Description: Alwyn is in the Cantina hoping to get information relevant to her current mission. A man she's never met before enters and the conversation quickly turns to Kastanje.
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Smuggler's Cantina -- Coronet Corellia
The Smuggler's Cantina is known throughout Corellia as a place where only the extremely cautious dare to enter. The Cantina has a reputation of having some of the most rugged and dangerous patrons around; some may even be for hire for the right price. At this moment, the cantina is filled with many creatures, some humanoid, and some not. The air is filled with the haze and musky smoke expelled from various kinds of inhaled paraphernalia. A long bar is situated at the northeast corner with several stools before it, while booths are nestled like cubbyholes along the walls.
Alwyn's description:
This young woman couldn't be more than 20 years old but she has the bearing of a disciplined and competent warrior. At 5'10", the utilitarian black clothes she wears emphasise her athletic and muscular appearance.
She wears a vibroblade on her left hip and an empty holster for a blaster on her right. The way she casually rests her hand on the handle of the blade indicates how ready she is to use it.
You notice the way that her brown hair is pulled back neatly into a braid to keep it off her face as she carefully watches her surroundings. Those piercing brown eyes and ever-sober face bespeak a readiness for trouble.
Vahlen von Veiz's description:
You see a well built male human of an average height. His shoulder-length curly black hair is shot through with a few strands of grey, and in combination with some fine wrinkles on his face places his age somewhere in the fourth decade. He has a straight nose, sharp chiseled chin, and very thin lips surrounded by a neatly trimmed goatee without a hint of grey hairs. The most prominent feature of his face though, are his eyes: light grey like the stormy skies, accentuated by thin black eyebrows and his tendency to squint slightly when he examines someone, as if the man tries to see the very soul of the person. A thin long scar adorns the right side of his forhead, starting from just above his temple, upward to the beginning of the part of his hair. Another two scars form an uneven cross right on top of his left cheekbone, less then half an inch below his eye. One of the scars is slightly whiter then the other and was probably awarded first.
Upon his tanned skin he wears a loose fitting beige shirt, the top three buttons of which are usually unbuttoned showing off some curly black hair on his chest. A black vest is thrown over the shirt. It seems to lack any kind of fastening devices, but it does have a peculiar emblem embroidered over the heart: a shield divided into three parts, the bottom is a picture of a sea with a red sun rising over the horizon, the top right is a picture of a crossed sword and a pike over a magenda background, and the top left is a picture of a key with a castle wall as the background. On his legs the man is wearing loose brown leather pants, which are tucked into knee-high black leather boots and held up by a wide black leather belt. On the right side of the belt hangs a holster with a large blaster in it. On the left, a beautifully crafted and well ornamented scabbard houses an equally well decorated rapier, which judging by the thickness of the handle is a vibroblade. The solemn combination of elegance and doom of the weapon may be a reflection of its owner...maybe.
Vahlen von Veiz strolls slowly into the cantina and slowly looks around the typically run down establishment. He cringes his nose slightly as a wiff of mold or sweat (or both?) comes across his nostrils. The smell gets stronger and soon the man is faced by a large Gammorean with a huge vibroaxe. The pig creature snorts something, drooling on its shirt in the process. Vahlen doesn't understand a word and simply quirks an eyebrow. The pig snorts again, this time louder and more demanding. A water heater by the door suddenly beeps, rings, and comes alive. Three lights on it blink and what actually turns out to be a translator droid squeaks in a terrible voice "Give blaster. Not allowed. Oink." The Gammorean bangs the floor with the bottom edge of his axe handle, obviously getting impatient. Pfalzgraf Vahlen slowly sizes up the pig, but decides he's not really worth the trouble... besides, they didn't ask for his family vibroblade. The man slowly pulls out the heavy blaster from its holster and extends it toward the pig, handle first. The Gammorean snorts again, snatches the blaster out of Vahlen's hands, and slowly moves away swaying heavily from side to side.
A tall young woman sits at the bar. Her expression is serious and alert as she seems to casually glance at the patrons of the cantina. At the arrival of someone new her gaze immediately shifts to the newcomer, eyes trying to take in as much information as she can about him. After a few moments she picks up her glass of clear drink and takes a sip not wanting to draw attention by looking at the new arrival too long. The young woman sits straight in her chair but not awkwardly so, to someone paying attention she wouldn't appear to appear to be the normal riff raff that frequents this establishment.
