Prelude: The Grand Design

Post by **Vardaen** » Thu May 18, 2017 5:09 pm

Star Wars
Prelude: The Grand Design Thokos was much like many other Core World. It had its nobility and its crime, and everything in between. Life on Thokos could be hard for those at the bottom, and things hadn't gotten any easier for them in the last twenty years. Still those at the top did what they could for the planet while mired in the bureaucracy of the Imperial Senate.

It was about two years ago that Onichi Rhayme was hired by some Togruka named Ambassador Natoor to do a bit of snooping around after his daughter's activities. She apparently had been in some trouble before, nothing major, but daddy wasn't sure she had kept her tendrils clean since then. He didn't find anything on her, but the job opened up a few door for him, and soon he was taking jobs for other nobles well above his normal pay grade. Some were cheating spouse jobs, others corporate espionage, and one had something to do with "experimental trade routes" and the blackmail of an Imperial Officer on Tarronak IV by a Clawdite smuggler named Cander Horle. The cover up over the scandal seemed far ranging, very far ranging, and dangerous for one's health.

That last one, that's the one that started all this trouble last month.

It also happened to be the one that put him back in contact with Natoor. Some systems were sliced, in fact a fair few of them were -- something to do about some shipyards in Seswenna, and from what he could tell all the hack jobs had the hallmark of a young Togruka: Vashu Natoor. He put a message out there for Ambassabor Natoor, that he had something interesting to tell him about his daughter. That was a week ago, and still no reply from the Togruka, that seemed odd.

Then four days ago he noticed them, a Shadow on his tail. They were good, but not so good he didn't see them, or perhaps they wanted him to see them. There were four of them, well trained, well equipped, perhaps Imperial. Why were they following him? It was enough to scare him, things just kept seeming to get worse and worse around town. There had been two arrests in his hab-block recently, Stormtroops dragged off a pair of Rodians in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. It might be time to get off world for a bit, let things cool down.

He knew one man that could likely get him off Thokos without alerting the authorities and those following him. Cander, the smuggler from the Tarronak IV scandal. He never did turn the man over, or give up his name -- hadn't decided why, but it might prove helpful now he didn't. He sent the message to Cander, he wanted to meet, a place called "The Grand Design", a seedy little Twi'ilk Dance Club on the south sector of town.

He was on his way there now to meet Cander, when his communicator buzzed to life, "...got your message about Vashu. Must meet with you, now!" There was something in the voice, seemed scared. "Meet me at The Grand Design in 30 minutes," he heard himself replying before he realized it.

Well that was that, no changing things now, it was off to see what "The Grand Design" had in store for him.

Post by **Vardaen** » Thu May 18, 2017 6:04 pm

Thokos was much like many other Core World. It had its nobility and its crime, and everything in between. Life on Thokos could be hard for those at the bottom, and things hadn't gotten any easier for them in the last twenty years. Still those at the top did what they could for the planet while mired in the bureaucracy of the Imperial Senate.

What started out as some adolescent rebellion against her parents turned into a full blow rebellion against the Empire for Vashu Natoor. Her skills as a slicer and a spy were getting better and better, and the little bit of trouble she was in lead to something more -- a whole lot of trouble. Tapped by her father's friends in the government of Thokos to help their little silent bureaucratic war against the Empire took Vashu to many places, including Coruscant. While there with her Ambassador Father she managed to get herself mixed up with a former Jedi and an assassination attempt on his life by some Imperial Agent. Somehow she slipped away from it all and returned home with her father to Thokos. That Imperial Agent however had a hardened encrypted drive on him that Vashu pocketed. It would take her months to crack it, and she need the help of another Imperial database server to do it.

She must have made a mistake someplace in her slicing, because last week she intercepted a message from some local investigator, named Onichi, meant for her father. It was a message about her, and some news he had about her. She never let that message reach her father. It didn't take much to find out Onichi was just some gumshoe sort, taking on odd jobs for the nobility, appeared he even looked into her actions once or twice.

It all happened so fast when the tragedy struck. She had to cut it all short, the hack of the Imperial Project in Seswenna, the decrypting of the hard drive, deciding what to tell her father or not.

Stormtroopers raided her family estates on Thokos, arresting her father for treason against the Emperor. Her uncle spoke out and tried to stop them, and he was shot dead in cold blood for it. The whole family was about to either be locked up or finished off at the end of a blaster, and the house and everything taken. She couldn't let that happen -- so she ran! Grabbing what she could she bolted. Hoping to make contact with other members of the resistance that had set her up in Coruscant she found many of them facing their own arrests, Stormtrooper were everywhere in the high disctricts of the city.

