It was a long night

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NOTE: All entries and replies are to be In Character. There is usually a comment thread in the Stories/Journal Comments forum for OOC comments and questions.
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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Eti's thoughts drifted to the Sabaac game of a few days ago as she flipped the Puzzle on edge to skim through a river canyon on Tanaab, the wingtip perilously close to the water. The little airship complained, beeping furiously until she changed her angle to 23. Eti had played two hands that night with Aly, Cazz, and Koga, both times her score was 0.

Sabaac's rules were to get the closest to, without passing, either 23, or -23. Half of the four suits in the deck, Flasks and Staves, were positive numbers. The other half, Sabers and Coins, were negative. Once you understood that, the rest was pretty simple, though there was another way to win and it was called the Idiot's Array, a holding of the 0, 2, 3, cards.

She shot out of the far end of the canyon setting the Puzzle into a twist, then barrel roll over the ridge line across the bay, then diving into another canyon. Like flying her ship, she found the initial rhythm of the game a bit confusing with hitting, sliding, freezing also called holding, then there was also folding. Hitting was to get another card. Sliding was keeping what you had and skipping that turn, but she was not sure what the difference was between sliding, holding, and freezing. Folding was to quit that hand.

The Puzzle whined as she abruptly pulled back the yoke to climb. Eti was sure Rando, if he had been there, would probably chastise her for taking such risks, though he might also have easily shook his head with a comment about not trying too hard to crash. There was a bet each round, called an ante, if you wanted to keep playing that hand you had to ante up. The women at the table were playing for small stakes as none of them were terribly familiar with the game. While this did little to help Jato this time, it did teach four more people how to play for the next game.

Small bets, small wins. Aly won the first hand, Cazz the second, then Eti found herself alone at the table until Ren stepped up. She played the last hand against him. Her ship nosed the edge of the atmosphere, clearly not happy with the bets she was making with their safety, especially when next pushed the nose down towards the ground. There were more than just monetary risks with the game of Sabaac. If someone thought you were cheating in some way,there could be trouble, not that Eti was prone to probing, though surface thoughts were something she had to work hard to protect herself from. In flying, using her talents was very good, letting herself trust in the Force and that extra layer of information could mean the difference between life or death.

Patience too was needed in Sabaac as in flying, to know when to take a card, or to slide, was it best to fold? Reading emotions and thoughts were frowned on, but reading body language was fully expected. Bluffing, she learned, was an art form. Eti was not good at bluffing. Puzzle's alarms klaxoned, not only was she nearing the ground at a rapid pace, but there was another airship zipping by that would pass too close for comfort. This was on her, she doubted they would have noticed her absurd dive.

Eti twisted the yoke and instead of trying to slow down she accelerated to flip through the crossover point first and a bit below the other ship's altitude. Her two face down cards had added to 21, she had slid the next three to win the round against Ren. The first two were always face down, unknown to the other players, the following three were exposed to speculation by the other players. Her Fisherman gambled that he could meet, or beat her hidden hand, she had won.

The Nautolan finally turned towards Pandath, settling into a much more sane flight pattern. She knew that her courier, the Little Trouble, would never be able to do the same acrobatics as the Puzzle, yet the knowledge and skill gleaned from her wild atmospheric flights gave her the courage to face the cockpit of the larger ship. She may be a novice at both cards and flying, but Eti was an expert at practicing.
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((Port Jato planning sessions are on Thursday evenings at 9pm ET. Campaigns are 9pm ET Sundays, arrive by 8:30 please. Other RP up on the station does occur, find (a smuggler) in one of several NPC cantinas with 5500 credits in cash on hand.

September 30th is the date basket auction
For more information about the date basket auction please contact Aimantia or Eti.

Have fun!))
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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Eti looked at the basket on the table, what would she put in it? Would the person she wanted to build it for even come? Would someone else bid on the basket? The young woman sighed, the event, selling Date Baskets, was one of several fundraisers for Port Jato and one she had advocated for as a fun mingler.

She knew that the empty one before her was not the only one designed to tempt a certain someone even though the baskets were being bid on blind, meaning that the person bidding on them did not know who had made the basket and was offering the date. Building the baskets was to be a part of the fun, what sort of date should she offer?

