Star Wars CLOSED 10 ABY: Fringe Elements and the Perseverance of the First Order

IC: Stark
Gazing into the Red Mirror

Within himself, Stark experienced a mix of emotions he could not readily express, so he maintained a pleasant expression, not as a mask, but as a coping mechanism. Ronin was no more, yet the slaves he had brutalized seemed to remain disconsolate, even after the fact.

Despite this, it was good to see and hear from Primarch and Myra, the very sight of them brought gladness to the force user’s heart.

“Thanks to your guidance, my friend.” Stark would answer the powerful force giant. He would also nod in understanding at his last statement regarding his need to return to his people.

He smiled happily at Myra and resisted the urge to give her a quick hug, though the intention had been plain on his face. Chord’s words however, brought them all to the moment. Myra spared no time in voicing her objection.

Stark silently made a motion for her to remain calm as he stepped forward. "Thank you for helping us vanquish, Ronin. It proves you are a good leader."

“And a good leader keeps his word, Chord.” Stark began. “I think you are a good leader, and I know you will do the right thing, just as you've been doing.” Here, Stark offered the Chiss a solid nod of respect, then looked directly at the commander.

“As agreed, Primarch will be free to return to his people, Myra and her men have earned their freedom as well, and will be let go. If you require further assistance, you should simply asked them for it, as a good leader would. Ronin held people against their will, and I know you are nothing like him.”

Stark stood his ground and held the Red Gaze of Chord’s eyes.

“As for me, I will assist you with the Syndicate Supreme. I’ve personally seen what an Evil Empire is capable of; I’m now in a better position to do something about it.”

A small pause.

“Do we have an agreement?”



Tag: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

Mara absorbed Icarus' assurance about Carl's eventual arrival and thought that she would wait and see, but not count on it overly much.

What was holding Jenica up, thought? Jenica usually could be counted on, unless something or someone had interfered with her successful arrival at the Icarus Cradle.



Mara's musings were cut short as her sharp, green gaze took in Mirth's actions upon receiving the bag. There was a brief ripple in the Force, something she couldn't quite define.

What do you know of the Syndicate Supreme, Mara?"

She answered, "Not much. Apparently they hold quite a bit of power in this corner of space?"

@The Jedi in the Pumas

 

IG-66
50th floor

IG heard the great rumble from the Opera House shortly after he had escaped its vicinity. He turned to Mandrelo, whom had also managed to escape the room with him, and addressed him, adopting a form of urgency he had witnessed multiple organic lifeforms use when in situations similar to this one.

"I believe we should meet with our contact to receive information, then promptly leave this place. Repairs can be made to my ship once we exit. My calculations tell me that urgency in this situation is the most likely contributor to our survival." IG would state, matter-of-factly, in his hollow metallic voice.

"From there we can follow our next bounty, does this plan sound reasonable?" IG would ask, wanting affirmation from Mandrelo before the two hurried to escape.

@The Jedi in the Pumas

 

OOC: A very interesting combo with the grandmaster! Thank you!

Borek Tek
50th Floor, Artemis Cradle

Wilkes placed a hand on his lower back and took a gulp of the imported Corellia Ale from Abaddon's personal bar. The boss would understand. His eyes drifted up to the shattered window that used to span the entire room. Wilkes' back had been part of what had broken the window, hence his lower back pain. He looked down at the dungeon in the floor that used to be covered by a table that the Jedi woman had thrown at him. The electrostatic bars kept the bounty hunters from getting out, but it had been a few days since Abaddon had fed them and they were starting to get loud and rowdy.

"Aye, calm down you." He poured the rest of the ale down into the hole. "I've had a long day and I'm in pain... So can you guys just hush."

This would be the scene that Tek would be led to. The unconscious guards outside the apartment and Wilkes with his back turned to the door.

Tek didn't give it a second thought. Without saying a word he unloaded the rifle that he had in his hands and at the ready. The big girl, a SonoMax Sound rifle. He had set it to full. He wanted the guy gone, with little effort, for he felt that he had little time. The Force was strong, and he could feel the people below, and it was quite a few. No time for second-guessing. And if Tek was lucky, the weapon might take out the energy surrounding the bars as well. He added a force push to send the man into the bars as well. Either way, Tek was going to remove him.

Once the man was down, he planned to close the door behind him to hopefully by him some time to get the bars open, as he quickly had Zeek scan for the door mechanism for the prison. Tek opened his Force perception fully, to keep a lookout for anyone coming.

The glass shattered as it dropped from Wilkes's hand. He turned around slowly to face Borek Tek, a burning hole in his chest. He looked at Borek confused before falling to the ground. Dead.

A chirp from Tek’s droid companion confirmed that a bounty had been fulfilled.

One prisoner, a brown-haired young human from the dungeon below found his voice despite days without hydration.

“H...he... has the access card.... on his belt. Help... us.”

Tek gave a wry grin. "Finally!" he muttered to himself. He hoped the front door was built strong. Probably meant to hold back an army. Should at least by them sometime. He moved quickly, as he quickly moved to retrieve the access card on the dead man's belt. Tek grinned as he looked at the beings in the dungeon below.

"Well, 'cause ya asked so nicely," Tek responded as he looked for the access card mentioned. Once he had it, he quickly moved over to the locking mechanism, quickly slipping in the card. As he did, he called out, "Day, you down there?" He then gestured to Zeek. "Scan yer maps and see if you can find us another way out, case things get hot." Tek looked down as he opened the door. "Move out. I got a feeling with all the fracas going on out there, ain't going to be much time."

Tek waited to see if there was any response to his call, as he kept watch for any unwanted visitors.

The prisoners below began to make their way out. There were more than a dozen of them, some clearly not bounty hunters. But the brown-haired man, the first one to crawl out of the floor, looked back at Tek as they tried to gain their bearings and get a hold of the situation.

“Daya... she’s not here... He sold her.”

The “he” in that situation was Abaddon and the behemoth himself appeared in front of Tek at the doorway. Lightsaber scorches, blaster fire singes, blood coming from his mouth, and yet it appeared as if none of it affected the man. Abaddon scanned the room quickly, his eyes darting from face to face and then down to Wilkes, before settling on Tek.

He scratched a wound on his chest.

“What’s all this?” He asked in an unnervingly calm gritty voice. “Where’s Mirth?”

Tek's anger rose at hearing that not only was Daya not with the others but that he had sold her. As he turned, feeling the urge to suddenly smash something, a far too late bleep that Abaddon was here. For a man who literally had an entire compound wail away on his collective butt, he looked pretty dang good considering.

Poodoo.

Tek held his ground, even as he imagined making the large man choke on his own arm. Tek looked at him. "You mean a little green guy? 'Bout yea big?" Tek gestured. "Don't know. Last time I saw him, he was hightailing it down the hallway like somebody was after him. Somebody else got here first."

Tek moved slightly. As long as the big boy wanted to keep things calm, he would play along.

Abaddon was now confused.

How far behind Mirth could he be? Wait... his eyes focused back on the scene unfolding before him: the prisoners he had kept below the floor was free and it looked like Tek had set them free. Mirth was soft, but he wasn’t the kind to launch a prison break. He’d only be concerned with saving his skin.

“Everyone back in the hole! You too, cowboy.” Abaddon shouted. He’d sort out later what had happened here and who had killed Wilkes.

“And I’m in a rush, so don’t piss me off. Now!”

Well then.

Tek looked at the man, and then back at the others. He shrugged, and then looked back towards the huge man in front of there.

And that is when Big Betty sounded off another high note, as he squeezed the trigger while bringing the sonic rifle up. But while some of the sonic waves would hit the man, he was not the main target.

The floor Abaddon was standing on was. The blast should be strong enough to take out the floor. Since Abaddon was still in the hallway, should be nothing below to catch his fall. Course, it wouldn't hold the man back forever, but it would buy Tek a bit of time.

Tek had seen this man fight. And in a room full of unarmed folks, and in such close quarters it didn't take much imagination to figure out the outcome of THAT scenario. Another small device slipped down into Tek's other hand. His backup plan in case all else failed. His smile faded now, and he became all business, letting his Sith training and the Darkside flow into him now. Tek didn't stay still as he fired, but instead moved to give himself more room. He muttered softly into his voicelink..'Zeek ole buddy, you find another way out yet?' He would love to take out the mountain, and maybe with him being so injured, he would have his chance. Let's see if this Mirth was worth the hassle of dealing with Tek.

