Star Wars: Dark Times (IC)

[Samshiir]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
Star Wars
The Dark Times

It is a time of darkness throughout the galaxy. The defeat of the Seperatist forces has marked the end of the Clone Wars. The Old Republic has been washed away and replaced by the GALACTIC EMPIRE.

The surviving members of the JEDI ORDER has scattered throughout the galaxy as Imperial forces now ruthlessly hunt its few remaining members. Now, individual rebellions all across the galaxy are rising to confront the evil Empire.

Imperial forces have learned of a Jedi Padawan named SHIN FUDO utilizing a safe haven on the planet of Coruscant, and have been dispatched to deal with the situation....



An Imperial shuttle, escorted by two V-Wing starfighters, soars high above the spectacular, shiny surface of Coruscant. Aboard the shuttle awaits a half dozen stormtroopers, ready to find and eliminate a possible Jedi threat.

They land in a mid-city section near the Mynock's Nest Cantina and debark the shuttle in a crisp, quick, disciplined, and combat-ready manner.

They barge into the Cantina scene abruptly, weapons at the ready. "Everyone freeze!" the leader of the squad yells with grand authority throughout the Cantina, "Allow us to do our business and nobody will be hurt!" As he spreads his lying words throughout the Cantina, he gives the hand-signal to tell his squad to fan out.

The owner of the Cantina, a small Coruscanti native woman currently behind the counter and preparing drinks, is surpised by this and with an exasperated shout exclaims, "Just do what you need to do and leave! I don't want any trouble here!"

The few dozen inhabitants of the Cantina, a mix of humanoids and aliens, stop what they are doing to conform with what appears to be a random Imperial search. Three of the stormtroopers watch throughout the Cantina overall while their captain and two others go from person to person to alien to question them, investigate their belongings, and review legal information on their personal datapads.

Their white armor and helmets, which stood for justice and protection for the Republic during the Clone Wars, now stand as a monument of fear and authority for the Galactic Empire. It is well known that if anyone in the Cantina were to resist, they would be blasted down without remorse.

Each of your characters are in this Cantina right now, and you do not yet know each other. None of you have been directly approached by the stormtroopers as of yet, but will be soon.

[whoiam]

Situation: Random search by Imperial Troops.
Problems:
No Legal Identification
No licence for Blaster
Options:
Run
Fight
Subterfuge


Assess Option: Run
Known entrance is blocked by three armed stormtroopers. There may be additional service entrances in the back, but without something to distract the stormtroopers it would be difficult to reach the kitchens to check.

Likely result: Capture or destruction.


Assess Option: Fight
6 trained rifles against one amateur pistol is poor odds. Possibly other cantina customers would join such an action, but best not to provoke one while unsure of the likely level of support.

Assess Option: Subterfuge.
Fill personal datapad with fake identification and licensing information. Quote an obscure outer-rim planet as the issuing authority. Hope I'm not close enough to whatever they're looking for to be worth verifying the records.

Decision: Subterfuge.


Taking advantage of the fact that she had several customers ahead of her in the search queue, Eve extracted her data pad from her luggage and 'waited'. In truth, she had her internal com system dialed down to minimal power (barely enough to penetrate her own skin), and was using the opportunity to write fake records onto her datapad. If taken at face value (she's taking 10 on the creation, so not taking them at face value is a DC 18 perception check) then they will show her as a Ms Jana Lorso, native of the agricultural world of Agamar. A trained mechanic who decided to head corewards in search of more exciting equipment to work on than farm vehicles.

Her data transfer complete, Eve reset her comlink into passive scan mode. If those stormtroopers were calling in the IDs they found, she'd have to find some excuse to make a break for the kitchens...

[DarthAngmarred]

Shin tensed, thinking fast. He had a bad feeling on the trip to Coruscant and now he knew why. Hiding in the center of Imperial power didn't make any sense, but the lone Padawn had no other options and there were those rumors of a brewing rebel movement...

But those were concerns for another day, right now he had to deal with a a squad of Stormtroopers and a cantina full of civilians. Taking on six soldiers alone would be difficult at best, but he couldn't risk the collateral damage. One or two he could possibly trick, but it was almost inevitable one of the six would find his lightsaber and then it was over. That left only one option, run. If he could draw a couple away from the crowd Shin could maybe handle them one at a time. He scanned the room. The main entrance was out. It was guarded by three Stormtroopers and most of the patrons were inching in that direction. Maybe there was a door to the kitchen he could reach. Shin slowly stepped back into whatever shadows he could find, looking for both an alternate exit and a precariously perched drink he could nudge to create a distraction.

