The Dark Academy on Korriban

Having easily secured a speeder to travel with, Khalim finds himself headed back toward the Academy Space Port to do a bit of shopping.

I can't believe I didn't think about survival gear when going to a wasteland planet... How foolish.

The trip via speeder is much easier than the trip he made earlier in the day on foot, and it doesn't take him long at all to make it back to the space port. After parking the speeder, he heads into the space port to find the market area.

The market is not bustling mostly off-duty soldiers milling about a few makeshift stalls run by Imperials with slaves. They sell a variety of goods mostly geared towards bored military looking to stave off boredom.

Hmmm. Military equipment. Maybe there'll be something of use.

He starts looking for any sort of stall which seems to cater to military surplus, or perhaps where soldiers can trade gear they don't need.

That is easily found and standing at the stall are two soldiers well maybe mercenaries as they were definitely not wearing Empire sanctioned armor or colors. They were light green, blue, and an off orange with a style that seemed well Mandalorian. Both had helmets on, one a woman the other male in shape.

The woman was taller by a head. They were both browsing, though they did not seem impressed with the offering.

Khalim makes his way up to the stall and also begins browsing the various items available, looking particularly for wilderness survival kits, field rations and rebreathers.

All of those items are available with a 10% mark up.

Khalim tries to talk the merchant down in price, but it seems the man is quite familiar with the premise of supply and demand; particularly in the fact that it's pretty low supply on this world, and students have high demand. In the end, Khalim ends up having to pay the full asking price, but he does manage to get his hands on a wilderness survival kit, which should prove useful in the days ahead.

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Shopping - Negotiation to haggle: 2eP+1eD+1eC 3 failures, 1 advantage

The shorter Mandalorian looked at what the Sith aspirant bought and said, “You looking to go out in the wastes kid? I didn’t think your kind did anything physical.”

It was a rough sound without the refinement of Imperial inflection, heavily synthesized through the helmet.

He glimpses at the armored Mandalorian and replies, "I've already had one trip through it, and I suspect that the instructors at the Academy will seek to send us into it in the future as well. Besides, who knows what interesting knowledge might be hidden out in the wastes, and it is best to be prepared."

As he tucks the survival kit under his arm he inquires, "I suspect you've spent a bit of time in the wastes yourself?"

“I go where the hunt is, it ain’t easy getting permission to hunt here, hell we wouldn’t be planet side if not for some high up Sith hiring us out. Guess she has some expedition deep in the wastes and wants the best,” he responded proudly.

The woman was quiet and just listened.

He nods thoughtfully. "Quite interesting. I take it you're the best, then? Which Sith was it that had such good taste in mercenaries?"

“No one better Sith,” he said in response.

“Lady Zash, apparently some high up, she seems to have some pull ain’t ever seen so much red tape to get on on a world. You Sith seem to care a lot about this red dirt ball. Not sure why, it’s like Tattooine’s ugly sister.”

He smiles somewhat at the comment, "It is the origin of my race, so that's where it's particular importance comes from for me, at least."

"Was it just you two, or did Lord Zash hire other mercenaries as well? I suspect the pair of you would be more than sufficient at doing whatever job she might have in store for you."

The old tactic of the nobility: flatter the idiot to make him dumb and pliable until he tells you more than he should have.

“We can handle anything, been neck deep in rakghouls on Taris,” he said with a chuckle. “Ever seen a rak up close Sith? Don’t recommend it, and don’t suggest vacationing on Taris either.”

“Nah this Lord Zash hired twelve of us; she wants to go deep and wants the best.” The other Mandalorian pulls out her blaster rifle and checks it over while the conversation continued.

"I can't say I've ever seen a rakghoul, no. I expect if you're using them as a measure of prowess, however, they're quite lethal and most dangerous."

Glimpsing at the rifle the other Madalorian carries, and the heavy armor they both wear, he inquires, "Have any idea what you're going to face so deep in the wastes, or are you planning to find that out when you find it?"

“We got a brief, but can’t get into details Sith,” the Mandalorian said.

“But knowing this planet, whatever it is, is probably made worse by Sith magic.”

He nods agreeably, "Oh, naturally. I wouldn't expect you to get into details and to betray the confidence of the one who hired you."

He shrugs then, as though he really doesn't care about all the information the man has been feeding him. "I'm rather new to the planet, and had simply hoped you might have had some ideas of what I might run into out there."

“Packs of hungry tuk’ata and murders of shyrack mostly around here, heard of crazy stuff near the tombs in the Valley of Dark Lords. You lot, Imperials, don’t even go down there much anymore. People go nuts down there,” he said honestly.

“I have heard of a monster in the deeper wastes, an old tuk’ata named Death’s Shadow. Heard a Sith say it fed too deep on dark side or whatever that Sith magic is.”

"Hmm, quite interesting. I'm sure you all will be more than capable of dealing with any such things you come across."

He glimpses at the quiet, tall Mandalorian woman briefly.

She at least seems to know how to keep her mouth shut. Fortunately for me, he doesn't.

"Well, I believe I've concluded the shopping I had intended to do here, and the conversation was a pleasant distraction. I wish you both luck in your future endeavors."

The Mandalorian nodded and then went back to whatever they were doing.

Khalim, for his part, returns to the speeder and heads back to the Academy.

/scene