A Sculptor's Long Forgotten Legacy

[Vora Kaar]

QUANTXI

Not my kind of place. To be honest, I would much rather be living back in the forests of Eshan. Not standing upon the ramp of a ship residing on Junk world. However, My contacts spoke of a long gone ship. One that had belonged to one of the most powerful, and influential Sith Lord. Its remains had been found on the planet and reported. However, the exact whereabouts were unknown.

Looking over to the man who was currently with me, Kartus was a potential to join the family. Someone who would possibly join our ranks. The thing was, many considered him to not be desirable. Apparently, he was dedicated in his work, and didn't take needless actions. People tended to stay away from him. Anora was currently filling him in on what was going on as I stood on the ramp.

"Quantxi is the Junk moon of Ord Mantell. As of recent, Nobody had been using the planet or taken it under their influence. So we should seen too much resistance in the operation we are in today. Any questions?"
"Anora, He knows why we are here. Don't patronize him."
"I am attempting to give him al-"
"Anora."
"Fine."

I took a second before reaching to my side and producing a Lightsaber. It had belonged to Anora. I handed it to her and shook my head. She gave me a look as though I had been the one to betray her. I reached behind me to feel the familiar grip of my claymore on my back. While not really the choice weapon of most fighters, it was one that I made, and enjoyed using to quite an extent. However, as soon as I did, I could hear voices in my head screaming to be released. Pleading me to free them.

"Mr Lok. Keep an eye out for a luxury vessel. As Anora stated, we need to get a job done."

​

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[member="Kartus Lok"], ​

 

[Kartus Lok]

They always said that one planet was as good as another, that in the end they were really all the same when you got past the sand and the trees. Only Kartus had never found that to be true, Coruscant was not the same as Tatooine, it was the difference between a pistol or shotgun work vs a sniper rifle. The difference between having a crowd to blend into, or a large empty space.

Not that there was supposed to be much fighting, at least not according to the talkative one who had been so handly silenced by their mission leader. The man shifted slightly, pulling a pair of sunglasses from his pocket to rest them on the tip of his nose as he stared across the landscape of the planet.

"Are you sure it's still gonna look like a luxury yacht? A place like this...they're not the most salubrious of environments, ships left here have a habit of getting tarnished and dinged up. do we have any record of the ship, what it looked like? Might make it easier to spot it if we had something to compare these hulks too." The shape was the best way to find the target, whether a person, an artefact or a ship, although, from the sound of it this was going to be a pretty unique looking ship anyway.

[member="Shaun Castanic"]​

 

[Vora Kaar]

I smiled as the Mandalorian asked questions. Well... to be correct, It didn't seem he had as deep ties with the culture as others I have meet and known. Despite this, he is still one that I would rather take under the wing, than others who would fly away to someone else without so much as any notification. Still, what made me smile was the fact that Anora was attempting to fill him in on the planet, instead of what happened to the Imperalis. The fabled ship of the Emperor. Holding a fist up, then expanding into an open hand,

"The ship blew up, and whatever remains were sent here. That is all I know. The ship is called the Imperalis. An almost Azure color and looked much like a predator of the sky. However, due to the resulting explosion, All we can go on is a possible signature of the item we are looking for, or if I could find the signature of the ship itself."

I let my hand drop down to my side. Anora was already giving me dirty looks. I could tell by how my back suddenly became hot. Shaking my head just a second before facing the man as I walked off the ramp and onto the junk pile that had condensed enough, to be "Solid ground."

"I know Mandalorians are hunters, and reknown for there abilities. If you can hunt a creature, Do you think you can hunt a ship that has gone cold?"

​

​

[member="Kartus Lok"], ​

 

[Kartus Lok]

Well now, that almost sounded like a challenge. Kartus felt the corner of his lips curling up into a smile, it was a test, it was always a test wasn't it? But then he could hardly expect any employer to take his word for his skills, there were countless mercenaries out there who would claim to be the best shot in the world, the man who had killed this sith or that Jedi. Kartus had heard it all, scourge of Tatooine, the butcher of Carida, the mercenary had seen it all but then, if you were dealing with the kind of employer who could be taken in by those stories...well those jobs never worked out well. It was nice to see someone taking an interest in the skills of those who worked for him...besides...who would deny the opportunity to show off? There might be someone out there willing to pass up that opportunity, but they weren't called Kartus Lok.

"Hunt a shattered and broken ship huh? You don't half make things interesting do you?" The Mandalorian followed Shaun down the gangplank, one hand coming up to shade his eyes as he glanced around the vast landscape of junk. "I do enjoy a challenge, so...lets see. " The man reached for a pouch hanging off his belt, glancing down at the information readily available on the planet. "We're on solidish ground here...so that means we haven't had any new debris here for quite a while. Instead, we'll want to follow the line of travel. Looks like they work around the planet on a set path so," a smirk pulled up the dark-haired man's lips, "I hope you two are ready for a bit of a walk."

