[Day 2 - EN] The Darkest Hour

[Jabber]

Bowze was dumbfounded, his jaw dropped in shock

This is the resistance?

The tall nemoidian massaged his temples and took a deep breath

''You are planning...no planning is too generous...you are cobbling together a rescue mission with such dubious intel? No wonder everything is going to shit.''

The nemoidian tried to supress a rictus

''You people have absolutely no clue of what you are doing''

"As much as the gloomy naysayer is a gloomy naysayer, he has a point. We are running a pretty dire job light on prep and Intel. I mean if we have no choice, there's no choice, but I'll again ask when you want to do this. Because there's a party on a boat with a lot of local bigwigs tomorrow, and if anything will draw attention it's rich people actually in danger for a change."

Jabber looks around. "Not that any heroes would be getting their hands dirty, but it's happening either way. Use the distraction or don't."

[Verse Aura]

"Who'se Senator Organa?" Verse blinked, wondering what that was all about. "And what alliance?"

[Jurdak Surt]

Back in a dark corner Dak stood against a wall, not so much hiding as simply too upset for much talk. He had blocked out what he had seen so he could get things done that needed doing tonight but now that he was focused on it....well his Amber eyes almost glowed with his anger and his tail flicked in an agitated back and forth while he listened.

He had held out too long, kept quiet too long, tried to lay low for too long and while he kept his hide safe he allowed the empire to do what it wanted and now the Aznuri were devastated if not wiped out. He would likely never see their people again. His teeth, sharp and pointed, were bared fiercely as he thought about what they were proposing. Suicide maybe, but suicide that could actually do some good.

At mention if the senator's name Jurdak's head whipped to Verse and back to Rayne. Well things certainly just got interesting indeed

[Petrus Karath]

"Who'se Senator Organa?" Verse blinked, wondering what that was all about. "And what alliance?"

Petrus stopped glowering at Bowse long enough to glance at Verse. "Ummmm... he's a Senator. Worked with General Kenobi. He's pretty outspoken in the Senate, too." He frowned. "Why?"

[Xanna Teevou]

A garage was not the worst place to hold a secret meeting. Still, she had come to Weggs' prepared to go through the motions of being a down-on-her-luck mechanic. At least she had her own tools.

Weggs showed her through after figuring out that she was the blue woman who had stood up to Captain Hrugos. Flicking her eyes around the room she saw a few familiar faces. Yellow eyes settled on Mahon and she walked over to him.

"I heard you needed some help. So here I am."

[Bowze Coppa]

Yusnadr gestured for Bowze to come forward, "You obviously have something to say."

"I do" replied Bowze as he moved forward.

He looked at the crowd and barely repressed a sneer.

"The aznuri died because of you lot. Because you cannot see ahead... because all you can do is react, blinded by your emotions."

He paused and pointed upwards

"I am dead sure that, in a few days, at least one imperial star destroyer will be in orbit. Why am I sure? Because now the Empire knows for a fact that there is, once again, at least two Jedi on the planet and that they were aided by the planer's population."

He turned toward the young green woman with condescension

"All because of wanna be heroes"

He turned to the woman who called him forward.

"You do not need heroes, you need a plan. You need to stop being reactive. I happen to have an idea on how to proceed."

[Dapper Dog]

"Go on," she said dryly.

[Verse Aura]

"I don't know, he said..." she indicated toward Rayne with a nod, "...I mean in the vision? He was talking about an alliance and the senator. And the republic."

She was a little preoccupied with it, and so didn't immediately notice the other conversation happening. Until she got called out for being a wanna be hero or something.

"Huh? What? Hey!" She frowned, not really understanding what she'd done to be accused in this manner. "If we hadn't acted, the Aznuri would've lost one of their important leaders, and that after I'd promised to stand with them against the Sith. I wasn't going to just stand by and let people get killed. The Force brought me here for a reason."

[Petrus Karath]

"I don't know, he said..." she indicated toward Rayne with a nod, "...I mean in the vision? He was talking about an alliance and the senator. And the republic."

"You had a vision?" Petrus said, his eyebrows going up. "What did you see? Anything more specific?" His lips quirked wryly. He knew that the answer might very well be 'no'; visions were frighteningly vague sometimes. "Was he talking to Bail Organa?"

He put a hand on Verse's shoulder. "It's okay." He said. "We know who we are, and what we stand for. Others will see, in time."

[Jurdak Surt]

Jurdak took a deep breath before speaking up "Wanna be heroes is a little harsh but it wasnt smart to play your hand like that. We already have an imperial presence here and the more force users they know about the more likely they are to send more help, more inquisitors, maybe even Vader himself and we dont want that. I'm not saying we need to cower in a corner but we need to be smart. The deck is stacked against us already. No need to show our cards so early." He paused a bit "sorry for all the sabaac references just best way to get my point across." He said with a light chuckle hoping to break the tension.