The instant Abaddon saw Tek raise his rifle, the giant went to lunge at the man, but with the combined force of his push-off and Tek’s sonic rifle the floor gave way and Abaddon disappeared into the floor.

The bounty hunters knew this was a fight they couldn’t win and began to scramble towards the door, some of them attempting to leap over the hole.

Zeek beeped to Tek that there were no other exits besides the shattered window opening and the door from which they had entered. The narrow corridors of the hallway would be a kill path fighting against Abaddon, but the shattered window presented a few options. There was a lower adjacent rooftop of another building, but the jump was over 10 meters and the fall would definitely hurt.

After several bounty hunters made the jump over the hole Tek had created, the brown-haired man attempted his own. He was immediately grabbed by the ankle and pulled into the floor before Abaddon climbed out. Enraged.

He located Tek and launched the body of the bounty hunter into the man, knocking both of them into a wall.

Tek used the Darkside to cushion the blow, while at the same time, changing the trajectory of their bodies. He had a motion as if he was shoving the other hunters' body, but instead, he was using the Darkside to send the hunters body another part of the room, away from Abaddon and the shattered window. 'Time to go.' Tek quietly ordered the droid to head for the shattered window. Only because the man had helped him, that Tek had decided to help him, as opposed to slinging his body back towards Abaddon. Tek gathered his legs under him and launched himself towards the open windows as well.

Tek grinned. He allowed himself to be filled with the Darkside, allowing it to fuel his body. He opened up another blast, aimed directly at Abaddon, as he leaped out of the window...

And glided down to the rooftop, his jumper pack activating. As he used it and the Darkside to aim for the rooftop, he kept facing the window he had just jumped from, waiting to see of Abaddon wanted him bad enough.

The window.

Abaddon knew that Tek would head there, but wasn’t as fast as the bounty hunter in getting there. Abaddon dodged Tek’s sonic blast shot and leaped high off the ledge towards the rooftop.

He cleared the gap easily and landed aggressively, watching as Tek landed.

But not waiting until Tek landed.

As soon as the bounty hunter’s feet touched the rooftop, Abaddon was on him. He grabbed the stock of the sonic rifle with one hand and chopped it in half with the other. There was no more distance between the two. Abaddon wouldn’t let the gunslinger get that advantage again.

Tek counted on Abaddon following him. The man moved with a swiftness that belied his huge stature. As Abaddon grabbed his rifle, both hands being occupied on its destruction Tek wanted the big guy up close, and as the saying goes, personal. He released the rifle as soon as Abaddon had grabbed a hold of it, and swiftly thrust something down Abaddon's big maw, using his hand to force it down, added with the thrust of a force shove as well.

Tek then moved to telekinetically lifted Abaddon up away from arms reached. But just in case this didn't work, Tek dropped down and rolled backward. He allowed his anger to fill him. No, he wasn't trying to get away. He just wanted a better view.

As soon as he was sure that Abaddon had swallowed the device, or at least was well in his mouth, before he could have a chance to spit it out, Tek activated it.

CyroBan grenade cartridge used to temporarily freeze targets. Time to see if Abaddon was as tough on the inside as he was on the outside.

The CryoBan grenade exploded between the clenched teeth of the giant. Frost and patchy ice began to form and creep slowly across Abaddon's chin and nose. But the pupils of Abaddon darted to Tek. He was too close now to avoid the man’s clutches.

“TIME TO HURT!”

Abaddon’s hands gripped both of Tek’s arms. The grip strength alone made it feel like his muscles were going to explode. As if Tek was a child’s plaything, Abaddon swung the man in a high arch over his head, keeping a grasp on his arms, and then slammed Tek’s body down onto the rooftop with devastating impact.

Not once. But twice, like an angry Wookiee child throwing a tantrum.

If Tek did not have the Force. If his body was that of a regular man, and not a hardened warrior, he would be dead. The ribs on his left side were damaged, but he would live.

Abaddon loosened his grip and stumbled backwards holding his head, in obvious pain, but roaring with thunderous agonizing laughter.

“BOOM BABY!!”


He dropped to one knee at the ledge of the rooftop, frosty face in his palms. “CMON COWBOY. DONT TELL ME YOURE DONE.” His muffled voice rang out.

Vasek! Tek cursed as Abaddon grabbed him like he was a toy, swinging him around his head before slamming him down to the rooftop. Twice. Tek felt bones crunch as he took in a deep breath.

Even with his use of the Darkside to cushion the blow, it still hurt. As Abaddon slammed him to the rooftop. Tek looked at the man. He let his pain flow through him, his hatred raging. He had HURT him. He had sold Daya. This abomination would not get the better of him. Tek spat out a bit of blood, from bitting down on his lip from the force of the blows. And then he smiled.

"Just checking out your moves tiny." Tek responded, grinned wildly as he allowed the Darkside to flow freely now. His eyes narrowed as gestured with his fingers. Rage consumed Tek now. The thought of Daya..

With a roar, Tek moved, the Darkside giving him the strength to ignore the pain in his ribs, as now anger was his only awareness. The Darkside howled as he came straight at Abaddon who had knelt down at the ledge of the rooftop. He dropped down into a slide, bringing up his grenade launcher. This time, using another cyro grenades. The man's immunity was something. But it could be overwhelmed. And then Tek gave the strongest force shove he could muster, to send the man over the ledge. He then dropped the launcher and pulled his ax.

Abaddon caught the grenade as it exploded in his grasp, sending frost up his forearm. Tek’s Force push caused Abaddon to take a single step back, but the man was too focused to allow it to do anything else.

He reached down with both hands and grabbed Tek by his rib cage and lifted him off the ground. He wasn’t worried about Tek’s ax. Melee weapons were as useless against him as a rock was to a starship.

Just then a buzz came in over his ear and his face twisted with confusion.

“Heya... what do you mean Ronin’s dead? I just sent another shipment of followers to him.”

He was distracted, but he tightened his grips on Tek’s torso.

“Yea I lost him.. and I’m taking care of some... you got a location... 41st floor? Ok.”

Tek was not surprised. But he was surprised when Abaddon took the time to answer a message he was receiving in his earpiece. Surprised and infuriated.

That is when Tek ignited the lightsaber hidden within his ax driving it straight into Abaddon's eye socket. No way he could miss at this range. And as he drove the saber blade down, the pain that Tek was feeling was expressed into a rage Force scream.

Blinding light was all that Abaddon could see from the lightsaber being ignited into his eye. He yelled back at Tek in anger. He moved his head out of the way, squeezed Tek’s damaged side until he felt bone give way, and grabbed the bounty hunter’s arm that held the lightsaber ax.

One stern squeeze and Tek lost all feeling in the arm and the ax dropped off the rooftop to the sidewalk below.

Abaddon blinked his burned eye socket a few times and nodded. He couldn’t see out of it.

“That’s new...” He stared at Borek for a moment. “Nice scuffle, tiny man... but it’s time to go bye-bye.”

He pulled Tek into a bear hug and Tek would feel overwhelming pressure collapsing around his body. It felt as if he was being squeezed between two speeder trucks. Abaddon smiled and rolled his eyes back into his head as he leaned the both of them backward and off the side of the rooftop.

“ONE LAST RIDE.”

Tek roared in pain as he felt more bones crackling around ribcage. He was pouring all of the Darkside to protect himself from more damage, even as the felt Abaddon lean back and let himself fall off the rooftop.

As a last-ditch effort to keep from becoming Abaddon's de-flatable toy, Tek took a deep breath, and used the Darkside to move his body, even as he set his jump pack to maximum power, feeling the blast from the rockets a bit more close than he would like. But it was enough. It allowed him to slip out, just before they would hit the ground.

//DAYA!!!// Tek screamed her name in the Force, frustrated at his current state.

The Darkside pooled around Tek, cushioning him, as he fell, getting as far away from Abaddon as he could. He found an underhang he rolled to, as he fought to maintain control.

Ahh. Tek now fought to control the pain that flooded throughout his body, as he thought of the last thing that tiny had said.

