STAR WARS: An Ill Wind
Session 03

[We had an observer for this session, Sabriel.]

INT. NIMBOS - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

The light of late morning filters through the hazy upper cloud layer of Taloraan to shine brightly on the floating city. The conference room windows offer a panoramic view of Nimbos' upper levels. This room has a round table, as agreed upon. Seated clockwise around it are the Prince, the two young Jedi, the miner's representative, and finally the Mining Guild representative.

The room is spacious but not vast, the table small enough to reach the center where a tray of refreshments has been placed.

One seat is empty at the moment - the one for the miner, Deller. The Prince purses his lips at being kept waiting.

Pira sits back in her chair, hands tucked inside her sleeves, face Jedi-serene.

<OOC> Pira . o O ( Never let them see you sweat. )

A few minutes after the scheduled time for the negotiation session to begin, the door finally opens and the woman enters, still in coveralls (but clean ones) with goggles pushed up on her head. It seems her usual costume. Behind her is a taller man, lean, dressed in miner's coveralls that have seen better days. A scarf, almost a rag, is tied over his eyes as a blindfold - yet he seems to navigate across the room easily enough, following Deller.

Deller takes her seat with a brief, compressed smile to the others present. "Sorry I'm late. I had to go through several security checkpoints, you know." The last is directed squarely at Prince Leet.

Day-Lin looks on with some curiousity, unable to manage quite the same serene facade as his companion.

Pira pages: She takes a mental survey, any ripples in the force from the blind one?
You paged Pira with 'He's just an old man... seemingly normal.'.

The blind man pushes Deller's chair in, then steps back. His hair is grey, long and fine, and his skin is marked by many years of Taloraan's winds.

The Prince asks, "And who is this... person?"

Deller looks up and over her shoulder at her escort. "This is Jek. He's a friend of mine who agreed to escort me to these proceedin's."

Jek nods, once.

Prince Leet harrumphs. "Very well. Shall we get started?"

Deller raises her hand. "A moment please, your Highness."

Prince Leet asks testily, "What is it now?"

Deller turns to look at Pira and Day-Lin, her expression neutral. "There's something I'd like to say to our visitors, 'fore we begin."

Deller begins pulling her gloves off, finger by finger. "You see, I think you Jedi might have been sent here to make *sure* that this contract is made quick, and to the good Prince's satisfaction. I've heard the stories. You could look into my eyes and wave your hand and make me sign anything."

Deller smiles faintly. "So if Jek hears anything funny going on - like, if I suddenly start agreeing with everything you say - he has orders to blow your heads off."

As Deller finishes her explanation, there's a *click* from behind Day-Lin. Jek stands there with a holdout blaster leveled at the back of the young Jedi's head. He grins, revealing a few yellowed teeth.

There's a moment of surprised silence.

Day-Lin doesn't move. He looks across at Deller and, with a forced smile, says, "If you're worried about being coerced into going along with the Prince, you're pointing that at the wrong Jedi."

Pira's gaze flicks down from Jek's face to Day-Lin's.

Pira says "And if you agree because -- you agree?" She manages a close but not perfect simulation of emotionlessness.

Master Yago starts to rise to his feet. "Miss Deller, I really must protest...!"

Deller waves the man back into his seat. "Please, Ser Yago. All I'm doing is making sure we start with a clean deck. Everyone plays fair, there won't be any problem."

Deller answers Pira calmly, "Then we have a contract. I'm just protecting myself and my people."

Deller asks, "Wouldn't you do the same in my place?"

The Prince, meanwhile, looks as if he'd bitten into something very sour. The security guard near the door has his hand on his own weapon but hasn't drawn it yet, waiting to see if the situation will escalate.

Pira keeps her gaze on Day-Lin. "I think -- not. Little good comes of such attempts."

<OOC> Pira shuffles through the book. She really really wants to talk to Day-Lin, do we have any ability there?"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Mind to mind, you mean?"
<OOC> Pira says, "Yeah."
<OOC> Kelly says, "Roll your Sense and Alter."

Day-Lin remains very still; he's far too tense to be mistaken for calm, despite what his face may suggest. "We *are* possessed of certain advantages not available to Miss Deller. Our friend the Prince has a security guard here, after all; we might as well have all sides equal."

Pira rolls 2 dice: <4> 6
Pira rolls 2 dice: <5> 2
<OOC> Kelly says, "That's a fair roll. You can talk, but keep it to a sentence at a time."