Aimi's thought was that they would be just picnic baskets to be devoured that night up in the lawn area. Eti's was that the dates did not have to happen right then and there, but could be more creative and in other places. Either way it should be interesting to see the baskets and who would bid on which. The baskets would be collected before the auction started, then arranged by Jenn on the stage of the Mistell. Aimi was to handle the actual bidding, and the rest of the details fell to Eti.

The items next to the basket beckoned, put them in, or not? She picked up one item and set it inside remembering that Aimi had mentioned there might be another large scale job for the mercs the week after, but that she would need to consult with Megan first. It was a transport job, but of what was not mentioned. There would be a meeting to discuss it and any other contract offers in a week, until then she had to stop second guessing herself and fill the basket in front of her.

------

September 30th is the date basket auction
For more information about the date basket auction please contact Aimantia or Eti.
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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Eti was thrilled that the event she championed, the basis of which was originally suggested by Cari so long ago, turned out to be a good fundraiser for the station in the final iteration. The prices of some of the baskets had her elated, a couple were nearly swoon worthy, and after one basket she did spent some time sitting on the floor with Jenn waiting for her head to stop spinning.

The first basket was Vennie's, she did bounce the bidding a few times with Aly, who seemed more stunned about the contents than the fact that Eti would have had any interest. Not that Eti was interested in Vennie at all, she knew he belonged to Aly, but she did not want anyone's basket to not have bidders. In the end, the price of his basket leapt up beyond what she had on her. Granted she had dropped out of the bidding a while before. Aly seemed pleased with her win.

Ivu's basket did not go for as much, but the Ithorian was more than pleased Jegy knew to bid on it without her prodding. Jegy and Ren did get into a little bidding war, until her father backed down with a laugh. Ren was astute enough to not push the Sullestan too much.

Aly's basket brought a fair price, though Eti was not sure Vennie understood whose basket it was that he had won. Aly's basket was much more civilized and refined. Eti giggled at the couple during the bidding, she was happy they would spend a good couple of proper dates together.

Her own basket was offered, perhaps she was too specific as it had more people scratching their heads than Ivu's did. The person that she would have liked to bid on it was not there, but she did not fully expect him to be. Ren and Par though both perked up at the book of philosophy she had found, they did not say anything out loud, or even question her silently, but both engaged in tossing bids back and forth. Parodan won the side-eye war and claimed the basket with the comment that it would go to whom it was intended after he read the book.

The next basket was his, and as it included bacon sandwiches the bids for it climbed quickly. This amused Eti, as she and Par had been talking for weeks what to put in there, and the bacon was an addition she did not learn about until last minute. In the end Renell did claim his prize and quizzed Par on which lake they should go to for the fishing portion of the basket.

Sahir's basket included a stuffed bantha, a finest timepiece, a trip on his ship, and a hat. The bidding between Aly, Eti and Mina became fierce. Aly and Eti combining forces in an effort to outbid Mina, until Sahir started to bid on his own basket! He did eventually win and promptly put on the hat.

If Jenn had thought the previous basket went for scads of credits, the last basket, Ansasor's, had bidding rivalries, bidding blocks, and a duel! The crown jewel in it was an AV-21 deed and for this the numbers shot up. And up. And up. And up. How to describe the tension in the room? The slight nods promising more funds? The whispers of the onlookers? Jenn's jaw hitting the floor? In the end the basket sold for more than a million credits, won by Mina and Thaych who promptly set up to duel for the speeder with the loser to get the remaining items.

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((Port Jato planning sessions are on Thursday evenings at 9pm ET. Campaigns are 9pm ET Sundays, arrive by 8:30 please. Other RP up on the station does occur, find (a smuggler) in one of several NPC cantinas with 5500 credits in cash on hand.
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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Eti prepared for the day, mindful of the mission later that the Mercs were asked to do for Jato. She was running late so stuffed things in her pack that she hoped to not need on this shipping job.

They were not loading the cargo, just securing and transporting. Aimi said it was not supposed to be sentient, but she could not say if it was alive. No pharmaceuticals, or questions. A very tight time limit. The route was from Endor to Chandrila, the company was not named.

Of course it was fishy! Dino and Jenn would be flying the Untold Bounty Two, she was part of the crew making sure the cargo was secured, and part of if not the medical staff. Hopefully others would be show, there was only so much she could lift after all!