Tek hit his comlink. "Tata? 41st Floor. Daya, Maybe..Hurry it up." Tek gave a groan, and he closed his eyes, laying still. He needed time to heal, and he was in no shape to take on Abaddon right this moment. But for now, he lay still.

Tek gave a grunt, and Zeek floated down. "Keep.. an eye open bud. I need a few moments. Tek slowly reached down and pulled out a hypo from his first aid kit. He slammed the needle into his leg. He then began to concentrate on setting his ribs, working to ignore the pain.

He was already plotting for round two.



TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas, and maybe a Force user or two...lol

 

Crisis

The mention of Sera's name did nothing to Styx. He remembered Sera. All of Crisis and the Huzon fleet did. But Styx was equidistant to the machines as he was to the Huzonians now, in terms of thought. The amalgamation of thoughts created in Styx a neutral presence...Almost neutral...On a microscopic level of remote mind activity... there was still hatred for Sera. But no one would notice that it was there. Not even Styx.

Vega spoke up.

"Yes. We came to see Minute. Please take us to him."

Styx's receptors flickered and he lowered his scythe, aimed at Wapoe and Vega. It was so slow that they would've been able to dodge it had they been able to move. But they were paralyzed by... not fear...but the loneliness of a being in the galaxy. The solitude of being alive in a cold universe.

And they both would feel cold. Very cold.

The world around them would fade. Only Styx, Wapoe, and Vega remained in a plane of darkness. His scythe punctured Wapoe's skin. He would realize it, but it would not hurt.

Styx would do the same to Vega. And then he would fade away as well.

There was nothing now around Wapoe. A loneliness and solitude that he had never known could even exist. The only things that existed were the stunned breaths of himself and Vega beside him.

Vega was screaming in her mind. Terrified.

And then...

​

A disembodied voice spoke to them through a mind-well. But not the same one as they had shared with the Huzonians. No...It was only them and Minute.

"Hello Wapoe." The coldness melted away by an intense, embracing warmth. "Hello Vega, my child."

"Thank you for coming to retrieve me. I must admit...I lost myself in the world of the machines."

The voice was...unmistakably...mechanical in sound. Yet...sounded like the voice of...

A zabrak male.

A human female.

A togrutan female.

A whiphid male.

And countless others lives that had been lived. All of them having gone by the name Minute.

"Sera has brought you here. I will require something of a tether back to...life. I will need your help."

Tag: @Sinrebirth
------
41st Floor, Artemis Cradle

Mirth smiled.

"Yes...Quite a bit of power. Mara Jade...You're going to have to make a choice very soon. You must remain with Icarus. No matter what. The Syndicate will hunt you for what you have done here and there is only one that will be able to truly help you."

Before he could continue Carl Bolith's dirty, smuggling ship pulled into the hangar. Jenica's smaller ship right behind it.

Mirth grabbed his things and scuttled to the ramp, waiting for it to open. He had immediately become nervous. Very nervous. And scared. Mara could see it. And so could Icarus.

The rest of the crew lowered the ramp and began loading up their equipment onto Carl's ship, the Heartseeker. Jenica radioed Mara's comlink.

"Sorry for the delay. This place was not easy to find and navigating it was way harder. You coming along or going with them?"

Tag: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

 

Mara was puzzled by Mirth's cryptic warning? Advice? What exactly? Then Jenica commed her. She said, "I'm coming." Turning to Icarus, she said, "You have my contact information. Send the credits to my 'padd and I'll get it where it needs to go."
@The Jedi in the Pumas

 

41st Floor Hangar, Artemis Cradle

Icarus listened to Mara and nodded as he crew continued to board the Heartseeker, but his eyes lingered on Mirth.

“Any clue as to why our friend there seems really anxious?” He asked, as he lit a cig.

The answer likely was related to an explosion from the ceiling on the far side of the hangar.

The Third Prince. Abaddon. Fell the equivalent of of 12 stories before crushing the hangar floor with his landing.

He began to jog towards the two ships.

“Son of a rancor. We gotta go.”
Tag: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

 

Taza Talone
All over the place ...

Taza smirked as she received her contractors message. How quickly people prioritized, right? Anyway, that made her winning condition quite a bit easier for her.

The second stim was bad, but she knew how to deal with up to three of those. Also usually she would say nobody should count on her when she made it to Number Three.

It did not go that far. The second one was still in full effect, making her restless and edgy when the two transports took off.

She did not have to scan for them, for that she had the tracker devices. But of course they only worked a certain distance, so the first challenge was keeping the distance to be invisible and staying close enough to actually not be. When the ships did their loops and scanning she made her own scan to get an idea which one had the boy on board. A Juvenile among grown armed man was not too hard to find. She locked in his ship and then the ships jumped. She triangulated the vector and accelerated her own ship out of orbit.

Once she had their jump coordinates she went into hyperspace herself.


It did not take long though and her sensors warned her of the ship she followed leaving hyperspace. They were not long enough flying to have reached any planet she realized. She took her own ship out of hyperspace and triangulated their next jump vector. She barely made it before the ship jumped away again. Quickly she jumped after them.

It took only a few moments before the same thing happened again. They were trying to make their route as obfuscated as possible. Frustrated she hissed and began the process anew. She had hoped to get sleep. She realized she would not.

It happened again an hour later. Then ten minutes later. This time her coordinates became a bit more rough. She realized the mercenaries were gaining distance.

Again. Frustrated and with burning fingers she typed new coordinates and this time they left hyperspace near an asteroid field. It gave her a few extra seconds. She jumped right after them. She did not see the enemy, only the red dir on her radar representing the tracker beacon. Blindly she jumped after them. It took them an hour until they repeated the maneuver and Taza almost messed up the coordinates this time, as her fingers became sloppy. She disciplined herself and pulled the lever for hyperspace. Five minutes and they left again. Her hyperdrive showed signs of overheating and her mind did the same. She typed with her weaker left hand this time and wiped sweat off her face.

She jumped the last second before loosing them. It was now a balancing act. If she did let them get too far she would loose the signal, if she got too close she would be spotted.

This time she awaited their next drop out .. and this time it did not happen. For two long hours she stayed alarmed, before the ships left hyperspace again. She immediately did the same and prepared to plot the next course.

It never came. Instead her sensors showed a planet. Finally, they had arrived.

But where?

After all the jumps she had lost orientation. Bringing down her navigation console she began to calculate their position.

Tag: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

IC: Dathisi Niroon
Trande Settlement, Vas Nihollia

The Matriarch's words struck a chord within Dathisi as she spoke of her past and of her family, and she couldn't help but feel a little bit of sympathy for the older woman. What must it be like, To want for nothing, to be successful and driven and ambitious, but also feel isolated and empty and alone? The part about her family hit Dathisi most of all. Losing a Husband and the connections with her Children...She couldn't think of anything more painful for a wife and mother to go through. Gaining a family was one of things that had helped mend the emptiness and loneliness Dathisi had felt in her heart during those early years after Order 66. She could not imagine life without them now. The Cathar watched as the Matriarch looked out towards the rising sun

“I empathize with you and the life others like you have built here on Vas Nihollia. You and I, we have what my people call kuul’va’si…it means “true trust.” It is a bond and an understanding. Vas Nihollia is owned by my corporation so the Chiss will leave you alone. I trust that, as when Basto Jior was in charge, your settlement will be able to fend for themselves. But if you need my assistance…” She handed Dathisi a red communication device.“...That will alert me and allow you to keep me updated on the progress.”

Dathisi felt the wash of relief within her at the Elder Chiss's words, and a feeling of reassurance as she palmed the communicator in her free hand. There was a pause before the Matriarch began to lead Dathisi back to Muul and the guards. “Dathisi Niroon…something tells me that you’ve earned this life. But you once had a greater purpose. People like us…Our greater purpose never truly leaves us. I hope you find your way back to yours.” Dathisi found herself pondering these words as the pair made their slow walk back towards the centre of the landing pad and the Matriarchs sleek star-ship.

Once they back within Earshot of Muul and the guards, Dathisi could hear them conversing in the Chiss Native tongue. The guards quickly snapped to attention at the sight of their lady. The Matriarch's grip loosened as she freed Dathisi's arm and turned back towards her. “We will talk soon, Dathisi Niroon. Keep me updated on the colony’s progress.”

