Shadows of Bankor

With the kitchen in good hands and running smoothly Xanna had packed up a batch of her now famous Nerf stew, plus a bullgoat curry, and left town with Jenna in a rented speeder. It would draw less attention than the Warrior's Heart.

It did not take too long for them to find the approximate location that Chib had described. She made a point of being very obvious as they approached. There would be lookouts, and she wanted them to know she was here to talk, not to cause trouble.

Her new black and grey outfit felt very comfortable. It was reasonably flattering to her figure and provided more protection than was apparent at first glance. It looked like an activewear jumpsuit, but functioned more like armour. With her tools, glow rod, and food delivery all ready to go she looked at Jenna and said "Well then, may the Force be with us." before they slowly approached the outlaw settlement.

Jenna asked to drive, of course, she wasn't exactly the type that found herself comfortable with someone else in control. Though, she hadn't really ever practiced with a speeder before and thus Xanna was quite easily able to convince her to take a back seat in this one since Xanna was the one who knew where to go and how. Having put up a bit of a fuss at the start she was quick enough to settle down, instead learning the pathways Xanna was taking as she took them.

"Whatever helps," she said, at the comment. Dressed similarly to her partner, in a sense, but the outfit was far less functional and at least a bit less flattering. However, it looked nice and new, and that seemed to please Jenna to no end.

The guards speak harshly, "You look lost travelers."

Xanna gave her friend a nod. "Well your being here helps greatly if I am completely honest Jenna. It is good to have your company." Also her friend had a set of skills that she didn't completely understand yet, and they were shipmates now so it was a good opportunity to get to know her, and them, better.

"Also you can drive us home again. Promise." She flashed a smile and looked around for any sign of a welcoming committee.

Dapper Dog wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2020 12:39 am

The guards speak harshly, "You look lost travelers."

Xanna shook her head. "It may surprise you to hear it, but we are exactly where we need to be. Please let the Bone King know that he has visitors, and that they have brought his Nerf Stew."

They call it in and then gesture for them to follow one of the guard to the King.

She thanked the guards then looked at Jenna. "He says my Nerf Stew reminds him of his mama's recipe."

Hopefully he would be able, or willing to help. You never knew with Scoundrels, but she had a good feeling about this one.

The King smiled and said, “Well if it isn’t my favorite stew maker, what brings you to my new palace?” he said with a broad if tired smile.

That was exactly what she would have expected, in a fever dream. Xanna making friends with all sorts of highly placed folk based off the merits of her soup. It was enough to get a chuckle out of Jenna, and a nudge to Xanna while they were moved toward their ultimate destination.

Wasn't much her place to say anything more, yet, so she'd taken to examining the surrounding area to get a read on just what type of person this supposed King was.

Xanna allowed him a brief smile and set down the big container. "I thought you could use some more stew. I even brought my bullgoat curry for you to try." She gestured to Jenna. "This is my good friend Jenna, Jenna meet the Bone King."

She looked him in the eye. "I thought we should talk. Maybe there is nothing that can be done about our mutual Imperial problem. Or perhaps there are ways that we can help each other?"

He gestured for his people to bring plates. The surroundings were just a large cave with a rug and some stones used for chairs. He grinned and said, “You want to kick Imperials in the nethers yes?”

There was something that just felt... off, though she trusted Xanna, a man like this, with this amount of power, seemed to be living rather too humbly for her tastes. That humbleness made her uneasy, like she was missing something importsnt. Perhaps, however, she thought the gaudiness of the Hutts had merely corrupted her expectations a bit.

"It's a pleasure to meet a king," she had added when she was introduced.

"King... handsome man, if you wish call me Usef, as my mother named me," he said wistfully.

Dapper Dog wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2020 3:07 am

He gestured for his people to bring plates. The surroundings were just a large cave with a rug and some stones used for chairs. He grinned and said, “You want to kick Imperials in the nethers yes?”

"Usef then, and yes. I think you have grasped the situation quite eloquently. I am looking for possible allies." She smiled and started pouring the soup into bowls.

"The Empire has been a problem for you. All that time in your kingdom and then they come for you. Yet you survived, the Empire and the Hutts. Did you know that there are Jedi on the planet now? Maybe you would aid them, or help the Resistance?" She looked at him curiously. "Maybe you found something that would be useful amongst the wreckage? I do not know, but you seem a resourceful man."

