The Star Wars Iconic Characters and the Lords of the Expanse: Hunting Grounds (cont.)

[Arani Korden]

"If I am required, I will be stationed there."

Arani grins.

"And if you need us, we'll be stationed over here."

And with that, she lets him go. She's dying to hear how his shooting match went, but since she's trying to make a point to Sia . . .

Speaking of whom, Arani turns back to the Jedi. "Case in point. We could try to drag Vor'en back over here and make him sit with us, but that would just make him surly. Instead, we should stay here and have a good time. Make him want to join us. He won't join us, but we want him to want to."

 

[Pbartender]

Kelko shrugs nonchalantly. Knowing he'd lose it all in the end anyway kept his spirits from rising too high. "Suppose so," he offers casually. "So you come to the hunts to hob-nob and gossip, huh? Hear anything interesting?"

"Oh not so much yet, a few of us have yet to arrive," the Baron replies genially. "Though, I have had a glance at Lord Tassotto's trained vorskrs and they do look a rabid lot. Like as not they'll bite his own head off, mark my words... And the gall of House Barnaba sending a hired mercenary! You know I heard that Assadi fellow use to work for some crime cartel or other. Still might, for all we know... And in all the years I've been attending the Vor-cal, the Mrrlsst Academy has never participated. Dr Ae-Sook's probably here to beg for a research grant from one the richer nobles, I'd wager... And have you noticed how Lord Appolonari's droid stutters? It been doing that for years. I don't know why he doesn't get that fixed. Or at least upgrade to a more reliable model..." Throughout the game, Miss Prokofiev has said very little, but she smiles amusedly at Baron Baggley's proselytizing as if she'd heard all before.

During the third round, Kelko loses a little money to the Baron, but is still ahead overall.

 

[Kelko]

"It should be easily repairable," Kelko agrees, fixing his liquid coal eyes on the stuttering droid and drawing on his technical knowledge. "Vocalizers aren't all that expensive, really. It'd be chump change to a Noble. I'd guess Lord Appolonari either doesn't mind the quirk or just can't be bothered to fix it."

The Rodian visibly relaxes after he loses the next game. "That's more like it," he states to no one in particular. He's quick to join the next game, however. He might as well keep pumping the Baron for information, so that some good could come from all of this.

"Tell me more about Barnaba's mercenary. I take it that it is uncommon to hire one for a hunt?"

 

[Sia-Lan Wezz]

Speaking of whom, Arani turns back to the Jedi. "Case in point. We could try to drag Vor'en back over here and make him sit with us, but that would just make him surly. Instead, we should stay here and have a good time. Make him want to join us. He won't join us, but we want him to want to."

Sia-Lan picks a juicy piece of fruit from the bowl they had brought out. Grinning, she popped one into her mouth and sighed contentedly. "Like enjoying food?" she suggested with a laugh, her cerulean blue eyes twinkling as she licked her fingers.

 

[Arani Korden]

Sia-Lan picks a juicy piece of fruit from the bowl they had brought out. Grinning, she popped one into her mouth and sighed contentedly. "Like enjoying food?" she suggested with a laugh, her cerulean blue eyes twinkling as she licked her fingers.

Arani grabs a piece of fruit herself, and takes a slow, sensuous bite.

"It's a start."

OOC: And the fan-fiction writers go wild!

 

[Arani Korden]

OOC, let me just add that Kelko is my hero, since he's the only one of us that's actually doing his job at the moment.

 

[Kelko]

OOC, let me just add that Kelko is my hero, since he's the only one of us that's actually doing his job at the moment.

ooc: Hey, I try. That's me, the long-suffering rodian with the heart of gold Nah, I kid. Developing character motivation is fun too, and I enjoy reading it so don't stop on my account!

 

[Vor'en Kurn]

ooc: Developing character motivation is fun too, and I enjoy reading it so don't stop on my account!

ooc: We especially enjoy reading it if it involves [We'll never get that past the censors! PG-13 is where the money is, people!- The Producer].

IC: Vor'en's regards the drink in front of him with a bit of incomprehension. Oh. Alchohol. If he's married to his work, his idea of Happy Hour probably involves the sort of thing that you have flashbacks about years later and do things that end in a standoff with Galactic Rangers. He keeps it as a prop and empties his mind while passively scanning the room. Mind on duty.

Arani grabs a piece of fruit herself, and takes a slow, sensuous bite.

Mind on duty, mind on duty...

 

[Pbartender]

OOC: I love my job.

"Tell me more about Barnaba's mercenary. I take it that it is uncommon to hire one for a hunt?"

"It's never been done!" the Baron fairly exclaims, "A highly unusual breach of etiquette, one might say. Of course that's the Barnabans for you... Never a care for how things should be done, so long as they look good doing it."

The next hand passes surprisingly quickly as Miss Prokofiev lays down each of her tiles one after the other without having to draw once. The uncommon speed of her victory leaves everyone else with nearly full hands, and she collects her winnings with an ingratiatingly apologetic smile. The loss cuts deep into Kelko's table-top funds, and induces two of the other youngsters at the table to make their excuses to quit the game.

 

[Rorworr]

"Huh, and I thought the Baron would be the one to watch." Rorworr provides commentary on Kelko's game to his friends. He watches for a moment more before returning his attention to 'Rani and Sia. Or more precisely, what's on the table between the noblewoman and Jedi.

"Ooh, food!" A Wookiee-sized handful of fruit vanishes from the bowl. There's nothing even remotely sensuous about the way Rorworr wolfs down his portion of the meal, speed being the only objective. He happily muffles a belch, and looks across to Vor'en.

"Hey, any reason why Vor'en's being all stand-offish? Have you done something to upset the poor lad?" Rorworr prods Sia with an accusing finger.