Deller nods curtly to Day-Lin, glad he sees her position. Pira closes her eyes for a moment. */I don't care to negotiate with a hair trigger at your head./*

<OOC> Kelly says, "Same roll, Day-Lin."
Day-Lin rolls 3 dice: <5> 4 1
<OOC> Kelly says, "Okay... it's a little harder for you (especially with your 'distraction'), though. Simple, please."

Day-Lin actually says out loud as he thinks: "Don't do that, Pira."

Pira's violet eyes flick open. */ You want us to go on? /*

Deller glances between the Jedi as one answers an unspoken question... as open to the Force as they are at the moment, both feel her suspicion and fear of something she doesn't fully understand.

Day-Lin says, to Deller, "My companion doesn't seem to understand your feelings. I'd guess, though, that doing *anything* strange at this tense a time is likely to get me shot in the back of the head. So I would appreciate it if she wouldn't do anything like that."

Pira says out loud and in mind at once, "You're mad."

<OOC> Avirida says, "Always good to start off negotiations on the right foot. :)"

Day-Lin says "No; mad is when you mess around with someone pointing a gun at your head."

Day-Lin says, to Deller, "I'm not angry that you took this precaution. No harm will come to you as a result of it. We're here to negotiate. Now, will you please ask your friend to put his weapon away so we can get on with it?"

<OOC> Pira says, "Senate negotations did NOT involve drawn blasters :)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Except in the early days, as with our Senate. ;)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "'I would like it entered into the record that the honorable gentleman from Corellia is a dirty Hutt-licker.'"
<OOC> Harukuk says, "Let the record also show that the Coruscanti delegate is a prig with a poweraxe stuck up his ass."

Deller considers a moment, then nods. "Jek?" she asks. The older man thinks about it as well, then steps back and drops his arm to his side. He also shifts a step closer to Pira...

Day-Lin says "Thank you."

<OOC> Day-Lin says, "Something you rarely hear Day-Lin say, actually. :)"
<OOC> Pira says, "Pira notes the angles that will best insure that she can draw and have Jek's hand off at the wrist, for future use :)"
<OOC> Pira giggles.
<OOC> Kelly says, "Bloodthirsty little thing, aren't you."

Deller nods. "You're welcome. Now..." She turns to the Prince, all openness and courtesy. "Shall we begin?"

WIPE TO...
INT. SHIPPING OFFICES - DAY

By day, the office is occupied but not very active. With the strike, there's only a few ships going out with passengers and coming in with supplies, rather than the big freighters carrying cargoes of gas refined from the gas giant's atmosphere.

Avirida is back at the keyboard, searching through the files of a dead man for clues as to why he got that way. A man in the uniform of Nimbos Security stands by the doorway, which has orange tape stretched across it as a seal.

Avirida's lips are tight, rather than frowning, as she taps away with deft gray fingers. The shaggy form of Avirida's captain looms behind her, partially blocking the light from the office's single window.

<OOC> Kelly says, "Avirida, your computer skills are so good, I'm not gonna ask for rolls in this case. :) What I am going to want is a Perception roll."
Avirida rolls 2D+1 dice: <4> 1

After working on the problem for a few hours both last night and this morning, Avirida is unable to find any sort of coded or encrypted anything on the computer. Mr. Offen seems to have been an honest clerk.

All that she finds are shipping records ... mostly gas shipments. And production figures from the gas mines. Files and files of them, as might be expected on a work terminal.

Avirida speaks without looking up from the screen. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing, Captain?"

The hardcopy is laid on the desk next to the keyboard in a short stack. Nothing seems to have been removed from the system since last night, but it was probably a wise precaution anyway.

Harukuk nods his shaggy head. His expression, to those who know him, seems dubious.

Avirida agrees, "That's right. Nothing." She sighs, and leans back to stretch her fingers.

The Jedi seemed to think that the answer was somewhere in these files, and Avirida has the sense that it is... but so far, it eludes her.

Harukuk reaches out and takes the hard copies. He starts to go through them.

<OOC> Kelly says, "Either of you want to spend extra effort (ie, CPs) on a roll?"
<OOC> Avirida tries to recall if she has any to spend. :)
<OOC> Harukuk thinks his character is going to go through the hardcopies and see if everything matches.
<OOC> Kelly says, "If the hard data matches what's on the screen?"
<OOC> Harukuk nods. Harukuk is a more hands-on kind of guy anyway. He prefers substantive reports, rather than ones on the screen. :)

The endless rows of numbers seem to start crawling around on the flimsi as Harukuk works through them to the end... he squints and wurfs in annoyance. Accounting was never his strong suit.

