The Big Green

[Orbren Tiaal]

As Orbren stepped through the door, he had to turn size-on and duck so he would fit through. His impressive size and amount of body muscle was thanks to years of evolution on a world where gravity was a constant enemy. There, he had the strength of an average human. But here...he glared at one of the guards who's eyes seemed glued to him. The guard gulped. Here he looked scary.

As was the way on the hot, tropical world of Umutikka, Orbren wore very little; only a pair of torn, half-length purple trousers to preserve his "modesty". Though this world was far colder than the one he had spent most of his life on, he had not donned extra clothing. The cold was a challenge. If he could cope with the cold, it became yet another enemy that could not harm him.

As he marched through the bar, his eight-feet of height towering over everybody, he realised he had no where to sit. With a sigh, he sat down cross-legged on the floor beside a table, and rested his elbows on it. He looked around and wondered, at last, if he'd finally be able to get a job.

[(Alex) Jacen]

Jacen yawned and streached as he wandered into the bar, and almost totally missed the huge lump of green sat in the corner. It took a double-take to work out that the lump was actually supposed to be alive. He regarded the new arrival with interest from his stool at the bar.

"What do you make of him?" he asked Kay-4, his R2 unit. The droid whistled and clicked a few times. "Yeah," Jacen agreed, "He does look like someone who might be interesting to talk to."

Lifting his glass from the bar and abling casually over, he stood in front of the green man. "Anyone sitting here?"

[Orbren Tiaal]

Orbren looked up and slowly shook his head. "The seat is unoccupied," he said in a deep, slow, rumbling voice. As the human sat down, Orbren shuffled round to face him. "I am of the name Orbren Tiaal," he added, with a slight smile. "I seek work in this place." He frowned ever so slightly. "Is your place of work here?"

[(Alex) Jacen]

Jacen shook his head slowly, struggling to comprehend the speach pattern of the non-human opposite. "No..." he said slowly, asking himself the exact same question. "I am a mercenary. I work for whoever will pay me." He leant back in his chair, and took a swig from his glance. "What sort of work are you looking for?"

[Orbren Tiaal]

"On the world on which I was born," Orbren said slowly, deliberately, "I had service in the military of my people. Cannoneer was my title. I was he who fired a cannon on the mighty gunship Quora'el."

For a moment, he seemed to go misty-eyed, remembering. "A fiersome battle was the focus of Umutikkan minds. A war. Outsiders came. Their ships stabbed at our sky. Their soldiers bore white false exoskeletons...but they did not stop us. Their skulls were fragile even within their armour."

Jacen raised an eyebrow. Orbren mimed the act of headbutting someone in the head. Jacen let out a low whistle.

"We were made slaves," he said, his voice softening. "While on other worlds, we are strong. Though they were weak under our gravity, they came in great numbers. They brought dark warriors of steel, and send down swarms of ships to rampage across our city. They even sent down their floating minions to torment us all."

Orbren met Jacen's questioning gaze...a gaze that asked one thing only: who. Orbren looked away. "It was the Empire."

[(Alex) Jacen]

Jacen shuddered as yet another atrocity of his former masters was revealed. To think that he had once considered those people the good guys...

"Sounds like you've got as good a reason to hate the Imps as me." Orbren cocked his head to one side. "I was one. But then I found out that they destroyed my family, and erased every trace of them. The Imperials stole my life. I'm going to take it back...and probably several others of theirs along the way."

[Orbren Tiaal]

"The existance of the Empire must cease," Orbren agreed. His face set with fury. "No people should wield such power, and demand such fear, all at the same time."

[(Alex) Jacen]

Jacen cast his eyes around the bar. "Speaking of power and fear," he muttered, his eyes focussing on Hera, unhindered by his visual aid. He frowned a little, and sighed. "Perhaps in the hands of the right people, power and fear is a good thing."

He stared at the floor and, not for the first time, envied another for their control of the Force.

Jacen's mind returned to the conversation at hand. "So..." he said, trying to find a conversation topic. You're a gunner? As in, a turret gunner?"

[Orbren Tiaal]

"I was a Cannoneer," Orbren repeated, with a slight nod. "And I trained to fire a Xhei'ja. It had great length..." He held his arms out beside him, hands almost two meters apart. "A weapon of great formidability. Many Imperials were slain by its might."

[(Alex) Jacen]

Jacen's eyes widened. "That's bigger than an E-Web..." he half-muttered, miming the act of carrying such an immense weapon. "I could sure use someone like you..." he said, looking at Orbren with considerably more respect for the abilities of the giant green monster. "I think I have a job for you, if you're interested..."

