Tuesday, May 31, 2022

(Star Wars d6) #40- Zygerrians: The Musical!

The Current Crew of the Pretio
Ne'vets Aharo - an exotic animal broker, both legal and otherwise, majority owner in the Pretio.
Evus - Twi'lek free mercenary, Ne'vets' armed muscle with a keen eye and a tendency to shoot first.
Tarrie - Human pilot "under contract" to fly the Pretio, and drive the Piscopo.  Brother of potential terrorist, rebel  Latorna Savvn. His climbing skills are suspect, but his grenade skills make up for it.  Edging a dangerous lifestyle of drugs, booze, and loose women
Frokazza - Wookie co-pilot, mechanic, and unarmed muscle. Very distrustful, and that anxiety gives him skin issues.
Duk'k - Sipsk'ud Bounty Hunter, recently rescued by the crew.  Offering his services in order to get off this barely existing hunk of mud.  His warning shots are dead center mass kill shots. 

Off the Script...
Trying to recruit new clients for the business,
Exotic animal broker Ne'vets Aharo and the 
Crew of the Pretio have navigated their way 
Through the Imperial Zoological Symposium and Exposition
At the University of Alderaan.  

With Ne'vets late, and their pilot, Tarrie Prolack missing 
During a four-day binge of alchohol, sex, and drugs,
It is up to Twi'lek Merc Evus, the over-anxious Wookie, Frokazza, and 
Duk'k the Sipsk'ud Bounty Hunter to make a presentation to
A crowd of nerdy zoologists.

But something has just cause a comotion up in the catwalk on stage.  
This won't be a normal scientific presentation...

Frokazza the Wookie had tremendous hesitation for the crew's scientific presentation of the specimens of insects, spiders, and small lizards from Planet 576-908. His opening jokes weren't very funny, and few people appreciated them delivered in Wookie. Duk'k was delivering his lines too quick, and Evus had difficulty working the audio and visual controls.

Duk'k had his lines memorized, but kept thinking back what type of bounty hunting gig he would get after this disaster.

Ne'vets was amazed that 1,000 people had shown up for this neophyte presentation.  Standing right in the middle of the aisle, still ten rows back, he was still trying to find a way to avoid audience members milling about, and a scene with security, to gain access to the stage, and bail out the crew from most of their duties. 

When the lights went out, then came back with only the stage red lights, everyone feared the worst. 

They had no clue what the worst was to be. 

Descending from the catwalk at the back of the stage was Tarrie, at least the voice sounded like Tarrie.  

If is was the pilot, he was dressed in the costume from.... Zygerrians: The Musical??? Why the freedom-loving Alderaan Little Theater was covering a controversial musical about feline alien slavers was beyond the comprehension of most, but crew was more relieved that their friend was alive, and terrified of what he was going to do next.
Through his descent (and odd spoken word poetry slam opening number), a number of dancers, also dressed at Zygerrians, bound across the stage in choreographed glee. 

(It wold be discussed much later that Tarrie brought in the Alderaan Little Theatre company through a mixture of drug-induced coaxing, or with the threat of a blaster.  The performers maintained their level of amateur professionalism throughout. )

What got Tarrie in this situation?

It wasn't the first time that Tarrie had started with alcohol at a nearby university pub, fell into a sudden downward spiral with other, harder drugs.  It was the first time it had happened and fell into a group of amateur thespians.  Getting a tour of the theater itself, Tarrie fell in love with the costumes from the previous productions, and gave himself an invitation to take ones he liked when he progressed through the days he was missing. 

Somehow, between the hits of space narcotics that could kill a Gammorean, he never completely forgot about the big presentation, and figured out a better way to show off the lizards and insects.... with song!

Using Zygerrians: The Musical as his basis, he worked with a Ryn keyboard player in one of the brothels to help arrange the music and write lines that better fit zoological appreciation, with just a healthy hint of parody.   All the while, he kept telling anyone and everyone about the various tales of the getting Thingvellir's Translucent Trapper from the planet (Most of those stories made it into the second number.)