With no other choices she quickly contacted the only man she knew wasn't working for the Imperials Onichi Rhayme. Modulating her voice she made contact with him, "...got your message about Vashu. Must meet with you, now!" He replied, a startled sound in his voice, "Meet me at The Grand Design in 30 minutes."

So that's where she was heading, the south district to some seedy dance club, but there was nothing for it, she had to see what "The Grand Design" had in store for her.

Post by **Vardaen** » Thu May 18, 2017 6:23 pm

Thokos was much like many other Core World. It had its nobility and its crime, and everything in between. Life on Thokos could be hard for those at the bottom, and things hadn't gotten any easier for them in the last twenty years. Still those at the top did what they could for the planet while mired in the bureaucracy of the Imperial Senate.

Cander was a charmer, a entrepreneur, an all around good guy; depending on who you asked. Others would say he was a cad, a smuggler, a rogue. Either description seemed accurate, depending the day. Cander was laying low now on Thokos, a few years ago he got mixed up in a little scandal on Tarronak IV, and he pushed his 'experimental trade route' skills to the limit. That's where he found K-555-555 an imperial droid, and those blue prints to the Sesweena Shipyards. It's also where he had to kill those Imperial diplomats, unfortunate, but required for his own survival. A bit of blackmail, some cover up, and some gumshoe investigator Onichi nearly ruined everything but the guy never turned him in; that has left Cander in Onichi's debt, and he didn't like being in anyone's debt.

Still he got away, stashed the blueprints to sell later on the droid in an encrypted subsystem, and with the help of some Togruta slicers on Thokos he was able to convert that droid as a personal bodyguard. But luck was never Cander's strong suit, and on another smuggling run in the Core World not long afterwards he lost that droid in a gambling match -- at least he thinks it was a gambling match, the whole thing is a bit foggy to be honest.

Regardless, he goes where the work is, and Thokos has plenty of it, and he's know in some circles there, not good circles, but circles that can pay cold hard credits. Imperial ships are getting more and more presence in orbit however, and Stormtroopers are cracking down on permits and papers more and more at the spaceports. It might be time to leave Thokos for someplace quiet like Tattoonie or Alderaan where nothing ever happens.

A few hours ago Cander was contacted by Onichi, the man was looking to talk. So Cander set up a meet at "The Grand Design", a seedy Twi'lik dance club in the south sector of town. Something told Cander that debt was about to come due. Still, "The Grand Design" had nice dancers, good booze, and better yet they let him run up a tab, and that tab was getting bigger and bigger with each passing day.

So, sitting there, watching his favorite dancer, Cander could only smile and enjoy "The Grand Design".

Muskrat · Post by **Muskrat** » Thu May 18, 2017 10:42 pm

Vashu stepped into the Grand Design and found herself making a face, one she quickly tried to remove, putting on a careful appearance of neutrality. This was not the sort of place she normally frequented. But she was here now--and whatever hope she had of avoiding execution by the Empire had told her to meet him here. Only he was expecting her father. She looked for a table where she could keep an eye on the door--both for Imperial storm troopers and for Onichi Rhayme.

Post by **ManWithDoor** » Fri May 19, 2017 7:17 pm

Cander is the one who set the meet, so he is already at the bar getting a drink. He is in a fashionable set of black leathers, with a rather dashing brown cap, if he says so himself. He open looks like a Clawdite, with the green scaly skin and huge eyes. But of course nothing is quite that simple for a shapeshifter. Only while safely in space, in his own Freighter, does he ever completely relax into his true form. Here on Thokos he alters enough features to be the Clawdite he wants to be seen as, shifting enough to fool non-instrusive examination.

As the time for the meet comes nearer, he reaches into his jacket and pulls out an expensive datapad, upgraded for extensive merchantile exchanges. He idly scrolls through some spreadsheets, keeping an eye on the door for his contact to arrive.

Hermit · Post by **Hermit** » Thu May 25, 2017 5:48 pm

Briskly approaching the night club, Onichi pauses only momentarily to tease his stark white hair into something more fashionable before closing the distance with the establishment's entrance. The Pantoran wears clothing that strikes a fine balance between professionalism and casualness, a simple brown leather jacket, dark gray trousers, polished black boots, and a freshly pressed white dress shirt.

He spares a backwards glance to ensure that he has not been tailed by any suspicious persons during his cautious journey to this place. Assured that he has not been followed, the private eye schools his expression into a relaxed and confident smile that just barely reaches his yellow eyes when he approaches the imposing bouncer standing guard in front of a velvet rope that bars the way between the outside and the promise of epicurean delights that await within the walls of the Grand Design.

Post by **Vardaen** » Thu May 25, 2017 6:11 pm

The bouncer, a rather large man, knows Onichi, he nods to him and motions at the door, letting him ahead of a few people standing in line outside.