Dathisi nodded in understanding and bowed once again as the Matriarch and her guards boarded her ship. Dathisi's eyes followed the craft as it rose up into the sky, finally disappearing beyone the planets atmosphere and beyond her sight, the star-ship making barely any noise, as if it was scared to disturb the early morning calm of the planet. Muul's voice found her ears.

“So ah….where to now Dathisi?” He said with a grin and his hands on his hips. “What’d you gals talk about?

"We talked about family, survival, purpose..." She drifted off, her gaze still fixed on the brightening morning sky above them for a moment. The Matriarch's words about ones True purpose niggled at her forefront of her mind. "...It's strange, for all her wealth and splendour, we are more alike then you would think" She brought her gaze back onto the trusted constable "She said we have what they Chiss call 'kuul’va’si'.

"The Matriarch has confirmed that the settlement can remain. Provided her corporation continues to see consistent productivity from the mines. She has tasked me to keep her up to date on our progress" The Cathar opened her hand to show Muul the red communication device, before pocketing it safety away. "I'll sleep better tonight knowing that the settlement can continue on as we have done, but there's still so much to do" She started to make her way to Muul's Fathier as she continued "First, we need to update the town council on the outcome of this meeting, after that, I guess we just focus on the ongoing refugee re-settlement..."

She stopped as if suddenly remembering something important and turned on her heel so that she was facing the Chiss constable once more. She crossed her arms across her front "...Speaking of which, you... " She pointed a finger at Muul" "...Mr Councillor, are running yourself into the ground lately and it's going to have a detrimental effect on your health if you keep this up" She said matter-of-factly, slipping back into medical mode, but her tone softening "I know we have a lot to sort out, but try and share the load, take a few more breaks and get some proper sleep alright?. You keep going on like this I'm going to suggest your wife put you under house arrest" The last part was clearly a joke, but the rest was due to genuine concern for the constable. She let out a light sigh and indicated the Fathier with a nod of the head in the animals direction.

"Shall we go?"


TAG @The Jedi in the Pumas ​

 

Episode 4 Conclusion - Part One​

We begin with our eyes on the Warrior Stark, who has been given a ship by the Chiss Chord to return Primarch to his home...​

The Bordamazian

Chord’s eyes grew intense. A class on Chiss biology would note that it was not within a Chiss’ control the intensity with which their eyes glowed; they could exert no more control than a human could change the color of their hair with just a thought. Yet, Chord’s eyes blazed for a moment in irritation, but settled as he turned his gaze back to his datapad and spoke in cheunh to his subordinates.

While he was speaking, Myra turned to Stark and grabbed his arm.

“What do you mean you’re going to assist him? Well I’m not leaving you by yourself.” She began to berate Stark. Primarch observed the two and it brought him a small bit of joy, but his attention went quickly back to Chord.

The Chiss stepped forward towards Primarch and looked up at the Palladian’s face.

“Thank you, Primarch. This could have been a very different affair without your assistance. I have my people bringing a ship now so that you may leave.”

He turned to Stark and Myra.

“However, you will need someone to guide you back to Ringilla. Stark and Ms. Ukwai will accompany you, I assume, as our controls are not meant for a being of your size.”

He paused.

“Ms. Ukwai, your men are free to go, but they will have to return to Csilla to plan their next move. The middle of a battle area is no place for them to make that choice. We will regroup on Csilla.”

Chord looked at Stark one last time. He was unreadable, but there was the sense that he was irritated by losing a powerful asset in Primarch. He was, however, a man of his word. That was how he had to function among the Chiss royalty and Chiss military and he would not compromise his integrity with outsiders. He turned and boarded the craft that had dropped them off as another ship arrived and Chiss soldiers spilled out and began to set up salvage patrols of the Bordamazian. The ship was now Myra and Stark’s.

----

​

Primarch settled in the wide center hub of the ship, where a young Chiss woman waited patiently for them. She was their guide for the Unknown Regions and an excellent pilot named Mai’hun. She greeted them, told them she would get them to Ringilla, and headed to the cockpit to disembark.

The trip ahead would be peaceful and only take a day to get to Ringilla. Primarch sank into another slumber and Myra would talk to Stark about what made her join the Empire.

She told him how her parents had served the Empire in her youth to keep food on the table. They were true believers, but she never subscribed to the treatment that the Empire imposed on the galaxy. Call it a rebellious stage, but she never quite made them proud because of this disagreement. But she joined the Empire and was trying to build a better life for herself when they exiled themselves to the Unknown Regions. She told him of how she wanted to study music. She longed to travel the galaxy and meet different types of people. Maybe even start her own band.

And she would tell him how she was a direct person and that she would put that on hold to make sure that every one of her squad got through this safe. While her squad was now safe, she indirectly implied Stark was not part of her crew and she could not leave him to take on these enemies by himself.

And maybe they would joke about how they were now stuck together.

Tag: @greyjedi125

------

We then visit the Artemis Cradle's 50th Floor, where Mandrelo and IG-66 scramble to escape and a broken Borek Tek struggles to remain conscious after his encounter with the Third Prince...​

50th Floor, The Artemis Cradle

Mandrelo ran alongside the droid as the crowd began to be pushed aside by the Cradle’s authority and emergency response teams.

“It’s never going to be a dull moment with you, is it IG?” He shouted as a speeder pulled down in front of them. Piloted by none other than Tata, the BHG contact.

“Get in.” She shouted and they immediately did. “We’re going to have to make a stop. Tek got himself messed up bad.”

Mandrelo looked behind them as they left the crowd behind and began flying through the air through back alleys and underpasses. “Tek…Cowboy type. Young dude? Great hair.”

“Yea him. He’s hardheaded.”

----

Borek Tek’s ribs were in pain, but they are only part of what is wrong with the man.

His eyes are sensitive to the 50th Floor’s lights. Signs of a concussion.

He feels lightheaded as he continues to bleed from the mouth. Signs that there is bleeding in his lungs or throat.

Bruises form where Abaddon grabbed him. And his shoulder was dislocated from Abaddon’s disarming Tek of his axe.

But he survived, which was something that very few beings could say after a confrontation with the Champion of the Outer Rim.

A gust of wind blew and Zeek beeped excitedly.

Tata directed Mandrelo to go retrieve Tek.

“Hurry up, we have to get off this floor.”

Tag: @Ktala @Master Vo'Un'Var

------

On Vas Nihollia, the healer Dathisi Niroon observes some of the changes in her settlement and discovers an unexpected guest in her private office...​

Trande Settlement, Vas Nihollia

Muul chuckled and patted Dathisi on the shoulder as they climbed onto the back of the falthier.

“Only if you promise to do the same, Dathisi. As for me… well there ain’t no rest for the wicked, ma’am.”

They rode away from the spaceport. As they did, the settlement slowly came to life. The streets that a mere month ago would have been populated with a dozen or so people were now bubbling with early morning patrons, greetings, and purchases of many dozens. Trande was changing and Muul did not say it explicitly, but he considered this a changing of the tides. Their small settlement was no longer a small unbothered haven. In some ways it still would be, but it was definitely different.

There was the expansion of the second settlement location.

The influx of refugees. Each with their own set of issues, skills, and their own story.

There was the bounty hunter Prompa Sompa who was sending a call throughout the Unknown Regions that he had located a base of operations for the Bounty Hunter’s Guild, which would no doubt bring unwanted guests and even more inhabitants.

Yes… things would be changing rapidly, but change was not always bad.

It could bring good as well.

----

Dathisi would be dropped off at the clinic.

It was busy, as it had been for several weeks, but the staff had established a working pace so that things did not seem overwhelming or frantic. Refugee faces filled every seat in the waiting room and, since they had little to give the clinic in compensation, they chose instead to bring Dathisi and the staff flowers and their own cultural foods they could cook from the local wildlife and flora.

Smiling and grateful faces and children greeted Dathisi. The children waved and the adults greeted her. She had helped many of them. The first helpful face they had seen in a long time.

As she made her way to her personal room and computer, she’d feel a tingle in the Force behind the door.

In the room, she would see the Chiss woman Un’hee with her hand outstretched, eyes closed, and Dathisi’s chair levitating in the middle of the room.