[member="Shaun Castanic"]

 

[Vora Kaar]

"It would be wise not to assume me a man of instant gratification."

A walk never killed anyone. I understood that finding this ship would take time and dedication on a level that would make all others fail. Anora just rolled her eyes and casually walked ahead of myself and directly after Lok and his movements. A smirk of my mask showed that this man was not afraid of proving his worth. At the moment, I was fine with that. I wanted to see if he was good. Not good enough, Good. Enough meant he barely passed. Instead, I wanted someone who I could rely upon should the time be required.

"Don't treat him like some idiot. He probably knows what he is doing."
"He isn't an idiot."
"Then don-"
"Anora. He knows he has a job."
"Still you are-"

Reaching out with my left hand, I grabbed Anora's arm and within a second she flashed and morphed into a weapon. An arming sword that glowed brightly gold. Sheathing the sword within the empty sheath, I simply looked over to Lok and indicated for him to continue.

"Distractions are not something I condone."

​

​

[member="Kartus Lok"], ​

 

[Kartus Lok]

That was perhaps one of the more unusual sights Kartus had seen, one moment there was a woman padding next to them complaining about well, him apparently. Only she was there one moment and then gone the next, in her place a sword, glowing with its own internal light before Shaun sheathed it. Ok, so it wasn't the weirdest thing he had ever seen, but it was definitely up there, top 5 for sure. Still, if his employer didn't want to make a big deal of it...the dark haired man arched an eyebrow, letting his gaze settle on the sheathed sword before nodding. "Don't think I've seen that trick before, you or her?"

It didn't really matter, not in the long term but h wasn't going to try to hide his curiosity about it, besides this was one of those force things. Kartus prided himself on being a capable fighter, but even he knew that to mess with someone who knew their way around the force you needed to be both very lucky and very good. Someone who had the force, and who moved with the grace only experience could provide you? Well the best way to deal with them was from a very long way away preferably with a turbolaser. However, the more knowledge, the better equipped he'd be if he had to go up against someone whose skill set he couldn't replicate. Besides, his dad had always said, knowledge is power, and that was something that had stuck with the mercenary. Besides, they had a long walk ahead of them.

[member="Shaun Castanic"]​

 

[Vora Kaar]

I could easily tell the action of taking Anora and turning her into a sword made quite the impression upon the man. Looking at the mere act as some kind of magic. I smiled lightly under my mask as the man asked how it was done. Shaking my head a little more as we walked onwards towards wherever this ship may be.

"A mix of both actually. Anora is... tied to me in a very difficult way to simply explain. The easiest term is to just say that she can become a weapon for me to use, while I, the caretaker of her."

I rested my hand on the pommel of the sword. I could feel the vibration within the weapon. Clearly Anora was angry at me and even started to speak to my head. Even as Lok and I continued to walk onward. All within the mind, it would have been oblivious to Lok, but still weighed heavily upon me.

"You really had to do that in front of the new guy?"
"He would see it eventually. And so would others."
"Why did you do that? That was rude of you to force me into this state."
"I want to test Lok and his talents. Mandalorian or Not, I want his full skills on the table."
"And you want no interference from me? Is that it?"
"Yes my dear."
"Why didn't you just ask?"
"Cus I felt like having a second sword on my hip."
"YOU LITTLE BIT-"

Behind the mask, I was grinning wildly as she began to go into a tirade about how I was an nerf herder and what she would do to me once she became a human form again. In truth, we knew it was just talk, and it was light banter between us. Still, I drouned her out as I spoke to Lok.

"What do you think of the Family so far?"

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[member="Kartus Lok"], ​

 

[Kartus Lok]

"It's been interesting, I've never worked for a group quite like you before." Kartus fell silent for a moment, his eyes scanning over the horizon, searching for the ship that they were hunting down. So far he couldn't see anything that stood out in the sea of scrap, but he glanced down at the picture on the datapad for a moment to refresh his memory. "You all actually act like a family, sometimes more than a criminal organisation." A wry laugh slipped from his lips, at some of the antics he'd seen, "It's unusual, I don't normally see that level of connection between groups. Mostly it's I'm the boss and you do what I say but here." The man reached out to gesture at the sword at Shaun's hip, "it's like you and Anora, you don't act like boss and worker, none of you does. If she was in danger, or if you were then you'd move heaven and earth to help on another. I've never worked with people who do that, with mercenaries, it's mostly if you slow us down or make a mistake when we'll leave you behind."

The mandalorian tilted his head to the side staring at the Caporegime for a moment. "Like, I'm guessing that she might not be too happy with you cutting her off mid-sentence, but I don't think you'll be expecting her to stab you in the back at night. It's been a while since I've been around people who're that comfortable with one another." Mostly, the man slept with a blaster under his pillow and one eye on the door, just in case, it made life harder but prevented other major problems. Kartus' eyes flicked over to the horizon for a second, "What about you? What keeps you around here?"

