OPEN RP POST • STAR WARS MINGLE ⭐️

[forceshadowed]

whatever it is you've been doing
you are now in Canto Bight!


That's right. It's just like those jamjar games. One moment you're minding your own business, and then... poof!
You're in Canto Bight for no apparent reason.
(Or you've always wanted to be here, and you finally did it. Whatever, we're not the cops.)

That's not the weirdest part, though. Because you might be seeing double.
It's like the time-space continuum collapsed over the city
and now doubles and multiples of you or people you like hate want to kill know are appearing.
So go have fun with that!



HOW TO PLAY:

• Toplevel your character. Different version/AU, different toplevel please.
• Add a short background or link to an info post, and indicate prefs. TELL US WHAT KIND OF SHENANIGANS YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. Shipping, smut, family reunions, dark side shenanigans, murder, a Ben Solo smackdown...
• Troll Reply to others.
• Lather, rise, repeat.
• Please note that while the intent of this post is for characters from various Star Wars verses to mingle, you don't need a Star Wars character to play! All characters are welcome — characters AU'd into SW, characters having interacted with SW characters in games and memes, fandom OCs, ship babies, etc.
• Have fun and be excellent to each other! ♥

Comments

[candor1]

Looping his arm around Kaytoo's middle, to lean on him instead of on the console, Cassian squinted at the screen. The squint turned into a flummoxed frown.

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting for the year listing, but it wasn't the numeral 0.

Year 0?!

Last Cassian had known, the year had been 3277.

…3277 LY.

The listing was 0 ABY.

"What the feke fedding calendar is 'ABY'?"

[icanblendin]

He shook his head, just a little, not enough to be obvious to anyone but Cassian, "If I knew I would have said." He was already scanning for any kind of unsecured holonet connection so he could find recent -or historical- events without triggering anyone to come help them personally the way that kind of search might off of a casino information console.

He wasn't finding any, which was to be expected, but was still bothersome, "We should go outside." He finally said, "I may be able to access more information out from under the casino's security."

[candor1]

"Okay." Cassian turned, with drunklike imbalance, and scanned the exits. "I think that way is beach."

…another lightheaded, superstitious thought gripped him: if he stepped onto a beach, would he suddenly go back to that beach…?

His hand tightened on Kay's arm as he got a grip on himself, too. Don't be a child.

[icanblendin]

That grip on his arm was enough to reveal that there was some kind of hesitance in the suggestion that Kay didn't understand, but also wasn't going to question, so instead of making a beeline for the door that led to the beach -one that he was fairly sure was a private section of said beach for casino-goers, he instead turned to take them out a side door that led to a promenade and up to upper levels of balconies and walkways.

"Let's get you into the fresh air." He said, managing to sound patient and exasperated at once, as a bodyguard to a drunk too-famous-to-know person ought to, at least in his opinion. But also because being higher up would let him get a better idea how accurate the facility map inside had been, and give him better range for finding a non-Casino, non-secured holonet connection to figure out what the kriffing hells was going on.

[candor1]

Let's get you into the fresh air. Was Kay in character saying it to Cassian's cover, or just Kay saying it to Cassian…? Well, the best lies were built on the truth. Cassian let himself, for a moment, feel what he was feeling; lean too heavily, bent forward over himself, on Kay's arm; breathe raggedly and impatiently wave off anyone who even got into his peripheral vision; and let Kay guide them both to his choice of exit.

[icanblendin]

All in all it didn't much matter if it was their cover or if it was just Kay, because the path to the upper promenades and the roof was clearer than Kay had expected it to be, but he wasn't going to complain about it either, because it meant no one was going to stop them and ask stupid questions.

He steered Cassian towards one of the benches to sit where Kay would be able to lean against the high ledge in sentinel mode while he tried to find what he was looking for, eyes flickering faintly as he did so.

[candor1]

It did feel easier, being outside.

And to have the one person (yes, person) in his life again that Cassian had ever allowed himself to lean on…

He sat unresisting where Kay placed him, and looked out at the vista of Canto Bight, possibly taking in ambient information, possibly just… well, looking. Torn between not trusting the reality that had impossibly dumped him here from Scarif, and possibly wanting to trust that if he looked away from Kaytoo, Kay would still be there when he looked back.

[icanblendin]

Finding an unsecured personal comm signal took longer than expected, and in comparison using that signal to find the nearest library with any sort of informational texts for what he needed took no time at all, especially with as quickly as Kay collected and comprehended information.

Though once he had he was still and silent for a while longer, mostly just trying to figure out how to explain, finally just starting with the easiest, most factual information.

"ABY is 'After the Battle of Yavin. The destruction of the Death Star. The new system took a while to be ratified and accepted as the new galactic standard by the Republic, but it was, and has been being used retroactively." That was the easy information, the next wasn't, and he wasn't sure why, it wasn't like it was anything they hadn't both been thinking already: "We succeeded, it seems. But we also died. All of us. There were memorial services held on quite a number of planets."

