I apparently forgot to screencap two really awesome RPs from last night :( Short ones but really cute, where Zel meets his Padawan Katsenittsi and then goes to tell Praz about it. I do have the beginning lines of the second, so I'll share that as it's still funny to me.
Zel runs right over into his friend’s quarters and jumps right onto the bed. “Praz! Praz! Stars, guess what! Praz, guess what!”
Praz started at least half awake. He squints at Zel, being the tired and sleeping Praz he was. “What? Are we crashing? Being attacked?”
Aola’dira scrolled through her messages on the comm Djonwi had lent her, pulling up the holo Yuned’rar had sent her to again stare at it. She was looking better today, the swelling in her left eye was going down and she could finally see properly. But it would be a while before she had the use of her arm again. She had fully enjoyed Rihl’s gift of a short jaunt to a nearby spa; her lekku were especially shiny and soft and she felt 1000 times better than she had before. She and her Cathar friend were enjoying the quiet evening, knowing that Djonwi would be arriving soon.
Rihl can’t help but keep a careful eye on that door, and sits as far away from any windows as she can so passers-by can’t look inside and see her. She still frowns whenever she sees the gap where Aola’s tooth used to be.
After parking his speeder down the street, Djonwi took out his datapad and wrote a short message to Aola, which simply read: “Coming up!” The Twi’lek tucked back away into his coat and threw a bag over his shoulder as carefully as one could throw a bag over his shoulder and double checked that the cake he’d baked was still in one piece. And, surprise, it was! Djonwi nodded to himself and walked on down the street to the proper building and ducked into the stairwell, ascending the stairs swiftly and rather quietly.
He had a blaster on him, which was unusual, but after a couple of nights of little sleep and very surprising data, he deemed it a necessary precaution. He approached the door, took a breath, put on his regular cheery smile and pressed the doorbell.
Rihl says nothing but stands up to get the door. She knows Aola is probably right but is still prepared for her to be wrong. She holds an electrostaff behind her back and steps away slightly as she opens the door. Seeing it is, in fact, only Djonwi, she steps aside to let him in.
Aola smiles for Djonwi, though she’s trying to hide the gap in her teeth. “Hi! Uh, what’s the bag for?”
The cyborg gives a brief but polite bow before stepping inside and shutting the door behind him in one quick motion. “Ah good, we all alive,” he said, grinning toothily, and set his bag down on a nearby table. “In ze bag I ‘ave for you ze yum-yum blue cake,” he opened the bag to reveal it, and then took out his datapad. “And also ze ree inkabuga information”—he practically paused in place for about three and two tenths of a second before patting at his coat, looking worried, but then took a deep breath and smiled as he pulled out a disc case—”yes, is ‘ere!”
Rihl engages the lock for the door before sitting back down in a chair next to Aola’s. She sets her staff down nearby and admires the cake.
Her self-consciousness forgotten, Aola grinned at the cyborg. She was a little concerned at his choice of words at the beginning, but couldn’t wait to find out what he’d learned. “Were you able to find much information?” She did get up this time, moving to get what would be needed to cut and serve the cake with.
“Much-much!” Djonwi said with a nod and took off his coat, hanging it on a chair and then plopped himself down in said chair. He took the disc from its case and inserted it into his datapad. “Some medical article, project information on /Hybrid/, and,” he looked up at Aola and Rihl with the glowing cybernetic oculars behind his goggles, “information about your identificating number.”
Rihl gets up to help Aola take the cake out of the bag so it can be served, but her interest is more on Djonwi and the information he proffers.
It took Aola a bit longer than she would have liked, but she eventually got everything they would need. She almost dropped the utensils at his last words. “That sounds like you managed to slice into Aiden’s systems. How far did you go? Did you trip anything? I hope you were careful…” she herself had spent ages trying to slice her way into even the perimeters of the system with no success. It was at this moment she remembered the message Yuned’rar had wanted her to pass along, but she decided to hold off on it for now. If Djonwi had really gotten that far under Aiden’s security, maybe the cyborg could get the upper hand.