Avirida bites at her lip, and considers writing a program to compare the production figures to the shipping figures.

<OOC> Kelly says, "That's a comp prog/repair roll... 5D for a simple task. Go ahead and roll it if you decide to."
Avirida rolls 5 dice: <3> 6 4 6 5

Avirida's lips move silently for a little, and she starts typing again. Less boredly, admittedly, than in irritation.

The program is soon complete. As soon as Avirida runs it, the screen begins to fill with pairs of numbers. She stares in growing amazement.

From afar, Sabriel bets a credit that the production and shipping figures don't match, and that the station's normal accounting program has been rigged not to show it? :)

You paged Avirida with 'Big discrepancies... more gas has been going out for the last three years than has been mined, according to the production figures.'.
From afar, Avirida cackles.

Harukuk grunts, in Wookie, ["Join the Republic Navy. A thrilling career of doing paperwork for Jedi."]

<OOC> Day-Lin says, "You could be having a blaster pointed at your head, smartass. :)"
<OOC> Harukuk says, "And you know how much chance that blaster has of actually doing me damage? :)"
<OOC> Avirida says, "It's got to get through all the FUZZ. :)"
<OOC> Harukuk says, "(Do not shoot the Wookie. You'll only make him mad.)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Harukuk gets shot in the head. Harukuk goes 'urr?' curiously, wondering what just hit him."
<OOC> Pira giggles.

Avirida says, startled, "I almost hate to say this, but there might be something to say for paperwork after all."

Harukuk makes a questioning noise, looking down over Avirida's shoulder again to see what she's talking about...

CUT TO:
INT. CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

Prince Leet snorts and waves a hand. "Be reasonable. That kind of pay raise would bankrupt me even faster."

Pira says "So..." She pauses for a moment, then words it delicately, "Your position is that you are losing money even at the current pay rates?"

Prince Leet nods. "If they want more money, they should work harder. It's as simple as that."

The Prince adds, "*I'm* not the one keeping them from mining gas."

Deller cuts in angrily, "No... you just starve us and keep us down where you don't have to see us while we break our backs for you!"

Master Yago sits back in his chair, looking pained as the negotiations dissolve once again into bickering.

Pira says "Dellar, could you give us an accounting of what the average miner's living costs are?"

Deller complains, "You sit up here and give orders and cut our privileges..."

Day-Lin says pleasantly to the Prince, "I'm sure your records will bear out that position."

Deller stops her rant to answer. "Yes, I think I have the figures here." She digs out a datapad. "Of course, since we have to buy everything from the company store, they can charge whatever they want, and do."

Pira's belt chirps at her.

Pira reaches for the pad, then changes the gesture to unclip the comm from her belt.

Pira says "Pira."

Avirida's voice sounds from the commlink. The phrasing is less excited than the tone. "M'lady, I've been looking over your records. There are some interesting discrepancies."

<OOC> Pira says, "Can other people hear the commlink?"

The commlink volume is low, and the Prince is saying something in rebuttal at the moment, so only Pira can hear it clearly.

Pira's face remains bland. "A moment, sers?" She rises from her seat, moving away from the table.

<OOC> Pira says, "She wants to be far enough away that no one can eavesdrop in the silences :)"

The Prince glances up and then waves dismissively. Master Yago looks curious. Deller doesn't seem to care.

Jek, of course, pays close attention as the Jedi moves past him... turning in her direction.

Pira says into the commlink "What have you found?"

Day-Lin keeps his hands folded. He smiles across the table at the Prince.

Avirida answers, "It seems from these files, m'lady, that Taloraan has a peculiar property for a planet: the ability to generate more gas in a shipment between the time it leaves the mines and the time it's loaded to go offworld."

Pira murmurs very low "Or perhaps more precisely, between the time the miners get paid for it, and the time the mine owners do?"

Avirida answers, softening her own voice, "Something like that, m'lady, but I took the liberty of looking around a little further, and I don't think the mine owners have a thing to do with this."

Pira turns her back to the negotating table. "Oh?"

<OOC> Pira says, "She figures Daylin will kill anyone who shoots her while she's not looking :)"

Avirida says, "Really it's not my business, m'lady, but it seems that someone by the name of Devis Yago has been doing quite well for himself lately..."

Pira says "I _see_. Do you have proof? That can be shown to the Prince and the miners?"

<OOC> Pira tries to figure out if this would be a violation of Jedi ethics. From TPM, Republic Jedi definitely felt the ends justified the means, but I suppose that could just be Master Jinn's personal habit...

