Shadrach

Shadrach started from his sleep; a dream of something dark and intangible. He glanced around, noticing at length a small blip on the edge of his ship's sensors, and drifted farther from the planet's orbit to confirm it. Excellent. After double checking his encryption protocols, he sent a quick message: Greetings, Mr. Onnd. There's yet another complication, and I'm afraid I must leave you. No doubt Mr. Furion will be all the more impressed if you manage to complete this mission solo. Attached are my docking permissions (valid for two ships, including yours), and some translation files on post-Rakata linguistics. The book in question is ancient, leatherbound, with dark blue metallic script. It is in a derivative Rakatan language; while I am not sure which, I have provided a good variety in those files. I do not have to remind you that Mr. Furion prefers civility and subterfuge to violence and bravado. Good fortune to you, and if you find that any other ancient tomes are available, you should consider bringing with you; Mr. Furion is a bit of a history buff. - Shadrach Fenri The itch had returned, and he had to get out of here. Shadrach sent a comm to Julio as he positioned himself in the hyperspace route.

Shadrach reset his targets. Two in front, one behind. "Begin." The timer began to tick. At a random interval, between 3 seconds and 3 minutes, it would chime. Until then, he must maintain combat readiness, ready to strike the instant "combat" was signaled. He knew all the particulars of these targets, of course. Roughly humanoid, with articulated limbs, armed with whatever he had given them, in this case a blaster, a knife, and a club, in that order, starting forward left. Rather boring. Two minutes and 4 seconds passed. *Ping* Shadrach shifted left as he struck the wrist of the blaster-armed target, directing the weapon toward the club wielder behind him. If the real life corollary was going to fire, this would eliminate one target already. In the same motion he clasped around that wrist with his right hand, pulling the target off balance and striking the straightened arm at the elbow with his left. A real arm would be broken. He completed the movement by releasing the target into the club wielder, and both targets sprawled clumsily to his right as he assumed the side stance against the knife target. *Beep Chirp Beep Bop* The Fenris I was closing on Gala. Shadrach trapped the knife arm left, and struck the throat hard with his right. He rather missed real knife fights; they were so much more dynamic. He snorted derisively at his humble training facility and stowed the mats and targets before jumping in the refresher. --- "Gala Jedi Temple, this is Shadrach Fenri, captain of the Fenris I, seeking permission to land. I'm here to visit the Archives for research and information retrieval, and will be accompanied by one associate who should be joining us shortly." Shadrach sat idly in the cockpit, waiting for word from Silas Onnd and the planet below.

R8 chattered inquisitively. "Yes, I got another job. Two, actually, one on station, which went well, and another that will take us to Gala. I've got to do a little research, so if you can boost the holonet signal a bit, I'll take any comms in my study." The "Study" was a spartan console in the part of the Fenris I cargo hold that served as his training room. Unforgivingly thin mats and a variety of plasteel and durafoam targets were stacked along the wall, waiting to be bludgeoned. He let them lay for now, depositing his new finery in his room before returning to the Study more comfortably dressed. The Holonet proved fairly helpful. Shadrach brought up a knowledge base on the Rakata language. It was mostly academic papers, but at length, he managed to find a visual database on the Rakata language and a few dozen of its derivatives. He logged each character set and the translation packets into his neural link, so that he would have it on hand for later. Glad that's done. Fightin' time. Shadrach threw down a few mats and began placing his targets. He had a little repressed aggression and a few standard hours to work through it.

"Indeed. My ship is the Fenris I. Comm me from parking orbit." Shadrach offered a cordial nod and strolled off for his ship. "How's the ship, R8?" The ship resumed its familiar hum as its engines warmed up. The docking clamps released with a tired groan, and the Fenris I drifted lazily out of the hangar before blasting its way toward the Gala hyperspace route. ----- A note to Zara Nargal, encoded in the docking permissions file: Dear Ms. Nargal, I wanted to compliment you on your accommodations, and thank you for a wonderful time. I hope my next visit proves less taxing for you. Take care of yourself in the meantime, and keep an eye on that gorilla of yours. Ta-ta, Shadrach Fenri

"Well, this is an interesting twist, Mr. Onnd. I've just received a communique from Mr. Furion: he'd like us to swing by the library and pick up a few books... Have you ever been to the archives at Gala temple?" Shadrach increased his pace toward the hangar. By their own code of conduct, the Jedi had an open door policy with this sort of thing, but he vaguely recalled that all data must be copied. Taking a hard copy on loan, if that was even possible, would presumably require vast amounts of paperwork, and if his prior meeting was any indication, Furion preferred to minimize the attention and paper trail of all his activities. "When we complete this task, he has offered you further employment, to be discussed upon delivery."

Shadrach smiled as Silas seized his winnings. "Excellent." Shadrach walked leisurely as he queued up the comm on his neural link, and sent a brief text message to Julio Furion. I believe I've found the man in question. Silas Onnd. Bit of a card shark; but most of the people worth meeting around here seem to be. If this is indeed the man to whom you were referring, I will bring him to you at your convenience. If not, I can dispose of him however you see fit. "Well, Mr. Onnd, was it business or pleasure that brought you to the Link?" Shadrach made casual conversation as he waited for a reply, winding his way slowly toward the hangar.

