Chapter 2 - Luka: Haunted

Luka was still out of it. His mind felt like it was curled up to protect itself from the judgmental fire the force user had thrown his way. Unaware of his surroundings and lost in the deepest depths of his own mind, the boy could only do one thing.....


Vallia blushed; Very deeply blushing a saturated red with her mouth open and softly giggling. "Now that I will have to hold you too." She seductively told the man who had just whispered something in her ear in the middle of their embrace. The man wasn't Oln though. Tall, well built, short dirty blond hair, spoke with a elegant Imperial accent, and exceptionally handsome - handsome enough Luka couldn't help but wonder if there was a hint of jealousy coming across from Hari. The three of them, Luka, Hari, and Donovan where occupying a table away from the giggling couple but all focus was directed to the embracing pair.

"You really can't take your mind off him." Hari dully pointed out from behind Luka.

The two lovebirds, Vallia and her current boyfriend "Antirs", kissed again before dissolving the hug to go their separate ways. The boyfriend stayed to finish his drink. Vallia on the other hand took a stroll out the far door, her back to the room.

"I don't know if he can hear you." Donovan responded to Hari in Luka's absence of an answer.

Luka didn't turn around as she reached back and tapped Hari on the shoulder, followed up by pointing to Vallia.

Hari started, partially confused, "I'm watching. She's leaving. So wha--"
"--Is that a tracking device he tacked on her dress?" Donovan suddenly interrupted, his voice filled with shock.

Hari's jaw dropped and his eyes flashed with understanding why Luka was so focused on the man his sister had a fling for. "Oh my..." Donovan was visibly stunned as well, stunned with a growing anger. The brother had actually liked Antirs when Vallia had first introduced the two. Hari was the first to recover, leaning forward to ask Luka the obvious question: what were they going to do about it?

The Grease Pit: Three Years Ago

“We follow him,” Luka said.

His voice was certain, assertive. In the back of his mind, Luka was vaguely startled, as the words had not come from him at all, but as if someone else had just spoken through his mouth.

“As soon as he gets up, we follow him and see what he does, where he’s going.”

Hari and Donovan were staring at him. Donovan’s jaw was taut and hard. Hari was frowning.

Luka and Donovan had met at the Grease Pit after Luka’s rounds for the day, taking evening meal together, as they sometimes did when Donovan was not socializing with his other friends. Hari had surprised them halfway through, having returned early from a run, and joined them for the meal and a drink.

The three of them had been chatting amiably when they had noticed Vallia and her new boyfriend enter the bar, and Luka had noticed something was wrong.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Donovan muttered. “I can’t believe it. Why would he have done that?”

Donovan was sixteen years old and had just hit his growth spurt. Now he was taller than Luka, and it seemed like he wouldn’t stop growing any time soon. Perhaps one day he might even be as tall as Marko. There was a resemblance between the brothers, wide jaws and deep-set slate eyes, unruly brown hair.

Hari hooked an eyebrow in Luka’s direction, gaze steady and serious.

“And what are you going to do when he realizes you’re following him?”

Luka kept his eyes on the man at the other table.

“…we talk to him,” he said, evenly.

Character Sheet

The man quickly finished his drink when his communicator beeped in rapid succession, definitely a unique pattern probably based off the caller. Antirs didn't answer it, instead he glanced at his chronometer and muttered something inaudible.

Without even a glance at the three eyeballing him, he turned and left the Grease Pit.

GM: Make a stealth and a Perception check to follow him.

The Grease Pit: Three Years Ago

Luka looked significantly at the other two, then rose from his chair.

He saw misgiving on Hari’s face and unease on Donovan’s, but both of them stood up from the table after he did, ready to follow. Hari pulled on his black leather jacket. Donovan jammed his hands into his pockets.

“Let’s go,” Luka murmured.

Antirs, if that was even his real name, had seemed preoccupied, perhaps even distracted. Luka imagined he had been expecting the call. He was already out of sight, but Luka didn’t think it would be hard to catch up with him, not while he was on the Rest, where both Luka and Donovan had lived their whole lives.

Luka pulled a few credits from his pocket, tossing them on the table for a tip, then headed out after his sister’s new boyfriend.

