-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
High Law and Low Justice, Part 5
- Thread starter Maerdwyn
- Start date
doghead
thotd
Saanath, male human merchant trader
Saanath leans back in his chair and sighs. For a moment there, when he had first seen the positive hit come up, he thought that he had got something. But it really give him anything.
Saanath goes back over what he knows. Treth was working on Daramm after losing his land on Mur Mura. He had a wife but she died. Saanath searches his memory for her name, but can't recall it. Grabbing a note pad, he scrawls a note to the others.
We should get together and share what we know. It will help me dig around. Saanath.
She died after Treth had come to Daramm is Saanath's best guess. Treth said something about her being able to calm the waves and turn the steel of the city into land, or something like that. He was probably talking about Daramm. Treth had said that he hated the fact that Daramm had no land.
Saanath rereads the small news article. 10 years ago his clan had been given an Imperial charter for Bleue Mar ... Bleue Mer not Mur Mura. Saanath had at first first thought it said Mur Mura in the article.
The "Imperial charter" rang bells. Treth had raged that his land had been taken away dishonourably, without a battle, by a piece of paper. Saanath wonders if the Imperial charter was that piece of paper. But the timing then doesn't seem to make sense. How did the charter take away Treth's land? Saanath sighs again. He doesn't have enough pieces to fit anything together.
Saanath leans forwards and sets up some new seaches; Bleue Mer and Imperial Charter. He cross references them with other known terms. While the computer works, Saanath pulls up his Imperial Law files and looks up Imperial charter.
ooc: Where are we staying at the moment? On board the ship. In a hotel? A safehouse?
ooc: K/Interstella Law +8.
Saanath leans back in his chair and sighs. For a moment there, when he had first seen the positive hit come up, he thought that he had got something. But it really give him anything.
Saanath goes back over what he knows. Treth was working on Daramm after losing his land on Mur Mura. He had a wife but she died. Saanath searches his memory for her name, but can't recall it. Grabbing a note pad, he scrawls a note to the others.
We should get together and share what we know. It will help me dig around. Saanath.
She died after Treth had come to Daramm is Saanath's best guess. Treth said something about her being able to calm the waves and turn the steel of the city into land, or something like that. He was probably talking about Daramm. Treth had said that he hated the fact that Daramm had no land.
Saanath rereads the small news article. 10 years ago his clan had been given an Imperial charter for Bleue Mar ... Bleue Mer not Mur Mura. Saanath had at first first thought it said Mur Mura in the article.
The "Imperial charter" rang bells. Treth had raged that his land had been taken away dishonourably, without a battle, by a piece of paper. Saanath wonders if the Imperial charter was that piece of paper. But the timing then doesn't seem to make sense. How did the charter take away Treth's land? Saanath sighs again. He doesn't have enough pieces to fit anything together.
Saanath leans forwards and sets up some new seaches; Bleue Mer and Imperial Charter. He cross references them with other known terms. While the computer works, Saanath pulls up his Imperial Law files and looks up Imperial charter.
ooc: Where are we staying at the moment? On board the ship. In a hotel? A safehouse?
ooc: K/Interstella Law +8.
Watus
First Post
Tuan Nguyen. Dogsbody General.
They locked eyes for a split second before the big Sydite laid down his cards, and in that moment Tuan thought he might have been in trouble. He knew the lummox had something, his tells would have been obvious from orbit, but the self-satisfied grin that split his slab-like mug made Tuan think maybe the hand was bigger than he'd figured. The big mook played like your typical merc: balls out and aggressive as hell. Always chasing after the big pots, and bluffing like an idiot. Tuan had a more conservative strategy and tended to produce better results. Especially when he cheated. But this was a friendly low stakes game, and not worth the risk, especially when playing with someone who could crush him like a bug. The big man laced the fingers of his outer hands behind his head and leaned back, his grin widening. Tuan glanced down, careful to keep his expression level. Two pair: 10s over 8s. Pretty good. He picked up his own hand from the table as the others turned to him expectantly. Tuan let the tension hang in the air briefly as he examined his cards, cracking a tentha seed in his back teeth and leisurely worrying out the meat. He chewed contemplatively for a moment before turning his head and spitting the shell onto the floor. Locking eyes with the Sydite, he laid down his hand.
Full house, jacks full of nines.