In the back of her mind was another worry, she was alone. Yes, Jenn and Dino would be on the ship, but those she usually looked to, or after, would not be there. No... she was not truly ever alone, yet distance did little to keep her back protected. Her tendrils curled and she sighed, she would just have to make do, wouldn't she?
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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In the end her worry was mostly unfounded.

Mostly.

There were pirates, but they were either not very competent or something had gone rather awry on their end. Sending only two Nova Sword fighters against a Vigo crewed by Mercenaries was perhaps not a brilliant move. Fou, Aeyro, and Koga made short work of them from the ship's guns, and Jenn finished one off by ramming it.

Then their destination kept changing. They were contracted to pick up the cargo on Endor then fly it to Chandrila. Then they were told Dantooine, but the coordinates ended up on Dathomir.

For a change the cargo itself did not do anything. The sixteen boxes measured 24hx18wx36l, contained nothing organic, and made no noise or emitted anything odd. Eti was content to ensure the cargo did not break loose while the others 'discussed options' with the pirates. She knew Abi was up there with Aimi, but she was not privy to any conversations on the bridge from her location in the hold. She supposed the women were more than reasonable until someone fired.

Dino and Jenn were flying the random Jato Vigo, not that she knew it's name considering they confiscated it from pirates a few weeks ago. She suspected Jenn was doing most of the flying by some of the movements, not that her friend did bad, just that by now Eti was learning how to tell such things. In fact after the cargo was unloaded Eti wandered up to the bridge to find Jenn was indeed flying, and Fou relieving Dino, who had given in to his space trouble.

She checked on the old man, then took a seat to rest the remainder of the trip. While she had not done much visibly, she had expended some power in creating a shield for herself, and blocking Jenn's quiet panic. It might not have been perfect, but it was more than she could do the first time she had ridden in a Vigo pulled from hyperspace.

Eti wondered what the next mission was to be? Aimi was more secretive about it than she had been about this one. The Nautolan supposed they would find out at the next meeting.
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Re: It was a long night

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They were not asked because they were family, they were asked as part of a mercenary group that was needed to combat the Black Sun. The hurt Eti felt at this was not understood, and while Aimi did question her about it, she let it drop. What was important was that they were finally going to bring Joswan home.

Par volunteered himself and Ren right away, she knew he would, just as she knew that his thoughts did not extend to her involvement. Aimi however specifically asked her though she had already said she would go even if none of the other Jato mercs did. She reassured Aimi that she would take a full kit, and be rested enough to work in other ways. Jenn also volunteered her assistance, then Aimi asked them to convince other of the Mercs to go.

The Vigo that was the lord over the Captain that took Josy had finally given permission to use whatever means necessary. To Eti this answered one of the questions she had at that long ago meeting, what did this Captain mean to the Vigo? She knew that there was the possibility of future unspecified favors that Fate would need to fulfill, how many were negotiated? In any case the Captain's worth had been determined.

Dino and Fou were to lead the mission. Dino pointing out that his control was to be explicit and that there would be no deviation from the plan. Her question about where Josy was was brushed off with the reply that detailed flight plans will be submitted when it was time to go. She never got to ask how many they were facing or what sort of defenses there were. Details would have been nice, but in the end the fact that they would be bringing Josy home was the most important thing. They would just have to make do.

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((Port Jato planning sessions are on Thursday evenings at 9pm ET. Campaigns are 9pm ET Sundays, arrive by 8:30 please. Other RP up on the station does occur, find (a smuggler) in one of several NPC cantinas with 5500 credits in cash on hand.
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Re: It was a long night

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Eti leaned her head back against the tank, letting her tendrils touch the glass. Not that her healing was specifically tied to them, though it helped, but her center was not were most people consider a center to be. So her position of seeming repose served a purpose only a few could guess. Two of those few were seated on the floor on the other side of the tank, Par touching it, Ren where he could see her, Par, Josy, and she suspected any reflections behind him in the glass.

She was tired, even with the power being fed to her, most was not going towards sustaining her, though she would need to start doing so if the infections in his feet and leg continued to fight her efforts to bring it under control enough for the bacta to catch up. The black Sun had not been kind to Joswan Kodaigo, another day in their dubious care would have killed him. Another couple hours might have, if that. He was not lost, he would not be lost.

