| abstract | - Winterdrift Mall - Event Plaza [Cloud City: Bespin] - Bespin At the exact center of the gigantic shopping mall lies the event plaza, which is home to a large stage, tall holo screens, and the complex's elegant food court. Overhead, the ceiling is an arched, transparent dome, allowing a magnificent and unobstructed view of the sky. Tonight, however, the area has been festively decorated with banners, signs, and brightly-glowing lights that give off a circus atmosphere. Speakers and a microphone podium are being set up on the stage, and several people wear badges announcing that they're employees of ReadyCab, the most well-known hovercab provider in Cloud City. Long bright banners announce that this is the annual Customer Appreciation Day of ReadyCab Corporation, dedicated this year to its late CEO, Art Sansov. Thu Dec 04 21:22:53 2494 Contents: Exits: CEO Jacen Konnar [S] South ReadyCab Cloud Car [N] North Businessman Kath Teb'kay Criminal Mandra Kath Teb'kay is standing near the back of the stage in the center of the Event Plaza, speaking with several technicians who are adjusting lights and testing speakers. He's wearing a fine suit and his fur is well-groomed and giving off a lustrous hue. Every so often, he turns and waves at the groups of people moving about the plaza. Jacen Konnar stops at a good vantage point to watch the preparations on stage, his two bodyguards loosely flanking him. He watches the stage silently, a small smile set on his features. Mandra sits discreetly in one of the restaurants at the giant food court, watching the process of setting up the stage. He smiles, and calls in a passing waiter to serve him another drink, the second of many he will have tonight. The Event Plaza is filled with people wandering about, as is normal here in Winterdrift Mall, however, the area has been festively decorated with banners, signs, and brightly-glowing lights that give off a circus atmosphere. Speakers and a microphone podium are being set up on the stage, and several people wear badges announcing that they're employees of ReadyCab, the most well-known hovercab provider in Cloud City. Long bright banners announce that this is the annual Customer Appreciation Day of ReadyCab Corporation, dedicated this year to its late CEO, Art Sansov. Entertainers move about the crowds with their faces brightly painted, juggling or making quick one-liners in various languages. Kath Teb'kay makes a nod towards a few technicians and moves off the stage, leaving them to finish their last-minute tests. He wanders down a side stair and into the crowds. He smiles, showing his expensive dental work, and greets several people in the crowd, waving at a few in the back. Jacen Konnar continues to just stand back and watch for now, gaze following an entertainer along with a grin, he looks to one of the security men beside him and chuckles, "CEC should run one of these, one day." Getting only a small nod in return, as the man continues his work. Mandra stands up from his table at the restaurant, but not before ordering one more drink to go. He takes it with him into the crowd, and as he walks, he pulls out a flashy ReadyCab pin and attaches it to his shirt. He finishes the rest of his drink, throws the cup on the ground, and walks towards the stage. Kath Teb'kay stops to converse with a few people in the crowd, slowly making his way around the crowd in a large circle. Glancing at Jacen's left-most security man as he passes, he says, "Good to see you, don't forget to enter the raffles. The proceeds go to charity, it's our way of saying thanks." He glances past the security man at Jacen and greets him similarly, saying, "Good to see you, ReadyCab appreciates your patronage and we look forward to another ten years of service." Aegis strides into the food court and leans up against a pillar near the edge of the eating area. As he looks about, he takes a long draw on a small, stubby cigar. The Event Plaza is filled with people wandering about, as is normal here in Winterdrift Mall, however, the area has been festively decorated with banners, signs, and brightly-glowing lights that give off a circus atmosphere. Speakers and a microphone podium are being set up on the stage, and several people wear badges announcing that they're employees of ReadyCab, the most well-known hovercab provider in Cloud City. Long bright banners announce that this is the annual Customer Appreciation Day of ReadyCab Corporation, dedicated this year to its late CEO, Art Sansov. Entertainers move about the crowds with their faces brightly painted, juggling or making quick one-liners in various languages. Tables are set up at various places, selling off raffle tickets for prizes being given away, such as PDAs, sophisticated cloud car models, and the big drawing of the day, an actual vintage ReadyCab Cloud Car being retired from service. Jacen Konnar chuckles, and inclines his head, "I'm sure you will. Always use ReadyCab on the rare occasions I visit Bespin, never had any problems." He hands some credits to one of his guards, and