[candor1]

Cassian was sitting very straight and still by the time Kaytoo finished.

What to ask first…?

…was there anything to ask at all…?

At last: "If this is year zero, it must have just happened." So no good to ask whether the destruction of the Death Star equalled the end of the Empire (he kinda doubted it) and what came next, and how successfully.

It may be a foolish question—why should it matter to him, compared to the rise and fall of civilizations and so many more lives—but: "Was Yavin itself all right? …Did the Death Star get anywhere else before they got it?"

[icanblendin]

"Yavin survived, Alderaan did not." Even Kay knew that had been about fear and not any kind of legitimate military target. Certainly Bail Organa had suspected ties to the Rebellion, but no one had been able to prove it, and even if they had, a simple assassination instead of the destruction of an entire planet would have been a better deterrent.

He finally turned his head to actually look at Cassian again instead of off into some middle distance while sorting information, "It has been some months, but not yet a full year."

[candor1]

Alderaan? How…? wha…? the feke…?!

Dumbly, Cassian said, "Alderaan is a Core planet."

(Yeah, so? NiJedha had been a holy city. But still… Mid-Rim. And Scarif: Outer Rim. He thought, surely, if nothing but Imperial elitism…)

Alderaan. 'Planet of beauty'. Isatabith Rain Forest, Cloud Shape Falls, starblossoms and thrantas…

Glad as he was that the forest and temples of Yavin 4 still existed—not to mention the Rebellion—he'd never imagined…

Finally, Cassian said numbly, "Okay." No open datalink would exist to the Rebellion's current status or whereabouts. Except something for… "That must have gotten the Alliance a lot of new recruits. We could use my Fulcrum codes to make contact." He belatedly looked up at Kay, as well. "Assuming…"

He'd almost said …that's why we're here. But he didn't believe in whys, nor, he thought, would Kay.

He said instead: "…that wasn't also the end of the Empire."

[icanblendin]

"Yes." He agreed to that first stunned exclamation, not even bothering to correct 'is' to 'was', because he knew the shock would take a while to wear off, it was enough to have him still reeling, at least a little, though not in the same way.

"Many people think that it was." That reply was even easier, because that was just Kay through and through, many people believing something didn't mean it was a fact, and somehow he conveyed that without any kind of emotional subroutines of his own. Also he knew better, the Empire wasn't just going to give up because their newest tool had been destroyed and however many of their forces were lost in the process, "But yes, the Alliance has grown, and seeds of a new Galactic Republic have been sown." At least, according to what news articles he'd been able to find.

[candor1]

Cassian exhaled slowly, getting a grip. "Good." No one could really know, this quickly, but that was a far better answer than many other possibilities.

He rested his palms on his knees, looking out again, for a moment, at the vista of Canto Bight. "So… what do you think we should do? Right now?"

[icanblendin]

"They think we're dead, Cassian." Which wasn't an answer, not really, because even though this would be the perfect time, place, and reasoning to essentially just walk away to start a new life, he knew that wasn't the kind of thing Cassian could just do.

"We have two options." There were more than that, there were always more than that, but overwhelming Cassian with them wouldn't do either of them any good, "We find a way to convince them we aren't." Which probably wouldn't be easy, and there was always the chance they might just vanish again after whatever brought them here stopped working, "Or we resign ourselves to helping from the outside as free agents." Which was a less appealing option, he was sure, but would be better if they did end up vanishing again as quickly and mysteriously as they'd arrived.

[candor1]

Cassian nodded, looking off indistinctly. "We can accomplish more as part of the Alliance than on our own." It was something he'd thought about before. And something Draven and Mon Mothma had talked at him before. Kicking you out would just deprive us of an asset and deprive you of resource. Besides, anyone could always vanish (read: die) at any moment. Cassian never expected to have a future. One still had to function as if they were going to stick around.

But there was a second thought… he looked up at Kay. "What if… I wasn't alone on that beach, Kay. What if some of the others are back, too? Is there a way to find them?" He didn't expect Kay to know better than Cassian himself, on that front, but he was at a loss, so it was worth asking aloud.

[icanblendin]

"Was anyone wearing a tracking device?" He doubted as much, but as far as finding anyone it was either that or go back inside and find a good vantage point so he could run facial recognition scans on the crowd.

"And we'll need a reason to stay put, being hugely famous only works as an excuse for so long without actually gambling at the extremely fancy casino."

[candor1]

Cassian shook his head, a bit unhappily. Stupid question. But… if he was here… Jyn?—

At that next, Cassian frowned. "Famous?" Neither of them should be, if he'd been doing his job right all these years. "You might need to cut me some slack while I catch up to speed, here." For all his varied experiences with the Rebellion, he'd never actually died and come back before.

[icanblendin]

His head tilted, and if he'd had eyebrows to raise he would have lifted them, "Are we using a different cover story when we go back inside?"