Pork business over with, Vahlen returns to his attention to what he was doing before - careful study of the cantina patrons. Yup, just as he thought - scoundrel, smuggler, murderer, thief... hmm, some kind of weird alien, shady person, crook... who's that sipping so careful from a cup while looking at everyone else?... must be an undercover cop. Vahlen sighs quietly as he doesn't find one descent looking person among the booths and tables, so his attention shifts to the better illuminated bar. Ah yes, that seems like a normal merchant, and a clean cut construction worker, and a pretty young lady... Pfalzgraf kicks himself metaphorically and reminds himself where he is. It's probably just a successful smuggler, drug dealer, and a prostitute. Ah, but there is also an empty seat! It's as good as any, Vahlen decides, and carefully navigates his way toward the comfy looking stool, taking extra caution to avoid stepping on any oversized feed or tentacles. A fight in here is what he wishes to avoid at all costs.
Noticing what seems to be general contempt coming from the latest sentient to enter the cantina Alwyn turns slightly to address the barman. "Has that scoundrel who supposedly owns this establishment show his face recently?" she asks. "No?" she continues after a pause, "he's never here when you want to talk to him." Appearing slightly frustrated the young woman turns so she has a good view of most of the patrons and especially the door.
Vahlen von Veiz climbs up on an empty stool at the bar, which just happens to be next to Alwyn. He looks down the counter to the left, then to the right, but his attention is brought back to the center by a raspy sound of the bartender clearing his throat. The burly hairy man with an ever present towel snorts and grumbles in deep voice without pausing "Waddyawantstrangereh?" Vahlen frowns slightly as he tries to translate from stupid to basic. It takes him a few moments, but finally he utters in a clear deep voice with just a hint of a peculiar accent "Redniba cognac, if you would be so kind?" The bartender stares at the Pfalzgraf for a moment, then snorts again and rumbles "OneC'rellianwhiskey... comin'rightup." He pulls out a surprisingly clean tall glass and fills it half way with a light brown liquid from a tap. While Vahlen stares at him with a half open jaw, the barkeep makes a half-hearted effort to wipe the counter in front of the visitor with the towel and sits the glass down. In the next second he's gone as a furry creature in the end of the bar calls out to him.
Alwyn takes another sip from her glass and puts it down on the bar. Anyone close enough to see it that was paying attention would notice that the liquid looks suspiciously like water. She leans slightly over the bar to get the barman's attention. "I don't suppose you've seen Davros, Bode or even Kastanje or Rohan in here recently have you?" she asks the barman, hoping to get something useful from her visit to the Cantina. When the barman shrugs she sighs in exasperation, "Helpful type, aren't you."
Vahlen von Veiz is studying the contents of his glass suspiciously when the woman next to him mentions several names to the burly bartender. At the mention of Kastanje his left ear twitches slightly and he slowly turns his head to look at Alwyn. He looks the female down and up with a purely innocent curiosity, fixating his gaze on her face. The conversations Vahlen had with his subordinate flash briefly through his mind like a cigar puff through a smoke ring. Yes, there was a mention of some cantina on Corellia that she used as an information gathering center. Pfalzgraf keeps on looking straight at Alwyn as he thinks, forgetting about 'proper behavior' for the moment.
Alwyn notices that she's being looked at for an unusually long time by a man on the stool next to hers. She turns to face him directly. "Is their something I can help you with?" she quirks an eyebrow and her tone suggests that the man should either say something or find some other being to look at. This has been a really frustrating day for her and she really doesn't need any more aggravation. Patience is not strong on her list of personality traits.
Vahlen von Veiz blinks as he's suddenly brought back to reality by the question. The tips of his ears turn red as he finds himself slightly embarrassed and stammering "I.. I'm sorry, was I staring?" Vahlen's eyes jump back to the glass on the counter and he lifts up slowly, sniffing briefly before taking a careful sip. His left eyebrow lifts up slightly as the man swallows the relatively average tasting liquor. It helps him re-compose himself though. Pfalzgraf feels he owns an explanation to the woman, so he sets the glass down and returns his attention to her "My apologies, you simply called a name of someone I know. I did not expect that she would ever visit here." Vahlen immediately bites his lower lip as he realizes that he may have let it know who exactly he is referring to. Secretly he hopes that Alwyn would not catch the mistake and suddenly gets a strong urge to start up a cigar.
Alwyn looks at the man intently. After a few moments she concludes that we wasn't deliberately insulting her. Settling back on her stool a little she doesn't appear any more friendly but is certainly less hostile looking. She quickly runs the man's words over in her mind, he didn't expect that 'she' would visit here. That could only mean that the man was referring to Kastanje. Hmmm, maybe this man was a republican; she needed to be careful then, but then again, when wasn't care needed? "So how do you know Captain Kastanje then?" she asks him, watching carefully for the man's reaction, especially to see how he reacts to the use of Kastanje's rank.
