Nar Shaddaa

As some other Imperials were departing for Nal Hutta for the wedding, the Red Wraith committed to advance setting the score for the murdered Sith, especially that Dango was paying for it. Despite tightened security and general suspicion, a few rounds across the spaceport yielded her the leads. She would need to go to the Shadow Town, but for now she stopped for a drink near a place she had obtained information about Virnu.

MM6. Bounty: Investigation. Streetwise. Destiny. 1 Setback after reduction.: 2eP+1eA+1eC+2eD+1eS 1 success, 1 threat

More gizka had appeared. This time, the infestation was in the spaceport itself, which made sense. They had likely come in on one of the ships. There were too many to hunt down the nests like he had before, so Galen had spent the morning advising the maintenance staff and helping them set traps.

Finished with the inservicing, he stopped for a quick drink. Seeing a woman alone, he approached.

"Hello. Would you care for some company?"


D6, EM-MM, Side Job, Xenology, Hunter x2: 2eA+1eP+2eB+2eD 4 successes, 1 threat

She had her mask on. "Galen Sol if I remember correctly." The woman gestured to the place beside her. Her voice was nice to the ear but expressed little at this point. "Please."

"Thank you." He sat down. "I hope your investigation ended well."

"Into the Nikto murderers? It's actually ongoing. I am on a bounty set by Dango the Hutt to kill off a Nikto assassin called Virnu." She paused to turn and look at him. "Have you continued with your involvement in that one? The other man, Durasay Mixo, got stuck to it."

He shook his head.

"You didn't seem to appreciate outside involvement. I respect that." he replied. "I've heard rumors that it was something bigger, though."

"That's sensible of you." She mused. "What kind of rumours?"

"Of other murders." he explained. "Targefing force users, regardless of alegiances."

"It may be that the trend has caught up, unless the murders are committed in a signature fashion. Last time I checked they had ritualistic background." She paused. "But yes, there is enough fuss on both sides for Dango to have noticed. Hence the bounty I am on."

"Ritualistic?" He looked curious. "Is there some deeper meaning to the killing?"

"Perhaps. A Nikto pseudo-cult is probably involved. Or some stray elements associated with it."

"Well, hopefully your efforts will end these acts. If you do decide you would like more help, I would be willing." he added. "After all, this cult, or whatever they are, could be a threat to Aphr or myself."

She turned toward him. "Your ship is a treasure trove of wild Force-users, it appears."

"It's ironic, considering the rest of the crew doesn't care for it." he chuckled. "It's a good ship, though."

"I take your word for it."

As if anything captained by a Hutt could be good. But one does not disputes gustoes.

"How are you both treated, considering your uniqueness?"

"Our abilities are largely ignored. I was likely the only one who knew about Aphr." he explained. "And, my abilities are rarely blatant. Our more mundane skills have been a greater value to our jobs."

"What are they then, if I may ask?"

"Aphr is much more socially adept than the rest of us, so she's often our negotiator for prospective jobs." He answered. "I'm a hunter. I can track and am familiar with many creatures. But, I'm usually are look out and marksman."

"I think I know your type then." She mused. "Enjoying making your own calls, staying away from the politics of the day, just you and the Force in things you discover, a private thing."

"For the most part." he nodded. "My connection to the Force has always manifested as a natural thing to me, an ability to sense my prey or the predators converging on me. Or, the will to pacify those same creatures. I have been trying to learn more in the past few days, however."

"This is interesting. How do you learn?" She tapped her finger on the counter. "...and what do you feel when you reach out?"

"Initially, it came from survival instinct. My owner would use me as bait to trap dangerous creatures. I couldn't always be fast enough. I needed to know they were coming before I could see them. I needed to distract them when that wasn't enough." He explained. "But, now I think I need more. There's a Jedi who seems a bit unorthodox. She'd agreed to help me on my terms."

"To me, it looks like your sensitivity has awakened because of fear, the very basic emotion that drives out survival. Hence I am surprised it is a Jedi who is helping you. Their Code advises to suppress what is the source of your strength with the Force. Do you think it is a wise course of action to let them diminish you so?" She mused in soft voice, paying close attention.

"Emotion, yet peace." He shrugged. "There is another version of their code. One that makes more sense to me. You are right, that fear drives our instinct to survive. But, peace allows one to harness that in a calm reasoned manner."

"For me, peace is stillness of the mind. It is a false comfort, self-serving justification of complacency. It does not allow you to harness anything, just forget that the challenge exists. It's an illusion, a trick played on our own minds to look away from the need to act and to be concerned. You can get away with this make-believe sometimes, but there are terrors in this world that won't let you. Suppressing emotion is like tying your legs before a jump. Fear can be harnessed and mastered, but not in this fashion."