Part of Rihl wants them to test the scrambler one more time to make sure it’s working, but she knows it wouldn’t make a difference now if it had stopped working any time up to this point. Forcing herself to put it out of her head, she helps lay out the dishes and utensils for the cake.
“Nine attempt,” Djonwi said, holding up four fingers though, and then covered a yawn with the back of his gloved hand. “Mi ree careful. I sink, ‘owever, I will bring in ‘elp wis zis. I know some more good slicer who can infiltrate system like zis. Difficult, but no impossible. In an almost distracted fashion, Djonwi slipped his goggles off his face, turning them off, and clumsily wrangled another pair from his coat behind him. The whirring of his oculars was a little louder as they adjusted and re-adjusted their visual inputs.
“All is on zat disc, but,” Djonwi turned back to Aola, “I sink I find parent name.”
Rihl narrows her eyes at the sight of Djonwi’s lack thereof, and they squint even more at the last thing he says. “What do you mean, ‘parent name?’ You mean like a parent project that she was part of?” He had mentioned something about a hybrid project, after all.
Aola had been about to ask if Djonwi would like some caf, and couldn’t help but wince when he took his goggles off. She quickly averted her eyes and went to make caf for all of them, listening to the conversation as she did so. She froze in mid-step at his last statement, her heart beginning to hammer in her chest as her brain tried to process. Rihl’s follow up question seemed to make more sense. He couldn’t possibly mean…she was too afraid to even hope. She remained stock still to hear the cyborg’s reply.
Djonwi put on the other goggles which were his usual pair and had less things flying around the HUD although, for now, he turned it off. He shook his head at Rihl’s question and sat back in his chair. “I rambling. You will like to ‘ave ze cake first and zen I say everysing?”
“Kark.” Aola whispered, both because Djonwi had changed the subject and because hot caf had just spilt onto her fingers. She carefully brought the pot of it to the small coffee table in the center of the chairs, and then retrieved some mugs. “Y-yes, I think that would be good. This cake is beautiful, Djonwi!” she smiled big, though tight-lipped as she sat down. “Um, can I have a little help?” she gestured with her hand; she didn’t trust herself to cut and serve without both hands.
Rihl doesn’t like having to wait much better than Aola does, but she is quick to help with both the caf and the cake. She did briefly twitch an eyebrow upward when Aola spat out that curse, but she doesn’t comment any further on it. “Just please don’t keep us waiting too long,” she says to Djonwi.
“If you insist,” the cyborg shrugs slightly and then, after a moment, says in a much more droid-like manner, his voice synthesiser only heightening the effect, “Statement: ze record lists slave I.D. number 20140521, Little Flower. Fift’ in ze experimental line of gene sequencing: Hybrid. Mother is I.D. number 20031219. Father is recorded as Tev’rin Culain.” The glow behind Djonwi’s goggles flash off and back on, his speech returning to normal. “Zat is what I find, Aola, Rihl.”
Aola hadn’t expected that. Her mug paused on its way to her lips and stayed there as she listened. It was…unsettling to hear her friend speak like a droid, but she knew this was just part of who he was, and she was resolved to accept it. The information though… she blinked several times, shaking her own head as though that could help what she’d just heard to make sense. “Gene sequencing? What does-” brain backfired. “My mother is, or maybe was a slave? And my father-” she whispered the name several times, tasting it on her tongue. The room became rather blurry and she had to set her mug down to wipe tears from her eyes.
Rihl has her head tilted to one side as she scratches the back of her head with the back end of her cake fork, trying to piece together the incomplete picture begun by the recitation. “So, she’s the fifth of an experimental hybrid…? Did it say anything about the others?” Aola was obviously a Twi’lek, and the father’s name was also obviously Twi’lek, so what kind of ‘hybrid’ was Aola then meant to be? And why does that name sound familiar? Rihl looks to see if Aola is about to need more support, and sets her cake down anyway so she can be ready if her friend does.