Upon sensing Dathisi, Un’hee squeaked in surprise and the chair dropped to the ground with a loud crash, which broke one of its wheels.

Un’hee stuttered and fell to the floor in front of Dathisi, trying to fix the chair. “I’m sorry…Lady Dathisi…I can fix this…I…please don’t….I don’t know…”

Tag: @Jedi_padawan_leigh

-------

The father and son that the legendary investigator Taza Talone has been tailing arrive at their destination...​

Unnamed Planet, Unknown Regions

The planet would pull Taza’s attention no doubt. It was a planet cracked open, spewing rocks and fire into the atmosphere and space around the planet.

​

She would barely notice the Star Destroyer under construction above her and the mercenaries’ ships.

​

Even less, she would notice a minute too late that all of the ships had been grabbed by the incomplete Star Destroyer’s tractor beam.

If she was not noticed before, she was now.

Her console would beep. And there was no way this could have been coming from the Senator. Hosnian Prime was too far.

YOU MUST BRING ME THE BOY. IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE HIM.

Tag: @SirakRomar

 

Sorry

 

ooc: Sorry for the post above, my little brother was still logged in on MY computer!

Taza Talone
Unknown Planet

Taza had known she was too close with this last jump. The tractor beam had her and she knew her ship lacked the power to break free.

This was a SSD up there, a ship that took enough resources so you could build a fleet instead. This was not only an imperial planet, but one with someone important, too. She wondered if they were still building this thing or if it was an incomplete project used as a base.

IF I SHALL BRING YOU THE BOY IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOWNWHERE
YOU ARE AND WHO YOU ARE. She wrote the message back to the sender who did not sound like the woman she had been hired by. No. This was someone else probably. Someone much closer to her current position.

For now she had to survive. She was not a member of the New Republic and therefore not an enemy per se. She had intervened with their Operationsteams knew too much though.

She checked her blaster and leaned back. She had faced death many times. Especially death by imperials. Over the centuries you got used to it. Patiently she waited for the tractor beam to drag her into the ship.

Tag: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

IC: Dathisi Niroon
Trande Settlement, Clinic Office

Muul had dropped Dathisi back at the settlement clinic. She may have had the meeting with the Matriarch, but she still had her important medical role to fulfil. It would be another full day, but the clinic and its staff had adapted to the influx of refugees a lot better over the last few weeks, and the appointments and the administering of treatments were going a lot smoother which was a positive sign. The waiting room was full, mainly with refugee adults and children. They smiled and greeted her as she made her way through the room. Dathisi returned their greetings in kind, as well as waving to the children and thanking them for the kind and heartfelt tokens they had gifted to herself and the clinic staff.

Dathisi looked at the wall chrono, realising it wasn't long before her first consultation. She made her way down the corridor towards her office. She needed her data-pad and notes from the day before.

As she made her way to her personal room and computer, she suddenly felt a sensation though the force, almost like a tingle . It was coming from within her office. A frown crossed her brow, and her body tensed up a little as her hand hovered over the door panel. After a few seconds hesitation, she gathered her resolve and pressed the panel. The door slid open and she strode quickly inside, her feline eyes going wide in surprise at the scene before her. Un’hee was stood in the room, with her hand outstretched, eyes closed, and Dathisi’s chair was levitating in the middle of the room.

"Is she...using the force?!"

Un’hee noticed the Cathar and squeaked in surprise. The chair dropped to the ground with a loud crash. Dathisi flinched a little as one of it wheels broke off on impact with the floor. Un’hee stuttered and fell to the floor in front of Dathisi, trying to fix the chair. “I’m sorry…Lady Dathisi…I can fix this…I…please don’t….I don’t know…”

"Be calm Un'hee, be calm, it's alright" Dathisi urged gently, though the sight of the Chiss woman apparently actively using the force right in front of her was a sight that stirred up a multitude of emotions and feelings within the Cathar. She dropped down onto her knees next to Un'hee as she tried to fix the chair, but the younger woman was not getting anywhere fast in her clearly flustered state. Dathisi reached out and gently took the broken chair wheel from the womans hands and placed it down beside her.

For a moment, an awkward silence hung in the air between the two, as Dathisi tried to process what she had just seen. She had not encountered another force user in so long, and after being so careful in concealing her own abilities, to see a demonstration like that, from someone who she assumed was completely untrained... It raised a lot of questions. She cleared her throat softly. She could tell the young woman was distressed at being seen, possibly worried for having exposed this power in the force...If the Chiss even referred to it as the force.

Dathisi picked up a small bolt that had pinged off the chair during its less than graceful decent onto the clinic floor. For a moment, her head and her heart were at odds with each other over what she was about to do next, but right now it seemed Un'hee needed some sort of reassurance. Placing the bolt in the palm of her right hand, she focused upon it. After a few seconds, The small bolt slowly rose up about ten centimeters from where it had been sitting on her palm, the silver piece of metal rotating slowly in the air as she extended her hand towards Un'hee so she could see it. She looked at the Chiss woman, her expression softening.

"I think...I Understand"

TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

Borek Tek
uhh. somewhere in the middle, Artemis Cradle

UGH.

Son of a blethating routher! That hurt. Borek Tek’s ribs were in pain. No, skip that. We passed pain ten clicks ago. And when he tried to look up, oh the whirly birds that hit his eyes. That aint a good sign. Another shot. Blood loss. Yep, well buddy, you done a good one this time.

Tek turned his head slowly, as he tried not to throw up. He gestured slightly, as he tried to recall his axe to him. It took a while. Not like he had anyplace else to go at the moment. He just hope Tata got the message. He decided to stop concentrating on his wanting of taking part the moutain that was Abaddon, and instead, work on his own internal healing. Anger was a wonderful thing if guided just right.

A gust of wind blew and Zeek beeped excitedly. Tek just gave him a small grin. *Cough*.. "you dont say. Guess that means my ride is here." Tek didn't turn his head to look, but he could hear Tat's voice in the background after the sound of machinery got quiet.

“Hurry up, we have to get off this floor.”

"Did you, miss me darlin'?" Tek drawled, as he used the Force to push himself upright. He didnt really pay attention to the guy dragging his carcass off the floor, but instead, looked over at Tata.

"What...what about Daya?" he asked.



TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas, @Master Vo'Un'Var

 

IC: Stark
Aboard The Bordamazian

In the moment, Stark allowed himself to be at ease, pleased that Chord made the right choice, deciding to keep his word in releasing Primarch, Myra and her men. The Force user could only imagine that the Chiss Commander had an ever-growing list of hard decisions to make, but in his mind, Stark believed Chord was the right person to make those calls. Even now, despite whatever he was personally feeling, Chord made the right call by keeping his word.

That act in itself merited the Force users utmost respect and continued allegiance.

Stark nodded to the Chiss Commander, who’d leveled an unreadable gaze his way.

“Thank you, Chord.” Stark would say, before watching him retreat.

As circumstance would have it, Myra and Stark were ‘gifted’ the Second Prince’s ship: The Bordamazian.

Stark did not outwardly object, as the group would indeed need a ship for their travels. But within himself, Stark was ‘unsettled’ just being aboard the slaver’s ship. In his mind, the ship required a 'deep cleaning', a renaming, and a new transponder. Only then would it be fit to be sold or traded for a new ship, one that had no history or connection to the Syndicate. But, those were thoughts he would share with Myra sometime after Primarch was returned to his people.

It was no coincidence that the Force Titan chose to enter slumber for the duration of the trip. Stark smiled knowingly, sensing that Primarch would need all his strength once he returned home. That left him free to spend time with Myra and her brave men.

And so, he listened and absorbed it all as he joined them. Stark embraced Myra’s story and her aspirations. He laughed and smiled with her and felt what she felt. He leaned in closer when she spoke of her parents; a concept that was foreign to him, but the accompanying feelings were not. There was Excitement, Expectation, Longing, Disappointment, Discovery, and so much more. It was all there, and he felt them all, acutely, as it they were his own.

Stark allowed himself to truly inhabit that moment as he looked at her, taking in every detail, every sound. He would need this memory in the future, this much he knew. He could not ask her or her men to follow him into danger, so he decided he would not.

But, at least, while they were still together, they could enjoy a good game of pazaak.