After a complicated montage of scanning hotel visitor logs, docking data, tapped security vids, and a close encounter of the drunken Rodian variety, Shadrach pieced together the name and a suitable physical description of Silas Onnd. He made his way to the Casino to begin the search. Second time's a charm. Spotting the mark at Sabacc tables, he approached casually, waiting for the hand to end before introducing himself. "Silas Onnd, I presume? I'm Shadrach Fenri, legal consult to our mutual friend, Mr. Furion." He extended his hand Silas, a little past halfway between them. "I've been asked to direct you to Mr. Furion --" Shadrach glanced at his chrono. "-- within the next hour."

Shadrach sighed lightly. "Excellent! Well, I'm glad that went -" Shadrach glanced at the cracked and dented surface of the table. "- Smoothly. If you'll excuse me, I have other business. Mr. Furion, Ms. Nargal." He offered a curt bow to each as he named them, then strolled from the room, grinning broadly at the door guards. Hah! I should have business cards! As a consultant (and specifically not a lawyer), he was not obligated to present or even possess credentials, but he still liked to have his props in order. It was a non-issue now; she had agreed and the process was legit. Shadrach's purpose had been merely to grease the wheel.

(OOC: Alright, enough of this "whatever that is" business: For your perusal. Also, Shadrach's not on record anywhere IC as a force user; though he is force sensitive, he has not yet developed, and it is improbable that anyone would know.) Shadrach gritted his teeth behind a tight smile. For a moment, everyone in the room had gone mad. Force users were confusing. When things settled down somewhat, he permitted himself a slightly sardonic grin. "You misunderstand your position, madam. 'What is advantageous for the Link' is our concern only as a courtesy; we are not beholden to you in the slightest. We came to you only as a professional gesture." Shadrach snorted at the mention of Slicer. "Perhaps Mr. Slicer should be thanking you. If he had committed such a farce as this, suffice it to say that my client would not have hired a legal consult to settle the matter. I'm sure you're familiar with the traditional means of 'conflict resolution' among the Sith. I suggest you take what you've been offered and count yourself fortunate that my client holds you in such high regard." Shadrach's smile relaxed again, then his eyes widened at his client's closing concession. Though his face quickly calmed, his thoughts were perturbed. She should be paying you rent! If she's too I am a racistrdly to take this offer, you should just wipe Roon clean and start over. It'd be cheaper!

Two guards outside, one hulker of an enforcer, and the "contact," a female human. Probably more security in the halls. It would seem we have visitors. I'll just take a little seat here in your head in the off chance they want to take a peek. I, er... Okay. This is... Um... "Mahri had a little wampa, little wampa, little wampa..." Very much like Viktor. Shadrach recentered himself. If the prime enforcer was leaving two cronies in his wake, he was probably going to monitor them remotely. He had seen several likely places for cameras, but wasn't sure which, if any, was actually equipped. It didn't matter of course; Shadrach simply couldn't help but question these things. Shadrach reseated himself once she sat, and smiled, nodding congenially as he was introduced. "It's a pleasure to meet you. We intend to not take too much of your time... My client has documents here proving his prior claim to the planet Roon, as willed to his friend and mentor Exodus by its original owner, the late Trowa Barton. As you can see, in Exodus' absence, Mr. Furion is legal guardian and custodian of Exodus' entire estate, including the planet in question." Shadrach slid the datapad with the relevant information over to Zara, highlighting Trowa Barton's will. "It was a private will; so your ignorance of the planet's complex ownership status is entirely understandable. My client has no intention of pursuing legal action against you for your efforts to develop his planet; he only wants to formally secure what his mentor had coming to him." He punctuated the last line by pointing to the appropriate sub-clause, naming Julio Furion everything up to and including heir and successor to Exodus.

"Excellent." Shadrach allowed the matter of future employment to rest. Let's resolve this business first. He sat, attentively awaiting Ms. Nargal's arrival.

"Of course." Those things'll kill you. Shadrach watched his client smoke, passively identifying patterns in the resultant fumes. He could smell it from where he was sitting, and while it was not unpleasant, he had an aversion to unduly weakening his body. "So, do you expect you'll need further assistance from a legal consult in future?"

Shadrach looked at Julio incredulously. It seemed unlikely that his current client would work for Viktor; from his posture alone he seemed more potent a man than that of his old master. Perhaps Julio meant that he had worked for Viktor's master, a woman to whom he had not been introduced. If that was the case, then perhaps his client knew even more of the Force than Viktor had. "Small galaxy." Shadrach stashed the pen and glanced at his chrono. "She's late. I expected better from her. If we're to be snubbed, what's your course of action?"

Do you? Shadrach spun a pen through his nimble fingers. "So, how did you know Viktor?"

Shadrach raised an eyebrow as Julio seemingly drew his old master's name from his mind. Freaky. I only want what's coming to me. "Oh? And what, beyond the planet in question, is that?"