Djonwi picked up his mug of caf and took a few sips, and then shook his head. “Only zat zey no survive. And zer is some information on your—ah, implant, but is in ‘ere,” he tapped his datapad on the table. “I put together report to read easy, but all information I can pull up is zer.” He looked over at Aola and frowned. “I no can disable your transmitter. I believe it is attach to cybernetic zat keep you alive. But I believe I know somebody who can ‘elp; somebody more understand zis sing zan me.”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, so she ended up doing both. “I have a name. I have a family name!” Her joy was short lived, however. “A…cybernetic? I have something cybernetic inside me?” she shook her head, realizing how rude she was being. “I’m sorry, I’m being ungrateful. I…I can’t thank you enough, Djonwi. I can tell you’ve had to go through a lot to get this information.”
Rihl is gradually absorbing everything that’s being said, and what it entails for the past, present, and future. She has a smile on her face that echoes the combined happiness and sadness that Aola expresses upon learning of her family name. She picks her caf cup back up. “We owe you a great debt, Djonwi,” she adds her thanks to Aola’s. “What can we do for you in return for this matchless gift you’ve given us?”
“Usually wis moulee-rah,” Djonwi chuckled, and then waved a hand. “Zis all big job. I sink just keep debt. I may ask for favour in future. Nosing scary or terrible, I promise.” He smiled his usual friendly smile and took a bite of cake. “But no worry about zis now. Truly!”
Aola smiled sheepishly, remembering all that Djonwi had said the last time they’d spoken about the debt she would owe him. She too took a bite of her cake. “Mmm! Oh, this is delicious! Thank you Djonwi.” It truly was, and even sweeter because she hadn’t had to make it. She took a sip of her caf before continuing, “This is an incredibly big job. I’ve only been to see the holding cells myself a handful of times, but… I can only imagine how far this must go.” she frowned. “Can you tell me anything about the person who might be able to help me with the transmitter?”
Rihl is satisfied with the response. There’s not a great deal she would not be willing to do for Djonwi after this, assuming it would indeed be “nothing scary or terrible.” She thinks about what Aola said about the holding cells. The scale of it means a lot of people involved in keeping all those slaves, which means a lot of enemies to have to kill when it comes to the inevitable battle, whatever form that battle ends up taking. It will take a lot of… stamina. Fortunately, her body is strong, and the Force is limitless. But for now, just focus on the next step. She enjoys her cake and caf and listens expectantly.
“You are welcome,” Djonwi said cheerfully and sipped some of his caf. “And yes, zer is great amount of people if all data is correct. I ‘ope zat people I bring in will ‘elp pull it apart.” He nodded to himself. “I ‘ave in contact few people who maybe know about zis sing. One do recent work on mah processor, make me all fixed up. Ree nice-nice job. ‘E is Sit’, a Twi’lek Dart’. Nice zough and from Nar Shaddaa like mah’self. I will ask ‘im what ‘e know if ‘e can ‘elp. Anozer is Duros doctor, work wis cybernetics.”`
Aola’s eyes flicked to Rihl and back to Djonwi upon hearing that one of his contacts was a Darth. But she physically flinched when he said the word ‘doctor’. “Can you be sure the doctor’s not…” she shook her head. “I’m not doubting your vetting abilities. I’ve just been to so many doctors…” she shuddered. “I’m relieved to hear that you intend to take it apart, rather than just pull me out. I don’t think I could live with myself knowing all those people were still in there.”
Every new development bringing new people into it, and not just any people. “A Darth, you say,” she leans back in her chair. “What does he do? I mean, is he politically involved, or more of a lone operator, or something else?”
“E work wis cybernetic and droida, I sink,” Djonwi shrugged. “Duros guy unaffiliated. And no is officially truly doctor. One of zem Shaddaa people, you understand? ‘E is good zough. No steal organa.”
Aola laughed nervously to that. “I…I look forward to meeting them. And reading your report.” she said.