Vahlen von Veiz frowns slightly at the fact that Alwyn does listen carefully, and even more at the fact that Kastanje flaunts her rank everywhere. Maybe he should send her to some classes in the Intel basics school? That's for later thought, right now he needs a good lie... Vahlen stretches his lips in a faint smile and purrs in a dreamy voice, as if recalling a pleasant memory: "She helped to... um, fix me, when I got injured in a repulsorlift accident on Coruscant. The military hospital was closest and I was taken there. Kastanje was on duty at the time, although she was a lieutenant then." Vahlen's smile gets wider as he is pleased with his own lie, but he lifts his glass to take a sip and cover up his lips, in case he looks too pleased and betrays himself.
Alwyn widens her eyes slightly at the way the man takes on a dreamy expression while talking about being fixed. She picks up her glass, takes a sip and puts it back down on the bar using the time to think. "You really enjoy having accidents and having to be 'fixed' do you?" she begins. "I'm sure I wouldn't look so dreamy at such a memory. So what happened in the repulsorlift that managed to injure you so badly that you had to go to a hospital?" Only the most severe of injuries should be taken to a hospital she thinks.
Vahlen von Veiz smirks quietly as his shaky lie is poked and prodded by well places questions. He sips again from the glass, then slowly sets it down as his other hand pulls a long cigar in a plastic cover from the inside pocket of his jacket. "Do you mind if I smoke?" he asks casually, already removing the cover while thinking of how to respond. The self-assured smile still adorns Vahlen's face as he speaks softly "No, I do not enjoy having accidents. The injuries I sustained were several broken bones, but a lot of internal shock and bleeding. Meeting Kastanje is the only pleasant thing that came out of it... she helped me, and not many people do." He bites off the closed end of the cigar and looks around for an ashtray. Not finding one, Vahlen starts looking for other trash depositories. His eyes fall upon the extremely dirty floor and he realises why they are no trashcans present in the facility. Well, when one associates with animals, one must act like an animal. With that thought passing through his mind, Vahlen simply spits the cigar end on the floor and pulls out an electric lighter, glancing back to Alwyn for permission before he actually starts it.
Surprise crosses Alwyn's features as she is asked for permission from the man before he will light his cigar. She shrugs then tells him, "It's not my decision, whether or not you light that thing." Everyone here is so undisciplined, freely partaking in whatever they regard as pleasure. Such beings would one day learn the folly of their excesses. "What kind of accident happens on a repulsorlift that causes those kind of injuries?" she asks the man, trying not to show her disdain his undisciplined actions.
Vahlen von Veiz nods in silent thanks and lights the cigar, puffing on it several times before it lights up properly. He hides the lighter in his pocket and blows out a cloud of smoke in the direction opposite from Alwyn, then turns his attention back to her. "Well it lost power and crashed six stories down onto a landing platform. Sudden deceleration kind of slaps you against the hard floor surface and causes the soft insides to squish to the point where they should not be squished." He shivers slightly from the memory, takes another puff from the cigar to calm his nerves, and licks his lips briefly before asking "Now that you know my story, I am curious as to where do -you- know Kastanje from?" Vahlen tilts his head to the right slightly, looking at Alwyn carefully.
Never having been in a repulsorlift accident and not having spent much time in hospitals Alwyn decides to stop questioning the man about the incident, well about the part of it in the lift at least. "I don't know Kastanje very well at all actually," she replies to his question. "I've met her in passing a few times. She seemed like she may be a useful person to know though." She ponders for a few moments. "You must have gotten to know her reasonably well since you must have spent weeks in hospital with injuries like that. Also you recognised her first name; it's not usual for patients to refer to their doctors that way," she tells the man pointedly.
Vahlen von Veiz smiles again and nods to Alwyn respectfully "You are very perceptive." A dramatic pause as he inhales some good quality tobacco oxidation byproducts and releases them in the shape of an almost round smoke ring, which slowly rises to the ceiling dissipating along the way. Vahlen follows the ring with his eyes for a few moments before returning his attention to the woman "Yes, I spent some time as Tanya's patient. We reached a level of... casual friends." Pfalzgraf smirks as his fantasy story gets more and more developed, but he makes sure to turn the questioning around "If you do not know her very well, how come you are searching for her?"
Alwyn pointedly tries to ignore the man's fascination with his cigar. In an effort to hide her disdain for such activities she picks up her glass and sips again. "Barman, I'll have another water," she says loudly, while putting down her now empty glass and pushing it away. When the barman brings over her drink she gives him a few credits then turns back to the man that knows Kastanje, her face schooled to serious alertness once again. "As I told you before," she begins, "she seemed like she may be a useful person to know. I wanted to know about some things that she may have information on. Hence, I asked if she had been seen around here recently."