whispers something about the raffles. The man nods and wanders off. Aegis exhales a cloud of blue smoke, then moves through the crowd slowly, taking the time to purchase raffle tickets for several of the minor prizes before he moves to a pillar with a clear view of the unoccupied podium. Kath Teb'kay smiles in Jacen's direction and, smoothing down his fur, which is giving off a pleasant, healthy shine, turns back to continue his circuit through the crowds. His path takes him towards Aegis, though the route is interrupted with handshakes and pleasantries being exchanged with others in the crowd. The security officer returns to hand a couple of tokens to Jacen with a nod, and retakes his place by his side. Jacen himself just continues to watch the stage. Mandra quickly makes his way up to the stage, flashing his ReadyCab pin at various security guards. He steps on and starts to examine the mic, tapping it a few times and mouthing words through it which do not come through. He shakes his head a few times, and then takes another mic out of his pocket, replacing it with the one that was there. He then casually slips off the stage and disappears into the crowd. Zimri makes his way into the room and takes a look around. He had heard that something was going on here today, and he wanted to see what it was all about. As always, he carries his instrument in a large black case at his side. He grinps it tight and looks around the crowded room to see where he wants to go and what there is to do. Entering from the northern part of the mall is Tekkil, of the Quarren species. The fish-like creature strolls through the crowd casually, his hands clasped behind his back. There is a pin on his skin-tight suit that identifies him as part of Mon Calamari Security, though it would not be too noticeable. He glances up at the roof of the establishment and says, "Ahh." in amazement. He then looks down hurriedly, just to make sure he doesn't walk into anyone accidently. Aegis glances at the Bothan businessman working the crowd deftly, then turns his attention to the big-nosed man playing with the microphone on the podium. He takes another pull on his stubby cigar, holding it in as he pitches the smoking butt into a nearby trash receptacle. An attractive human acrobat in a brightly-colored gown somersaults from one end of the stage to the other, skillfully moving past the technicians working on the speakers. She ends her movement with a high leap and bows to the crowd, slipping down off the front of the stage and smiling at a young girl standing near her father in the crowd. She sprinkles some glitter in the child's her, and then smiles and cartwheels off, going back to entertaining the others in the crowd. Quinxtoi arrives from Winterdrift Mall - North Side . Quinxtoi has arrived. Jacen Konnar claps his hands slightly, with a soft chuckle, "They're really quite good..Bespin always seemed such a businesslike place. When i've been here..I suppose it's all been on business." He remarks to one of his guards. Kath Teb'kay waves to Aegis as he passes, apparently not recognizing him, "Good evening, ReadyCab appreciates your business. Enjoy the festivities." The technicians on stage turn up the speakers, and clear the area, heading into the crowd to enjoy some of the fun themselves. The lights at the exterior of the Event Plaza dim, while the ones on the stage brighten a bit. Colorful fireworks erupt near several ReadyCab banners streaming down from the ceiling and observation balconies. Tekkil pauses momentarily as he hears the applause for the acrobat, though he does not join in on the clapping. He proceeds on making his way towards one of the raffle tables cautiously, it being a bit of a challenge for him to move through the crowd. As the fireworks sprinkle down onto the stage, a human staggers onto the stage, microphone in hand. He is wearing a sparkling silver suit, which twinkles and makes it difficult to catch anything but glare off of him. He steps onto the stage to a roar of applause, and dances for a few seconds to the jazzy music that's playing before he settles down and brings to microphone to his lips. "Good evening, ladies and gentleman, people of the galaxy! I'm your MC, Stagg Zarquon, and I just wanna ask you if you're ready for some FUN!" He pauses for effect, waiting for the crowd to react. Zimri watches the acrobat for a brief moment, giving a slight smile. As he continues through the room he sees a raffle is going on and he strides up to one of the tables where he is given a token. He takes a look at the token and walks away from the table after saying thank ou. His attention turns to the MC, and he stands towards the back of the room. Quinxtoi slips in from the north and joins the party. Weaving his way through the crowd he moves toward the tables. Kath Teb'kay turns towards the stage and applauds enthusiastically before beginning to make his way forward through the crowd. Mandra, while all of this mixing has been taking place, has casually drifted through the crowd to near a turbolift, the arrival