Avirida replies, "The trail's fairly clear, m'lady." She pauses, adding as an afterthought, "Though I'm not sure the bank in question would take kindly to it."

There's sudden motion between Pira and the table. Blind men have sharp ears, and Jek now spins and points his blaster more or less at Yago's side of the table. "YOU!"

The guard at the door goes for his blaster too.

Pira whirls.

Day-Lin comes to his feet in a moment, his lightsaber making a *snap-hiss* as it ignites. "Hold it!" he barks, shifting attention back and forth between the guard and Jek.

Master Yago looks utterly shocked.

<OOC> Pira says, "Is there any way I can disarm Jek, or am I too far away?"
<OOC> Kelly says, "You're close enough. Remember, too, Jedi move fairly quick."

Avirida says over the comlink, in blissful ignorance, "The files can, m'lady."

The guard points his gun at Jek, or Day-Lin - hard to say which.

Pira draws her saber with her off hand, taking a lightning fast step, violet blade flicking out to slash through the blaster.

<OOC> Kelly says, "Roll your Lightsaber, please. Don't screw up. :)"
Pira rolls 4 dice: <4> 2 3 5
<OOC> Pira says, "that's an amazingly average roll :)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Isn't it."
<OOC> Pira says, "I'm assuming Jedi are trained to fight pretty much with either hand."
<OOC> Pira says, "It seems the sort of completeness they'd go for :)"

Pira's humming saber slashes down and catches the little holdout blaster just as Jek starts to flinch back, slicing off the thin barrel.

<OOC> Kelly says, "You're lucky he flinched, or he'd have a new nickname. Stumpy."
<OOC> Pira snickers.

Pira flips the communit on the table, and reaches to take the stump of the blaster from Jek's hand. She says, as evenly as she can manage "We have come across some information that you may wish to examine, Prince, Representative."

Day-Lin glances sideways at the security guard.

Everyone still at the table stares, pop-eyed, at the Jedi and their light blades.

The guard still has his gun pointed, in a ready position. He swallows.

Day-Lin says "I think you can put that away now."

<OOC> Kelly says, "Gonna make him? ;)"
<OOC> Pira says, "You know you want to :)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "heee"
<OOC> Day-Lin says, "Not unless I have to."
<OOC> Kelly says, "Okay. Roll Persuasion anyway."
Day-Lin rolls 4 dice: <6> 4 2 1
<OOC> Kelly says, "Wild die, roll 1d."
Day-Lin rolls 1 die: <6>
Day-Lin rolls 1 die: <4>

The guard meekly does as Day-Lin suggests, remaining alert.

<OOC> Kelly says, "Now that's a big ol' presence attack. :)"
<OOC> Pira giggles. What did he roll?
<OOC> Kelly says, "The total was 23."
<OOC> Pira *laughs*. Oh my god.
<OOC> Kelly says, "Max roll for 4d, basically. :)"
<OOC> Sabriel whistles.
<OOC> Pira says, "I'ms surprised the guard didn't faint."

Day-Lin extinguishes his lightsaber as it's on its way back to his belt, in an iaijutsu-esque maneuver. He gives the guard a last look before taking his seat again. "What's this information, then?"

Pira puts away her own lightsaber in a slightly less flashy manner. "Avirida has discovered some... discrepancies in the records."

Master Yago asks quietly, "What kind of discrepancies?"

Pira picks up the commlink. "Avirida, could you bring copies of those records to..." she reels off the location.

Avirida assures Pira, "We'd be happy to, m'lady."

As Pira clicks off, Master Yago is out of his chair and takes the two steps to Prince Leet's. "If it's all the same to you, m'lady Kunsai, I'd rather not be here when they arrive." Another holdout blaster, this one gleaming chrome as befits the man's station, pokes at the Prince's temple.

Prince Leet looks like he's going to have some sort of apoplectic attack.

<OOC> Sabriel hopes 'blaster to the head' isn't going to be a trend of negotiations in this game. :)
<OOC> Kelly says, "One does hope. But then, maybe I'm just suffering from not enough FENG SHUI in my gaming diet."
<OOC> Harukuk bursts through the door with a bowcaster in either hand?
<OOC> Kelly says, "Not yet. :)"
<OOC> Harukuk says, "Drat. :)"
<OOC> Avirida laughs.
<OOC> Pira says, "I think Daylin is closer to them than I am?"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Yes. He's at the table, you've stepped away."
<OOC> Kelly says, "He's actually sitting next to the Prince."

