Take Me To Your Leader [D4 ME]

[Verse Aura]

Verse walked along, curioser and curioser as to what was happening. At least nobody was expecting her to do the talking, that would've gone really wrong... probably. And it gave her the opportunity to open herself up to the Force, to get a sense of what was really going on.


(Would like to use Sense Emotions on the sister?)

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"I would love to meet your famous swoopwings!" Sinnya said with absolute sincerity. "I'm sure everyone else would, too..."

Vaya nodded enthusiastically, trying to make good, positive eye contact with “Older Sister,” while her antennapalps fluttered like small birds taking in the rest of the room. I doubt the troopers want to get too close to them, which might give us an opening to talk.

"Your guests carry a lot of weapons, Older Sister. I hope you have not been having troubles with predators." Sinnya looked around the inside of the large structure, mentally comparing the Chaldi style of building and decorating to other tribes, like the Orosini, with whom she'd had more frequent encounters. "There was a great earthquake on the big continent a few hours ago, the kind of thing my Ma would say meant the Planet is disturbed--in the old stories anyway."

Oh, good. Vaya gave Sinnya an encouraging smile. As Verse’s friend and roughly similar in age, and with a first encounter where Sinnya had been (justifiably) irritable, Vaya had initially worried that only she and Jenna would have both guile and sense on this expedition. Even during the planning stages, though, all her interactions with her guide had left her feeling better and better about getting her on the expedition. And she had to admit, the kid was better at social graces than she was, even before adjusting for cultural ties.

She glanced at the two Padawans (or “Academy students,” in the private code of herself with the Karath family), both of whom had remained silent. Silent was a good baseline, but she raised her eyebrows at them. Then waggled them. “The hospitality of the Chaldi is excellent, is it not?” she said, a little stilted. Any insight from the, You Know, Whatever?

Ooc: I don’t want to exceed the local customs for density of rolls, but if there’s anything in Sister Tirali’s reaction to Sinnya’s probe, that’d be interesting (Perception?). Also, if a social check of some kind is desired by the Dapper, I think we figured that the combined Twi’lek-Balosar pool for Charm is 1eP+2eA+1eB.

[Dapper Dog]

Verse walked along, curioser and curioser as to what was happening. At least nobody was expecting her to do the talking, that would've gone really wrong... probably. And it gave her the opportunity to open herself up to the Force, to get a sense of what was really going on.


(Would like to use Sense Emotions on the sister?)

OOC: Make the Sense Emotions as a Force check but the Difficulty is 2 red and a purple.

"I would love to meet your famous swoopwings!" Sinnya said with absolute sincerity. "I'm sure everyone else would, too..." The glance she cast over her shoulder at the others was less certain than her words. Vaya had impressed upon them all that the swoopwings were supposed to be important to the Chaldi, but Sinn wasn't sure how each of her offworld companions would react when actually face-to-face with enormous Leathery-Winged Avians (TM).

"Your guests carry a lot of weapons, Older Sister. I hope you have not been having troubles with predators." Sinnya looked around the inside of the large structure, mentally comparing the Chaldi style of building and decorating to other tribes, like the Orosini, with whom she'd had more frequent encounters. "There was a great earthquake on the big continent a few hours ago, the kind of thing my Ma would say meant the Planet is disturbed--in the old stories anyway."

“The city of Rygor is a place of wickedness, thankfully with the Imperial influence things should get better, we are not surprised the land rebels against the people who challenge the authority of the Empire. Times change, and we must adapt along with them,” she said offering her guests food.

“Our swoopwings are the pride of the tribe, we can visit them after we shared food little Sister.”

She then greeted a grizzled man, a laowai by the look of him followed by four stormtroopers, “Commander Poule, I am glad you could join us. Commander Poule is a dear friend of the Chaldi.”

CommanderPoule.jpg (18.59 KiB) Viewed 7537 times

Poule nodded, “Greetings, and welcome, I am humbled by the kind words Sister Tirali.” He then moved to stand behind the sister and watched the room calmly.

“So, did you come all this way to see our swoopwings, little Sister?” Tirali asked.

[Verse Aura]

Verse continued walking on, silent, as she felt the sister's emotions.

Sense Emotions, Discipline I believe?: 2eP+1eA+1eF+2eC+1eD 1 success, 1 threat, 1 Light Side

[Verse Aura]

She took note of what she was feeling, and of the fact she'd been noticed taking note. Her attention then drifted, briefly, to Vaya's question.

"Hmmm? Yes, very accomodating," she said, looking toward Sister Tirali then. "You seem to run this place quite well. Have you been in charge long? I just realized there's so much I don't know about how your people handle leadership."

[Dapper Dog]

She took note of what she was feeling, and of the fact she'd been noticed taking note. Her attention then drifted, briefly, to Vaya's question.