of which he is currently waiting upon. Jacen Konnar shields his eyes a moment, as the shiny MC enters the picture, before chuckling slightly at the man, shifting his position. Zarquon smiles, and throws his sunglasses into the crowd in time to the snazzy end of the musical number. He looks up at the crowd and takes the mic once more to his lips. "Folks, we're here today to celebrate you, the customers of ReadyCab, for making it what it's become today: the largest HoverCab provider on Bespin! And, in appreciation of you, the loyal customer, we have a few -prizes- to give away! If you have not done so already, I would like you to please sign up for our raffle at one of the conveniently located raffle tables. I know you're going to get a kick out of these prizes, and the drawing will be done when I call up ReadyCab's new CEO on the stage, which I will do in a moment. But, for now, I'd like to welcome a few parties from 'out of town'." He takes a small card out of his pocket and starts reading off of the list. "Do we have a..." Meanwhile, many crowd members are shifting towards the raffle tables. Jacen Konnar already has his raffle tickets, he just remains watching the stage. Head tilted as he watches the MC on stage. Mandra's turbolift has arrived, and he rides it up to the viewing balconies, which are also full of people. He gets off and views the crowd, pocketing a small black object. Having purchased his raffle tickets, Aegis continues to lean against the pillar watching the MC. He claps when appropriate, but the festivities seem a bit over the top for his tastes. Still, he thinks, a spectacle is a spectacle. Quinxtoi patiently moves with the crowd towards the ticket tables. He isn't comfortable with the large number of people but he's also trying his hardest not to show it. Kath Teb'kay moves past Tekkil, waving, as he does to everybody else he passes that catches his eye. The Bothan definitely seems cheerful and optimistic, smiling and laughing as he goes. Tekkil nods respectfully in response to Kath, then moves away from the table, ticket in hand. He comes to a stop near the edge of the crowd, feeling a bit stuffed at the moment. He may be a bit claustrophobic. Zimri holds onto his coin and waits to see what will be called. He grips his instrument case tighter, but just a little bit tighter. The sparkling MC has finished reading his list of parties, and so goes on with the celebration. "And now that we've thanked those wonderful travelers," he says, invoking the sound of suspense in his voice, "It's time for me..." The lights lower, a few spotlights criss-cross in the audience and a drumroll sounds through the speaekrs. "...to introduce him. Ladies and gentlemen, here he is, the king of customer service, the man who has the best-kept fur in the plaza, folks," he stops for laughs, chuckling at his own joke, "here he is, your ReadyCab CEO, Kaaaath Teb'Kaaaay!" all of the spotlights suddenly pinpoint Kath in the audience, and a blaring jazzy tune sounds over the speakers, trumpets and trombones bursting. The MC claps for Kath along with the roar of the audience as the CEO approaches the stage. Jacen Konnar claps politely, not joining in the roar, his gaze following Kath along, as he approaches the stage. Aegis applauds for Kath Teb'kay, finally remembering the circumstances under which he had met the Bothan previously. He continues to applaud as he grins and looks about the crowd for other familiar faces. Zimri sets his case on the floor and claps for the CEO. He looks around at the crowd and smiles slightly. He sees nobody he knows, but he didn't expect to, not on Bespin at least. Mandra just stands and watches, all but hidden by the audience in the upper deck. He smiles as Kath is introduced, and applauds as loud as any of them, bleating out an enormous whistle with two fingers between his teeth. Tekkil pockets the raffle ticket and brings his hands together to clap quietly, offering little or no sound to the already booming applause. He keeps his gaze on the CEO for the time being.' "Woooo!" shouts someone in the crowd, cheering. Kath Teb'kay makes a completely feigned look of shock as the spotlights orient on him, glancing around at the people next to him. He then breaks out into a grin and steps away from the crowds and up the side steps of the stage. Waving and cheering, he points randomly at the crowd in Quinxtoi's direction, then does the same at Zimri's area. He does a sweeping wave as he moves across the stage, fur glimmering attractively with a bright sheen under the stage lights. He reaches the MC and makes a show of mouthing out his thanks, then accepts the microphone being offered by the man. He begins speaking, but no sound emanates, he tries once more then glances at the MC questioningly. Quinxtoi watches the stage as he takes a ticket and follows the crowd back into the main area. Jacen Konnar watches the stage quietly, enough experience with technical difficulties himself to know its only a matter of time, he waits patiently. "We can't hear you!" someone shouts. Zarquon