Rihl doesn’t ask how an alien, even a Twi’lek, got to be a Darth, or how Djonwi got an in with him. She has thoughts on the subject, but doesn’t see the need to speculate aloud. And while he didn’t directly answer her question, she thinks she has a good enough idea. “I rather do, too,” she agrees with Aola. “Are we going to have to move very far to see them, or will Aola be mostly staying here still?”
“I sink is better you stay around Nar Shaddaa,” Djonwi said. “More easy”—he’s interrupted by a yawn—”easy to blend in.” He stretches his feet out under the table and crosses them. “You are doing okay ‘ere, yes?”
“Yes, I am quite comfortable here. Thank you.” Aola said looking at Djonwi with concern. “But are you alright?”
Djonwi smiled and nodded. “No worry, I catch up on ze Z’s later,” he said.
“Working late?” Rihl probes. “Or having to take extra precautions? I can’t imagine they’d take kindly to having been hacked like this. If you think they’re on to you, let me know and I’ll try to take them off your tail. They already know my face; better I become their target than you.”
Aola looked horrified. “No! I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me, least of all you two.”
“We’re already in this,” Rihl blinks slowly at Aola. “Of course, we’ll all want to disappear without a trace once you’re free from his tether; else he could follow any of us back to you. I’m just talking about what else we may need to do to make sure you can have a clean break.”
Aola peered into her coffee mug, an uncharacteristic look of hatred crossing her face. “I don’t want a clean break. I want to destroy him and his empire. I want to tear him limb from limb and know that he’ll never hurt anyone ever again.”
That gets Rihl to show some teeth with her grin. “I’m with you there, ona, but it will be a lot harder to hurt him if we’re too busy having to run from him all the time. We will need freedom to choose where and how we hurt him.”
“Working late and precaution,” Djonwi said. “I sink everysing is okay; I use alias wis everysing. Mah name no connected nowhere.” He stretches a little and rubs his neck. “If we can destroy everysing, will be much much great, yes. I sinking, must create stir inside. Some confusion, so your escaping no so noticeable. Once you out of system, assemble, and remove zis master of yours and ‘is big experiment slave sing.”
Aola nodded, “I like the sound of that. If it can be done.” she frowned, reluctant to add, “We’ll have to be quick. Aiden was very unhappy with me when I checked in today. His Hutt account seems to have drawn some notice, and he suspects it is my doing. He’s demanding I return ‘home’ even though I’ve tried to convince him that I’m hot on the trail for a slave that escaped nearly two months ago. I hope she got off planet.”
“And ‘home’ is Coruscant, right?”
Aola nodded.
Rihl draws back her lips in a grimace. “There won’t be any saving you there. You’re right; we must be quick.”
Djonwi nodded and rubbed his chin. “Acknowledged and understood,” he said rather flatly. “I will contact mah people and we will come up wis ‘ow to properly and quickly infiltrate. Cut you out of system. I will ask Duros and Twi’lek if one can ‘elp wis your transmitter, and if so, I give you contact to zem to continue. Yes?”
She nodded once more, looking mollified. She hadn’t wanted to share that bit of information and make him work even harder than he already was. “Yes, thank you…” she frowned to her cake, taking another bite. “I feel that I’m being a terrible friend, and an even worse client. But… thank you, Djonwi, for giving me the best birthday present I could have ever hoped for.” she wasn’t referring to the cake.
Another question occurs to Rihl, and while it’s not very polite to cut in like this, she feels she should ask it while she’s thinking about it. “What might either of these other people expect from us in compensation for their help?”
Djonwi nods and smiles to Aola, and then turns to Rihl. “You owe nosing to zose who ‘elping me. Debts,” he said. “To whoever will work wis transmitter, you will need to discuss wis zem. But ze Twi’lek enjoy unusual sing. I bake ‘im cake to pay back because ‘e no want nosing. Duros—maybe want somesing.”