OOC: still not ready to "act" yet, need a better layout for the cantina

[Prehysterical]

Just realized that I never bought a license for Krassok's slugthrower pistol. This will end well...
He hated Coruscant. The planet stood for everything that Krassok despised: politics, massive skyscrapers, an entitled civilian population that had no idea what kind of effort it took to feed a planet this size... The only reason that he bothered to come here was the ease of finding bounties. On a world as crowded as this, there was always someone or something to track down. Murderers, thieves, escaped exotic pets... He could find them easily enough.

It so happened to find himself in the Mynock's Nest Cantina today, spending his last few credits buying a drink for a local lowlife in exchange for information on local gang leaders and any rumors floating around. Although he was short for a Trandoshan, he was still taller than the average human as he sat straight in his chair. What really made him stand out, however, was the obvious lack of a right arm and the purple scarring that wormed its way up his shoulder and through his neck before terminating at his cheek and milky right eye. The informant had obviously been uneasy looking at the scarring, but the offer of a free drink was too good to pass up.

The appearance of the stormtroopers was an annoying inconvenience, but nothing more. As increasingly hostile to non-humans as the Empire was becoming, Krassok knew that he was not the one that they were looking for. If the Imperials decide to come by his table, Krassok will pull out his credentials and play dumb by only speaking in Dosh. He was learning that apathy could be a greater driving force in the regime than active malice.

[mr1135]

"Twelves"

Fierfek...of all the luck...

If he had only listened to Deimas and stayed on Utrost in the fringe of the local subsector, he wouldn't be in this predicament. He just had to come back and see the changes with his own eyes. Coruscant has indeed changed since Order 66. Though Palpatine insists that the new Galactic Empire will one up the Republic of old, rumours of sector wide lockdowns and purges behind closed doors are probably but the beginning of something much worse.

Looking for small jobs to get himself enough credits to leave the system once more, his search eventually leads him into the mid levels. The idea of having a system where your work was reflected in credits paid still rested uneasy with him. Back in the GAR, a trooper never had to worry about any of that. You got your requisitioned armaments, your hot food at mess, and your brothers for company. The work they did was second nature to them. We never got back pay for overtime. Frak...we never got paid period.

Having made his way into the Mynock's Nest Cantina not 5 minutes before, Twelves was standing by the miscellaneous posting board near the back of the bar when the troopers came in. Now he's in a real pickle as the shiny boys used to say. Quickly he puts on his breath mask to hide the lower half of his face once more before continuing his inspection at the new comers. Even with his scar, new haircut and civvie clothes, it's not a disguise that'll hold up if another clone brother gives him a thorough inspection. Resting his back against a lightly shadowed alcove, he drops his hand below his cloak and unbuttons his holster and setting his blaster to stun, just in case.

New rigs? Still factory new from the looks of it. What was wrong with the old Phase2's? And where is Palps getting all his credit to reequip the entire army? If I only had a smidgen of his spendings...I'd be off this rock in a microsecond.

[Samshiir]

Shin and Eve look back toward the kitchen area. The door into the kitchen opens up into a larger room, and it is impossible to know whether or not there is a back door exiting the building from that room. Several civilians in the cantina seem to be thinking the same thing, and begin inching toward the back section.

The captain of the stormtrooper squad moves about the room, checking identification and licenses among the civilians. He doesn't seem particularly interested in most.

Meanwhile, the rest of the stormtroopers stand vigilant, and one of them even notice the civilians inching toward the back room. The trooper aims his rifle at the civilian closest to the kitchen, a sullustan still gripping his drink due to his fear, and yells, "Don't think about it, you disgusting, worthless creature!" With that, yet another trooper moves to the back section and posts himself to guard the kitchen section to prevent anyone from passing through and possibly escaping.

The captain comes to the table that Ms Jana Lorso is sitting at, and snatches her identification pad from her hand. He reviews it quickly at first, but then it seems to catch his attention anew and he rereads the information. It is near impossible to read his expression through the full white helmet over his head.

The stormtroopers have yet to reach Shin, Krassok, or Twelves yet, but everyone has a chance to act again, if they wish.

The cantina is filled with silent and frightened civilians, and every stormtrooper is on full alert, except perhaps the captain that is examining identification pads.

[whoiam]

Situation: Thorough examination of identification by stormtrooper officer.
--No apparent com traffic. It is unlikely that the forgery will be spotted without transmissions to central computer systems.