"Usef," she said, with a little charmed smile. Though while Xanna made her play, Jenna got to wandering around the space a bit, feeling out the room. Supposing she wasn't really here to start up any crazy conflict against the Empire herself, but to help a friend, she somewhat separated herself from the plea. Far as she was concerned, she didn't quite want to make a plea as such, after all one of those very Jedi were her brother and that meant trouble for her and her family.

Trouble that came with too great of a cost, and something she quite liked to avoid considering. Still, she was a friend, and a friend helped friends, so she wasn't getting to interrupting anything.

“Jedi… now that is interesting, they fight in them wars against the clones? With the clones? There were clones yes? Jedi are strong warriors I hear, they have the light swords yes, go vwoom vwoom, thought they all die. You bring me Jedi and I might be convinced. Resistance is good but they don;t always like my methods, say King too cruel, I say this is war,” he responded.

Xanna looked at Jenna and then back at the King. "They fought alongside the clones against the droid armies of the Separatists. Then the clones turned on them. It seems it was all a trick to get rid of the Jedi and let the Empire take over. But they are not all dead, that is just what the Empire wants people to believe."

She paused for a long moment. "So you say meeting a Jedi would convince you?"

(OOC: Is there anyone else in the room now besides Jenna, Usef, and me?)

Jenna turned at the question, the pause, and crossed her arms to take a much harder and more rigid stance. Xanna might have known, and that might complicate things, so her mind went wild for a moment and started connecting the possibilities of where Xanna might actually be going with this. Naturally, her fear seeped in first, and all the bad ideas, the ones that put her family in danger, came flooding in first.

The King smiled, there were two guards wearing masks watching the room but it was just them.

"Would you indulge me a little privacy Usef? The matter of the Jedi is extremely sensitive and I would prefer to share my information with you alone." She gestured towards his guards, at which point she saw Jenna's reaction and shook her head slightly.

Xanna Teevou wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 04, 2020 6:15 am

"Would you indulge me a little privacy Usef? The matter of the Jedi is extremely sensitive and I would prefer to share my information with you alone." She gestured towards his guards, at which point she saw Jenna's reaction and shook her head slightly.

"Sure, just because you ask so nicely," he gestured for his guards to leave them.

Jenna calmed, a little, but mostly cause she trusted her well enough. After all, she'd known Xanna first as a pillar of the community and then, as time went on, more and more she became something of a friend. Wasn't something she was used to having, as her life showed, at least not real ones. Really, she wasn't even sure if she was jumping the gun on that designation but supposed that mattered less the more she thought about it and eventually cut off the thought.

It was so funny to her that she almost laughed. Diplomacy is the true method of the Jedi, the lightsaber is the weapon of last resort. Today though it seemed as though the weapon was the diplomatic route to obtaining an ally. Would Master Hin approve? She decided it was important enough to try.

"I am sorry Jenna. I wanted to tell you before, but...I wanted to keep you safe. Now though, I think we are approaching desperate times. You see Usef..."

With the guards out of the room and the King looking expectant, awaiting some sort of information, she stood up from the stone. There was a blur of motion. A distinctive snap-hiss. The room filled with a yellow glow.

"...I was not always a chef."

Of.

Course.

Every thought hit her in an instant, the connections, seeing her at the meetings, the way that Xanna could match the philosophy of what Petrus told her about the Jedi, even if she seemed to have a better head on her shoulders sometimes, everything. Even, the other half, the worry, the fear, how this just meant that another facet of her life, the teasing idea that they might be able to start anew somewhere and forget the Empire, the Empire wanted to hunt almost everyone she cared about at this point.

What that meant, she didn't know yet, but the thoughts came quick and then she stowed them away because her reaction wasn't what was on her mind anymore. With all the flowing thoughts, emotions, fears, she immediately looked toward Usef. How he reacted, that would have to determine how she did right now, right here, just in case.

Jenna just had one more person she felt she needed to protect, someone that maybe she could help.

If she could figure out how.

"Aha! You have the thing, the light-thing, now I see. A Jedi yes, well now this is quite the surprise! My good friend a Jedi, yes!" He clapped appreciatively and then said, "You are in dangerous place Empire no like you more than me, which means we have same enemy, which means we should be friends," he offered.

There was a zoom sound as she deactivated the weapon, returning a glow rod to her belt. She gave Jenna a slightly apologetic smile.

"Yes Usef. Your good friend is a Jedi, and the Empire is our shared enemy. Let us be friends." She held out her hand to shake on it. "I will still bring you stew when I can. Now, the Empire wishes to end you, and all my kind. We must find a way to prevent that. Your help would be most appreciated. What do you suggest?"