[Aran Enfas]

Aran had sought to make contact with Bankor's underworld, improvising a cover along the lines of a swoop punk who maybe knew enough to be a catspaw for someone bigger, and therefore worth talking to. It had paid off better than he could have hoped. Rather than a few cantinas, names, or even comm codes to follow up on when the Republic moved to Rygor, he had gotten a meeting.

There is no passion, there is serenity. Still, it would have been hard for Aran to deny that he felt -- well, probably more than was proper. Proud, excited... a little afraid. A Jedi should master their fear. He rather thought he had. He was going, but not, he felt his Masters would agree, headlong.

His comlink was close to hand, ready to open a distress call with a click. His lightsaber was hidden in his robes. He had deepened his disguise, adding to his street clothes and swoop jacket makeup from his supplies -- to shift the lines of his face, color and mold his hair to a red set of spikes going out from every direction from his head, and generally make him almost unrecognizable as the demure padawan who padded serenely around the base in drab robes. He came at night, where his sight would function as well as any other hour, but others might be impeded.

And he had slipped a folded piece of flimplast, sealed with tape, under Sargeant Kryze's door. On the outside, it read Open if you receive no word from me by two hours past midnight -- Aran. On the inside, it gave the coordinates of his rendezvous, and read I have left the base to follow up on a lead in Bankor's underworld at a farmhouse near the base. If not there, Zanebry may know where else to look. He had given a great deal of consideration as to which person or persons on the base would be the keeper of this burden, and what the message would read. The Sargeant seemed the most sensible person he had met. Or, at least, the most sensible person who wasn't a Jedi, and might report his investigations back to the Masters.

Not that they would disapprove, of course. He just wanted something to show them first.

OOC: Perception on the way in case it's a trap. Also, Sense for life at Short range. Also, saving rolling for it unless you ask, but could Subterfuge for disguise, with a kit, an upgrade for Indistinguishable (?), and removing a setback with Street Smarts.

Is it a trap? (Perception, needs difficulty): 4eA 1 success, 4 advantage


Not promising without difficulty rolled; if there's advantage left after that, I'd take it to notice useful not-trap things or take boosts in the interaction.

Sense at the farmhouse: 1eF 2 Dark Side


Not flipping Destiny.

[Dapper Dog]

Inside a woman was sitting at a table in a killer red dress with a tattoo visible. She rose and smiled and said, “I wasn’t sure if you would make it, thank you for joining me.”

“She went to the kitchen and said, “Close the door behind you.” She poured two glasses and then returned saying, “Master Jedi, to what do I have the pleasure of your company? Surely you have more important things to do, like aiding the people than deal with the likes of me.”

OOC: Fail but the Advantage will give him a Boost die to any social rolls in the scene and he noticed that there is a speeder parked out front and the engine is warm.

Perception Difficulty: 2eD 2 failures

[Aran Enfas]

Aran was shocked out of the brash slouching swagger of his cover identity into the upright stillness that was his default pose. Being addressed as "Master Jedi" sent his brain spiraling like a swoop bike with a bent steering vane. How could anyone possibly have identified me in my disguise? A small blessing of the Force: while Aran could have described the woman such that a species that saw in the normal visual spectrum could recognize her, he was mostly immune to the charms of someone's physical characteristics. This had been a great boon to him in avoiding some of the pitfalls of a Jedi's adolescence.

Well, immune to the visible physical characteristics. There were still the other five senses. Aran had had a great deal of trouble with a crush on a Jedi choralist with a lovely alto voice, shortly after he had transitioned from youngling to Padawan. He hadn't thought of her in years.

While he struggled to wrestle his mind-swoop back under control before it smashed into something, his mouth responded on serene autopilot with what he always said when people outside the order called him "Master Jedi."

"Please, ma'am, I am only a humble Padawan." Returning somewhat to himself, hopefully without her having noticed, he was pleased to realize that he had already closed the door, either automatically or because she had made the request before startling him. To buy time, he accepted the glass with a small bow held for a few moments, then carefully pulled out a chair to sit at the table. With this time, he thought over several questions.

How could she know? Zanebery had been right, and he had been too foolish; or she had eyes on the strike force encampment. Either was possible, but best to consider the worst case.

Why would she have eyes on the strike force encampment? Too many reasons, until he discovered...

Who are you?

"The Jedi are many things," he temporizes in response to her question. "We are warriors, we are diplomats, we are mystics." he smiles serenely. "We all seek to serve as the Force guides us to." A beat. "I'm afraid the people I met never told me what I should call you."

Try to use the force to determine the motives of this mysterious woman: 1eF 2 Dark Side


I asked in the GM questions thread whether it was legit to try Sense again, then decided to compress things in real time by rolling, and we can ignore it if it's not allowed. If it is allowed, Aran is spooked enough to flip a Destiny point to try and sense her feelings (and with two, I guess also know if there's anything else in Short range?). With the same saving-time goal, feel free to roll my Discipline if it's required at this point -- 1eP+2eA

[Dapper Dog]

“I know,” she said in response.

“I prefer my anonymity, but if you need to call me anything, master Jedi, then Ghost will suffice. So to business, what information are you looking for or do you have another reason to seek us out?” she said smoothly as she leaned back and crossed her legs.

OOC: Accept the Strain and Destiny Flip, she has a strong mind and seems to have been trained to resist. But what he senses is disgust and intrigue in equal measure. He can feel the whole house and she is the only other living thing here besides himself.