The smile disappears from Vahlen's face for a moment as he gloomily mutters "In that case, it seems we are searching for the same thing." He moves the cigar over an open spot above the floor and taps on it lightly with one finger causing some ash to break off and slowly cascade downward like snow. It is quickly returned to the Pfalzgraf's mouth and he adds an explanation to his statement "I have been unable to get in touch with her for the last couple of days. I thought maybe she came to this planet." He inclines his head to the side again "When have you seen her last?"
Alwyn's brow furrows in thought as she tries to remember the last time that she saw Kastanje. It must have been just before I went to Taboon to pick up the thief, she thinks. That's right I received the message from the guild just before I ran into Kastanje. "It was probably around a week or so ago," she says, seeing no harm in telling the man. "She was at the spaceport. So why are you looking for her? You didn't tell me that you were so friendly with her that not seeing her for a couple of days inspires you to search for her." she points out, obviously curious.
Vahlen von Veiz shakes his head slightly and says with amusement "Don't try to read into my actions too much. We are just friends. She simply introduced me to some people under her command, and one of them informed me that she has not reported in for two days. Apparently in the military that's a big no-no." He shrugs slightly to show that he doesn't understand such uptightness, as he puffs out another smoke ring and lifts the overlooked glass to his lips, sipping some more of the local brew. Vahlen gets quiet for a minute or so, his eyes staring at something far, far away as he drifts in deep thoughts. The cigar is slowly melting in the meantime and a little piece of ash breaks off, falling on the man's left hand which he rested on his right thigh. Pfalzgraf emits a surprised "Ow!" as he's brought back to reality. He shakes his hand, dropping the ash on the floor and briefly examining the small red spot it left. Vahlen promptly drops the rest of the ash on the floor and asks Alwyn before puffing on the cigar again "Do you know anyone else she associated with here?"
So this man does have some connection to the republican military whether he's actually enlisted or not, Alwyn thinks to herself. She was going to have to be extremely careful about what she said to him then. Kastanje didn't seem silly enough to let people know that she was willing to talk to a Sith and Alwyn certainly didn't want to do anything that might jeopardise opportunities to gain information from the Republic captain. "Like I told you before, I really don't know her very well. Certainly not well enough for her to introduce me to contacts she may have here." she tells the man busily puffing on his cigar. Alwyn isn't particularly worried about the man maybe catching her out in a lie; after all, everything she said was actually the truth.
Vahlen von Veiz nods slowly, the look on his face clearly showing that he's somewhat disappointed. He inhales deeply and says quietly "I see. Well, thank you for the information and the pleasant talk miss..." Vahlen frowns slightly, but it's quickly replaced by an amused expression and a slight chuckle "...I just realised I do not even know your name. Strange, usually introductions come in the beginning, not the end. If.." He pauses to think and take another pull from the cigar, then corrects himself "..When I find Kastanje, who should I put in the good word for?" The Pfalzgraf quirks an eyebrow slightly, obviously expecting some name or title.
Alwyn raises her glass to her mouth hoping it will help cover her small lie as she tells the man, "I appreciate your attempt to help me but she probably wouldn't even remember my name." She takes a slightly larger sip than usual and puts the glass back down on the bar. "If I do manage to run into her somewhere would you like me to tell her that you were looking for her?" she asks the man, hoping to prompt him into revealing his own name.
Vahlen von Veiz can't help but laugh quietly at the verbal game of hide and seek that they are playing. The woman's next move was predictable thought and Vahlen already has an answer for her "Just tell her the 'cigar man' was looking for her." He releases another smoke ring to reinforce his point. Not many people around are so skillful with tobacco vapors. Pfalzgraf raises his liquor glass to find it almost empty. Nonetheless, he jerks it toward Alwyn slightly and murmurs a toast "Here's to our mutual friend and my thanks for making this evening interesting." Vahlen tilts his head back and the whiskey quickly rolls down the glass into him. The man climbs off the stool, takes one more puff of the cigar, then throws it on the ground, steps on it, and twists his foot a couple of times to make sure it's out. The faint smile is playing on his lips once again as Vahlen already thinks of his next step.
Alwyn raises an eyebrow and chuckles slightly at the man also avoiding telling her his name. "Good luck in finding her," she tells him. "If I see her around I'll let her know that people are feeling her absence." She raises here glass to her mouth and takes a sip since she was already going to do so. She inclines her head in a slight nod, her way of saying goodbye since the man is obviously leaving.
Vahlen von Veiz navigates his way through the crowd of lowlifes back toward the door. He tracks the familiar Gammorean by his stink and taps him on the shoulder several times to get the pig's attention. After some snorting and axe shaking, the drooling pork chops finally gets Vahlen his blaster back. Pfalzgraf makes his way to the door, but pauses right before leaving the cantina and looks over his shoulder at the woman at the bar. He smiles briefly to her before stepping out into the street and the welcome fresh air.