nexus_sages | Anxious Smuggler's Arrival ...

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Anxious Smuggler's Arrival ...

Han awakes with a start when the Millennium Falcon makes the familiar groans that the old YT-1300 tends to make when it drops out of light speed. As if the metal and the collective components that made up his beloved ship could somehow be catching it's breath.

Rubbing the sleep out of the eyes, the pilot peers at the planet-scape before him. He can't put his finger on it, but right away, this place doesn't feel like anywhere Han had ever been before. It looks unassuming enough, but it definitely doesn't resemble Kashyyyk, which is where he was supposed to be headed.

Before he can even begin to look down at the navigation panel and confirm that he didn't make an error calculating his jump, he hears a low pitch chime. A chime that tells him that this place that he's in, wherever it is, is uncharted in the Falcon's navi-computer. Which is slightly unsettling because if there's one thing he doesn't sacrifice on this ship, it's the navigation. He updates his system frequently and honestly, prides himself on the detail and complexities of his maps.

Followed slightly after the 'uncharted space' ding comes another chime that he's not happy to hear. It's the one that indicates 'low fuel'. This time Han is the one groaning as sets his communications instruments to scan for open signals. He's gonna have to land here. And he doesn't know a thing about this place.

It should be a matter of seconds before they find a channel or the planet's own airspace comm hails him. A good thirty seconds pass and nothing. Then a full minute.

His lip reflexively starts to curl into a frown. 'Is this place uninhabited?' He wonders. Han's not sure that he has enough fuel to jump somewhere else because he has no idea where he actually is, but that would be his preference right about now.

Shit.

As the Falcon starts to drift closer to the planet, he can see terrain and water. It looks like a planet that can sustain life. That's something good, at least, but his empty stomach starts to churn with worry all the same. He wishes Chewie was here. Not that the wookie could do anything to make the situation any better, but, at least he wouldn't be ... you know, alone.

As the ship lowers into the planet's gravity, the pilot looks on desperately for civilization at least. Having to land on a planet and then needing to discover and refine your own fuel, by yourself, would be a nightmare. When he starts to see buildings and something of a city, he breathes a sigh of moderate relief.

He gets the ship on terra, a mile or two away from the outskirts of this place. With no means to hide his ship, he has to trust that it will be relatively safe here for the time being.

He grabs a breathing mask, fits it to his face, and with blaster in hand, leaves the Falcon behind.

He starts into town toward the forum, the centralized area and hopefully a marketplace, where he sees other figures lurking about.

((Hi everyone. New here. Have a Star Wars muse? He's been lurking at some dressing rooms, but we're looking for a regular place to play. Anyone's welcome to tag him.))

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"Well you could." He points out. "I mean, I can handle myself, but it's good to know who around here is on the level."

So that, might register to her as a lie? He can handle himself - he has done plenty of manipulating and dishonest things to keep himself getting by and certainly can continue to do that - but it's really hard on him not to have Chewbaca around. They haven't known each other long, but, he's starting to realize how much he relies on his loyal friend.

Anyway, yeah, the language change makes it hard for him to tell exactly what she's doing at the counter and it's further complicated by fact that while he sees them prepping her drink ... he's remembering what cinnamon is. Those distinctive, spice sticks. Oh, he doesn't know it by the basic name, but he knows what it's called in wookie and with it comes a whole flood of memories that he wasn't prepared to deal with at this moment.

He, finally, holsters that blaster and takes off the mask. He really should have taken it off when he noticed that every damn humanoid between his ship and this coffee place was breathing just fine. He rubs the heals of his hands, to hide the emotion welling up in them.

There's a pause before she speaks again, but there's no delay in the way her eyebrow arches up or the way her eyes briefly narrow like she's in pain. "I'm sure you can, but there's no reason to do it alone if there are people willing to help you. Most of us have been stranded here at one point or another, so we help each other out. It works pretty well."

Who needs government when you've got ~~good~~ helpful neighbors? Some people might prefer a place with more law and order, but Verity's not finding she misses it. She knows how to keep herself safe and to avoid the places where she can't. That's enough for her.