[Byr Genar-Hofoen]

The 6ft 6 human, that was bulky, walked into the bar looking for something. Byr Genar-Hofoen had finally come to the bar where Jacen Dantarno might be. WIth his hand on his blaster he recognised Dantarno a mile off.

Dantarno was his cousin, Kieran Dantarno was his father, and he was a non-biological family member. Grinning at all the good times he had with his cousin, before Jacen went to the dark side, he slowly walked up to Jacen.

"Yo Dantarno, what you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?" yelled Byr at the top of his voice.

[(Alex) Jacen]

Before Orbren could answer, a new member entered the conversation. The attention of the bar was drawn towards him. Jacen let out a sigh. "How does he always find me?" he muttered, smiling casually at anyone who felt like staring.

As Byr got closer, he grabbed hold of his shirt, and yanked him down into the seat next to him. "Are you trying to get me killed?" he asked with a slight growl. But within seconds, his anger had subsided...his Force Rage faded away. "Sorry, he muttered, letting go of his cousin's shirt, and instead placing his hand around his glass.

"Orbren...this is Byr. He's the technician on the Rage Marauder...our ship. And this," Jacen said to his cousin, "Is Orbren Tiaan who, if you didn't just scared him off, is about to get offered the job of Gunner." He turned back to the Umutikkan, and held out a hand. "The offer's there if you want it."

[Orbren Tiaal]

Orbren gripped Jacen's hand firmly, and his mouth creased up in a smile that looked totally out of place on his face. "Serving with you will be a great honour, he said happily, his huge hands closing around Jacen's, who's eyes widened a little with pain. "We shall fight our enemies together."

[Byr Genar-Hofoen]

Byr got up from the table looking slightly amused. "Dad told you not to use your powers if you can't control them. Next you'll kill me or something."

Byr remembered the first time his father told him had Jedi powers, but always wondered why he never went into Jedi training. But then again fixing things was his true skill. Then with a whirring sound of gears, a protocol droid stood next to Byr with his hands ready to serve him. "Master Byr you called me to help you, what is it you require?"

Byr replied to the droid, "Jay-T get the drinks in, I'm sure both Orben and Jacen are thirsty." With a sound of acceptance the droid walked to the bar to get the drinks in.

Byr noticed Jacen's look of bemusement," I found it lieing about in a heap of old droids, and decided to modify it for my own personal use. Anyway dad called to tell you that we need to get you to him as he has the droids ready. I'm returning with Jay-T and my other droids to the Rage marauder, and I noticed this Apex-XTC in space, want me to follow him to make sure he gets to the Marauder safely??"

[Byr Genar-Hofoen]

All of sudden Jay-T appeared with the drinks, and almost automatically Byr got his drink and threw it down his neck, never had he felt so replenished in his life. "Damn good drinks here Jacen." Byr watched in amusement as Jacen and Orben drank their drinks.

Byr walked to a nearby table to sit down and spoke in a low whisper to Jay-T, "get the droideka back in the ship, message me if he gets out of hand. Alert Dad that we are coming home to fetch a few bits and bobs, we will follow the Arquelle and Apex-XTC. Also. get the ship ready I need to clear a few things up with Jacen." Byr knew that the stunned silence of Jay-T meant yes, with a good bye, Jay-T left the bar.

Byr knew all his droids were loyal to him, put the pit droids at home and the droideka were troublesome, and too many times had Byr had problems with him. But Jay-T and his utility droid, XZ-88 were both real good droids. Byr was slightly upset that his utility droid and pit droids were at home, but he'd see them soon.

With a sigh of hope, Byr jumped up to the table and said his goodbyes to Orben and Jacen, "Ill see you later, I'm in the Arden, I'm going to dads to make sure everythings is ok. Make sure the Apex-XTC is following the Arquelle, and Ill follow with the Arden to Dads. Get the job done well and I'll see ya when I see ya."

WIth a swish of his travellers cloak, BYr got up and chased after Jay-T, maybe he'd see his cousin again, that would only be if Jacen survived the mission.

[DarthHERA]

Sitting at the bar, Hera watched the newcomers via reflection of the mirror that spanned a good portion of the bar back.

Mercaneries. The Fury they called themselves. Funny Hera had never heard of them before. But it was a big galaxy and to think one could never yet be surprised by the unexpected was to plant one's head firmly in the sand.

She sat, drinking slowly some excellent dark rum, trying to make up her mind about Dantarno and his associates. Were they a threat to be neutralised? Or a resource to be expediated? She was leaning toward the latter. But still, trust came slow to the Sith Master.

She decided she would see how Dantarno's lot proved themselves on the recent task (http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35369) she'd set them.

So much could be told about a man by his work, the way he conducted his outfit.

As Bry passed behind her on his way to exit the bar, she poured herself another rum.

Yes, she would just have to see..