Inside the lights are dim, the air is heavy with sweet smoke and the smell of booze. In places the floor is sticky, from what you don't dare ask. The place is trying to be a high end dance club while at the same time trying to keeps its local dive feel. It manages to pull it off somehow. A Twi'lik is up on stage dancing, without many clothes still on. Waitresses move about the room filling order and bringing trays of multi colored drinks to various tables.

Onichi spots Cander at the bar in his usual spot.

Cander doesn't have to move or turn around to know Onichi has arrived, the looks from the bartender says it all.

At a nearby table sits Vashu, watching as the Pantoran enters. He's not as good looking at his holonet image made him appear, but everyone looks better on the net than they do in person.

Post by **ManWithDoor** » Thu May 25, 2017 6:47 pm

The Clawdite turns his head slightly, then tilts his head to gesture the gumshoe over. The message Onichi had sent was annoyingly vague, just that he needed a private meet-up. Something important, needing discretion. Cander interpreted that to mean it would be unprofitable, dangerous, and likely very annoying. But he owed Onichi a solid, and you can't let debts like that go unpaid. Word could get around, and then nobody would deal with him. Can't have that.

"Bartender, I'd like a nice private table for my new friend and myself." He hands over a stack of Credits. "And we'd like some of the good stuff, got a new deal to seal. Also, I'll close out that tab tonight."

Muskrat · Post by **Muskrat** » Fri May 26, 2017 5:44 pm

Vashu gets up and nervously makes her way towards Onichi. She feels a bit out of her depth--she's used to slicing into computers from her desk, not meeting contacts in seedy entertainment spots. She finds herself exceedingly grateful for the non-desk skills she was trained in, should the need arise. She tries not to rush or show any of her nervousness--she doesn't want to draw attention.

When she reaches Onichi, she says, "Hello. I am Vashu Natoor--you received a message from my father, Ambassador Soleck Natoor. He could not make it--but I need to speak with you." If Onichi was smart, he would realize something was out of place, but she still hoped he would hear her out--and, even if he refused to help her, at least not betray her to the Empire.

Hermit · Post by **Hermit** » Mon May 29, 2017 7:50 am

Onichi flashes a bit of his teeth at the bouncer as the velvet rope is lifted to permit him passage. Ignoring the sour looks given to him by those still waiting outside, Onichi places a hand on the door, drumming his fingers against its solid frame in anticipation. Without further ado he pushes the door open and waltzes inside. Immediately a mixture of various sights, sounds, and smells assault his senses. The scented smoke masks well the stench of sweat, unwashed bodies, and an assortment of bodily fluids best left unexplained. Only the booze carries enough potency to pierce the obfuscating haze drifting through the dimly lit establishment.

Far from a stranger to this place, Onichi hardly needs to turn his head to pick out those figures that don't quite blend in with those that frequent this place regularly. Casually sauntering this way and that, Onichi carefully avoids bumping into the the waitresses flitting about with varying orders and those patrons either too absorbed in the music, the drink, the scantily clad Twi'lek on stage, or all of the above to notice their immediate surroundings. Onichi is fine with this as it simply means there will be less eyes and ears tuned in on him and those he has summoned to this den of vice.

Inclining his head ever so slightly in the direction of the bartender, the Pantoran lazily takes a seat next to the Clawdite, not even bothering to spare a glance in his direction. Allowing the figure to sort out the arrangements, it is only after the promise of drinks is brought up that the gumshoe deigns to speak. "Make mine a ruby bliels, in a clean glass yeah?" he says in a lightly raspy tone.

As he waits for their little meeting to be properly set up, Onichi makes no interaction towards Cander, instead taking his time to bask in the music and appreciate the sensual movements of the dancer on stage with an openly lecherous stare and half-smirk to match. Despite the distracted look, his senses remain sharp and alert, a trait one in his line of work picks up fast if they want to avoid a blaster bolt to the head, let alone have food on the table and a roof over their heads. This skill pays off when his ears pick out a set of furtive footsteps approaching them, distinctive from the drunken shuffling of other patrons or the listless click of heels made by the waitresses. No there was a sense of purpose in these particular steps.

Onichi's eyes still remained glued on the dancer for a time even as the figure approaching them reveals herself to be none other than the daughter of some bigwig he'd been hired to do a bit of digging on the sweet girl's secret little "escapades" a couple years back. If the Pantoran is surprised by this turn of events, his face doesn't show it. He idly swivels his stool to face the Togruta, yellow eyes taking their time to size her up.

After a moment a breathy chuckle escapes his lips. "Next time you come to a place like this, might want to consider wearing less. In case you haven't noticed the girls here," jerking his head minutely in the direction of the dancer, waitresses, and other female patrons, "aren't exactly dressed to the nines if you catch my drift. Stick out like a Wookiee at an Imperial parade with that getup of yours."

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