Mostly he suspected that the news of Alderaan was what had shaken any previous decisions from Cassian's mind, but that was what Kay was there for, to remind him of things when needed.

[candor1]

"Oh." Cassian shook his head at himself. "Right. Sorry. Thanks." Having Kay here was… well, aside from being a mindblasting heartbursting impossible miracle: very much needed. Kay wouldn't coddle him, or let things slide past for the sake of his feelings, but he would, far more importantly (and capably), take care of him. One of the only beings in the galaxy Cassian had ever trusted to do that.

He shook himself; mentally smacked himself in the face. Focus. "If anyone else is here, they" (she) "wouldn't be waiting around for us. So we'll proceed as if alone, too. I don't have any credits on me. Safe to assume we don't have a ship. Your functioning seems good, but I should probably get some sleep before taking any big steps." Like steal a ship, which seemed their only real option; but it would be good if it weren't, hence wanting to get back to a frame of mind where he might be able to come up with another. There was one option, at least: "I ever tell you about Ymya?"

[icanblendin]

Credits weren't entirely necessary as long as they had chips, and Kay had already calculated at least a dozen potential ways to get some without actually having credits to pay for them, and would have listed them if Cassian hadn't asked him a question.

He didn't even have to think about the response, because while he knew a good many stories about Cassian's missions before he'd hijacked Kay himself, that wasn't one he recognized, and he shook his head, "No, you haven't, is it relevant to the situation at hand?"

[candor1]

Cassian nodded. "She runs an escort service here. A clean one." Meaning: one of the rarer kind where the employees actually chose the work, and could also choose to leave. "Few times I've been here, I would hire someone from her, for show. They like me 'cause I wouldn't sleep with them but still paid as if I had. She might have a cot I could crash on for a few hours." Tilted his head regarding Kay. "If so, would you want to take a break with me, or keep working out here? I think Canto Bight's pretty safe for droid to go unaccompanied." Unlike many Imperial-held worlds.

[icanblendin]

"It would be best if we stay together." He didn't have any actual statistics to back that statement up, and only partly because he didn't have a frame of reference for what would happen if they were separated. Certainly he had a few past experiences to draw from, but the situations were dissimilar enough -mostly due to the 'we might still be dead' factor- that they would make for a flawed prediction and he hated being wrong even more than he sometimes hated being right.

[candor1]

That was what Cassian privately preferred, too; despite [always] wanting to give Kay options, especially of more experience and life independent of Cassian. For now, "Okay. Good." Finally, he stood again, stretching one arm at a time. "I remember the way." Assuming the place was still there, and assuming Ymya was agreeable, a few hours' sleep it was and then hopefully more of his brain getting back together to properly plan them off this hatefully manicured planet and back.

(To the cause they'd just literally died for.)

"How's your physical state, by the way?" Kay looked undamaged; and if Cassian was miraculously healed of all his injuries, it'd… well, no, not "make sense" because nothing did… but it probably followed Kay would be intact as well. Still worth checking in, now they'd gotten the galactic updates out of the way.

[icanblendin]

"Self-diagnostic scans show no errors other than internal-external chronometer synchronization mis-match. Eighty-eight," A pause, "Eighty-seven percent internal charge remaining." Which wasn't terrible, it was about what he usually ran at, though he was fairly sure there would be charging stations here, somewhere, and if nothing else he could charge from whatever ship they happened to leave in.

"Well within normal operating parameters." He concluded. He had been mildly surprised at first that he didn't have any blaster-bolt holes in his chassis -or anywhere else- because that was definitely something he remembered happening, but the damage wasn't there, so there was no use dwelling on it.

[candor1]

Internal-external chronometer synchronization mis-match. They'd established that; still, having hard, measurable readings felt like additional evidence. That this wasn't just in their heads processors perceptions. Leave it for now.

Eighty-seven percent charge remaining. "Bet you'll be able to recharge at the hotel." (The vaguest and most casual term for it.) If things hadn't changed, they had some droid employees. Which was unusual only in that they were open about it; not at all unusual in demand.

Otherwise— "Good." I was deactivated. / Closing the vault door now. Cassian had heard, over the commlink…

Stop. Look. Look at him. He's here. He's fine. Don't lose that thinking about losing him. That's called shooting yourself in the—

"Let's get going, then." Cassian put his hands to his knees, preparing to push himself upright—then paused, changed his mind, instead ran his hand down to his ankle.

He did have his smaller blaster there. How in kark had he managed that? He hadn't had it on Scarif.

He hadn't had these clothes and had been injured and had Jyn and hadn't Kay and was lightyears away from being spontaneously here, on Scarif. Keep some perspective.

He looked around, confirmed they were alone, pulled up his pants leg, unholstered the blaster… and, no matter what he'd said before, flipped it to hand handle-first to Kaytoo. "Can you conceal that somewhere? Don't know if they're scanning people exiting but it'll be camouflaged with you, not with me."

Also, subtextually, again and again: I'm so pfassknockfeking glad you're here