Options:
Run
Fight
Wait
Distraction
Flirt

Assess Option: Run.
Unlikely to work. If there is a back exit, it's guarded now.

Assess Option: Fight.
There are enough signs of nerves in the other clients that picking a fight with the officer might start a stampede, during which an escape might become possible.
Drawbacks: Such a plan likely to end badly for the instigator, but well for the bystanders. Best not to be the instigator.

Assess Option: Wait.
Unknown if the officer is considering contacting central command, or waiting to try and provoke a reaction from me.

Assess Option: Distraction
Unlikely to succeed on all troopers at once. Likely to result in trouble for instigator, but again, might aid others in their escape.

Assess Option: Flirt
Heavy flirting too obvious, also too likely to draw intervention from other troopers. Try going for 'playful'.

Decision: Flirt.



Eve tilts her head slightly to the right, and then glances up at the officer, holding one hand over her eyes to (unnecessarily) shield then from the overhead lights. A second later, she lets a lop-sided smile spread over her face - two thirds' draw on the left, full on the right. She then speaks, a low-pitched purr of a voice bearing a distinctive 'agricultural' accent to it.

No, I'm not going to try writing in the accent. Feel free to imagine her speaking with whatever rural accent you like. Me, personally, I'm mentally attaching a Welsh accent.

"I know, for a mechanic I've not got much in the way of references. It's all informal work, y'see? Most farmers aren't too big on paperwork, so it's a good season when they all just pay you in cash. Bad seasons, they try to pay in underweight livestock.

So I saved what I could for a one-way trip to a core world, only to find when I got here that none of those cushy corporate jobs I'd been hearing about would even look twice at'ya unless you had a list of references longer'n a Hutt's grudge.

It's a long shot, I know, but... I don't suppose your transport is due for any work...?"


Eve probably doesn't need to make deception rolls to support the idea that she's a mechanic (she is) or that Coruscant isn't the land of opportunity she thought it would be (it isn't). But if she needs more Deception to sell the idea she's here to escape a series of farms, she'll be taking 10 again (for an 18). And the same for a persuasion check to try and draw a friendly response.

[Prehysterical]

The lowlife across him from Krassok seemingly can't make up his mind between shrinking in his seat or heading toward the kitchen. Denied the later, he tries to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.

For his own part, Krassok hisses with displeasure at the way the stormtrooper addresses the Sullustan. Perhaps I did not give these ones enough credit. But there is no real reason for him to stick his neck out for this complete stranger. If there was one thing that Krassok had learned from the hunt, it was patience. Sit. Wait. Watch. Listen.

[mr1135]

"Twelves"

Twelves couldn't help but stare at the trooper as he moves and plants himself in front of the kitchen doors. He wonders what provoked such an aggressive stance towards the Sullustan. Forcing himself to draw his eyes away as the clone passed close to him, he instead reached into his pocket to take out his ident card.

Maximilian Huron...a name and a life he's still working himself into accepting as his new self. He's dead as far as official records go, or so he's been told. His understanding was that he would be able to blend in as long as he didn't cause any trouble or be recognized facially. And seeing as so very few have ever laid eyes on a clone without their helmet on, this was in most regards not a problem. This however...the way it's unfolding is making him tense in all the wrong ways. Come to think of it...why are we being searched by Imperial Stormtroopers and not the Coruscant Security Force? If they're looking for a simple criminal, wouldn't that be under police jurisdiction? Something is off about all this.

Not moving, Twelves continues to rest his back against the alcove's wall and turns his attention back to the Captain's inspection of the human female. Let's wait...and see...

[DarthAngmarred]

Shin was hoping to get out of this situation without violence, but these troopers seemed on edge. One almost blasted that Sullustan for even looking at the door. This was no routine check, these troopers were looking for someone specific, and, given the events of the past few months, Shin had a pretty strong suspicion they were looking for him. Someone was going to get killed if Shin didn't draw their attention. Patience was one of the most important values of the Jedi, but the Jedi were no more and Shin had to do something, and fast.

Taking a steadying breath Shin reaches out with the Force. He could feel it flowing around the Stromtrooper by the back door, boiling with his fear. These troopers could snap at any moment, better to give them a target that can defend himself. Shin grabs the Stormtrooper with the Force, lifting him and hurling him across the room towards the leader of the squad. Shin then draws back his cloak, exposing his blue skin and sprints for the kitchen door.