Yago hustles the gaping Prince to his feet, clucking reprovingly at the security guard as he once again reaches for his blaster.

Yago says, "Please, don't anyone try to stop me. I would hate to deprive the Prince of what little brain he has."

Prince Leet scowls at that insult, but can do nothing.

<OOC> Kelly says, "Anyone?"
<OOC> Avirida isn't there ;)
<OOC> Pira says, "Pira's watching for his move, because there's no way she can do anything from where she is."

Yago begins to walk backwards, slowly, holding onto the Prince around the waist and keeping his blaster to the man's head.

Pira says "I don't think you want to do that, Ser Yago."

"Quiet!" Yago snaps. "None of your mind tricks... The Prince and I are going to take a short trip together. I have a fast courier waiting on one of the lower pads."

<OOC> Pira says, "Shoot the hostage? :)"
<OOC> Kelly says, "Take the hostage out of the equation. ;)"

Yago reaches the door, and uses the tip of the blaster barrel to hit the 'open' button before whipping it back to a firing position. He steps back... and hits something large and solid, yet strangely soft. He looks up. Up.
No, higher.
Oh sh*t.

<OOC> Pira howls. Timing is everything :)
<OOC> Sabriel shrieks with laughter.
<OOC> Avirida strains her side laughing.

Harukuk makes the standard Wookiee expression, and takes advantage of the man's surprise to grab him by the wrist and the back of the neck, then haul him upward to proper shaking height.

Yago utters a weak cry as he is lifted, effortlessly.

The Prince tumbles forward as he slips out of Yago's grasp.

Avirida, out of sight behind the wall of fur, nonetheless takes a step back.

Harukuk shakes Yago about, like a rag doll, until the blaster comes loose, then stops. He growls a comment, and holds the minister until someone tells him what to do with him. ["Wookiee disarm."]

Master Yago goes agglety agglety agglety and the chrome blaster clatters to the floor.

Avirida mutters to Harukuk from behind. ["And everyone thinks that means ripping one off."]

Harukuk pages to Kelly, Sabriel, and Avirida: Nah, that's just the punishment for winning at games.

<OOC> Pira feels like clapping, but that's so unjedi like :)

Day-Lin exchanges a look with Pira. "I imagine you have some ideas on the appropriate penalty for this man," he says to the Prince.

Prince Leet, with a degree of offended dignity that is positively feline, gets to his feet and glares at the prisoner. "Oh yes," he growls.

Master Yago appears to have fainted.

Deller, still at the table, looks silently impressed as her elder comrade asks her what's going on.

Pira murmurs "I do hope this will make it easier for you to come to an agreement."

Harukuk holds up the minister, and puts on the closest thing he has for an amiable expression.

WIPE TO:
EXT. NIMBOS - LANDING PAD - DAY

The scene is much as before, but dusky twilight has been replaced with bright afternoon, and one individual is conspicuously absent. The others - the miner, the Prince and his honor guard - have gathered to say farewell to the Jedi.

Once the deception was revealed, and the source of the 'shortfalls' eliminated, negotiations were completed amicably.

Pira has drawn her hood up, hands tucked inside her sleeves.

Master Yago is currently enjoying the lesser comforts of a cell, to await a proper trial. No one doubts the verdict, despite the influence of the Mining Guild, who have hastily washed their hands of their rogue minister.

<OOC> Kelly says, "And I would've gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those meddling kids and their Wookiee!"
<OOC> Pira snickers!
<OOC> Avirida laughs.

Day-Lin says "I'm sure we'd stay on a bit longer, but, well, duty calls."

Further investigation by Nimbos security has confirmed that the bolt killed Mag Offen was fired by Yago's blaster. Apparently the unfortunate clerk reached the same conclusion in the course of his work, and reported it to the wrong man.

Pira bows. "We thank you for your cooperation."

Prince Leet nods affably. "Of course. Should you ever return to Nimbos, please avail yourselves of our hospitality."

Amke Deller fidgets a bit and says, "You Jedi turned out to help us a lot more than I thought you would. Thanks."

Day-Lin says, with a ghost of a smile, "I'm glad that we didn't disappoint you."

The engines of the Dauntless whine to life in the background.

Pira bows again, and turns to glide into the ship.

Day-Lin inclines his head slightly, turns, and follows Pira up the ramp.

The Nimbosians step back as the ramp retracts into the Dauntless' belly and it lifts off. Landing legs retract as well, then it turns and ion engines flare bright blue, carrying its passengers off to another world in need of them.

ROLL CREDITS.