Discipline for Aran vs. Varia: 1eP+2eA+1eC+2eD+1eS 1 success, 2 threat

[Aran Enfas]

Aran again played for time, raising the cup to his lips, inhaling the scent as if in appreciation, before letting whatever it was wet his lips. The disgust and intrigue was common among criminals encountering Jedi, although normally the former outweighed the latter, and both were combined with fear.

You are a Ghost. A person of great reach and little presence, and someone who believes I am no threat to you. Why would you watch the Strike Force? Aran thought about his conversation with Zane. For your own profit, or in the cause of another... and that other is likely not the people of Bankor!

"My Masters in the past have tasked me with watching the underworld and enforcing the laws of the Republic," he began, unhurriedly following it with "That is not my mission here. On Bankor, they have tasked me with aiding its liberation. The Kryze have proven themselves brutal and inventive, and I do not wish to see them blindside us from directions the military might not think to look."

[Dapper Dog]

“House Kryze is brutal, and their regime has become a problem for us, if you want to aid the local efforts then we can do business. As a peace offering I can offer you information, free of our usual charges,” she offered.

[Aran Enfas]

Aran nodded in silent assent, holding in breath in what he tried to tell himself was part of a controlled breathing exercise, and not because he felt like his heart was in his throat.

[Dapper Dog]

“Then we can offer you interesting Intelligence, we know of a safe house in the desert where Varo Kryze will be for a short window of opportunity,” she offered.

[Aran Enfas]

Aran opened his mouth in a quiet ah. "That would be quite welcome," he managed. "And in return?"

[Dapper Dog]

“It should be obvious, you have your Republic kill him. Remove the head of the snake, we both benefit,” she said honestly.

[Aran Enfas]

If Aran hadn't abandoned the drink by then, whatever it was, he might have choked. This woman is a different class of criminal than gamblers, thieves, and street-racers. He struggled to keep his revulsion at the suggestion off of his face. Think! Think faster, think better, think wiser, think what the Masters would think.

"I cannot guarantee any given action on the part of the Republic," he said, instead of anything stronger against assassination. Surely the woman was testing his reactions as Jedi. What was she feeling? "Further, if I were Commander Malcom, and was brought this information from a previously unknown source, I would fear a trap. The more assurances you can offer, the more likely the outcome."

OOC: If it matters, Deception is 1eP+3eA.

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: Roll them versus 1eC+3eD (Nobody's Fool).

[Aran Enfas]

"Bury your feelings deep down, Aran": 1eP+3eA+1eC+3eD 0 successes, 2 advantage


The advantage for... either not blowing up this relationship (because she thinks I'm a wuss, presumably), or, if that's not necessary, getting some more insight in to her/the situation.

[Dapper Dog]

She just smiled and said, “I am sure your Jedi sensibilities are against outright murder but it is the best choice in this situation. Frankly it does not matter to me if you believe me or not, I wouldn’t trust me either if I were you but I would look into the Intelligence.”

“Though the window will be limited,” she added. The woman is a cipher, she seems calm and cold and not at all disturbed that he could have a lightsaber on him. A confidence born from either training or knowing something he does not.

“I know what I would do, but really it comes down to how quickly you wish to end this war and the suffering of the people.”

[Aran Enfas]

Aran lowered his head briefly. Without being able to track eye movement, it was an unclear gesture that could have meant deference, defeat, thoughtfulness, thanks.

"I will bring what you have to the Republic," he said after the tiniest of pauses. "I hope that, whatever the immediate outcome, we continue to find common cause." Or at least, not end up on opposite sides! Aran normally fancied himself a hawk-bat rather than a granite slug, but the woman left him feeling plodding and exposed, just waiting to be plucked up.

[Dapper Dog]

“I don’t see that being an unattainable goal, master Jedi,” she said calmly. “We both want the same thing, so it wouldn’t be unreasonable to work closely together to achieve our goal.”

She offered a quiet if sultry smile.

OOC: Successful with an edge of sexual tension and enticement, for the advantage.

Varia Deception vs. Aran: 2eP+2eA+1eC+2eD 2 successes, 1 advantage

[Aran Enfas]

Something about the timbre of the woman's voice made Aran feel overhot and uncomfortable in his swoop jacket, self conscious about his ludicrous hair, and distracted by the thought of how her hands would feel. Would they be cultivated and manicured softness, or would they have the calluses and nicks of work...

He felt himself flushing and stood. He hoped it came off as decisive rather than jumpy. "The Jedi are peacemakers, after all," he said, immediately thinking that it sounded stupid and trite. "But if we are to act in this narrow window, I should bring back the information as soon as possible." He tried to regain his calm, offering what he hoped was his habitual serene smile.

[Dapper Dog]

“Good luck then master Jedi, maybe we will speak again. I would like that,” she said finishing her drink.

[Aran Enfas]

Aran bowed, more from the waist than the neck as he thought he would, but for less time than he had meant to, and then smiled and threw out a "You know where to find me," that he immediately chastised himself for as unnecessary and unwise.

Still, he thought, as he beat a hasty and flustered retreat in to the shadows, he thought on the whole he had much to be proud of. Still, best to see how it played out before checking in with The Masters about it.

Ooc: I don't know if it needs playing out; if I can't take this directly to the Commander (or that SIS officer?), I'd try Sabine -> Niall -> upwards.