smiles as Kath comes around, and hands him the microphone. Seeing Kath's difficulties, the MC rolls his eyes to the crowd (projected as a close-up on one of the many holo-monitors above the stage) and points quickly to the "on" button. Aegis's mouth curls into a grin at the on-stage antics, knowing good showmanship when he sees it. He continues to clap, but his attention is focused more on the crowds in the mall than the stage. Kath Teb'kay nods to the MC and glance at the microphone, bringing it his lips, he clicks the button saying, "...it is. Ahh. Thank you everyone. Thank you." He moves a few steps forward, looking at the crowd of people. "It's our great pleasure at ReadyCab to hold this event for you. As many of you know, it was started by my predecessor, Art Sansov. He was a great man and a spectacular businessman and I thank you all for your best wishes and I hope to be half as successful as he was. Now, before I go any further, I'd like to bring on a talented young man to perform for us all before we get to the raffle of prizes." Kath smiles and gazes across the audience. "Please put you hands together and give a wonderful welcome, to Zimri." He clicks off the microphone button and hands the device back to the MC, stepping backwards and applauding as he looks back and forth. Quinxtoi follows the crowd as it mills back into place. He begins clapping politely and tries to keep a clear view of the stage. Tekkil raises a hairless brow as he hears, or doesn't hear, Kath. After the microphone is turned on, however, he nods and begins to golf-clap again, this time for the announced Zimri. Mandra screams "You're welcome!" from the upper deck as Kath pleads his thanks to the crowd. Jacen Konnar claps again, surveying the stage area for this Zimri fellow, before looking to his PDA, following a soft beep. Stage technicians skillfully set floor mics out on the stage as some of lights dim into soft, muted colors. Zimri smiles and reaches down to grab his musical instrument case. He pshes through the crowd and sets the case down on near the stage before he climbs up on it. He walks to the center of the stage and waves to the crowd. "Thank you, Kath. It's good to be here." He turns to face thr crowd and waves again, waiting for everything to be ready and for the music to start. The soft sounds of romantic, soft music come twinkling through the speakers and the lights are set for the mood as Zim waits for his que. A young Human child runs past Aegis, face smeared with some chocolately-looking go and his hands coated in the same substance. The boy's mother is several steps behind, waving a napkin as she chases the toddler. Aegis claps loudly as the Bith takes the stage, then his attention is distracted by the mother and child. He reaches a hand out, gently trying to snag the child's shoulder long enough for the mother to catch up. Kath Teb'kay fades back into the shadows at the unlit parts of the stage, stepping back down into the crowd, watching Zimri. Tekkil slowly brings his hands back down to his sides, finished with applauding for now. He listens intently to the music, should it decide to come. Finding it difficult to move in such a packed crowd, Quinxtoi stops applauding and maintains his current spot among the throng of people. Jacen Konnar continues watching Zimri silently, his arms folding quietly, always use the details of a good musician. If he is good. Zimri starts off by looking into the crowd. The music starts off slow and the lights dim, but gradually the music will begin to quicken, and the lights will begin to come up. He starts off with the song in a medium-pitched voice. "I don't want to waste your time/I don't want to waste my time/I think we should just clear the air/And let each other know/That we're in love." The child bumps into Aegis's outstretched hand and gazes up at the muscular man, fudgy goo coating his mouth as he looks up and pokes his in the thigh with one tiny finger, leaving a tiny chocolate circle no bigger than a centimer on his black pants. It's hardly noticeable. "Tag," the boy mumbles. "You're it." "Oh, dear," the boy's mother says as she arrives, 3 paces behind. "I'm so sorry," she says to Aegis, then turns to pick her little boy up. She holds the napkin towards Aegis as she begins moving her head back and forth, evading her son's attempts to land kisses on her as she hugs him. A few Ugnaughts near Jacen Konnar and his security detail are looking over the retired ReadyCab Hovercar being auctioned. They are nodding to each other and looking over the bodywork and engine fittings. After a few moments the all head towards one of the raffle tables. Mandra aaawws very loudly as Zimri sings the first few lines of the song, drawing quite a few 'shhhs' from the people in the upper decks around him. Tekkil listens intently to the song, taking no notice of the child, mother, and Aegis. His arms come up to his torso and cross over each other. The song continues on, and Zimri seems to really be getting into it. He moves back and forth and has some very exaggerated facial