up negative as the mongoose passed through, using his paw to sweep a few errant drops of rain from his shoulder as he went.

It was astonishing to see how many civilizations had discovered painting to be so important a form of artwork, and while J'ktal could name several pieces, he was pleasantly surprised to see that there were a great many he had not seen before, and as if he were naught more but an art critic, the Death-Shadow clasped his paws behind his back and stolled slowly before each piece, inspecting them in great detail, though saying little.

[Adia Issoris]

Adia's apartment was the one of the most non-thrilling afairs possible. But it was cheap, and the bad neighborhood wasn't something she worried about especially. The trick was to not let other people know where you lived, or where you worked. Being a cargo handler wasn't exactly a job that attracts attention. Adia wasn't a cargo handler anymore. She was now a member of the Watch, and she would have to find a new place to live soon.

A Watch speeder seemed to glide between patches of rain that made the kilometer trip from the penthouses. Coruscant was supposed to have weather control, but there were certain sections of certain districts twoard the poles and along the equator that were epic, intense things. Nature always asserted herself. This wasn't a storm, though. It was a water stream, picking up gunk from the air as it fell. At this depth, it was more mud than rain.

After being caught off-guard, Adia always carried a raincoat, a purple affair that set her green eyes off too much. She had tried to return it for something less conspicous, but the shopkeeper refused, and it was the only one that actually fit. A block away from her building, she watched another speeder hurry by.

Something out of the ordinary was happening.

[Rognan Dar]

Rognan was happy to go and do something else. Though, this zoo was quiet fasinating, it could only keep onces attention for so long before it got old. You can only see so many dead, extint animals before you feel as if you seen them all, or couldn't possible care that there were more, never to be seen again. Now, if they were live creatures, it would be more interesting to see how they moved and interacted with one another and others. Sadly, this was not going to happen.

It was quite a discouragement when they were about to leave the zoo and found that it was...raining?...outside. This was a odd thing that didn't happen much on this planet. And at what a bad timing, too. It was raining pretty heavy, and Rog didn't have anything but his Jedi robes with the weak hood to cover his head. And he didn't feel like getting wet, unless needed.

"Well, well, well. It seems that we are ment to be here for a while. You want to go play in the rain...or continue to read up on the dead? I know you wanted to stay a while longer; this is your chance."

[Jacen]

Jacen shrugged and turned around. If this was what was supposed to be then so be it. "I wouldn't mind staying. Besides I saw some great looking animals from Mon Calamari that looked interesting."

[Rognan Dar]

"Mon Calamari, eh? Wonderful planet. I hope that I am able to go there sometime. I would live next to the ocean, the smell of salty air, the sound of the waves lapping. All the life just under the top of all that water. There has got to be hundreds of creatures on that planet. I wonder how many have been lost."

Rognan followed Jacen to the Calamari section. There was quite a many more then expected. And so he busied himself readying about these great animals of the deep.

[Iauraearien]

Iaura followed James and J'ktal around the galleries, taking in the stunning range of art.

"It's amazing," she said quietly, as much to herself as to the others as they moved from piece to piece.

[Jacen]

Jacen's curious eyeswent from big to huge as he came upon a hologram of a large sea dragon. He couldn't pronounce the name, but he was amazed by the sheer size. He read the description of the animal and was even more amazed. It had to have been atleast a quater of the size of an Imperial star destroyer. Apparently the dragon had been highly intelligent and peacful.

He continued reading about the dragon's life cycle and when he finished he looked back up and smiled shaking his head. When he turned to leave something caught his eye at the bottom of the plaque and he turned to finish reading it.

Hologram only a third of actual size

"Whoa..."

[James Prent]

James smiled in response to Iaura's comment. "Isn't it though? I enjoy the sculptures the most." She guided the padawan towards the center of the room where the three dimensional art was displayed. J'ktal remained along the wall, studying a painting. Something seemed to be agitating him, but she didn't want to prod him into telling her. At least, not yet.

"See, here they have some coral sculpts from Mon Cal - each one is grown by the artists, and shaped carefully over time. They aren't chiseled out of the medium, unlike nearly every other piece on display here. It takes literally years for one piece t' be grown to completion." James grinned, and brushed her fingers against a switch on the side of the pedestal that displayed a paticularly large coral sculpt. An ultraviolet light came on, revealing the unique colors and depth of the Mon Calamari coral. It lasted a few moments, and then went out.

