USH'S GAME EPISODE IV- 'CHASE'- LIGHT SIDE AREA

"I don't know a man named Ascar," says the guard.

Xeth, a voice calls out to you.

"Xeth? Xeth Tam? Can I really believe my eyes? Can you actually have come back to Nar Shadda?"

The voice is coming from a handsome, well-dressed Zabrak near you. Ah, crap, it's Li Milano- Shareth's ambassador, so to speak. He's not dangerous in himself, just that... this isn't entire;y a comfortable situation for you.

Gundark, you recognise the Zabrak also- he was there with Shareth on Damagran when you were spying on their droid selling pitch.

we're in the same room as chion and galder?

"Sorry to have bothered you," Kellan replied to the guard, turning her attention back toward Xeth's direction. Hmmm...maybe the Zabrak knows where Ascar is holed up... she thought.

Mah- yes. Very much so. Rex is kinda keen for you guys to keep going, actually. He's feeling confident. He thinks Galder is due some payback.

-

"And in such esteemed company also," says Milano, spying you in the crowd, Gundy. "A Jedi Master, no less! And I had been led to understand you were not popular in the Order, as well.."

"Well, I wouldn't be hunting down rich but dangerous people and Dark-Siders if I wasn't popular..." Xeth said to his 'old friend.' "I realize that I probably made one hell of a mess for Shareth and you by doing my job on Damagran. But I suppose you would still tell an old friend something he wants to know. Do you know anything about the location of a man named Kir Ascar, also known as Mal Sannan?"

fight galder and chion already?.okayyyy...

"Making a mess would certainly be one way of putting it," says Li. "SOME might think that when a person earns athe trust of a great Hutt, and joins her personal bodyguard, and then later betrays that Hutt, turns out to have been an undercover operative with Jedi links and helps destroy an entire profit line that said Hutt had worked on for years... SOME might think that such a person might do well to never come back to Nar Shadda ever again

"But what do my agents tell me earlier? That the Nexu's Grin has landed in the docking bays? 'Don't be silly,' I said, 'that is Xeth Tam's ship, and he wouldn't come back here'. But then there it was, large as life... well well well... and here you are..."

When you mention the name Ascar, Li Milano seems... intrigued, if not surpised. As in he might know what you mean- but what you said wasn;t quite what he expected.

"Many people come to Nar Shadda," he says. "Many who don't want to be found. It is a comfy arrangement and I have no intention of trampling on it. But before you Jedi start getting any ideas, I can tell you categorically that Ascar is NOT seeking refuge with the Hutts. Now follow my advice and get off this planet before someone gets hurt."

-

Ah, I see the Jedi are troubled at heart... well, just to remind you of the situation, Mah and Marcus:

You are at the doorway that leads to the main military complex. It is a wide doorwat, and two dozen guareds are by your side.

The docking bay you ar elooking into is rather large, with several ships (including your own) scattered around.

Chion and Galder are near the middle of the room, surrounded by dead bodies.

At the far side of the room are more doors that lead to the transfer point- now sealed by Pheron.

Now, am I going to have to tell the DS thread that the Jedi are too girly to do anything?

"If I may intercede," Kellan said, re-joining Xeth. "If you could suggest where we might be able to reach Ascar, it would be most helpful. Our urgency in locating him pertains to his personal safety, you see." It bothered her greatly that the Zabrak had recognized her; she had a brief sensation of every set of eyes in the room watching them.

"What in the-" thunmpp....Sieri lands on the ground. SHe send a mental shove towards Lance, while simutaneously whipping out her lightsaber and trying to roll away from the big ugly thing attacking her....the tentacle wrapped around her leg prevents too much movement...
( not much for welcoming are they?)

She takes her free leg and tries to kick futilely at the creature... the scholarly part of her already questioning what the thing was and where it came from

"I remarkably doubt whether yours and his ideas of personal safety coincide," says Milano. "Or else why would he flee from you? Quite a mess you caused on Malastare, I hear. And you must be very brave indeed to come to Nar Shadda with a half million credit bounty on your head."

Milano said that all rather loudly.

-

(not welcoming at all, Sieri, no!)

The tendrils- of whuch there are at least a dozen- seem to be sprouting direct from the undergrowth around you. They don;t seem to react to kicks.

Half million ? Kellan thought. That can't be right. Never heard of a bounty being reduced. Unless....its a second bounty..... She pushed the thought away and stepped into the Zabrak's face. "You'd best lower your voice, friend," she urged with a meaningful tone. "We've no quarrel with you." She had no desire to take on any of the casino's patrons who might be looking to get rich quicker via a bounty than a win at the gaming tables.....

(Gundy- it is half a million dead, a million alive. Bit of a hint from Li there.)

"On the contrary," sayd Li. "You Jedi have done nothing but harrass my mistress for decades. All that effort and nothing proven. When WILL you realise she is a legitimate businesswoman?"

He turns to Xeth.

"I'd take my advice," he says. "Get out of here."

He turns to go.

There is some big robot football game just starting up on the main monitors; people now are distracted watching it.

"Maybe we should stop these buggers." Mah said to Marcus and prepared for a fight.

"Come on, Xeth. I think we'd better slip out of here while we still have an opportunity to do so quietly," Kellan pointed out, urging him towards the door.

(You are fresh out of leads if you leave here- unless you have any ideas of your own, of course)

-

"So, we meet again, Master Jedi," Galder says. Talking specifically to Marcus, he asks "Do you like my replacement arm?"

He reaches forwars with it, and a blaster shot flies out and hits the guard on yoyr far right.

"This is between us Galder, leave the guards out of it"
Taking and igniting my sabre

Chion laughs at you when you say that, Marcus.

There is a movement to your left. A young woman, who looks remarkably like Faith out of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, jumps up from behind your ship to land on its top. With a flick of her wrist, she brandishes and ignites a yellow sabre.

"Are these the ones?" she asks, clearly at Galder and Chion.

"Kellan, I can think of no other way that we will find a lead. Li is not truly a friend of mine, but he dropped us a hint there. You are wanted dead at half a million. That means someone in there is going to try something stupid and make an attempt at your life. But we are Jedi. Use your powers to see if you can sense anybody willing enough to take on a Jedi Master. Your powers are more finely tuned than my own, so I suggest you do it..."

Xeth keeps his right hand near his curved-handled lightsaber, his left near his sonic blaster.

Damn even more company, who can that be....
"I guess we are miss"

"And I'm sure there's more than one gambler here with an itchy trigger finger too, Xeth, " Kellan replied. "But you are right about this probably being our only chance at snagging a lead on Ascar." She reached with the Force, threading her senses through the crowded casino, rummaging through the minds of humans and aliens alike.

"Remember to try to stay back to back if we're confronted with more than two or three opponents, Xeth. Its our best chance."