expressions attached to his words. "You know I want us to be together/I know you want us to be together/We can't keep up this charade for very long/Because we both know/That we're in love." He rolls his head around a bit as the beat gets a little quicker, but not too much. "The world just keeps on passing by/We watch the world keep passing by/And yet we cannot bring ourselves/To say/That we're in love." The song continues on like that, a cheesy love song about two lovers who obviously have not admitted it to each other. Aegis smiles in a friendly manner as he takes the offered napkin and wipes the spot of chocolate off of his pants. "No big deal," he states. "Looks like you've got quite a handful there," he says as he hands the napkin back. Kath Teb'kay nods along with the music, but mostly his gaze scans the crowd. He smiles, waving every so often. After a couple more minutes, the song comes to an end. "I think it's time for us to rush/I know it's time for us to rush/We must move fast and/Here I go. I think I'm ready to tell you/That I'm in love with you." He holds the last note until it fades away, and he ends the performance with a bow. The audience goes wild at the end of the performance and the MC steps onto the main part of the stage while the lights flare to their original states. He holds out his hand for Zimri to shake, and puts his own microphone to his mouth. "The wonderful up-and-coming musician ZIMRI, ladies and gentlemen!" He pauses for the crowd to cheer once more, and then beckons Kath up onto the stage again. "Here he comes again folks, and it's time for the moment you've all been waiting for. I will draw the raffle tickets, and Kath Teb'Kay will read off the numbers. Real quickly, if you have one a raffle, please remain where you are, and one of our lovely attendants will deliver your prize to you personally." The MC puts on another pair of sunglasses that have magically appeared from somewhere as he builds up suspense. "Unless of course you win the grand prize, that lovely Cloud Car over there!" He points and the audience goes nuts, and then he hands to mic over to Kath. "Oh he is," the woman replies, taking back the napkin from Aegis. "Thanks for stopping the little rascal," she says, her attention turning towards the stage as the lights come back up and the musician ends his performance. OOC NOTE: Every time the MC picks a raffle ticket out of the box, please +taskroll your luck at a 0 modifier. The one who rolls the highest gambling will win the prize being offered. If there is a tie, the two should just go ahead and roll their gambling again, and whoever gets the highest that time, wins the prize. If you win a raffle at a lower level, you may still compete for the grand prize. Aegis nods at the woman and then turns his attention back to the stage. As the Bith stops, he begins to applaud yet again, then listens as the MC takes over yet again. Zimri smiles, gives another bow, and waves as he walks off the stage. He decends the steps and grabs his instrument case, picking it up. He stays off to the side and gets out his raffle token and looks up at the MC. Quinxtoi watches the stage intently, occasionally glancing at the ticket in hand. Tekkil reaches into one of his pockets and extracts the raffle ticket he received. He brings it up to his face and reads it, then waits for the numbers to be called. As the MC is working the crowd, Kath is heading back up the steps. He arrives in time to receive the microphone and brings it to his lips. The Bothan makes a purposeful show of clicking the button on the side of the microphone and speaks into it. "Thank you, Stagg," he says. "That's right, it's time to begin raffling off the prizes but first, let's have another big round of applause for Zimri." Kath pauses and lowers the microphone, smiling at Stagg. After a short time he begins speaking again. "Tonight, ReadyCab will be giving away Hovercab #15. The old girl was purchased 10 years ago by Art Sansov himself during the company's very first year. It was..." Kath glances across the plaza, "well, it was the 15th one he bought. I am pleased to say that #15 had an excellent service record and is as finely-tuned and maintained as the day Art himself picked it up. However, as a company, ReadyCab is constantly growing and we've acquired several newer, state of the art hovercabs to serve you better and we need to clear out the garage space. I can only hope that one of you will give her a good home and love her as much as we all did." "That being said," Kath continues. "We have some other prizes to hand out and I wish you all the best of luck." Turning to his companion, the Bothan says, "Stagg, when you're ready, let's start giving back to the customers. We'll start with these scale models of ReadyCab cloud cars, crafted by Quixel Toys and Novelties, which we thank deeply." After several minutes of Stagg drawing non-stop and Kath announcing the winners, the prizes are passed out to the winners in the crowd. People cheer and applaud after each name, some people shout loudly when they