The Force user invited everyone to join him for a friendly game, even the Chiss pilot. It was time to see who was a true 'card shark' in their crew.




Tag: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

Episode 4: Conclusion Part II



Mai'hun exited hyperspace above Ringilla and what she found caused her to alert Stark, Primarch, and Myra. The Imperial space station that had been attacked when Stark and Myra took over the Hos Naddon was completely destroyed, pieces of debris littering the orbit around Ringilla. That alone was not what alarmed Mai'hun. No, the alarming part was the dozens and dozens of destroyed, gutted star destroyers and tie fighters drifting across their field of vision. A battle had occurred here and it was completely one sided. It was a slaughter and they were looking at what remained of an Imperial fleet. The Imperial presence on the planet, one that had been capable of conducting battle against the Paladian population, was erased, Mai'hun's planetary scanners would show. It was as if a wave of vengeance had rolled through the Imperial forces. But what of Primarch's people? What was left? And what answers would they find on the surface?
------
Panda Volar Lars directed Fouche to carry Desi inside of the dark office building. They were on the 75th Floor. The exclusive 75th Floor. Where organized crime bosses reigned supreme over the authority of the Artemis Cradle's forces. Panda explained to Fouche his situation. He had been caught with Desi, the bloodied daughter of the Banxxi Crime Family's boss, and Panda was like her uncle. So Fouche had some explaining to do. They were taking Desi to one of their doctors who...catered to these sort of high profile emergencies. Desi was in surgery and Fouche was searched, relieved of his tools, his hands tied behind his back, and a blaster placed to the back of his head. Panda only said one thing: "Tell me why I shouldn't ruin my new shoes with your brain matter?"
------
It all happened so fast. Icarus had never seen anything move as fast or with as much force in his decades of traversing the galaxy. Abaddon's jog turned into a sprint and his large palm decapitated two members of their team before they could even react. Blaster bolts didn't affect him. Carl's and Jenica's respective ships began to try to take off. Icarus and his men barely made it into Carl's ship before the ramp closed. Mara Jade was on Jenica's ship and Mirth was on Carl's ship. But Abaddon didn't know that. Jenica's ship was closer, so that was the target of his brutal assault. As Carl's ship exited the hangar into space, Abaddon leaped onto Jenica's cockpit window and, with all his power, smashed the glass with an elbow. He grabbed the controls and steered the ship off course and into the hangar wall. Mara Jade's last sight was of Abaddon's bloodied hand grabbing Jenica by her neck before impaling her chest with his unforgiving right hand. Then he turned towards her and everything went black.
------
Tata parked the speeder at her hangar as her ship docked on the 49th floor. She was heated. Things had gone from bad to worse to even more worse. She was tired of getting her and her guild teams getting their asses kicked since entering the Unknown Regions. Her, Mandrelo, and IG-66 moved Borek Tek to her ship and her ship's medical droid immediately began to operate on the man. She crossed her arms across her chest; a large cigar clinched between her teeth. Mandrelo wanted to note that she had said she wanted to quit a few months ago, but thought better of it. They watched Borek's surgery before Tata looked at IG-66 and Mandrelo. "It's time we stopped running. Tek had the right idea....We're going to find Daya and we're going to kill that hulking son of a *****. But we're going to need a lot of help....We're going to need Boba Fett."
------
Taza's ship and the mercenary ships were sat down in the unfinished Star Destroyer docking bay. A partially constructed Star Destroyer in an unknown location in the Unknown Regions was the last thing that Taza would have expected her chase to lead her. Yet the unknown messenger continued to transmit to her. They promised they would guide her out, but that she would have to listen to them exactly and employ the skills that had made her one of the galaxy's best investigators if she was going to get out of this with the boy alive.
Grand Admiral Rae Sloane only showed minor interest in the new arrivals from the walkway above the docking bay floor. They had just received word that an entire fleet had been annihilated by a Pirate fleet, but her intelligence told her better. The intelligence reports clearly identified the First Prince of the Syndicate Supreme's flagship to have been present at the time of the attack. They were being pushed back. Alpha B21, the planet of the attack, was supposed to be their first push towards establishing supremacy. To show that the Empire was a power to be reckoned with and yet... their ground forces had been decimated by the primal beasts that inhabited the planet and their fleet was devastated by the First Prince. It was time, Rae Sloane thought. It was time to extend a hand to the Empire's forgotten fleet. Palpatine's ruthless back-up plan that had waited in hiding for a moment such as this: A moment that would require her to call upon Lord Sabel and his fleet of Star Destroyers.
------
The gesture of the gift of the Force brought tears to Un'hee's red eyes. She covered her face and curled into a ball in Dathisi's office. Her kind, the Sky Walkers, were children of the Chiss, all female, that had utilized the Force to navigate the Unknown Regions' chaos. But they all lost the ability and the Force as they got older. But Un'hee had not and had no teachers or guides to explain to her what this reawakening of her power meant. What she could do. Yet...Clearly the Force, and fate, had a sense of humor placing her on Vas Nihollia in the presence of the once Jedi Dathisi Niroon. Un'hee no longer felt alone and maybe...just maybe Dathisi no longer felt alone, in a way, either.
But these uses of the Force would draw the attention of an old enemy of the Jedi Order...A former slave freed by Dathisi's actions in the mine...One that now knew that they were not alone on Vas Nihollia either...
------
"I will tell you both...about the truth of Sera...But it appears he has sent you with a gift..."
The cube containing Ship's intelligence, tucked away in Wapoe's cloak was lifted from his person. Levitating in the nothingness before Wapoe. It twisted and shined bright...so bright that it overtook Wapoe and Vega so much that...that...
Wapoe would find himself suddenly on the ground of Crisis, Vega as his side in a fetal position, weeping. Styx could be seen a few yards away, planting more seeds and assisting in the harvest. It was as if nothing had happened. But clearly...something had. The cube that contained Ship's intelligence would catch Wapoe's eye. It was floating beside a being that Vega would say, and that Wapoe would also feel, radiated so many beings contained in a central figure. It felt ancient. It felt youthful. It flowed with overwhelming warmth as it had in its disembodied state. It was the progenitor of the Dark Tower... It was Minute...and every Minute before it.


​

 

Borek Tek
*somewhere in the past...*

Borek laughed, as he pushed the strands of hair from Deya's smiling face, while his own hair flowed around his shoulders. Her own face was close to his, smiling as she shook her head. "But I think it looks better that way.." she was saying, tugging at his shirt, as he moved in for a kiss. She smelled wonderful. He shook his head, as she now laughed. "And I'd be spending my time, busy killing all the idiots would be calling me 'cutie'. Besides, it would get in the way", Borek told her as he playfully grabbed her around the waist.
The scene shifted.

Borek and Deya were now walking in a small market. A small planet, with not much to really look at. They had been there to turn in a small bounty. Nothing major, but they now had some time to look around. As Borek was looking at some weapons, not finding anything to spend the creds on, Deya however seemed to be finding something that piqued her interest. Borek moved over and found a lovely trinket, a deep purple carved stone necklace. He quickly paid for it and slipped it into one of his many pockets. As he turned, he noticed that Deya had sprinted off. Giving a frown, he looked around and heard her laughing. "Think fast, nurfherder!" she called out, as she tossed something large at him.

Borek stood there feeling a bit silly, as Deya had tossed a rather large hat on his head. She ran over to him, tugging it down on his head. "I think it is perfect!" she declared between her giggles. Well, Borek could play along. He tugged down one end of the hat over his face. "Well, you be reckenin' you like dis here look?" he drawled, doing a very bad impersonation of a holo-vid cowboy. "Well, if the little lady likes it, I guess I'll keep it," he added with a deep chuckle. Deya gave a fake pout. "I think it gives you class!" Borek growled back..."class?" He looked at himself in a reflection, before playful going after Deya, who danced just out of reach...

Deya

. .
*Present time*


Zeek laid on silent next to Tek, carefully monitoring the machines as they beeped and hissed their vital statistics to various machines. This was nothing new to Zeek. No, that's not right. Tek had been injured before. But not like this. Zeek sat back, silently replaying the fight Tek had held with the brute known as Abbadon. And he compared it the earlier replays of Abbadon's various battles. Tek was not going to be in a good mood when he woke up. Zeek was almost sure of it. And most likely, they would be going shopping.



TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

First Prince of the Syndicate Supreme, Colussia Hazard: Warqueen of the Nomads

​

"Colussia...your mind is your greatest asset. If you use it correctly, there is no limit to what good you could accomplish."
- Siaac Hazard to his daughter, 30 years ago
​

If the Second Prince Ronin was the fist of the Syndicate Supreme, then the warlord Queen Colussia was the mind. Commander of the Nomad Pirate fleet, Colussia was born in Grysk Space. She is the only human to survive their entire life in Grysk space. She was raised in their schools and learned their brutal art of war as a conqueror in their military. Her savagery served her well, but she longed for more. She dreamed of dominating the Chiss and eventually the galaxy at large. Her ambitions did not blend with the intentions of the Grysk hierarchy, so she defected.

There have been rumors of a massive pirate fleet in the Unknown Regions for over a decade. Pieced together from hundreds of captured ships and rogue pirate crews, the Nomad Fleet is an omen of the endtimes. Survivors of their raids have returned to known space and tell the stories of their organized, monstrous methods but the tales have only recently been confirmed. After the fall of the Galactic Empire and the disappearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was the only entity that held the Nomad fleet back, Colussia was contacted by the Outrider. She was not impressed by his power, but she was intrigued by a promise: He promised her that he would give her an advanced information network so she could crush the Imperial Remnant and the Chiss Ascendancy in exchange for her joining the Syndicate Supreme. She gladly accepted.

Colussia and her Nomad fleet are the war wing of the Syndicate Supreme and they are the means by which the Syndicate has limited Imperial Expansion. The Imperial Remnant fear her tactical brilliance and her Nomad fleet. She hunts them at every turn. The Chiss Ascendancy is preparing for an eventual direct confrontation. They know that once Colussia eradicates the last of the Empire, she will turn her full attention towards the Chiss. By admission of the Outrider himself, Colussia Hazard is the greatest threat to peace in the galaxy.

​

 

episode 5: Sunny Days are no good without Rainy Days


​

Ringilla

Mai’hun touched the ship down softly on the icy surface of Ringilla. Primarch had directed them to where he sensed a gathering of his kind. Weirdly enough, it was the site of a bombarded, smoldering Imperial base. Mai’hun proceeded with her systems power down, but looked out the cockpit from time to time with a worried expression on her face. She was an interesting looking Chiss woman. Not like the military clean cut types that Myra and Stark would have been exposed to. She reminded Myra of women from the Core, weirdly enough.

​

Mai’hun kicked her feet up on the dash and peered over at Stark and Myra. Primarch was in the hallway outside the cockpit…The ship was not made for Paladians.

“So…uh are the rest of the Paladians as nice as the big guy? Cuz that be a good amount of ‘em gatherin’ out there.” She spoke Basic with such ease and even had an accent. There were some questions here that needed to be asked.

Outside the cockpit, Paladians of varying sizes (though even the smaller ones dwarfed a human male) were moving over the Imperial base and some of them were making their way towards the ship. There had to be no less than 60 of them. Myra held a hand to her chest and looked back at Primarch for a moment.

“I’m not sure. Primarch was not exactly the nicest when we first met him… Actually he tried to kill Stark.”

Stark would hear Primarch’s voice clear in his head. “I misunderstood your group’s accepting of the food as accepting of our ceremonial challenge. My apologies for that…My people are peaceful, though. You should come out with me…Mother’s Song sings of the Diving for you. Mother’s Song will open up to you during the Diving.”

Mai’hun and Myra exited the cockpit and grabbed their blasters. “We just droppin the big fella off, right?”

Tag: @greyjedi125

-------

Abaddon’s Apartment, The Artemis Cradle

“Yea…I gathered that not everything went according to plan. How the hell did someone kill Ronin?....

Yea…The Chiss? Those bastards!

Okay.

What do you want me to do? I can go after Mirth or I can continue with the plan…

Aight…keep me updated, Hazard.”

Mara’s body hurt…Her right arm was broken. It would hurt to even move her fingers. The bones were shattered.

She was suspended from Abaddon’s ceiling by her feet, hanging upside down as the man walked throughout his broken apartment. The cleaners of the Syndicate Supreme were cleaning up blood, broken glass, and broken furniture. There were two bodies piled in the corner.

One was Wilkes, the man she had briefly fought when retrieving Mirth’s data stock. But she hadn’t killed him. The last she saw of him he definitely did not have a Limmie ball sized-hole in his chest.

The other body belonged to Jenica. Abaddon’s hand had pierced her chest as easily as a lightsaber would have. It was a violent, painful way to die.

Mara Jade would notice that it seemed that some time had passed. Abaddon noticed her eyes open and stood directly underneath her, looking up and shaking his head. The mountain of a man looked scarred and bloodied as well. He had a scorch mark on his left eye and frost burns on his neck; yet nothing about the man signified weakness. He was a person that was a veteran of many battles. These marks on him might as well be paper cuts.

“You’re going to tell me where my little green friend is headed, darlin. Or you’re going to end up like your girlfriend over there.”

Tag: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

------

The Bang Boom Express, 49th Floor Artemis Cradle hangar

The Bang Boom Express was Tata’s fully automated full sized freighter. It was basically the mobile command station for the Bounty Hunter’s Guild in the Unknown Regions. But every command station needed a home and the report she was receiving from Prompa Sompa, a high ranking Guild member, indicated that he may have found one.

Deep in Chiss territory.

She explained the situation and plan to Mandrelo, IG-66, and the recovering Borek Tek. Her plan was two-fold…maybe three-fold now that she said it aloud. She wanted Mandrelo and IG-66 to go after a ship that had departed the 41st Floor a day ago before her scouts lost them. Abaddon had tried to stop the ship from leaving, but had failed. Clearly there was something on that ship that he wanted and if they had something he wanted, they could negotiate with the monster and try to find out where Daya was.

While that was happening, Tata and Borek would go see Prompa Sompa. They would likely need his help with Abaddon and they would need his help in locating Boba Fett. The legendary bounty hunter had been missing for over 7 years now. Last mention of him was of him surviving a sarlacc pit, as unbelievable as that was. But Tata had intel that she had held onto for years: Boba Fett was indeed in the Unknown Regions, alive and well. His skillset combined with Tek’s and Prompa’s would be the only chance they had to trap and kill Abaddon.

There was also the fallout from killing a Prince of the Syndicate Supreme they would have to deal with, but that was a worry for another day. Today, Tata was pissed and she didn’t care about the repercussions.

They were bounty hunters and Abaddon had a bounty on his head. That’s all that needed to be said.

Of course, this assumed that all the parties involved would be game for it. IG-66 could take his ship and go off after any of the other bounties in the ledger. She couldn’t begin to consider what a droid thinking would be on this. She took a big puff of her cigar and looked at all of them gathered around her table.

“Alright boys, what do you think? We going hunting, like hunters ******* do? Or do we let this damn Syndicate Supreme think they can hurt our people and keep going along their merry way?

Mandrelo grinned.

“Hot damn, Tata. You know I’m in. How bout it IG?”

Tag: @Ktala @Master Vo'Un'Var

-------

Unfinished Star Destroyer, Unnamed Planet

YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE SHIP. THE BOY WILL BE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. BUT YOU WILL BE KILLED ON SIGHT.

That was the final message that Taza received from the unknown benefactor. She would only have a few minutes time before her ship was forced open. Fortunately, there were many places to hide on the star destroyer. It was a star destroyer after all, albeit being partially finished. There weren’t many stormtroopers in the hangar. One could presume that there was less than a company sized attachment due to the nature of the station they were on.

Out of the cockpit, Taza would see things unfolding as the voice had said. The mercenaries and the father were being led out of one ship and the boy, with his protective detail, were being led out of another by stormtroopers in black armor. Though, what happened next had not been guessed.

Immediately flashes of blaster fire dropped most of the mercenaries, all except one.

Taza could only guess that her welcoming party would act similarly.

Tag: @SirakRomar

-------

Csilla, CDF HQ

​

Something was happening. No, that was incorrect. Something had happened. Something big enough that Settu'asol'rerrist had been called back to the home planet. There were a number of high ranking officers scurrying into the room, but the Lord Sabel had received an encrypted notification to his private comlink before the meeting was called to order. The encryption was familiar: Imperial code. Something he was familiar with, but had not personally seen in a few months. Before he could excuse himself, however, the meeting was called to order and an important man walked through the doors on the far side of the room.

