The Lost Jedi : Jedi Dawn

　The evening is drawing in as you head back into the Commercial District. Office workers are making their way to the suburban shuttles and the Rapid Transit stations. A few beggars and street traders hustle them for credits, keeping a wary eye out for the police. Things must be bad on Toprawa if there can be this many poor people in its capital city!
　You realise you are wasting your time here. If you're going to find a decent place to rest your head, you'll do better out towards the spaceport, where life is less expensive, and there is more chance of finding someone hiring off-world labour. So, you head back to the shuttle pick-up bay. There's a long queue of commuters, and you notice that cafe over on the corner is still open. You could maybe kill 30 minutes in there, and have a much more comfortable ride home. Or maybe you should just get going?

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 227

　You feel in your pockets, looking to see if you can afford a snack in the cafe. All this walking around has given you an appetite! It takes you about half-a-second to decide - you're not going to go hungry just because things haven't worked out yet. Sooner or later you'll earn some credits, and things will be OK.
　You trot over to the cafe, and take a seat. A grey-skinned guy with a shaggy pelt of black hair takes a hard look at you. He's cleaning the tables down and stacking chairs - looks like he's getting ready to close. Ha! - he's probably realised you're not going to be a big tipper either!

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 340

　The grey-skinned waiter gudgingly takes your order - you decide to try the special. "Good choice," he says automatically, heading off for the kitchen. You look around. The place is largely empty, except for a very attractive blonde girl, a shade older than you, and someone sitting in a booth near the back of the cafe. All you can see of the mystery customer is a pair of light-coloured leggings worn over short red boots.
　One good thing of arriving at this hour is that your meal comes quickly. The flip side is that it is very over-cooked - it's probably been sitting in a warmer since lunch-time. You consider complaining, but there's not much point making a fuss. It tastes OK, and it's filling. You gulp it down, and lean back. The blonde girl catches you looking at her, and smiles, nervously checking her chrono a moment later.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 43

　You're normally not as pushy as this, but something about the way the girl smiled at you gives you a bit of extra courage. Either that, or the Force has some very peculiar ways of showing itself. Whatever, you walk over to the girl's table.
　"Mind if I join you?" you ask.
　"No!" she replies, and she looks genuinely pleased to see you. She is really very attractive. Her eyes are the deepest blue you've ever seen.
　"I'm supposed to be meeting someone, but it looks like I've been stood up. "You tell her that the guy must be flying his ship without a hyperdrive, and she laughs.
　"My name's Facet," she says brightly after you have chatted for a while. The moron who has stood her up works with her. "I work in Personnel at the Imperial Research Station - over by the spaceport. Have you seen it?"
　You tell her you haven't been on Toprawa long. "Really? Have you come here to work?" she asks. "What do you do?"

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 57

　"I've just arrived from Korphir," you tell her. "It was time to move on - family troubles, you know!" Facet nods - but you're glad she doesn't know what your family problem is! "So, I'm looking for work here."
　She laughs. "Well, you're lucky you met me! No-one else is looking for people at the moment, but the IRS are still short-staffed."
　You chat about what the Imperial Research Station does, and Facet tells you it's "government stuff"and mentions a "big project".
　"Come over,"she says. "Show us what you can do... who knows, maybe we could end up working together!"
　Next moment, having glanced at her chrono, she leaps to her feet, dropping some credits on the table. "I'm late - I have to go," she says. "Let me pay for this meal - I bet you're finding Toprawa pretty expensive!" That's for sure... "Come to the IRS sometime, and ask for me. " She hands you a card with her name and the IRS address and comms number on it. By the time you've glanced at the card, she's heading for the door, giving you a friendly wave.
　Alright! This could be the best news you've had since you arrived on Toprawa. So, maybe you should wait round here for a while, find somewhere where you can make yourself a little more presentable, then head over to the IRS.
　While you mull it over, someone takes Facet's chair. He grins, in a very unfriendly fashion, his eyes dark and piercing under the dark red swirl of his turhan. He abruptly takes the card from your hand and reads it, then reaches down with his other hand to grip your wrist. You realise this guy has been watching Facet since you first arrived.
　"I think we should talk,"he says.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 327