[Sinnya]

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Yusnadr gestured for Bowze to come forward, "You obviously have something to say."

"I do" replied Bowze as he moved forward.

He looked at the crowd and barely repressed a sneer.

"The aznuri died because of you lot. Because you cannot see ahead... because all you can do is react, blinded by your emotions."

He paused and pointed upwards

"I am dead sure that, in a few days, at least one imperial star destroyer will be in orbit. Why am I sure? Because now the Empire knows for a fact that there is, once again, at least two Jedi on the planet and that they were aided by the planer's population."

He turned toward the young green woman with condescension

"All because of wanna be heroes"

He turned to the woman who called him forward.

"You do not need heroes, you need a plan. You need to stop being reactive. I happen to have an idea on how to proceed."

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to? My people died because the government troopers are in league with a skycursed Sith who decided to murder them." Sinnya's temper flared. "If it makes you feel better to think that could only happen to somebody who deserved it somehow, that's your business. But that's not a sign of being smart, you're just comforting yourself by closing your eyes."

She made a fist for emphasis, lekku twitching. "If you actually want to help, you can just make your suggestions about the plan without all this dewback dung. Otherwise, I may start wondering why you're really here."

Jurdak took a deep breath before speaking up "Wanna be heroes is a little harsh but it wasnt smart to play your hand like that. We already have an imperial presence here and the more force users they know about the more likely they are to send more help, more inquisitors, maybe even Vader himself and we dont want that. I'm not saying we need to cower in a corner but we need to be smart. The deck is stacked against us already. No need to show our cards so early." He paused a bit "sorry for all the sabaac references just best way to get my point across." He said with a light chuckle hoping to break the tension.

She glanced at Jurdak, a bit more sympathetically since he at least was someone she knew, but her blood was still up. "This isn't a game. It's people's lives. More were going to die if those two didn't help. Are you saying we all should have just let it happen?"

[Mahon Jiut]

Mahon said, "Look stranger I'm all for constructive criticism but you went over the line. Kriff, I'm gonna side with a Jedi doing right than some... Sleemo who wants to feel smarter than everyone else."

"It's done. These Jedi, Aznuri, Resistance and any other person that wants to fight the Empire is good in my book. You might have all the answers but you better apologize or get the kriff out because we don't need people like you."

"That goes for everyone, the Empire is the enemy."

[Astin Denive]

For the most part Astin sat in the back with his mouth shut. He didn't particuarly trust the imperial prisoner, especially since it seemed like the man was free and walkign around. He'd help out though if he could. Even if a bunch of em were likely to die, and it would end up being a fools errand.

[Jurdak Surt]

Jurdak shook his head "Not going to say they did anything wrong I would have helped if I had been able to but I took a blaster before that fight broke out." He smiled at Sinnya but it was a melancholy smile "I'm just saying moving forward we need to not draw so much attention to possible jedi here in town. I'm not going to ask who here that applies to just urging more caution in pulling out definite evidence that you are the exact thing that is being hunted. Learn to fight without your powers or your saber. Those things will just bring a fist down on us that will crush us. I'm here to help." He paused taking a deep breath his voice a little shaky "It took me too long to get here but after tonight I cant just sit on the sidelines anymore. I want to make them pay for what they've done. But to do that we have to be smart about it."

[Bowze Coppa]

"Go on," she said dryly.

He nodded towards the man identified as Rayne

''Not with a potentially compromised asset present.'' he then turned to the twilek and then Mahon ''Who am I? By the look of things this sleemo is the only one with actual military experience fighting against Jedi lead troops and...'' glaring at the painter ''...especially the only one here who can clain victory against them.''

He closed his eyes for a second and folded his arms into his sleeves. Taking a long breath.

''The cathari is right.'' his tone mellowed ''The azuri are not yet done suffering. Their ancestral lands may offer a degree of protection now but it will all be for naught against an orbital bombardment...and this must not come to pass.''

He waited for Rayne to be removed before speaking further.

[Verse Aura]

"We shouldn't fight amongst ourselves like this," she said when the words started flying, "that is what they want."

She didn't like what the nemoidan had said about her and Qareme, but she also knew that as a Jedi she was supposed to not let things devolve into fighting like this.

"You're right, it'd have been better if we could've saved Sister Viati without revealing ourselves as Jedi. But I also don't know how we'd have done that, as the Sith are too dangerous to face without fighting using our lightsabers and powers. Besides, I'm not sure that in the end it would really matter anyway, the Sith likely already knew there were Jedi on this world, or the Inquisitors would not have been here in the first place."