The most disturbing thing in a long list of disturbing things was the inappropriately hidden below the waist of his outfit.  If many children had showed up to the Zoological Symposium, or folks of rigid moral character, the exaggerated hip gyrations and choreography might be considered upsetting, or downright obscene.
Ne'vets managed to climb onto the stage simply ventured over the samples to protect them. 

Frokazza could only sway back and forth to the music.

Duk'k simply had his arm outstretched, like he was presenting the musical numbers.  He waited for his cue to continue the presentation.

Somehow, Tarrie had created four musical numbers that actually covered the presentation with some detail.  Despite the incredible effort, or the incredible dosage of pharmaceuticals, the musical numbers only reached the community theater standards the cast could at best achieve.

For the final number, Tarrie went into a frenetic final solo that obviously left the auditorium speechless.

Somewhere, Sulustrian Flan Fernando, the master of controversial musicals across the galaxy, was rolling in his grave.

Frokazza could only stand there stunned by his friends.  He was used to Tarrie's wild binges, but this was far worse than he had seen over the years. 

The audience was completely stunned, but thanks to some well-placed and enthusiastic clapping by Ne'vets, the audience gave a confused standing ovation.  After seeing the most athletic cast member play him, bedecked in a cool cape, he had to admit that it was unusual performance AND covered all the material required for the symposium.

After the applause, dozens of hands flew up for mandatory 15-minutes Q&A session.

Tarrie took the mic and continued a strong performance, but Duk'k noticed him fading fast.  He jumped in pushing the crashing Tarrie into Frokazza's arms.  Ne'vets soon took over from Duk'k and wrapped things up with spiel akin to the used speeder salesmen.  

With a final round of applause, the crew and the extras sashayed off, stage-right.  

"CAST PARTY!!!!" was all Tarrie could shout. 

Needless to say, the next presenter, covering the Dantoonie Shale Snail, had his work cut out for him.  

With bottles of spotchka flowing backstage, Tarrie finally got the crew up to speed, as he wavered. 

"You know, these theater guys are great, we could drink heartily with them and go our separate ways, OR we could steal whatever we want with these guys as a distraction.... just sayin'."

Ne'vets nodded, "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Tarrie.  Good job.  Let's get a nap before Kafla's big show."

The crew headed back to the hotel, to clean up, force Tarrie to eat and nap, and get ready for Kafla's evening presentation.  

While the others just wanted to vegetate, Tarrie was still ready for action. "I'm going to start my twelve steps... tomorrow.  Nawh, it'll be today, but I'm starting with with step five. SIX. SEVEN. EIGHT!"  and started to dance to the music in his head. "

Ne'vets locked the crew into the room, but walked down the hotel business center to check his messages.  Most of the messages were minor requests expected of a exotic animal broker (and notary), but he did pull up hold-vid of their presentation making the planetary news service.   

Before he finished and went back to his room, one odd message did appear, from a Dev "The Finger" Landrel.  He appreciated the theatrical presentation and wished for a meeting tomorrow afternoon to discuss some collaborations.

After a shower, a nap, and a meal, the crew dressed to the nines, they ventured down to the Alderaan arena for the 20,000+ interested in Kafla Thingvellir's presentation.  To see the marquees outside show "THINGVELLIR'S TRANSLUCENT TRAPPER" was a bit unsettling.  

They ventured to their seas, ten rows back on the floor from the circular stage. The stage had a circular curtain dropping from the rafters 100+ meters up.  Perusing the literature provided, they did see they were mentioned as part of the team that helped capture the Trapper.  

Kafla's presentation was incredibly motivating, funny, and surprisingly complimentary of the crew, calling Ne'vets out personally.  With the audience on the edge of their seats, Kafla pulled a giant lever to drop the curtain and reveal the trapper.   The curtain fell as intended, but it only revealed.... AN EMPTY CAGE!

GM Notes:  Alderaan Little Theater: They might seem amateurish now, but in a few years, they'll blow up big.

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