She's got her phone out while they wait, typing out messages and giving him as much emotional space as she can. Pretending to be absorbed by the texting is a good way to let him think she doesn't notice. "I'll ask Samus and Jim. I don't know what Jim's schedule looks like today, but Samus is probably around."

Their drinks are ready by the time she puts her phone away again, and the croissants are still warm. A perfect way to unwind, she hopes.

*There's a tall woman, wookiee-tall almost, texting as she waits in line at the counter. Blond, she wears some kind of rubbery blue flight suit that fits her like a second skin, the long coat she had been wearing outside draped over one arm. Glancing up and seeing Verity ahead of her (and hearing confirmation with the ping of a sent message received), she clears her throat.*

I don't know why I asked where you'd be. I should've known you'd bring them here.

Han is in the process of composing himself when he sees the ... very, very tall lady in the form fitting number. It's hard not to notice that she's in good shape and, yeah, maybe he gawks for a second or two. Sorry. He's a man that has been alone in space for about ten cycles till about an hour ago ...

Blinking, he shakes his head and says "... uh."

Well, there you go. You've just met Han Solo.

Verity laughs when she hears Samus' phone chirp and gives a wave when she spots her extremely tall blonde friend. "Of course! I learned from the best."

Hey, this means Samus can hop to the front of the line. Isn't that a good deal? "Samus, this is Captain Solo. Han, this is Samus Aran. She's been here longer than just about anyone, so she's your best bet at finding what you need."

Like fuel. Not like that. Eyes up, boy. "Want anything with your akh, Samus?"

Nice to meet you, Captain.

*Samus takes Han in at a glance, too: scruffy, lightly armed, carries himself with a bit of a slouch--she estimates him to be a decent shot and a middling hand-to-hand fighter, based on what she sees. By the name, he probably has a ship; by the attire, he's probably freelance. Lightly-armed freelancer with his own ship, he either runs a freighter, takes petty charter jobs, or hunts bounties. She accords him a nod of greeting, and flashes a smile to Verity--in part because she's a friend, and in part, well, cutting in line is always nice.*

An order of grillons cabine would be nice. So what brings you to the Nexus, Captain?

Hey, in his defense, there is nothing about her clothes that hides, well, anything. He hasn't acted lewd yet, either, just ... surpised. It's not what he was expecting. Though, from the look of it, it looks like a flight suit. From Verity, he knows she's something of a space explorer. It's like nothing he's really ever scene before and honestly, seems impractical in the circles he hangs in.

"Samus." He says with slight nod. "My ship dropped out of hyperspace here. I'm nearly out of fuel."

Oh, Han's going to have so much fun hanging out with the feminists. It'll be good for him. He just needs to remember that. And if Jim shows up, he won't be outnumbered anymore.

Ver gives Samus a nod and turns back to the counter to add to their order, then passes Han his coffee. They can talk shop, she's not much help with space things and she knows it. "Shall we get a table?"

Blip

Jim's still in 'Captain mode' when he pulls the door open to the establishment. In his uniform and looking very tense. Spock had agreed with Jim that it was exceedingly improbable that anyone from their neck of the woods had ended up in the Nexus.

He'd also agreed that they could both think of more than a few reasons Jim should check it out anyway. Where they disagreed was Spock insisting Jim bring security with him, and Jim using his PINpoint the moment he was out of the Vulcan's sight.

Samus is never difficult to spot however, and Jim wastes no time in heading that way.

You hyperspaced here? That must have been quite a jump.

*She eyes Han for a moment, trying to gauge--does he think he's on a planet? It is, at least, a refreshing sign that he doesn't seem discomfited by the wide array of nonhuman life; speaks well of the cultural diversity at home. Verity's question gets a nod.*

Let's. What kind of fuel do you need? There's plenty of places here to work out some kind of bargain.