"Hmmm? Yes, very accomodating," she said, looking toward Sister Tirali then. "You seem to run this place quite well. Have you been in charge long? I just realized there's so much I don't know about how your people handle leadership."

“I am one of the elders, I speak for their ancestors and know the old ways of the Calm, but I do not lead as you laowai like to lead. It was my words that swayed our people to see reason and work with the Empire, and we have prospered for it,” she said looking at Verse.

“Resistance only brings sorrow and misery.”

[Verse Aura]

"Hmmm," she said with a contemplative look, "I do not think that's entirely true. I think you do lead here, in a fashion, and that you take pride in your accomplishments as a leader. The Empire can bring many changes to the fortunes of the many of course. And the few."

[Sinnya]

Sinnya's right lek twitched uneasily as she picked up on what Verse was laying down. It would fit with the sense of discontent and division she'd noticed outside in the village before they'd entered this building, with the handful of houses guarded by teams of troopers and Chaldi as though someone was locked up inside. But it went against everything she could imagine or expect from an Aznuri elder like Sister Tirali.

The outsiders' world of bosses and owners and sole rulers who declared their own authority had no proper place among the People... right?

[Jenna Karath]

There was something familiar, she felt, something that touched on a memory of how certain people operate that sparked her attention.

Following that thread she took casual glances around, confirming, if she could, the thought that seemed ever so presently now on her mind...

Day 4, ME | Streetwise vs Average: 1eP+2eA+2eD 3 successes, 1 threat

[Jenna Karath]

"I'm sorry," she perked up and chimed in, "but I'm not as accustomed to your people as my friends here. Yet," she inclined her head in the direction of the sister, "I would love to hear more about your people from a direct source. I hear your birds are marvel's, of course, we've spoken of them some already but I was wondering what else the Chaldi people consider their strength if you would permit me the thought?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya sent a quelling look Verse’s way, but it was actually mostly for Tirali’s benefit, in case she took offense. The kid had been way less foot-in-mouth than she had feared, and Vaya was interested to see how she would respond to Verse and Jenna’s probing.

[Dapper Dog]

"Hmmm," she said with a contemplative look, "I do not think that's entirely true. I think you do lead here, in a fashion, and that you take pride in your accomplishments as a leader. The Empire can bring many changes to the fortunes of the many of course. And the few."

“Well laowai, what you perceive and what is are not the same thing… I could say I perceive you to be gifted and perhaps one of the Jedi the Empire is hunting but I am sure we both know that isn’t the truth, yes?” Tirali offered.

“My people seek my guidance, I give them that. I enjoy helping my people, I take pride in my contributions.”

To Jenna she offered, “We Chaldi are known as skilled hunters and warriors and no tribe willfully goes to war with us for what we have. We chose this location because we knew it would be both beautiful and easily defensible. We ride the swoopwings as those who came before because they bring us closer to the skys, we do not live trapped under the mighty trees.”

“Other tribes grow jealous of our many gifts,” she finished.

[Jenna Karath]

"Not a people easy to cow into submission," she says, respectfully inclining her head toward the sister once more. Though, it was a show, of course, one she knew to play among those like this but maybe she could yet get her message as well to the crew.

Otherwise she would need to wait, wait for a moment she could speak openly.

"I would love to see these swoopwings of yours, majestic creatures from the sound of it. Strong too, I assume? If only to match the ferocity and courage of your people?"

[Verse Aura]

Verse wasn't sure what to make of those words. Was it a threat? It sure sounded like one. Or maybe it wasn't. But what if it was?

She decided it best to let others speak for now though, not confident that she wouldn't screw this up in some majestic manner if she decided to take charge of the conversation. Hopefully the others could steer this encounter into a direction that would let them get what they came here for without giving anything away to the empire.

[Dapper Dog]

"Not a people easy to cow into submission," she says, respectfully inclining her head toward the sister once more. Though, it was a show, of course, one she knew to play among those like this but maybe she could yet get her message as well to the crew.

Otherwise she would need to wait, wait for a moment she could speak openly.

"I would love to see these swoopwings of yours, majestic creatures from the sound of it. Strong too, I assume? If only to match the ferocity and courage of your people?"

"Well if you have eaten your fill then follow me," she offered as she rose the Commander following her.

[Jenna Karath]

Jenna stood, with a goal in mind she cast her glance to the rest of the team and offered a smile. Focusing, again, on the woman she'd keep the initiative as long as she could hold it.

"Thank you," she said, walking closer so that it was a respectable following distance, "and might I inquire about your friend here? A friend of the people," she mused with a smirk, "I am most curious what he might have done to gain that friendship."

[Sinnya]

As the group made their way outside again, Sinnya let herself drop behind the Sister and her imperial shadow, enough to nudge Vaya and unobtrusively flick one lek at the oddity she'd noticed on their way in--the buildings guarded by mixed groups and the general atmosphere of tension. She figured Vaya could convey this to Qareme and Verse as she trotted back up to the front of the pack to continue the conversation with Tirali and Jenna.