She took a moment to breathe before finishing what she was saying.

"I don't know what fighting smartly really means anyhow. I don´t think that´s even possible, not when facing the Sith. However smart you think a plan might be, they will be smarter, and it will all be meaningless. You´re underestimating them if you think otherwise. So it´s not about smart plans, it´s about trusting that the Force will see us through the dark times, and get us to where we need to be and do what we are meant to do."

[Dapper Dog]

The woman replied flatly, "I don't have time for this. Rayne, continue with the plan, stranger, you speak big but you're no one to me. I put my trust in what I can see and he helped us get out of the desert."

"If that's a problem for anyone, there's the door. It's done, we have people to save. That's it, this isn't run by committee."

[Sinnya]

"So you fought the Jedi... and that's supposed to make us trust you more?" Sinnya's skepticism as she addressed the so-far-unnamed Nemoidian could have cut glass. "Are you joking?"

"And you can stop talking about Aznuri people like we are not in the room," she added, gesturing sharply to bring attention to Ru'ni as well as herself. "We're right here. And I still haven't heard that apology Mr. Beard asked for."

She redirected her attention to Yusandr and Rayne... mostly.

[Astin Denive]

Seeing things devolving in much he same way that happened the day before. Astin closed his eyes and leaned farther into his seat, someone would likely wake him up if they needed him and it had been a really long day.

[Jenna Karath]

[[Possible to do some light security work from hiding? Jenna is, after all, able to find a good hiding place. Just not sure what rolls might be required.]]

[Bowze Coppa]

The cathari was right, they needed to be smart. Him included

''You wish an apology for the truth?'' he paused ''Very well. If I must show humility so that I have your ear then it will be done.''

The nemoidian joined his hands in front of his heart and bowed low

''I, Bowse Coppa, humbly ask for your forgiveness.''

[Ru'ni Wayne]

Ru'ni had spent a lot of time listening to the conversation and thinking before he decided to speak. Moving forward slowly, he stood before Bowse and grimaced as he crossed his arms, his wounds still raw and weeping from the battle.

"Bowse, you have come here to help, and we all appreciate this. There are many who have not come, and the Aznuri will remember that you came. I would ask though that you please show respect to the others that helped as well, the Empire were here long before they knew of these Jedi. They could have obliterated us from space many times before, but they haven't because we have something they want and I don't think they want to risk its destruction. I may be wrong, but we have lived with this threat for a while now, the escalation today just showed that their impatience is growing."

"Either way, our time is growing short, their resources grow and ours diminish by the day, I too would prefer more time to plan, we are a cautious and patient people, but sometimes one must play the hand one is dealt. We would hope you will stay, but will understand if you cannot have faith in this hasty plan and choose to walk away. We would only ask for your word on your silence."

[Jenna Karath]

She was worried, mostly for her brother, and from her location she had a good view of the area. So she took to taking a look around, to see if she could find anyone else that was spying on this little rendezvous.

She didn't, but she might have noticed something...

[I forget what advantage on a perception roll gives, but I've got one!]

Day 2, Darkest Hour | Perception vs ???: 1eP+2eA+2eC+1eD 1 failure, 1 advantage

[Mianerra Tavvos]

"Ru'ni is right," Mia said, finally entering into the picture. She walked up, hands in her pockets, appraising everyone gathered. "Sorry I'm late, I only caught the last bits."

Mia shook her head with a solemn grin.

"I thought I had more than a day here before the Empire would start attacking people. It won't stop with the Enclave and we don't have time for perfect plans.

"But much as we are all bickering, let's not forget what just happened at the Enclave. People who owed the Aznuri nothing came to help. None of us is alone in this fight and there are more of us out there.

"I've been working on recruiting them. Ru'ni has agreed to do what he can, the infamous Floats, the doctor from the clinic, the reporter with the two droids. I hear there are Mandalorians about, and after the Siege of Mandalore, I can't imagine they're too keen on Imperials.

"We easily outnumber the Empire, in both manpower and spirit. We just need to gather munitions to even the odds. We broadcast our victory here to the rest of the galaxy and the Empire won't be able to concentrate solely on us.

"Heck, we might be the only planet willing to pay the price of freedom, but I'm willing to bet we're not."

[Bowze Coppa]

Those who could feel what was brewing beneath Bowze's troubled mask could a turmoil of emotions, anger, fear, despair, sadness erase themselves within regret. Depths of it.

''One needs not have a good hand to be creative with a bluff.'' he said, defeated ''You have chosen you course of action and I pray I am wrong.''

He lowered his head

''You need not fear me speaking, I despise the Empire and they would have my head if they could.''