The two women stood in silence, enjoying looking at the displays. Some of the sculptures were encased in transparisteel to protect them from damp air, or curious fingers. There were even a few that were only represented as holograms, as the actual pieces had been destroyed during Imperial occupation.

James looked across the room, and excitedly tugged on Iaura's sleeve. "Oh, they have a new addition! It's a moss painting from Alderaan. You have to see this one." Once they were standing across from it, the Jedi Knight looked sideways at Iaura. "Tell me, have you started remembering anything about your past?" They hadn't spoken on the subject for about a week, but James felt it was important to keep her trying to recover her memories.

[Sergeant Dirka Burckharf]

Originally posted by Commander Zemil Vymes
"You're just as likely to kill yourself with one of those things. A slip of the wrist, and it's your own arm."

I nodded in the affirmative to Dirka's hunch.

"So now the obvious question is who? Why's gonna have to wait."

There was no hesitation in the Sergeant voice or manner now. Vymes words had confirmed her suspicion. “Jedi,” she frowned. “Perhaps we should head directly to the Temple… I’m not familiar with their administration, but they might keep some kind of register of comings and goings in the temple.” It was unlikely, but Dirka was drawing a blank on how to pinpoint the suspect Jedi without actually visiting their base of operations – and, truth be told, she was actually more than a little curious about seeing the innards of the Temple.

[Zem Vymes]

I shook my head.

"We've got jack for jurisdiction the moment we step foot inside the temple. These guys are supposed to be the 'good guys' of the galaxy, but you know damn well they know how to C.Y.A. I'm not about to show up to the big dance, only to be left standing with my root in my hand."

I glanced around the busy streets, the gears in my head turning.

"Put out an A.P.B. district-wide. Brown robes, silver lightsabers. Question the locals about any dealings with Jedi in the past few hours. It might look tacky as hell, and I'm pretty sure the chief will want to barbecue my balls over it, but I'm willing to take a little heat to sweat some of these magicians."

I shrugged, and smiled sheepishly.

"Besides, these guys are supposed to be a bunch of heros, right? I doubt they'll resist all that much."

[Iauraearien]

Iaura stared at the moss painting and shook head.

"No..." she said quietly to James, "Not yet..."

Her eyes slid to the floor, then she loooked up at the Knight beside her.

"I'm starting to think I never will."

[James Prent]

She smiled encouragingly. "There are still options that we haven't gotten into yet. Don't despair, Iaura. Fear and despair can lead you down the path to the dark side. We'll do some more work on the problem. There are certain spices one could take to enhance the memory or to try to bring back the past... but I would only reccomend those as a last resort.

"Most of them are highly addictive." James patted her padawan on the shoulder. "For now, let's just enjoy looking around." She didn't want her to feel pressured or upset, so she carefully gave the girl space. Walking back across the tiled floor, James approached her other padawan, J'ktal, who had come across a painting that seemed familiar to her.

Upon a closer look, it appeared that it had been painted on Nehantish. And J'ktal was furious.

[Kyle Starblade]

<center><img src=http://www.thegjo.com/pics/rp/kyle/dark-street.jpg>

Undercity of Coruscant - Mynock Hills Street 45</center>


The lower levels of Imperial City is an underworld of thugs, drug dealers, swoopgangs, mutated subhumans and lethal creatures such as the corridor ghouls hiding among the shadows. Only fools or the boldest of people dare venture here. Rumour is, some districts have not seen sunlight for 90,000 years. Like a neverending maze, the dark and narrow streets form passages where the funnelled Coruscant winds carry litter and junk falling from the higher levels. Its a place of desolation and fear.

At Mynock Hills Street.. tonight or today (it would be hard to say for certain due to the lack of sunlight), the air was clouded by a thick smog. The stench from urine and rotten slob rats floating in puddles made it hard to breathe. This ghostly place was filled with an eerie silence, supplemented with the whispering sound of the wind and tic-tac drumming of raindrops falling on the duracrete pavement. There was only the occasional agonising howl from night marrauders lurking in distant alleys, waiting for prey wandering by.

Suddenly, the silence was interrupted by an increasingly louder sound from the engine of an approaching vehicle - a swoop. The headlight of the speederbike tracked streetsigns and abandoned permacrete buildings with a dim beam of light. The driver then made a turn into what appeared to be a parking lot for speeders hidden behind some sheds and a fence.