"I didn't intend to, but, yeah." Captain Solo hesitates to tell them he was heading to Kashyyyk. One, because there appears to be another male captain in the room to measure up against and two, because he's not really interested in admitting his ineptitude to the two ladies. To be honest ... he hasn't been doing this long, but he doesn't want to come off that way.

Han leads them all to a table that will appropriately host them all. He will wait for the ladies to sit down, because, it seems appropriate to do so. Again, he's trying not to show any favoritism here.

"Rhyonium is preferable, but I've been able to make other types work for me in the past."

No traps here, Han. Well. Not that kind. Verity's perfectly capable of handling her own seat once all the plates and cups are set down and she's had a chance to shed her coat. Which keeps her on her feet to greet her overly-serious brother with a smile and a wave when she sees him coming over.

"Hey, Jim." She doesn't say it out loud, but the look she's giving him is very much wanting to know what's wrong. "This is Captain Solo. Han, this is Captain Kirk."

She's culturally unaware enough to not realize how many geeks just had their brains explode simultaneously.

Seeing Samus here makes Jim relax considerably. Anything that goes wrong isn't going to go wrong past her for long. Verity's well and the guy at the table isn't someone Jim recognizes--all of these are good things.

He lets out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and finally cracks a smile. It'll reach his eyes in a minute, he was worried about who this space traveler could have been. That's all.

"Ver. Samus." And a hand goes out for Captain Solo. "Jim Kirk. Good to meet you, Captain."

Jim.

*Samus takes a moment to drape her coat over the back of her seat before sitting, as well. Since Han was in the lead, he might only now be getting a look at the little basket of roasted, powdered-sugar-dusted crickets that she carries along with her drink.*

Rhyonium, hmm? I'm not familiar with it, myself, but I can think of a few places to ask around. You might want to check over your ship's drive systems, if they landed you here, though.

*It's not a suggestion of pilot error, but mechanical defect. Then again, with Han, which of those implications is the lesser slight?*

Han has seen weirder than fried crickets. Han has even eaten weirder than fried crickets so, it certainly doesn't bother him. Now that the ladies are sitting, he'll shrug off his coat and join them at the table.

"Chances are there's maintenance to do on my ship." He agrees with a nod. What he'll need to do is figure out a way to make quick cash to be able to make those repairs, but, yeah, one step at a time.

As for which is the lesser slight to Han, both are pretty well undesirable.

Edited 2016-02-16 19:45 (UTC)

And here, Ver was trying to be nice by ordering the croissants. Maybe next time she'll be more challenging with her gastronomic choices.

"He hyperspaced here," she explains quietly to Jim to get him caught up. "Do you know what that means?" Okay, not so much an explanation as repeating what she's heard, but... close enough. Would Jim like half her croissant while they wait for someone to come by and take his order?

"Right." Warp capabilities. Wouldn't have expected that with a guy who looks like a scruffy arms dealer here by himself. Then again, most arms dealers don't get far trading only in the local group. "Think so."

He would love half of her croissant, thank you.

"Glad to see you in one piece. I didn't so much as drop outta warp here as crashed my shuttle trying t'get back to the ship. So. Good that your piece made it intact."

A lot of people end up here as a lucky twist in an accident that should've killed them.

*That's a comforting thought to offer before you take a sip of akh, Samus.*

Then again, a lot of people just take a wrong turn and find themselves here, too.

*Mmm, roasted crickets, tasty!*

"I happen to be the Captain of the finest ship in the galaxy."

And he can say that with the confidence of a man that has an unwavering belief in that. As far as he's concerned, the Millenium Falcon is the best ship ever built. Period. Now, the confidence in his own piloting skills, well, he's not been flying long and he only recently upgraded to the YT 1300 ... but, if it means sealing a deal and making some cash. Well. He can convince himself of that and others when he has to. Most of the time.

"And apparently came in with some favorable conditions." As if the nexus wanted him to be stopped here, that's an interesting thought ...

Oh, yeah, there's coffee. He's gonna take a sip of that too. Before someone calls him on all his big talk.

