USH'S STAR WARS GAME- CAMPAIGN II EPISODE II (DARK SIDE)- In the Coils of the Serpent

(For which Rand would want to smack you! 😛 )

"We were sent my Lord Geful, he...admires your beauty, Mistress, as everyone should," Rand says, knowing that flattery will probably achieve nothing.

"You recall the days of old when the founder of the Serpent, your ancestor, pulled one over on the Sith? Well, we pulled one over on a Dark Jedi who had once pestered the Serpent, but escaped the crushing coils."

"We found him and killed him, in the name of the Serpent."

"Do you wish to see your present now?"

Jena considers for a few moments and notes something down.

"This Lord Geful, who I have never met, considers my beauty a reason to present this gift to me instead of my father?

"And a Dark Jedi? That is an exotic enemy indeed. Who was this thorn in our side that you speak of?"

"I am unsure of his name myself, for it was not I who killed him," Rand says. "But your beauty IS a renowned thing throughout the Serpent, is it not? If it isn't it should be. Us at the Empire know of it. I consider it more than enough of a reason to do so..."

(I'm going to resist using Force powers on this one...)

She raises her eyebrows again.

"You cannot even give me his name?" she says. "If he was killed, should I not be talking to the person who killed him?"

(Shit shit shit...)

(Let me run something over with Rah, since hasn't said anything the entire time... 😉 )

(Nevermind, bad idea...)

"He has fallen quite ill, I am afraid," Rand tells her. "Overdosed on too many different spices, I'm afraid...it's gone wrong with him...you know..."

"Then this strikes me as more as an apology than a gift," says Jena. "In my experience, people who turn up unbidden with gifts are either seeking forgiveness or favours. Which is it?"

"I will have to say favors..." Rand says, flashing another toothy grin.

For a second he feigns going into thought, with many "hmm's" and more "hmm's".

"I...I think I recall that Dark Jedi's name..."

"Persis ring any bells?"

"Then name the favour, and why I should give it to those who did not kill him. Your gift had better match the build-up. And no... but I can easily check the name."

"Then you shall indeed find that he is dead," Rand says. "He was a Tartaran."

"We helped bag the monster, of course...and we are not quite sure what we want other than bringing new found glory to the Serpent."

"Shall I present to you...the gift?"

"And... why would a Tartaran be anywhere near your area of operations?"

"Because we had done deals with him in the past."

She's overtly cautious, I'll give her that...

(no...no..stand up for yourself a bit more. be determined. she doesn't need to know HOW or WHERE he died. he just did. and we're nice enough to give her the gift, and she can shove it if she's disrespectful....welll...not QUITE like that but...)

"You do deals with people who smuggle for the Hutts? That's interesting information to know..."

(Not to blame Zink, who wasn't there, but whoever fed him info about Persis might have wanted to remember that...)

Dexx is right, attitude is 9/10ths of the law here. You were also told that Jena is the smart one!

"Still... who am I to argue with poltics? Why don't we cut to the chase here. What is the gift?"

Rah, you still can't quite shift that damn musical mess out of your head. And in fact... you can hear a dischordant tone in the background, that is familiar to you.

(I'll keep that in mind, Dexx, thank you...)

"An elegant weapon that is quite deadly in the right hands," Rand says. "It belonged to this man."

"Shall I show it to you now?" he repeats.

"Please do..."

Rand extends a hand to Galder, expecting him to part with his trophy at the very gesture.

Galder says nothing, but reaches into his jacket and slowly places the cylinder into Rand's open hand.

"You gave them too much information of the Empire," Galder says, implying that Rand said too much. "Master will be displeased..."

"Master will not be displeased after this..." Rand says, frowning in his direction to make the act seem genuine.

He raises the cylinder into the air.

"The weapon of a Jedi, Mistress Jena! The deadliest weapon in the known Galaxy! More elegant than a clumsy blaster and able to cut through anything you desire, from slaves to metal doors to your morning toast."

"Shall I place it in your hand or will one of your men take it to you?"

She'll take it.

"Hmm..." she says. "interesting..." She tuens it on, her hand jumping slightly as it vibrates in her hand, and giving it a couple of experimental swings.

"Not unique... but not a common sight in this day an age...

"... so... one way or another, you are making a lot of effort. You have got guts to come here, for sure, on a flimsy pretext, and the resources to make an interesting show... clearly, you want something. So why don't you tell me what you really came here to get done, and I shall see if that is worh my time contemplating, or whether I should have you all fed to the Dire Rats? Something you thought I could do for you, hmm?"