Curiously, there were a wide range of speeders allready parked there. It would be hard to imagine anyone in their right mind leaving their vehicle at this kind of 'neighbourhood'. However, an ominous looking <a href=http://www.galacticholonet.com/Droids/Fromm_Tower_Droid.html>Fromm Tower Droid</a> patrolling the area for thieves and trespassers gave a hint. The droids saucer shaped head rotated to aim its camera and sensors towards the newly arrived stranger. On top of the head, there was an antenna for relaying the surveilance video to its owner. It buzzed an electronic sound as it tracked the movements of the visitor.

The swoop screeched to a stop, engines shut down and the driver climbed off his bike. The <a href=http://www.thegjo.com/pics/rp/kyle/sswoop.jpg>Mobquet Flare-S x9-edition</a> swoop, was much like the regular line of Mobquet swoops in appearance. It had a reinforced chassis with no ammenities other than a seat and basic maneuvring controls. A noticable difference from other speederbikes was the replacable ion and repulsorlift engines, which made it popular for speederbike modding enthusiasts and swoopracers. This one had turbo charged engines for improved acceleration and altitude climbing, and a retractable windshield to protect the driver for speeds excessing 600km per hour.

"Handy for quick getaways..", the man muttered to himself as he attached a restraint bolt to the the bike and hooked it up with a magnetized lock to a broken and bent lamppost.

It was a young humanoid, 28 years old, fairly tall and slim. Shoulder-length blond hair, steel blue eyes and a pale skin. Charcoal grey trenchcoat and a couple of black hide boots. Kyle Starblade was his name, Jedi Padawan of Master Yoghurt. Concealed beneath the trenchcoat, he was dressed in the traditional Jedi attire; robes with a lightsabre clipped to the belt. Concealed, because that kind of outfit would only raise unwanted attention where he was going.

Kyle walked with swift strides out of the parking lot, and went along the sidewalk up the street. The smell of diseased granite slugs swimming in the sewer below the streets filled the air in a vomiting stench. Due to the smog and darkness, it was barely possible to see the pavement and the flashing sign about 20 meters away, "Bar" it said.

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Kyle stopped a few seconds to check his datapad for the address, and the assignment details which had led him here. He gently pressed a button, and the screen lit up:

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Message is encrypted. Processing... 100% complete

TO: Kyle Starblade :: 5u73j2+044H7&%¤Z%67!791~609^1158
SUBJECT: Crime wave at Coruscant
FROM: Master Yoghurt :: 3987539572.24395.125-&h+i%

Drugs and spice are clouding the civil population of Coruscant at an accelerated pace. Spice cartells and criminal organisations are growing strong again. In my visions, I have sensed a great dark storm approaching.

You are requested to obtain information about the spice smuggling on Coruscant. Where do the spice shipments come from? Who is pulling the strings? In order to answer these questions, you will need to infiltrate the criminal underworld.

You will travel by the name of Ferenod Kapeir, a spice dealer set for a meeting with a rodian named Obguhl Raznakh. Obguhl is using a tavern in the lower levels of Imperial City as a meeting point for establishing contacts to clients. The name of the place is "The Sleeping Krayyt Tavern", and it can be found on Mynock Hills Street 45.

Be careful not to reveal your identity, as Jedi are regarded with contemnt by the underworld. Dont engage in any hostilities. In other words, try to stay out of trouble. Otherwise, you may raise unwanted attention of the Ward or scrupleless gangsters. Discretion is key.

May the Force be with you

Regards
Master Yoghurt
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"Stay out of trouble", Kyle mumbled to himself in a slightly disgruntled fashion. Thats easy to say, but hard in practice. Besides, that place looks nothing but trouble, he thought as he approached the entrance of the Sleeping Krayyt Tavern..

[Arrukaa Deynarrusaa]

The Cizerack dropped stealthily down into a lower level alley, making only the slightest of sounds. She stood poised, her ears straining for any sound out of the ordinary before standing to her full height; lithe body moving easily about the trash-strewn gutters and streets.

Her nose wrinkled then, as the stench of the lower levels filled her nostrils, and she made a small face, utterly disgusted. Why anyone would desire to live this far down was beyond her. But, this is where she needed to be in order to meet her next target, and so she would stay only for as long as she had to.

Rukaa stepped out of the alleyway then, her head turning to the right as she began stalking down the walkway, passing streetbeggers and other low-level ilk.

[Iauraearien]

"I'm not afraid of being without my past..." she said quietly. "If I am meant to remember I shall, one day." Iaura paused for a moment then smiled a little. "Thank you for your help, I would probably have given up by now."

She then followed James over to J'ktal and the painting he was regarding.