Her task here was only the last part of a long rescue effort that had spanned weeks, involving many people. Tracking the kidnappers after they blew up the Arralute Hotel, negotiating with the Vigo who held the reins to the Captain that took him, finding where he was held. She had not been involved in any of that, her part started when Aimi asked her to be there, and to find people willing to go. She sent out word to the Mercs via their usual channels, Par went looking for them directly. Eti turned her head to look at the two men, the redhead still simmered just under boiling, the blond was just above ice.

She sighed and tucked a bit further into her mental coat, she needed the energy, not the emotions. A soft noise from one of the patient beds caught her attention, Jegy. The Sullestan doctor had joined them at the last moment, it was his skills that removed the chip from Joswan's spine, and his attentions to Joswan's feet that spared her to keeping him stabilized. To each their strengths that are needed at that time. She could not do it all, and this was hammered home again on this trip. She could heal, or she could carry (and at the time she did not care who would have seen), she could soothe, or she could do other things. Par ended up carrying, in the end there was not any Black Sun left to bother them anyway. Aimi did her best to soothe once she managed to find her calm. Jegy was able to use his skills and considerable experience as a surgeon.

Yet there were many other people there. Dino who flew them there with the help of Jegy, while Jenn and Zarek flew them back. Fou who led the ground crew and directed the teams that cleared the Black Sun compound. Vennie's team which included Aly, Koga, and Jeck did the initial scouting and assault. She was with Ren, Par, Jenn, and someone who chirped his name in Huttese and thought that aliens smelled funny. Fou's team held Aimi, Jegy and Zarek.

She heard comments that they took the compound way too easily. Z mentioned something about a tracking chip, but at the time she was too preoccupied to do more than file the comment away for thought until they entered hyperspace. Then she remembered in a moment of clarity asking Jegy to scan for one. They still were not sure what it was exactly, only that it was a thing, and not Imperial in design.

Click rattled at her, making her groan, time to get up make her report on Josy's condition, do something other than sit on a hard floor for a few minutes, and convince her fathers to do the same.
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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Jato shooting matches tended to be social events for Eti, particularly as the ones doing the shooting were aimed at targets and not each other. This one should be no different she thought, one hand resting on the head of the ruddy huurton that walked by her side. She smiled down at the pup, this environment was new to him and tonight was a training opportunity. He had no official name yet, still readily answering to 'pup', nor did she expect him to get one until his eventual owner met, and accepted him. She was pleased though at his progress.

All her animals were taught to carry a pack, the pup was no different and he carried tonight's shooter's treat, home made cookies. She had arrived early on Jato to allow the canid time to adjust to the differences in the gravity as well at the sheer artificialness of the station, something that unnerved many animals, including her Nasha. The pup seemed to not be bothered by it, so that was one hurdle down, or two actually as he did not seem to mind the shuttle flight either.

She met Koga at the Mistell, ordered a tea, then the two women and the canid headed further into the bowels of the station where the range was located in a converted hold. Once there she bade the pup to lie down before moving about to greet people and perhaps convince a few to join the contest. This was another part of her task, one she enjoyed even when she had to resort to the bribe of fresh cookies to convince Sam to enter.

In the end it was a smaller crowd than usual with Sam, Koga, Jenn, Vennie, Fou, and Ghaal added to the lists. As Aimi went over the rules, Eti returned to the far side seating area to set the cookies out in their container, and to prepare the pup for what was about to happen.

While he may have heard gunfire before in Agathon, it was usually distant and in the open, this was going to be a very different experience. She rested a hand on his head and hummed as the first two contestants stepped up. He whined and tried to jump up as the sound of the first shots ricocheted around the hollow space. Through all that first round she concentrated on keeping him in place as commanded, but other than her hand on his head he was not physically restrained. She continued to sing to him as well, then when the round was over, she praised him and gave him a treat.

The second round was similar, though her hand was lighter on his head, he whined but did not jump, she spoke to him as much as sang. Her attention was still very much on the pup, so while she knew that Vennie was going up against Sam, and that Jenn was shooting against Fou, and that Ghaal would be facing Koga, her memory on who went in which order was a bit blurry.

By the third round the pup was neither whining, nor trembling. He was still not happy about the noise, but had learned that the noise was just that, noise. She removed her hand, but kept up the gentle and calming song. By the end of this round she learned that those passing on to the second set were Vennie, Jenn, and Ghaal. Two of those names she was not surprised at, as for Vennie, this was the first time she had seen him entering the contest so it was interesting to watch his exuberance.