Sarc’hord’iven, core name Chord: Commander of the incredibly secretive Csilla Clandestine Security.

Yes, something big had taken place.

Lord Sabel would’ve interacted with Chord a long time ago. When he followed Thrawn into Imperial Service, there was a rumor of tactical and technical teenage genius, on the same level as Thrawn, but much younger than the established commander. Thrawn had wanted Chord to assist them, but the young man back then outright denied them. Now, years later, Chord had established himself as one of the most effective officers in the CDF. His unit and their missions were hidden behind levels upon levels of top secret clearances.

Until now.

Chord walked into the middle of the room and folded his arms. He was outranked by most of the personnel here, but he had an air of hard earned intellectual superiority.

“A few hours ago, I launched a mission with my task force, targeting Ronin, of the Syndicate Supreme criminal organization that has operated with impunity throughout our territory and the Unknown Regions at large.”

Stunned silence filled the room. The Syndicate Supreme had been untouchable for years.

“My unit was able to kill Ronin and we have retrieved his ship, the Bordamazian. This will usher in a new era of aggression between the CDF and the Syndicate Supreme. But, as the high council agreed with my undertaking, this was a necessary step in preventing outright chaos in Chiss space….That is all.”

----

As the meeting concluded, Lord Sabel would go to his own office. One generally unused in recent years. Once the door locked behind him, the alert on his comlink turned into a transmission of Rae Sloane. Grand Admiral Rae Sloane of the Empire.

​

“Lord Sabel…We have much to discuss.”

Tag: @darthbernael

-------

Trande, Vas Nihollia

Un’hee tried in many different ways to explain to Dathisi what was going through her head. She thought that something was wrong with her. That she had stolen the gift of navigating the Unknown Regions and turned it into something else. She had accepted her kidnapping and enslavement because she thought it was her punishment. But after seeing Dathisi use the Force, she had so many questions.

​

It was the end of the day now and they were walking home through Trande as the settlement hummed to a calming, solid pace. Un’hee inquired if they could stop and grab some food before they went back home. They stopped at a small restaurant. In her own kind and mild-mannered way, Un’hee wanted to know how Dathisi was able to do what she had done. Where Dathisi had come from.

And if Dathisi had felt the calling at the mine.

The calling at the mine?

Un’hee tried to explain the sensation with her limited vocabulary and knowledge of the Force. She explained that when she first arrived at the mine, she felt like someone was always around her, comforting her, promising her things, but without using words. The feeling made her want to lash out against the slavers. The calling, as Un’hee referred to it, made her feel like using her anger and sadness was the only way to escape, but the girl has resisted. She had not been raised to harm others.

The calling had ceased since she started living with Dathisi and Mirri. But had it?

Dathisi felt the smallest, infinitesimal notice in the Force of the Dark Side…and of familiarity. And the notice. The feeling. It was reciprocated.

The familiarity felt like…the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. During the Clone Wars.

----

The hooded figure stopped a few storefronts behind Dathisi and Un’hee. The surprise the hooded figure felt had possibly betrayed their presence. Possibly. They knew the Cathar. She had been a padawan back then. What was she doing here?

Tag: @Jedi_padawan_leigh

-------

Crisis

“That’s him….That’s the presence I’ve always felt.”

Vega spoke with baited breath. She was covered in sweat and her breathing erratic. She struggled to her feet.

“Wapoe…He’s…real.”

Minute turned to them and slowly began to walk towards them. The AI Cube lifted itself away from Minute and circled around Wapoe with something that could be confused as excitement.

“He is very old.” Minute commented as he came to a stop before Wapoe and Vega. A mechanical butterfly that had been trailing him popped out of existence. It was once there and now was no more. Highly unusual.

Minute looked up. “SERA is an advanced mechanical lifeform from a far away galaxy. We’re sure that much you could have ascertained. We met him when we first broke away from the Jedi Order, long ago. He is all at once extremely harmful and harmless, depending on the day. But he has been a good friend to us.”

A small projection of SERA’s home galaxy appeared in Minute’s hand. It seemed like a projection, but Wapoe would likely feel that the microcosmic universe itself was a tangible creation. An ability he had never encountered before by a Force user. Only legends spoke of such an ability. To…create…

“Our main concern, Wapoe, is not preserving the Jedi. Like the brightest stars and the blackest holes of the universe, the Jedi and Sith will always exist in contrast to each other. Our prerogative is to ensure that the light continues along its path. The light, by its nature, is weaker than the dark. The Dark Side of the Force can never be snuffed out, but it can overtake and eliminate it’s counterpart.”

“You have reservations, we sense. We will not keep you here, should you want to leave. But if you stay, the world of Crisis could be forever changed for the better.”

Tag: @Sinrebirth

 

Taza Talone
Aboard the Unknown SSD under construction, Hangar

Taza sighed at the message and took her blaster and comm-link. Three ships would be confusing to them, so she needed to use these two or three minutes she had. Still pretty shaky from the stems she made her way to the small hatch on the floor of her ship and opened it. Silently she allowed herself to glide to the ground, took out the blaster and gave herself a few seconds to watch the feet of the white armored Stormtroopers. Once she had a feeling and understanding of their movements, she worked on making out their blind spot. The helmets limited sight and that was probably her best weapon in this situation. She sneaked out right behind two Stormtroopers cover the east, but actually with their backs to her and quickly took cover behind a number of boxes. She repeated the exercise watching the stormtroopers and when she found their weak spot she did it again, until she reached the boxes close to the exit.

The final few meters were the most dangerous ones, but she expected no guards at the door, as the Empire had probably not expected a hostile to board. So she took the next corner and slipped out of the hangar, quickly closing the doors behind her. She was inside, but she had no idea how much personal was around here. Probably only a skeleton crew, as the ship was not yet finished. She brought quickly distance between the hangar and herself and began looking for a terminal to get a floor plan that identified the finished parts of the ship. She was inside the Empire‘s most secret project she realized. A Super-Star-Destroyer was a mighty weapon, but it also was large. Kilometers in length and a maze. Easy to get lost and easy to hide in compared to a small camp in the desert.

She began making her way in. The boy was her focus now, but grabbing him amidst a full stormtrooper brigade was impossible. She would have to hunt him like a Dathomirian Death Spider. Patiently, waiting for her chance to strike.

Tag: @jedi in the Pumas

 

Mara Jade, \ Artemis Cradle \ Abbadon's Apartment

Every nerve and bone and muscle ached. Kriff it all! Mara realized her right arm was broken. She needed either a healing trance or a bacta dunk. Unfortunately, neither seemed to be readily available.

She was suspended from Abaddon’s ceiling by her feet, hanging upside down as the man walked throughout his broken apartment--a very undignified position and one which put her at even more of a disadvantage.

The cleaners of the Syndicate Supreme were cleaning up blood, broken glass, and broken furniture.

There were two bodies in one corner of the room.

One was Wilkes, the man she had briefly fought when retrieving Mirth’s data stockpile. His luck had apparently run out. The last she saw of him he definitely did not have a Limmie ball sized-hole in his chest.

The other body belonged to Jenica. Abaddon’s hand had pierced her chest as easily as a lightsaber would have. Mara felt her blood seethe. Someone would pay for that, dearly. Jenica hadn't deserved that; the only reason she had been at the Cradle was to help Mara out. This made Mara cringe in unaccustomed guilt.

Mara's thoughts returned to the here and now. She had the sense that some time had passed, although she couldn't tell how much.

Abaddon noticed her looking around and came to stand beneath her. He looked like he'd been through more than one fierce battle, but he seemed relatively unscathed.

“You’re going to tell me where my little green friend is headed, darlin. Or you’re going to end up like your girlfriend over there.”

Mara's jade eyes narrowed to icy slits. If looks could kill, the other would've been vaped. "Even if I knew, which I don't, I would not give you the satisfaction of divulging that particular bit of Intel. I was merely keeping up my end of a business deal to get some much-needed credits, although you're welcome to believe me or not."

@The Jedi in the Pumas