The table errupted into laughter and backslapping as the grin slowly faded from the Sydite's face. The front legs of his chair dropped back to the floor and he leaned forward, shaking his head. "Nice hand," he grumbled. "You lucky bastard."
"Luck's got nothin' to do with it, Sakrat my friend," Tuan clucked, reaching forward and dragging his winnings into a big pile. "Nothing at all." He stood and smiled genially, wiping his hands on his threadbare overalls. "Deal me out of the next hand," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the mens room. "I got some business to attend to."
"Alright, but you better not disappear," Sakrat grumbled, jabbing his enormous index finger in Tuan's direction. "The next round's on you."
As Tuan neared the restroom, out of sight of the others, he paused for a second and pulled out his communicator, a worried look his face. For the hundredth time that day he checked the exchange board for an outbound ship advertising for hands.
"Gods damnit," he muttered angrily, finding nothing - as he knew he would. "How long is this **** going to last?"
After 20 years working the lanes, being stuck down the well this long was agonizing. He could see it on the faces of nearly everyone in the startown. Bankrolls dwindled while anxieties heightened. The feel of dirt under their feet was unfamiliar and unwelcome. What were the damned imperials doing up there, anyway? If something didn't happen soon, this place was going to explode.
They locked eyes for a split second before the big Sydite laid down his cards, and in that moment Tuan thought he might have been in trouble. He knew the lummox had something, his tells would have been obvious from orbit, but the self-satisfied grin that split his slab-like mug made Tuan think maybe the hand was bigger than he'd figured. The big mook played like your typical merc: balls out and aggressive as hell. Always chasing after the big pots, and bluffing like an idiot. Tuan had a more conservative strategy and tended to produce better results. Especially when he cheated. But this was a friendly low stakes game, and not worth the risk, especially when playing with someone who could crush him like a bug. The big man laced the fingers of his outer hands behind his head and leaned back, his grin widening. Tuan glanced down, careful to keep his expression level. Two pair: 10s over 8s. Pretty good. He picked up his own hand from the table as the others turned to him expectantly. Tuan let the tension hang in the air briefly as he examined his cards, cracking a tentha seed in his back teeth and leisurely worrying out the meat. He chewed contemplatively for a moment before turning his head and spitting the shell onto the floor. Locking eyes with the Sydite, he laid down his hand.
Full house, jacks full of nines.
The table errupted into laughter and backslapping as the grin slowly faded from the Sydite's face. The front legs of his chair dropped back to the floor and he leaned forward, shaking his head. "Nice hand," he grumbled. "You lucky bastard."
"Luck's got nothin' to do with it, Sakrat my friend," Tuan clucked, reaching forward and dragging his winnings into a big pile. "Nothing at all." He stood and smiled genially, wiping his hands on his threadbare overalls. "Deal me out of the next hand," he said, nodding his head in the direction of the mens room. "I got some business to attend to."
"Alright, but you better not disappear," Sakrat grumbled, jabbing his enormous index finger in Tuan's direction. "The next round's on you."
As Tuan neared the restroom, out of sight of the others, he paused for a second and pulled out his communicator, a worried look his face. For the hundredth time that day he checked the exchange board for an outbound ship advertising for hands.
"Gods damnit," he muttered angrily, finding nothing - as he knew he would. "How long is this **** going to last?"
After 20 years working the lanes, being stuck down the well this long was agonizing. He could see it on the faces of nearly everyone in the startown. Bankrolls dwindled while anxieties heightened. The feel of dirt under their feet was unfamiliar and unwelcome. What were the damned imperials doing up there, anyway? If something didn't happen soon, this place was going to explode.
Tuan Nguyen. A name from quite a while ago. He must be pretty desperate if he send a message to me to see if I can get him in somewhere. But it seems evrybody is pretty desperate around here. And I still owe him for paying our bail after that barfight on, now where was that again? I'm getting old.
"Time to take a break, Saanath. You've been staring at that screen for fifteen minutes now. Let's go for a drink, see if we can find some books or games to get us past the boredom of the trip, and then, if you're nice, I'll see if I can find something in the scouts database."
He taps something on his portacomp.
"I'll send a message to Ktarle to meet up with us, and there's an old friend in town who's desperate to get off this planet. You two could check him out and see if you could spend two weeks in tight quarters with him."
"Ever been to 'the Big One'? 's run by a friend of mine, ex prospector who got a big one and started a bar. Good food, good music, lot's of prospectors, mercs and other spacefolk, but Nyam runs a tight ship, and she'll come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who tries to start a fight."
