Don't shoot, we're not vandals. [D7, MM]

[Verse Aura]

Was something different about Verse? Maybe. Maybe she'd grown a little in some imperceptible way these past few weeks? Something was different, yes, but simultaneously, she was exactly the same as she'd been all along. It was the kind of change/non-change that might totally frustrate a scholar used to clearly delineated changes-in-state.

"That's it," she pointed at the horizon, "Isn't it? Do you think they'll let us land?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"Let's find out," said Vaya, finding it easy to not let her nervousness show, as the older and more worldly of the two. She opened up a channel, hoping her past association with Vandil would get them permission to land.

[Dapper Dog]

A female voice answered, "You are approaching the Pleasure Palace of Vandil, please announce your business or be prepared to die, thank you."

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya flinched slightly, but leaned over to speak into the comm. "This is Vaya Mer'darrow, once of service to her Exaltedness. Myself and a companion seek to consult the knowledge of her enterprises." She flinched at the awkwardness of that improvised phrase, and released the comm. Looking at Verse, she said "Have you given any thought about what you might be able to give them in return?"

[Verse Aura]

"Uhm..." she really hadn't. It wasn't that she was stupid; all signs to the contrary; she just didn't know what a Padawan could offer, especially without coming out and saying she's a Jedi. Plus, she believed in the power of the Force; it would find a way to show her the path forward. Everything would work out, somehow.

"...No?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya shrugged. "It can help to know ahead of time how much it's worth to you, so you don't get taken for too much." She thought about saying more, but listened instead for the reply over the comm.

[Dapper Dog]

"You have permission to land, dock Besh 3, keep weapons powered off," the voice replied.

[Verse Aura]

"It's worth a lot to me," she said. "But it's also worth nothing, if the price is something that'll lead me closer to the Dark Side. So... I guess it depends on what they're asking."

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

"You have permission to land, dock Besh 3, keep weapons powered off," the voice replied.

"Yes, palace, coming in as ordered." She gestured to Verse to do the flying.

"It's worth a lot to me," she said. "But it's also worth nothing, if the price is something that'll lead me closer to the Dark Side. So... I guess it depends on what they're asking."

Vaya gave an exaggerated wince, to make sure that Verse got the point. "Well, don't tell them that. The first part." She let her face relax. "They'll have you over a barrel. We'll tell them it's of scholarly interest, and if they press, we'll imply we hope to find treasure." She tapped her cheek with one finger, looking at Verse and frowning slightly. "That second part, the nothing part, that's good, kid. Solid. Hold on to that."

[Verse Aura]

"If we say we're hoping to find treasure, won't they then want a cut of the treasure?"

She took the proverbial wheel of the ship; she was not a skilled pilot, but she managed to take the TBD in without too much trouble.

"And just to be clear, there is no treasure, right?"

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya shrugged. "You'd know better than me. But if we promise them a cut, and come back with nothing?" she shrugged again. "You do the math." She got up and headed to the ramp.

[Verse Aura]

"I hate math," she said, following Vaya to the ramp, and then down said ramp. Hopefully she wouldn't catch a face-full of blaster fire the moment the door slid open.

[Dapper Dog]

Four guards wait for them and then turned gesturing for them to follow to the reception hall.

[Verse Aura]

Verse gave them all a wave and smile. Just because they were criminals didn't mean they couldn't appreciate a little friendliness. Regardless of their response, she'd follow them without any issue.

[Vandil]

They are brought into an art gallery with beautiful works of art including a near 3 meter statue of a muscular trandoshan male in the nude. Vandil appeared from behind it and said, “You have come to me, I am assuming you bring tribute arriving here unannounced.”

[Verse Aura]

Well, there was no accounting for taste, some people might say. Before today, Verse didn't know much about art. Or Trandoshin anatomy for that matter. She wasn't sure if the knowledge she was gaining in the moment was a worthwhile replacement for her ignorance. Thankfully, someone she assumed was Vandil; from the way she spoke; appeared as a distraction.

"Oh hello!" She smiled and gave the woman a wave that was as enthustiastic as the one she'd given the guards earlier. "I'm Verse. This is Vaya. Wait, what do you mean, 'unannounced'? We told the woman on the radio we were coming."

Hopefully her infinite cheeriness was disarming somehow.

[Vandil]

She does not look amused and said, “You come to my home, without cause and do not bring tribute? You must have a death wish.”

[Verse Aura]

When people weren't amused by Verse, it was generally just a matter of trying harder. Smiling wider.

"Well we *have* cause," she said with her innocent smile and looked around, "I mean, we need your help after all. I didn't realize we were expected to bring tribute. I'm sorry, I don't usually do this sort of thing. And I'm not sure where I'd even get naked Trandoshan art on this planet. It must've cost a fortune to import. You must really be into Trandoshans huh?"

She was *trying* to be nice.

(maybe a Charm attempt to endear her to Verse a little?)

[Dapper Dog]

OOC: One red and two purple with a setback for the chipper attitude.

[Verse Aura]

She failed to endear herself to Vandil. But at least she didn't make things actively worse than they already were... probably?

Charm: 2eA+1eC+2eD+1eS 3 failures

[Vandil]

She looked at Vaya her eyes narrowing.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya had been frozen, first in wonder at Vandil’s statuary, then in horror as Verse… kept… talking. Finally she shook off her paralysis and broke in.

“Greetings, Lady Vandil,” she said, putting her hands together and bowing. She had originally planned to just do so shallowly from the waist, but in the pressure of the moment her mind flashed to something she had read once and she went for the third degree of prostration (as delineated by the Spinward Orthodox Dim-U sect). Verse got a kick to the ankle if she didn’t follow suit.

“Please forgive the free tongue of my young friend.” Verse was lucky she didn’t get downgraded to the more cut-looseable acquaintance or business associate. “She has yet to learn that if she is to reach the age of wisdom, she must first practice discretion.” She still hadn’t risen from her bow, and if Verse tried to, she got another kick. “We seek to honor you both with tribute and with opportunity. As for the first…”

Ooc: Could I make a streetwise check to have anticipated this need and have brought something? Converting credits to objects as necessary, but I probably had some liquor or rhyscake or something from the 100 credits of stuff I brought for the Hbande and only ever ended up using as Swoopwing bait. If that’s not a roll I can make, flip a destiny to do the same?

[Vandil]

Vandil nodded and said, "You have my attention."

OOC: Sure, she can have something useful to offer as tribute.

[Verse Aura]

"Ow, hey," came out of her before she realized that she too was expected to bow.

And then another 'ow' as she tried to rise too soon.

[Vaya Mer'darrow]

Vaya moved slowly and without rising from her bow, so as not to get shot by guards no-doubt made twitchy by the brewing war with the Disciple. She retrieved a small glass bottle of Whyren’s reserve left over from her visit to the Hbande. Less than a quarter of a liter, it had cost almost as much as the rest of the trade goods, luxuries, and cucklu fish altogether. She held it up in both hands for inspection or retrieval.