hear the name of someone they know. Kath's voice begins to get a bit hoarse near the end and finally, he stops and clicks the microphone's button, breathing out slowly, and handing it back to Stagg, allowing the extravagent MC to work up the crowd for the final drawing. (*) Kath Teb'kay gives 1 Cloud Car Model to Tekkil. (*) Kath Teb'kay gives 1 Cloud Car Model to Zimri. (*) Kath Teb'kay picks up 1 Dejarik Hologame Table here. (*) Kath Teb'kay gives 1 Dejarik Hologame Table to Quinxtoi. The lights around the stage dim and rise again. More sparkling fireworks erupt near the overlooking balconies and illuminate the long ReadyCab banners that run from floor to ceiling around the Event Plaza. The speakers begin playing deep, barely audible background music, a rythmatic bass-line that enhances the distinct voice of Stagg Zarquon. Zarquon takes the microphone and talks into it slowly. "Ladies and gentleman..." tantalizing suspense music plays. "...this is it. The final drawing for the cloud car. The big one, the one you have truly all come here for." He reaches his hand into the box and before he hands the mic and the raffle ticket over to Kath he says, "Kath, will you do the honors?" Kath takes the raffle ticket and blinks at it, holding the microphone in his other hand. The Bothan turns on the mic and holds the ticket at arms length, squinting. "Let's see," he says in Basic. "These things are so hard to read... it looks like..." Tekkil rolls his Gambling with a 0 modifier. The result of the roll is Poor (-2). Quinxtoi rolls his Gambling with a 0 modifier. The result of the roll is Mediocre (-1). Zimri rolls his Gambling with a 0 modifier. The result of the roll is Superb (3). Mandra sighs as he does not have a ticket, but a smile keeps on his face. He pushes his way to the balcony right over the stage, which he can only just see over a huge banner and is anchored down on the stage. Kath brings the slip of paper closer and says, "Everyone, a round of congratulations is in order for... Zimri!" The Bothan slides the raffle ticket near one of the Holo-recorders, allowing the image of the winning ticket to be viewed on the surrounding moniters. "Zimri!" The Bothan says, "If you're still in the audience, jump up and down... and have some ID ready." He laughs and says, "Stagg, why don't you go down and get some words from the winner while I make the closing statements?" Kath withdraws a command cylinder bearing the distinctive logo of ReadyCab, handing it to Stagg he says, "If you could be so kind as to give this to our big winner..." he clicks the side button of the mic and passes it off to the MC, gazing out at the crowd and applauding. Zarquon smiles and nods several times, taking the command cylinder and the mic down to Zimri. Zimri nearly drops his instrument case in surprise. "What? Me!?" He hears that he should jump up and down and does just that for a brief moment before realizing that he probabl looks like and idiot. He smiles wide and takes a good look at the Cloud Car which he has won. He looks over at Zarquon as he is coming over and continues to smile. Tekkil smiles widely as he gets handed a model of a Cloud Car. He holds it up and gazes at it in awe, thinking that it will be the excellent addition to his home. He looks up at the jumping Zimri and the smile widens further. Quinxtoi momentarily squeezes his ticket in frustration, then starts pressing his way towards the prize table. Kath applauds a bit more and then begins moving to the front of the stage. He waves left, then right. He steps up to the podium and rests both his hands on either side of it, the microphone here held in a movable arm. The Bothan's eyes are bright and his smile is the best that a high-powered executive can afford. As the stage lights sheen of his fur, it's color makes it obvious the Bothan is pleased, or at least mildly happy. As he watches Stagg making his way through the applauding crowd, Kath leans foward to make some closing announcement. The Bothan begins speaking, his mouth moving, but the words unable to be heard over the crowd. Rolling his eyes, Kath glances down at the microphone and reaches up with both hands to slide it free. Spotting the button on the side, he brings the device to his lips and clicks it on. Kath Teb'kay rolls his Constitution with a -1 modifier. The result of the roll is Good (1). A sudden blue electrical discharge fire from the microphone, striking Kath full in the face! The Bothan's eyes go wide and for the briefest moment, his fur seems to got straight out and tinge white, then he's laying on his back on the stage, twitching, as if stunned! Several technician's at the edge of the stage look on in shock. At this moment, a gasp comes from the upper decks. All of the holo-screens are immediately switched from the grimacing face of Kath to the huge banner right over the stage, where a figure can be seen sliding down it looking like a pirate sliding down a sail in an old pirate movie. The audience is silent and still, wondering what the h*ll is going on. When Mandra reaches the