So the fourth round with Vennie facing Ghaal she watched, sitting back in her chair and merely humming to let the pup know that she was still there. If he continued to behave, he would get another treat and more pets. At this stage of his training she knew reassurance was needed, just as she knew that this exercise would have to be repeated before he could be fully trusted to accept the sound of gunfire so close without freaking out. Proper training took time, and she wanted this canid to be properly trained.

Ghaal bested Vennie, so now it was Jenn's turn to step up to the mark against the Ithorian. Eti watched the match without touching the pup, or singing, or humming, her full attention on the round. Ghaal was good, very good, but then so was Jenn. Most things considered, Ghaal had several here that could have bested him, if it was not for his uncanny luck. Koga earlier had come close to eliminating him. Dino in the past had also proved more than worthy to stand against the bounty hunter. Would Jenn beat him?

Eti looked to the pup while the smoke cleared and Aimi tallied the score, she reached forward to praise the huurton then looked up as Jenn was declared the winner of the match. The Nautolan smiled as her friend walked over to claim her winnings from the cookie tin. Soon she would take the pup to the field on the top level to run about before the long trek home, but first congratulations were in order.

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((Port Jato planning sessions are on Thursday evenings at 9pm ET. Campaigns are 9pm ET Sundays, arrive by 8:30 please. Other RP up on the station does occur, find (a smuggler) in one of several NPC cantinas with 5500 credits in cash on hand.
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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Eti went to check the medical stock in the auxiliary med bay. This was her personal domain on the station, and while it id not have any bacta tanks, or a nice location, it was hers. She smiled at the memory of Sahir's satisfaction of the expression on her face when he presented it to her, she was grateful then, she was grateful now. Especially for it's location next to the Arena on the lower deck.

In fact the small med bay had seen it's fair share of use since inception. Fight nights, patients that needed isolation from others, overflow after difficult missions, even as special guest quarters. And as her own quarters during the increasingly rare times she stayed on Jato and not with a patient on the Credit Sink.

In a couple days she would be back here to oversee the medical needs for a Fight Night. There had not bee one in quite a while which suited her just fine, the Nautolan woman did not care for the brutal ring, but others seemed to. Strangely she not mind training drills so much, those had a purpose, even battles had a purpose. What confused her was trying to harm another person for 'sport' or 'fun'. Eti shook her head then closed the cabinet.

Next week there was another 'fetch' run, collect a package of unknown determination and deliver it to Dantooine. She supposed it would not be alive, she hoped not anyway. Would she get a chance to either observe the flight controls, or even help? She shook her head, they would need to be desperate to put such a green pilot on those controls.

They had also discussed a couple possible future events that could happen on Jato. She proposed a cooking contest, someone else suggested a race on the station. Eti amended that to a foot race, Aimi thought perhaps puzzle type obstacle stations? They all agreed that could be interesting. Aimi also promised to look into further training drills for the mercs.

Eti took one last look around the space, yes it was still used as a hold for 9/10ths of the room, but her small corner was ready for Fight Night.

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Sunday, October 28th 9pm ET, Port Jato Station, lower level Arena - Fight night. Bring a D10 and a chance cube.
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Smallcorners
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Re: It was a long night

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She checked the latest in her series of datapads slightly startled, had it been so long already? That last fight night had seemed so long ago with both Ghaal and Jegy in her little medbay recovering from their injuries, but then much had happened in the past couple weeks since Jegy won that last fight.

She had been briefly kidnapped by Imperials and released before they vanished.
Her home life had shifted again and she was happy.
She had gone to Dathomir for the very first time and despite a long ago premonition, returned unscathed and with the mission accomplished.
Par had a birthday.
There had been an inconclusive battle for Yavin 4 that she had a part in.
Ghaal had been arrested for eleven counts of murder and was being held in an undisclosed location awaiting a trial.

Tonight was time for another meeting on Jato.

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((Port Jato planning sessions are on Thursday evenings at 9pm ET. Campaigns are 9pm ET Sundays, arrive by 8:30 please. Other RP up on the station does occur, find (a smuggler) in one of several NPC cantinas with 5500 credits in cash on hand.
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