Dice Roll: 1d20+7z
d20 Results: 18 (Total = 25)

Perception (25)

Dice Roll: 1d20+2z
d20 Results: 8 (Total = 10)

Stealth (10)

Character Sheet

Luka and company follow Antirs down the hall, making a right turn at the first corridor crossroads followed by a left further on ahead. They weren't exactly the best at tailing someone unnoticed, and Antir's definitely knew they where behind him. At first he seemed to tolerate their presence - after all, it was their space station and he was generally friendly with them. But after the second right turn, walking down through some of the denser industrial and mechanical parts of the station where the smoke could get thick and plenty of objects blocked a rather ugly and rusted view, it was clear he was trying to loose them. And he almost did - but Hari managed to spot him before he slipped out of sight. The call must be time sensitive or something, Luka figured, based off the pace of his steps.

GM: Make another stealth check.

Destiny’s Rest, Service Corridors: Three Years Ago

Luka grimaced.

He knew Antirs had seen them. The fact that the man hadn’t bolted probably meant he thought Luka wanted to have ‘the talk’ with him and had brought along Donovan and Hari for backup. Luka imagined that in ordinary circumstances, Antirs would have humored him. But now the man was probably cursing bad luck and poor timing.

The bowels of the station were what Luka knew best. He liked to think he knew them better than anyone, even his father and the other old hands that had been with the station from the beginning. Luka had spent his childhood exploring those corridors, finding secret ways through access ports, breathing the rust-tinted air, hearing the little pings and groans of settling machinery and the everpresent machine hum of systems. He had grown up in the little-used corridors that were coated with fine layers of dust and a splatters of grease, ruining clothes to his mother’s horror.

This was his home turf.

He ducked behind a particularly large energy conduit, signaling for the others to pause before they moved on. Donovan and Hari both followed his lead, drawing back, breathing quietly in the cramped quarters. Overhead, steam hissed from some pipe Luka made an automatic mental note to send a crew out to fix, when this was all over. But it would mask sound for now.

Luka strained his ears to keep track of Antirs’ footsteps. He wanted the man to think he had lost them, but didn’t want to tarry too long.

Dice Roll: 1d20+2z
d20 Results: 7 (Total = 9)

Stealth (9)

ETA: will use a FP from three years go, if it is allowed.

Dice Roll: 1d6z
d6 Results: 5

Force Point roll (5)

Character Sheet

Antir's footsteps faded out and Luka was quick to try to jump back on the trail. He got to the point where he had last heard the footsteps but it was too late: Antirs had slipped away. "Is there a reason you're following me?" Or maybe he didn't. Antirs must had silently circled back around, appearing behind the group. He looked less then thrilled.

Destiny’s Rest, Service Corridors: Three Years Ago

Luka turned around.

His heart had started pounding the moment he had heard the voice, but he strove to keep apprehension from his features, strove to keep his gaze hard. Luka had been leading, so now Hari and Donovan stood in front of him. He stepped between them to confront Antris.

“There is,” he said, evenly.

His voice was low and calm.

He had to look up slightly to meet Antirs’ gaze, as the man was taller than him, nearly as tall as Hari, though not as brawny. Luka was aware of Hari standing behind him, probably looking menacing. Hari wore his long blond hair tied back in a tail, and sported perpetual dark stubble. Donovan was shorter and younger, though Luka was sure his face was set and angry.

Luka paused, studying Antirs’ expression.

“We want to talk to you about Vallia. We need to discuss some things.”

Character Sheet

"Sure, sure. But lets make it quick friend. I have an appointment to get to." Antir said with a friendly smile Luka was sure he was faking.

Destiny’s Rest, Service Corridors: Three Years Ago

“I’m sure you do.”

Luka smiled as well, brief and perfunctory, like the flexing of a muscle.

“We can make this quick, sure. I can get right to the point, in fact.”

He took a step closer, not smiling now, his squarish features turning hard. In the dim artificial lighting of the service corridor, Luka’s eyes were more grey than blue.

“Just what do you think you’re doing with our sister?”

Donovan stepped forward, as if to emphasize his mutual stake in Luka’s claim. Luka could see him in the edge of his peripheral vision, leaning forward, jaw taut.

Luka’s eyes narrowed.

“We saw what you did in the Grease Pit.”

Character Sheet