The people are wary, but she does notice that the majority here seem to be fine with the Imperials, but there is a tension in the air that not everyone is okay with it and there seems to be a high concentration of soldiers guarding some buildings more than others, Aznuri and storm trooper alike... maybe house arrest? It's a foreign concept but maybe the tribe is split? It is a possibility.

"Among the Sky-Called, people say the Chaldi are guardians of the old ways and old knowledge. Funny that other tribes would bother you anyway," she mused aloud, looking ahead eagerly for another glimpse of the swoopwings. "The forest is big and there's enough to go around, as my Ma used to say. No need to be jealous as long as nobody is taking more than her share."

[Dapper Dog]

He responded as the woman gestured to him, “Thank you ma’am, Commander Poule of the 456th Special Operations Battalion, as for what I did it was the Aznuri that reached out to us and we rendered support and since then we have shown them that the Empire is not here to change their lives, but better it, improve conditions on the ground.”

“We provide tactical assessment data and field support, it’s been a good partnership.”

They are brought before the swoopwings, which give a loud keening song as the stranger approach.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

“Well laowai, what you perceive and what is are not the same thing… I could say I perceive you to be gifted and perhaps one of the Jedi the Empire is hunting..."

Vaya could feel her antennapalps trying to flinch back into her skull, but she didn't let them.

...but I am sure we both know that isn’t the truth, yes?” Tirali offered.

She tried to breathe normally, and to smile pleasantly.

As the group made their way outside again, Sinnya let herself drop behind the Sister and her imperial shadow, enough to nudge Vaya and unobtrusively flick one lek at the oddity she'd noticed on their way in--the buildings guarded by mixed groups and the general atmosphere of tension. She figured Vaya could convey this to Qareme and Verse as she trotted back up to the front of the pack to continue the conversation with Tirali and Jenna.

Vaya chatted in tutor-ish sort of way to the two younger women, pointing out architectural features and such of the buildings Sinnya had indicated, and others besides. She wasn't sure whether or not they'd get the idea, but it was better than risking anything more blatant.

“Thank you ma’am, Commander Poule of the 456th Special Operations Battalion... We provide tactical assessment data and field support, it’s been a good partnership.”

"Have you been on Bankor long, Commander?" she asked politely, racking her brain for anything she remembered about anything military -- his name, his unit, what exactly he had just told them about what they were doing. It'd never been a part of history that interested her, and the Clone Wars had seemed unlikely to affect her, but she had spent some time embedded in a military-adjacent part of the bureaucracy

ooc: Know - Warfare? Difficulty?

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: Average Knowledge Warfare check.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

All these square-jawed gaberwool wearing meatheads look the same to me.

D4ME who's this stupid sexy Imperial? (avg warfare): 4eA+2eD 0 successes, 2 advantage

[Dapper Dog]

"Have you been on Bankor long, Commander?" she asked politely, racking her brain for anything she remembered about anything military -- his name, his unit, what exactly he had just told them about what they were doing. It'd never been a part of history that interested her, and the Clone Wars had seemed unlikely to affect her, but she had spent some time embedded in a military-adjacent part of the bureaucracy

ooc: Know - Warfare? Difficulty?

"Seventeen months in total ma'am," he said in response. "I can't get into any operational information classified, but it's been a good assignment. Unusual but good. Be careful of the swoopwings ma'am, they are tame but they like to bite and they can rip a man's arm clean off, would be a shame to see any of you get hurt."

"Partnering with the Chaldi has expanded our capabilities in this theater, and they are if I can be frank ma'am, fun to ride."

[Jenna Karath]

"Never ridden something quite like it before," Jenna stepped back in, "but they must be wonderful creatures. I wonder what that feels like, to ride one. The view from the back of one of them must be unbelievable."

[Dapper Dog]

"Well ma'am, it can be intense and riding is a bit tricky, you don't sit on them the harness is designed that you are nearly prone so the wings are less restricted. Takes a great deal of practice, the Chaldi start when young, but we didn't have that luxury," he said moving over to one of the creatures and petting it's feathered flank.

It crowed loudly and then he coaxed it to show the harness and demonstrate how to mount it. He continued, "Once in place then it is a simple matter of using commands, typically if on the forest floor they need a little room to run forward and then launch, up high we do what's call a dead man's fall. Either way, you need a strong stomach to ride a swoopwing."

He dismounted and added, "They are predators so always a little danger but these have been bred for speed and loyalty, according to the Chaldi."

[Verse Aura]

Verse, maybe getting it... or maybe just being curious on her own accord, let the rest of the group move on and talk about animals and riding things... while she tried to fall back a little, undetected... to check out some of those buildings that Vaya had pointed out to her. Maybe she could look inside without anyone knowing?