He chuckles.
"She's one mean aunty when she gets angry."
Message to Ktarle : Me and Saanath are going out for a quick meal and a drink, at the 'The Big One'. We'll be there in about an hour.
Message to Tuan: I'll be at the 'the big one' in an hour. Might have a job. Drinks on you. Gwydion.
"Time to take a break, Saanath. You've been staring at that screen for fifteen minutes now. Let's go for a drink, see if we can find some books or games to get us past the boredom of the trip, and then, if you're nice, I'll see if I can find something in the scouts database."
He taps something on his portacomp.
"I'll send a message to Ktarle to meet up with us, and there's an old friend in town who's desperate to get off this planet. You two could check him out and see if you could spend two weeks in tight quarters with him."
"Ever been to 'the Big One'? 's run by a friend of mine, ex prospector who got a big one and started a bar. Good food, good music, lot's of prospectors, mercs and other spacefolk, but Nyam runs a tight ship, and she'll come down like a ton of bricks on anyone who tries to start a fight."
He chuckles.
"She's one mean aunty when she gets angry."
Message to Ktarle : Me and Saanath are going out for a quick meal and a drink, at the 'The Big One'. We'll be there in about an hour.
Message to Tuan: I'll be at the 'the big one' in an hour. Might have a job. Drinks on you. Gwydion.
doghead
thotd
Saanath, male human computer geek
Saanath shakes his head.
"If we are going to help Treth, we have to know what happened to him. The answers are here some ...
Saanath wheels around to face Gwydion.
"Did you say the scout database? You have access?"
Saanath considers for a moment.
"All right. Give me a moment to wind this up."
As Gwydion taps on his portacomp, Saanath shut down his applications and closes the screen.
When Gwydion is done, Saanath follows him out into the city and to The Big One.
***
Saanath follows Gwydion gaze as the old scout indicatess the man they have come to meet.
"Tuan. You didn't say it was Tuan you were meeting Gwydion. What are the odds of that. But then, give how long you two old codgers have been around bumming around the sector, probably not so long."
Saanath grins to take any possible sting out of his words.
"Looks like he is winning again. But doesn't look like they are playing for much."
Saanath shakes his head.
"If we are going to help Treth, we have to know what happened to him. The answers are here some ...
Saanath wheels around to face Gwydion.
"Did you say the scout database? You have access?"
Saanath considers for a moment.
"All right. Give me a moment to wind this up."
As Gwydion taps on his portacomp, Saanath shut down his applications and closes the screen.
When Gwydion is done, Saanath follows him out into the city and to The Big One.
***
Saanath follows Gwydion gaze as the old scout indicatess the man they have come to meet.
"Tuan. You didn't say it was Tuan you were meeting Gwydion. What are the odds of that. But then, give how long you two old codgers have been around bumming around the sector, probably not so long."
Saanath grins to take any possible sting out of his words.
"Looks like he is winning again. But doesn't look like they are playing for much."
Watus
First Post
Catching a glimpse of Gwydion through the crowd, Tuan supresses a grin. The little toad to his left - apparently an arms dealer of some sort - notices, and folds with a curse. The rest of table quickly takes his cue, and Tuan finds himself a little richer. It sometimes pays to develop a reputation at the table.
"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were cheating," grumbles the toad, looking distinctly put out.
Tuan raises an eyebrow and cuffs him on the shoulder. "I'd never cheat a friend," he grins, somewhat less than reassuringly. He turns to the table and downs the rest of his drink. "Cash me out, Sakrat. I've got some business." Pushing his chair back, he brushes a lock of graying hair out of his face and gives his old friend a wink. The Sydite glowers menacingly at his retreating back, but grudgingly does has he asks. Tuan's slight form disappears into the crowd almost immediately.
-----
Gwydion and Saanath lose sight of him in the throng. A moment later Gwydion feels a little sting on his left bicep. Turning, he finds Tuan clutching his right hand in his left and biting his lip. "Ouch! Motherf...." He waves his hand in the air for a second, trying to get himself together. He squeezes back a tear and blows on his hand. "Ugh. Gods! I swear you get bigger every time I see you." He looks down, carefully checking over his reddened knuckles. "And uglier."
"AND," he says, suddenly much more self-possesed, "you still owe me 600 credits."
He glances to his left, as if noticing Saanath for the first time. "Hey kid. I'd have thought Greave* taught you better than to hang around with scouts."