Ver's happy to share with her bestest baby brother, and is glad she's got the other half of that croissant to fill her mouth so she doesn't say things that don't need to be heard. Om nom.

Han's faith is strong, and that means something--even if the objective truth might tell a different story. People of faith are interesting studies for her. The fact it's placed in the ship instead of himself is even more interesting. If he catches her watching him he'll get a smile before she shifts her gaze elsewhere.

"You were lucky. I'm sure we can find fuel and whatever you need to make repairs. I'd think the hard part would be figuring out which way is home."

Jim would beg to differ, Captain Scruffy. The Enterprise is clearly the best ship in the galaxy. there's more than one galaxy though, so aside from the slightest tics in his eye and a tiny 'hmph' he lets that one slide.

Not about to get into a dick waving contest with Ver and Samus here. he doesn't think either would appreciate it, and he cares about at least Verity's opinion of him.

Instead of opening that can of worms, Jim glances toward Samus instead.

"Did he tell you what kinda fuel he needs? I know a few places around the commercial district..." Then a shift back to Han, now that Jim trusts himself not to be a brat. "I've also got star maps of every explored sector of the galaxy. We can try to figure out where you need to go. Worst case scenario, we have to find a way to get your ship to mine, so you've got a reference point of where to start from. The Nexus sucks for that."

Edited 2016-02-17 01:23 (UTC)

Rhyonium, he said. I'm not familiar with it, so if we have it in my Facet, it's under a different name. Chances are good someone in the market will know where to find it, though.

*Oh, look at these two getting territorial about their ships. She can't quite keep a quirk of amusement off of her lips. (Her own craft, a heavily-modified Hunter-class gunship, is far from the best or fastest ship in her galaxy. Where it excels is the payload.)*

It's hard to catch everything at a table of four, but he's trying. He finds it easier to do while he's sipping on the coffee than when he's trying to talk. So, did he notice Verity's smile? He did, yeah, but didn't totally connect it to what he said or to him, per se. Even if he had, it's not as if he'd draw attention to it right now.

"I appreciate your help." He says with a thoughtful nod. Maybe he'd figure this all out eventually, on his own, but having people who know where to find this stuff is going to save him some time, probably. Still hasn't quite worked out the payment aspect.

Some things are probably best discussed in private. Or at least, not when her brother's at the table trying to be all serious. He'd be obligated to tease her, and it's all downhill from there.

"You're welcome." Even if she doesn't think she's done much. "Samus, do you think you could wire a PINpoint into his ship the way you did to my phone that time with the thing?"

They don't talk about that time with the thing.

"Not familiar with the name, but we'll make do. Someone's heard of it by that name, it'll just take some looking." Is anyone really expecting to be paid for helping a guy out? Jim isn't. When the waiter comes by Jim's gonna get a strong coffee and a bowl of fruit.

"How big is the ship?" It can't be that big if Han's here by himself. Unless it's one of those crazy ships like the Admiral designed. He's pretty sure that's not the case though. Also, is it just Jim, or is this guy familiar? He hadn't thought about it before now, but it's bothering him. He's seen this guy somewhere before.

Anxious Smuggler's Arrival ...

Make it so ...? God that sounds weird in my head when he says it.

...oh, that does sound wrong. Sorry. :(

So, this should make for an interesting introduction.

Why hello there, Samus.

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Alternate introductions hooooo! (Like I'd pass up a chance to talk to all of you)

Trying this again.

AHHHH WE MESSED IT ALL UP!!!

Welcome to the Nexus! Where the plots are made up and the posting order doesn't matter.

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http://tinyurl.com/3gnl39b

Oh snap. Put that away or we'll end up with a George Taylor muse..

Damn dirty muses.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y15NnGZIBuM/hqdefault.jpg

That's a different film altogether!

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bit.ly/1mGlocP

Sorry, work is much more busy today

http://tinyurl.com/og94jct

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Cutting in here, pardon me.

Shuffles happen.

Re: Shuffles happen.

bit.ly/24drsLC

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