stage, he grabs one of the microphones on a small table behind it, and turns it on pointedly. "Ladies and gentlemen," he says, "thank you for attending and congrats to all of our winners! Now, I assure you that this is all a part of the show. Kath Teb'Kay is fine. I will now contribute my gift to the ReadyCab corporation." Quinxtoi's eyes jerk back towards the stage as the electricity arcs. His expression neutral, Quinxtoi surveys the situation. Zimri gasps when the Bothan gets shocked and looks up at the man on the banner. He shakes his head and begins to make his way to the stage. "What's going on?" He tries to make his way on stage to get Kath, but is pushed back by some technicians. "I think I can help if you just let me through." But he is not allowed onto the stage at the moment, and he scowls and takes a few steps back. OOC Note: This is a special part of the party. You all will be able to try and catch Mandra by rolling your running at -1 (the audience slows you down) or your weapon's skill. If you roll better than Mandra's stealth at 0 (as he runs into the crowd), you'll be the hero. If Mandra rolls better, he gets away. Roll as soon as Mandra poses next, and have fun. Mandra walks over to the Cloud Car, pulling a small black object out of his pocket. As he sweeps the black object over the car, blocking what he's doing from all cameras, he speaks into the microphone. "I'd like to congratulate Kath Teb'Kay about getting stunned by my ingenious microphone stun-gun, and before I go, long live Kath Teb'Kay, long live all that money that I love so much." He runs into the crowd, and as he does so, the cameras zoom in on the cloud car. 'Thanks for the good time Kathy, and much love, Mandra' is written in crude handwriting in silver spraypaint. Quinxtoi rolls his Running with a -1 modifier. The result of the roll is Terrible (-3). Zimri rolls his Running with a -1 modifier. The result of the roll is Terrible-1 (-4). Kath Teb'kay rolls his Running with a -1 modifier. The result of the roll is Terrible (-3). Mandra rolls his Stealth with a 0 modifier. The result of the roll is Legendary (4). Quinxtoi tries to shove his way towards the stage but the crowd thick and his progress is slow. Tekkil narrows his eyes, somewhat convinced that this act is actually part of the show; or, he just does not wish for anyone else to get hurt, should he miss. His hand slowly releases the handle of his blaster pistol. Several ReadyCab security personnel begin pushing through the crowds, following after the fleeing Mandra. The technicians that had been stopping Zimri, suddenly move away to the stage, heading towards the device on the stage near the fallen Bothan. They begin carefully examining it and the podium. Zimri sees what has happened to his newly-won car and he chases the mysterious person into the crowd, but easily loses him. It is not long before his right ankle gets caught up in another's and he falls to the floor, sliding a few inches on the ground. "Oof!" Most people in the crowd are looking on stunned, glancing between the stage, the HoverCab, and the direction Mandra fled in. Stagg Zarquon, standing stock still in the crowd, says, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not part of the show, please, stay calm and begin exiting the area in an orderly fashion. Everything is under control, just stay calm." Some of the nearby techs begin checking over Kath Teb'Kay, trying to figure out how badly he's injured. Zimri pushes himself up off the ground and brushes off his suit, shaking his head. He looks around for his dropped music case, finds it, and picks it up as well. He looks up to the stage and frowns, hoping Kash would come out ok, but if what that criminal said was tur, he was merely stunned. Kath Teb'kay jerks a bit and grabs one of the tech's calling for a microphone. As one of the men brings it to him, the Bothan groans loudly into and snarls, "Was it that... big nosed... bastard? 200,000 credits for him..." The technicians and several ReadyCab employees look shocked at the injured Bothan's outburst. "200,000 credits!" he shouts again. "I want him caught..." Kath's words are caught off as someone switches off his microphone. Tekkil casually pivots on his heel and back towards the northern part of the mall with the crowd. He grins as he hears the Bothan's shouts. "Ladies and gentlebeings," comes an announcement over the mall's PA. "Please exit the Event Plaza in an orderly fashion, there is no cause to be alarmed." Zimri listens to this and shakes his head. This turned out to be one of the most exciting night of his life, but he just wants to get paid and get some sleep, nothing else. He could think more in the morning. "I want him brought here to me!" Kath is shouting, in between muscle spasms from where he lays on his back on the stage. "I want him caught, no one humiliates me! I'll shove that microphone of his so far up his..." Of course, only those close to the stage can hear him, as all the microphones are turned off over there.
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