It's go time

UtF +13, dc 15 for a medium object and that's probably higher than his will defense
[roll0]

[Samshiir]

The stormtrooper by the kitchen door is suddenly and inexplicably raised into the air. Screaming as he has no control over his body right now, the trooper sails through the air and connects with the captain of the squad, and they collectively fall to the ground. The impact of their bodies seems to have left them both either unconscious or deceased.

"Fierfek, what was that!" Another stormtrooper in the room yells. The stormtroopers seem to be overcome with confusion, and without the authority of their captain to give commands, they do not react immediately. The civilians in the cantina share the same confusion as the stormtroopers, and many are looking to escape before more chaos ensues.

Shin successfully makes it to the kitchen door, drawing the complete attention of the remaining stormtroopers in the room.

There are still 4 stormtroopers left, scattered throughout the cantina.

[whoiam]

Unlike the officer, Eve is able to see the incoming storm trooper. Which means that when the collision happens, she's already begun scooping her bag off the floor under her table: When the officer is knocked out, it's slung over one of her shoulders looking for all the world like it's been there all along. She immediately slips out of her booth to 'help' the downed troopers - in truth, even if she actually knew how to treat them, she'd have little inclination to do so, but it gave her a great opportunity to slip her potentially-incriminating datapad into her pocket before any of the other troopers could get to it.


Situation:
1 running man, potentially responsible for
2 down troopers
4 alert troopers unsure how to respond.

Options:
Fight (2 on 4, still poor odds, especially as I'm the one in the direct firing line)
Run (The door to the kitchens is free now, but I would probably draw fire from the 4 standing troops if I tried to bolt.)
Corellian Fire Drill (I doubt I can get them to go in individual directions, but if I can get two of the troopers trying to care for their wounded and two pursuing the running man into the kitchens, I'll be free to leave by the front door.)

....Okay, social engineering routine, you win!


"What are you standing around for?" cried the apparently nearly-hysterical woman who'd narrowly avoided being hit by a flying storm trooper. "He ran into the kitchens, are you just going to gape at his shadow or go and run him down?! And you two, " gesturing at the two storm troopers furthest from the kitchens, "you're going to have to help your wounded - I don't even know how you get the armour off to check if they're still breathing!"


Eve's still taking 10s on her deception/persuasion checks until you tell me she's not allowed to. Or until she joins in the combat, one or the other.

[Prehysterical]

The sudden turn of events has Krassok sitting straight up in his chair. Since there was no one standing in the cantina who could throw an armored man like that, coupled with the search, only one possibility presented itself. Jedi... He sees the blue-skinned man run for the kitchen doors. Briefly, he entertains the idea of chasing him himself before dismissing it. Even without a lightsaber, I know nothing about this one. I'm too old for such nonsense now. Of course, just because he is not a fan of Jedi doesn't mean he greets the woman's floundering offers of help with approval. This whole afternoon was a bust.

Standing up, Krassok begins walking to the front door in disgust. He takes care to keep his single hand in plain sight.
I could have just written another "Krassok stays sitting" post, but I'm willing to poke the bear if that gets things moving.

[mr1135]

"Twelves"

Jedi! Upon seeing the trooper close to him thrown across into the squad leader, a very strong urge to intervene and help the clones suddenly took hold of him. He found his hand reaching for the blaster in his holster and had to consciously remove it. No matter how many times he had seen it during his deployment, he had always felt unsettled when witnessing their powers at work. To be able to throw someone across the room without laying a finger on them...they can explain it however they want, but it still feels unnatural.

Each and everyone of them had the 150 contingency orders flash imprinted into their minds. Each of them had a reason to exist and it wasn't necessary for a soldier to know the intricate details as to why when one of them were activated. When 66 was transmitted, Twelves was already out of the army and was having a pint at Merrick's bar. Without his gear Twelves had to hear it second hand from the bartender, who had a way of knowing things he shouldn't. Even now, he can still remember the burning sense of betrayal he had felt at that moment.

Then the man threw his hood off before taking flight. His grip relaxed a fraction and he paused. The Jedi looked even younger than the clone. In his mind, the image of the traitors had always been that of his contingent's general. A staunch and humourless man that treated clones as little else than fodder. Staying in his alcove, his blaster is now drawn but hidden by his side. Though knowing that there must be an active order to hunt down any remaining force users, the brief glimpse of the youth's face reminds him of himself. A man on the run from the past.

Twelves will stay in his alcove. If and when the Stormtroopers give chase to Shin, he will follow them to see what happens.