Kyle was just asking his companion Eerin what he thought about the mission when it hit him. The man who seemed to recognize him. He just realised who he was. He walked over to him.
"I saw that oversized fighter out there. That's the Black Dawn, isn't it? You're Rhys Kyril, 'The Hutt Bomber' aren't you? Well, I'm Kyle Ragnor, and I'm pleased to meet anyone who can screw a Hutt and live to brag about it everywhere." He sticks out his hand.
(I get your hint Ush, and I'm going to try to drag Rhys along with us.)
Originally posted by Jazzman_78
Kyle was just asking his companion Eerin what he thought about the mission when it hit him. The man who seemed to recognize him. He just realised who he was. He walked over to him."I saw that oversized fighter out there. That's the Black Dawn, isn't it? You're Rhys Kyril, 'The Hutt Bomber' aren't you? Well, I'm Kyle Ragnor, and I'm pleased to meet anyone who can screw a Hutt and live to brag about it everywhere." He sticks out his hand.
(I get your hint Ush, and I'm going to try to drag Rhys along with us.)
Rhys grins broadly as he vigorously shakes Kyle's hand. "I'm the 'Hutt Bomber' now, huh? Got a nice ring to it." He strokes the Dawn lovingly. "Yeah, this is the Black Dawn alright. Got me outta more scrapes than I can count. No idea how the hell old she is, but she's still a solid hunka' junk as ever." He raps on the fuselage, which creaks slightly with the light impact. Rhys shoots it a dirty look and grins at Kyle again, changing the subject quickly and forcefully. "Your ship, though. It's the Last Laugh." He snaps his fingers as the pieces fall into place. "You're the guy wanted by Nobog Corp., ain't you? I've heard a bit about you."
(Rhys will have no problems sticking with Kyle and Eerin on Lanzar, but he's not going anywhere without the Dawn.)
"Essentially it was the founding tool of Imperial power," Galahad says. "Death squads against criminals, mostly, they established it after some terrorist incident on Malastare itself so that the Jedi would not be used. And then, they turned the Osokans on the Jedi, after their supposed rebellion..."
Galahad spaces out for a moment.
"But yes, I'm sorry I did not exert enough influence to keep it from passing. I thought it wasn't a wise move, even if Osokans were effective for taking down the kind of plagues that terrorists represented to the Republic. Besides, they would have been difficult to control, in my opinion, should we want to them shut down. This is probably what Palpatine is doing now, with this strike."
Well! I didn't know if EVERYONE would know that.
"Such a legendary Jedi!" Galahad exclaims, after a few moments. "His efforts during the Clone Wars were remarkable! He essentially ended them with his defeat of the Droid General. I daresay, how did he survive the Purge? And he must be getting on in years. Is he with Alliance Command? Pah, silly me, why should I ask? It is not for me to know."
"As I said, I cannot anser such questions as to how he survived, but rest assured, he knows of the efforts of the Alliance. When the time is right, he will come and aid us.
"But it IS good news, isn't it? Just the very word 'Jedi' lifts hope. It reminds us of better times. I am too young to even remember them, but even so I somehow feel the sheer goodness the concept of 'Jedi' brings- the only organisation that remained a beacon of light in the Republic's dying days.
"The Emperor knew that, of course. He knew that the Jedi would have to be snuffed out in their entirity. And I think he knew that the very hope they would bring to us, was worth even more than their prowess on the battlefield and wisdom in strategy.
"Hence the Osokans. With so many Jedi in so many places, he must have known that not all of them would die in his deadly ambush. He tried to make it as full as possible- the Jedi Temple sent a signal recalling all Knights as the war ended; drawing them into the trap. kenobi himself disabled the signal, and so the Purge, led by Lord Vader, had to begin.
"The Osokans were to be a major weapon in that purge. As it was, due to complicated circumstances, the Civil War on Lanzar had started by then and the Emperor's personal contact on Lanzar, the old Guildmaster, was dead. No more of his deadly hunting teams were being produced.