　The card Facet gave you has her name - Facet Anamor - and confirms that she is the Executive Personnel Officer at the Imperial Research Station. Some job for a woman barely older than you! You can bet she doesn't have to wonder if she can afford a Star Racer!
　The address is on a street you noticed when you were looking around, out near the spaceport.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 541

　The man in the turban has an extremely strong grip on your collar, so you allow hirn to pull you along, trying to look like you have given up resistance. He looks to see if he can see where the girl went, stretching up to peer over the heads of the people in the street. While he's off-balance, you draw on all your strength and twist out of his grip. Before the startled man can react, you hit him hard, across the back of the neck, and he drops to the floor, completely out cold.
　In an instant, you reach into his coat, where you detected a blaster nestling in hip holster. There's some ID, which says his name is Vermilion. He also has a small purse, with a few high denomination credits and charge cards. A passers-by close at hand yells out, and you realise that he thinks you're robbing Vermilion. Actually, that might not be such a bad idea. The police are less likely to be interested in a simple street crime. After all, is Vermilion going to reportit? You think not.
　Moments later, you are on your feet, running up the street to put distance between yourself and the fallen man. Up above, you hear a train rumbling into the station of the Rapid Transit Monorail. That would be a good way to get away from the scene of the "crime". Alternatively, you could lose yourself in the Commercial District.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 115-116

　The weapon you took from Vermilion is a Merr-Sonn Quick 6 Sporting Blaster, a lighter version of the standard blaster. It can slip into the pocket of your coat, or into the holster you wear under your arm, where it is easy to get hold of. It isn't going to do much harm to any armoured stormtroopers, but it's perfectly effective normally. Although it is legal to carry a weapon, you really need a license on Toprawa, which is a sensitive military base.
　You could keep your blaster stashed in a bag, where it is less likely to be found.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 547

　As you make up your mind to follow the girl, you hear the approaching whine of a Mono-Rail train, humming along on its repulsor cushion. You run for the foot of the escalator, and run up the steps three at a time. A set of automatic gates bars your way, and you fumble for the correct credits, finally dropping them into the slot as the train enters the station. Hitting the platform at a rush, you look round, trying to find her on the crowded plafform. Catching sight of a flash of blonde hair just along from the entrance, you dive towards the doors of the nearest carriage.
　Walking along the train as it moves out of the station, you meet up with the girl in the front carriage. She is sitting on one side, reading the notices on the walls, but she looks up as you enter the carriage. She seems almost irritated to see you.
　Not so sure of what you're doing here, you take up position by the doors. Moments tater, she rises, and walks boldly over to where you are standing.
　"Are you following me?" she asks, in a low voice. "Because if you are, at the next station I shall call Security. And if you aren't, then I'd like to know what you aredoing."

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 53

　Something tells you that you'll remember the blonde girl for quite a while. She has the most electric blue eyes, and her long blonde hair falls in waves over her shoulders. At a guess she's be nearly a year older than you. She's the most beautiful woman you've ever seen - just thinking about her makes you feel strange.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 515

　Other passengers on the train are looking at you very closely. Facet spoke just loud enough to attract everyone's attention, without actually inviting the many soldiers on the train to come over and tear you apart. Sheepishly, you pull the card she gave you from your pocket. "It's not what you think," you insist. "I just thought I'd come and see about that job right away!"
　Facet relaxes, and her laugh takes the ice out of the atmosphere "You shouldn't be so quick off the mark, Havet. I might start thinking you're desperate." She takes a long look at your grimy clothes. "And don't you think you ought to go and change into your best clothes?" These are your best clothes. Still, she has a point. A bath wouldn't go amiss.
　"You're right of course," you agree. "I just had some free time today, so I thought - y'know - strike while the iron is hot. "
　Facet nods, though it's clear she doesn't believe you. "Fair enough. Go to main reception, show them that card, and tell them to send you to my office."
　The train slows at another station. Facet moves to the door, and you start to follow her. "No, go onto the next stop. I'm have some private business." Facet steps from the train, and gives you a little wave. Moments later, she's out of sight, and you're moving onto the end of the line.

トプラワ
Toprawa

Jedi Dawn
# 89