“I guess we’ll have to figure that out when the time comes,” Rihl remarks, thinking about how Sith this Twi’lek must really be if he just wants cake… but then, where does that leave her?
Aola muttered something unintelligible behind the rim of her mug, but the words “If only” and “Sith” were included. “I may have another source of help, if we find need for it. A friend of mine named Yuned’rar has offered to help any way he can. Not that I’m not trusting in your contacts, Djonwi,” she added hurriedly, “I only wanted to give full disclosure.”
“Dart’ Kindrak,” Djonwi said, “known also as Ixor’semo. ‘E is on ze HuttNet. I sink ‘e is pateessa wis zis Yuned’rar.” He had lowered his voice and concealed the slight nervousness it may have had. “Zat Sit’ Lord ‘as somesing against me. I no understand what. I never meet ‘im.”
“So we won’t mention your name to him, then?” Rihl said it as a question, wanting to know if that was what Djonwi wanted or thought was prudent, or if it mattered.
“Yuned’rar, not Ixor,” Djonwi cleared up.
“It’s a little too late for that.” Aola squeaked. “Sorry. I’m afraid I’ve already told him that you’re helping me.” she smiled apologetically to Djonwi. “I don’t really know what he may have against you either. But I have seen nothing but good things.” She blushed deep purple. “Yuned’rar feels strongly about seeing me free.”
“Him having been a slave himself helps,” Rihl adds.
Aola gave a brief glare at Rihl, having told her that in confidence.
Djonwi made a gesture of zipping his mouth. “I no tell nobody. And I trust ‘e no tell nobody what I do. If ‘e know of situation.”
Aola concentrated in thought, “I don’t think he would tell anyone, but all I’ve told him is that you’re helping me.”
“If things hit the fan, and all of us who are involved in this scheme become targets, there’s a chance it might force the two of you together, but I think if we’re careful, that won’t have to happen.”
The cyborg nodded and smiled. “Keep back-up plan in mind, yes. But I sink we be okay. Mi professional,” he said. “No sure what much else we can go over right now. Maybe I catch some Z’s and you go over report and data I find. See what zer is you know maybe. Find out somesing new.”
Aola nodded and stood to see him properly to the door. “The best professional. I hope you can rest well. And thank you again.” she smiled warmly, holding her right arm out in invitation for a hug. “Um, may I?”
Rihl nodded too, standing up alongside Aola and putting on her hood so she can go out the back way and make sure Djonwi makes it off the street unmolested. She doesn’t walk out just yet, though.
“I leave zis datapad wis you, no ‘olonet connection,” Djonwi said and stood up, putting his coat back on. He smiled and gave Aola a warm hug being mindful of her injuries. “You take care. Contact me if somesing ‘appen or if need anysing.” He put his empty bag over his shoulder and stepped over to Rihl and patted her on the back. “You take care too. Everysing be luto,” he said with a smile.`
She has a small but firm smile for Djonwi as well. “We will make it so.” Gathering her weapons, she begins to make her exit. Shrouded in her cloak, no one in the dark will be able to easily tell what she is, let alone who she is. “Be well, Djonwi.” Then, to Aola, “I’ll be right back.”
Aola nodded and waved a small goodbye to Djonwi. “Talk to you soon, mah pateessa.”
“You too,” Djonwi said and stepped out the door. “Dannapkan.”
In other things, I rolled another Twi'lek assassin because I love assassins and I love Twi'leks and ugh.
He – yes another guy, sorry – is deep blue, I think I gave him striped lekku, and he has vibrant green eyes. He can probably get tattoos later, I was just really undecided on it.
I reused the name Bril'liam from a previous Twi'lek sorc attempt, a lovely typo I had a while back for "brilliant", but "bril" was a Twi'lek name, so voilà!
At the moment, my initial thoughts for him are "attack dog" and nothing else yet. Right now I imagine he's vicious, but obedient – unlike Yun who's vicious when cornered and screw being obedient.
I would like to do a Master/Apprentice with him since I haven't done that at all and that'd be interesting if it could happen??