"Yet there were still many such teams in the Galaxy, and they were put to use. The Osokan programme did reach partial fruition. It slowy died, withered as some of its number died and were not replaced, or gave up their work and returned to Lanzar to fight in the war. We believe that the whole deal with Matadan was the Emperor's last attempt to hold proper control over Lanzar. Now that has failed, he has no more patience for the world.
"But yet, for many years, Osokan hunting teams under Vader's direction scoured the Galaxy to track down those Jedi who survived the Clone Wars. Dark times indeed. But they never found Kenobi."
"Ah yes, Vader," Galahad sighs. "A dark troublesome figure he is, must have given the Jedi quite a fright when he was leading teams of Osokans about the Galaxy. But Kenobi escaped, eh? That is excellent news, I hope to see him return soon. He could greatly booster the Rebellion..."
Galahad sighs. "So, Emperor Palpatine does not want the Lanzar Senatorial mission to succeed I take it? I would suppose he would rather just obliterate it."
(Galahad doesn't know that Palpatine is a Sith Lord, right?)
Actually, Vader's powers are rather legendary, as his his position as Sidious' apprentice, and the use of the title 'Darth' and so on. Most clued up people are pretty sure of it.
"Yes, he would rather oblitterate it... but his haste, and the potential troubles it could cause, are unusual. But we know why.
"You see, the Osokans take their hunting very seriously. Very seriously indeed. And their BIG hunts, the most serious of all. Such hunting is at the heart of their culture. And somewhere in Lanzar city, there is a great room of records, where they keep all their Hunting information on parchment. And ONE of these records* contains the details of every important Hunt they have ever been on- the target, the location, and how it went. From the first dead Sauropod to mighty foes opf the modern age, thousands of years of Lanzar's greatest history is here.
"That list contains the name of every Jedi they were sent to hunt down. Now... we have information... and we are very sure of it... that not every Jedi on that list has been accounted for.
"And yes, this is what I am saying, Senator. Some of the Jedi... other than Kenobi... might still be alive!"
*which has a name, that I have forgotten, and will get to you ASAP
"We don't know. We have no information at all, we just have an indication that the Purge was never finished. Oh, have no doubt, we have thought of looking for Jedi before. But there were thousands of Jedi, Senator! All the leads as to their exiostence end the day of their betrayal! It would take us CENTURIES to follow all the leads we have trying to track these vague possibilites down. We need something certain, Senator. We need names.
"But how could we ever get names? The details of the Purge are all held inside the Imperial Palace on Coruscant. Untouchable. Thje possiiblity was useless to us. Until now."
He's getting very excited now, and you can see why.
"Senator, understand me. This record of the Osokans contains the ONLY other reference to the Jedi that might be still alive. It will have the name of every Jedi that the Empire has failed to kill. We MUST have that list! If we have it, we can start to search for them. And if we find Jedi, Senator... well. I am sure you can iamagine the possibilities, in all areas.
"But the Emperor must have realised our plan. Hence his haste- he's going to close this loophole. Once those armies move in, the chance will be lost forever."
"Then we must prevent his plans!" Galahad says, with great passion, as if speaking to the Senate rather than just a boy contact. The realization is stunning to him. "My son was a Jedi himself; I do not know if he survived the Purge, but he was a bright boy and powerful from what I know, so I would be willing to bet that he did. I would have no greater joy in the Galaxy than to retrieve that list for the Rebel Alliance, to not only find my son, but to find all that remain of the Jedi Order."
"But this is difficult, Senator. For a start, that list is sacred to the osokans. Outsiders cannot see it. We cannot ask you to perform immoral acts to get this list whilst you are acting in the Osokan's interests. Yet somehow, you must find a way to acquire it. We can offer no help, only to depend on your skills.
"And the RISK, Senator. Understand, doing this will make you a personal enemy of the Emperor, not just a political opponent. As will happen with everyone you involve."