-----
*Saanath: Did you ever name your mentor? I just made this up. Let me know if it doesn't suit.
"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were cheating," grumbles the toad, looking distinctly put out.
Tuan raises an eyebrow and cuffs him on the shoulder. "I'd never cheat a friend," he grins, somewhat less than reassuringly. He turns to the table and downs the rest of his drink. "Cash me out, Sakrat. I've got some business." Pushing his chair back, he brushes a lock of graying hair out of his face and gives his old friend a wink. The Sydite glowers menacingly at his retreating back, but grudgingly does has he asks. Tuan's slight form disappears into the crowd almost immediately.
-----
Gwydion and Saanath lose sight of him in the throng. A moment later Gwydion feels a little sting on his left bicep. Turning, he finds Tuan clutching his right hand in his left and biting his lip. "Ouch! Motherf...." He waves his hand in the air for a second, trying to get himself together. He squeezes back a tear and blows on his hand. "Ugh. Gods! I swear you get bigger every time I see you." He looks down, carefully checking over his reddened knuckles. "And uglier."
"AND," he says, suddenly much more self-possesed, "you still owe me 600 credits."
He glances to his left, as if noticing Saanath for the first time. "Hey kid. I'd have thought Greave* taught you better than to hang around with scouts."
-----
*Saanath: Did you ever name your mentor? I just made this up. Let me know if it doesn't suit.
doghead
thotd
Saanath, male human merchant
Saanath wasn't sure that Tuan would remember him. They had met a few times, but a long time ago, and it was really Greave who knew Tuan. Something from way back in the olden days, when the women were prettier and the beer tastier ...
Sannath grins widely, please with himself and the world in general. Great. Now you truely look like a kid. Saanath turns back to Tuan.
"Yeah. Greave would be spinning in his rocking chair if he knew we were hanging out with a dodgy old spacecodger like you. Still, strange times make for strange companions."
Saanath wasn't sure that Tuan would remember him. They had met a few times, but a long time ago, and it was really Greave who knew Tuan. Something from way back in the olden days, when the women were prettier and the beer tastier ...
Sannath grins widely, please with himself and the world in general. Great. Now you truely look like a kid. Saanath turns back to Tuan.
"Yeah. Greave would be spinning in his rocking chair if he knew we were hanging out with a dodgy old spacecodger like you. Still, strange times make for strange companions."
Watus said:
"Uglier? That hurts, coming from a man who fell from the ugly tree and hit every branch on the waydown. And what's with the grey hair?"
Gwydion says as he looks tuan up and down, carefully not mentioning the 600 credits.
"Let's get a table. We've got a lot to talk about."
Watus
First Post
"We're not likely to get a table out here," Tuan says, surveying the crowded room. "Let me see if they have an open room in the back." He spots an attractive young waitress and disappears for a moment, hot on her trail. A second later he can be seen through the gap in the crowd, deep in conversation with her. He takes her gently by the elbow and leans in to whisper something in her ear. She laughs and tosses back her head, blushing.
A moment later and he's back. "Cydia said she'll see what she can do," he says, pointing toward a door in the back. "She's a good kid... I knew her mother a long time ago. What, almost twenty yea..."
Tuan freezes in mid-syllable, pupils dilated.
His head snaps around, searching out the tall, blonde, blue-eyed waitress. Catching a glimpse of her a heartbeat later, he laughs weakly, shaking his head as the color returns to his face.
"Heh. Yeah. Uhhh..." He wipes the sweat off his upper lip, laughing at himself. "What was I saying? Whew. Man, I need a drink."
He starts off - a little unsteady - in the direction of the back, rapidly recoving his usual equanimity.
A moment later and he's back. "Cydia said she'll see what she can do," he says, pointing toward a door in the back. "She's a good kid... I knew her mother a long time ago. What, almost twenty yea..."
Tuan freezes in mid-syllable, pupils dilated.
His head snaps around, searching out the tall, blonde, blue-eyed waitress. Catching a glimpse of her a heartbeat later, he laughs weakly, shaking his head as the color returns to his face.
"Heh. Yeah. Uhhh..." He wipes the sweat off his upper lip, laughing at himself. "What was I saying? Whew. Man, I need a drink."
He starts off - a little unsteady - in the direction of the back, rapidly recoving his usual equanimity.
Last edited:
Similar Threads