[member="Auberon"]​

 

[Vora Kaar]

I listened intently to the man. The way he phrased it matched very well to what I wanted to create within the Faction. It was named "the Family" for a reason. Everyone who joined, was one of us. Everyone who stayed, was one of us. While we kept our secrets, and if you decided to betray us, we would be more than happy to dish out the consequences to rectify them, He was right. We wouldn't leave one behind. Nor would we ever dream of doing so. I hope that one day, many others who joined us could find a home, one that accepted all walks of life. I cared not for Jedi, or Sith or whatever Force Religion that came our way. I just wanted all of us to work in peace.

"You are insightful to how we operate. You are correct to see that, and understand that we cover one another. We may be at each other's throats like any brother or sister, but at the end of the day, we are a family of different blood."

I responded quickly to the man just before he then posed the question to me. I smiled brightly behind my mask as it would bring up some of my past. Nodding my head just a bit as I found a sudden fascination in my boots, I looked back up to him with a head turn as we continued to walk onward.

"I won't speak of it all, but when I first became a Soldier within the family, I found my time here more than welcoming. In fact, the Donna herself asked me to be her Left hand. I am her personal Bounty Hunter, and death dealer. Everyone may fear or respect the Donna due to her status, but I have had no such feelings for her. I find her like a sister I never had. So I stayed. I grew up with a single father and an only child. Having a family such as this, is a welcoming feeling. Even if I have to be hard on them at times, I do so out of love and care."

Turning back to the horizon as we walked forward, I started to slowly feel a creeping presence drawing closer. We were closing the distance. I knew for a fact that something was being felt through the force. Pressing my hand to the side of my head, I pushed the fingers into my temple. The pain as though someone was trying to get into my head. Shaking back and forth, I created a barrier to defend my mind.

Thinking the same for Lok, I extended my mind to him and created a barrier for him as well.

"I can feel a presence. Keep your mind guarded. Something intended to pry my thoughts."

[member="Kartus Lok"],

 

[Kartus Lok]

Mental attacks, it had to be mental attacks, didn't it? It was always something with Jedi and Sith, they could never fight you fair, always with those little tricks and traps they were always so happy to throw around like they were nothing. Why they couldn't be happy with a good olf blaster and a blade he had no idea. There must be something in them that needed to show off their powers.

Even as the man complained in his head he dropped down to one knee, dark eyes scanning the horizon as he slipped a dagger out of a sheath by his let. The man didn't even flinch as he laid the cool metal of the knife blade against his arm. His companion might have pressed a shield to his brow, claiming it would protect him but the mercenary didn't know the man, didn't know how far he could trust him. Hence the knife, the cold metal pressing against his arm was a precaution. If he saw something unusual, felt anything out of the ordinary he'd found that pain was a great way to clear the mind as it were.

"You know, my father and his friends were mercenaries, then I had to go get involved with a Jedi or two and then a Sith. I'm sure the old man would be turning in his grave if he could see me now. He always preferred a fair fight to this." The man's eyes never stopped scanning the horizon, watching for any movements. "So, where are they?"

[member="Auberon"]

 

[Vora Kaar]

Oh yes. I clearly noticed the grasping of something at his feet as he went down to his knees. Did he not think I had seen that before? Well truth be told, he had no clue that I had once hunted others. The mental attacks continued on, but they were still. Stagnant. Almost as though the Aura of whatever it was, stayed right here. A nexus of power that wanted to lash out against those attempting to get near it. This meant we were getting closer, but not close enough. Even as Lok voiced how his own father was a Mercenary, and would be turning over in his grave, I lightly smirked at the comment.

"My father would likely be doing the same if he knew I was one of the heads of a Criminal Syndicate."

Still, I steeled myself against the aura of the Dark side easing around us as though it were a lake we were wading into. It felt empowering, but also painful. As was most of the Dark side. A price, a heavy one at that, was paid for its usage and allowance of strength given to the wielder. While the talk of a normal fair fight compared to the Force, as well as the question of the whereabouts of the cause.

"Some in life, care not for fair, honor, or chivalry. Much like this aura. It cares not what it attacks. My best guess would be for us to find where the resistance is the strongest. Otherwise, keep an ear to the ground Adiik be Manda'yaim."

I slowly released Anora as a sword from her sheath. Just enough so that if I needed to quickly draw her I could, but still allow her to be held within the confines of my side. I tightened my hand into a fist. Balling it up with my nails digging ever so slightly into my hand. Using that slight bit of pain to keep my mind rooted to our current state.

[member="Kartus Lok"],

 

[Kartus Lok]

Kartus shot an amused glance back at the man behind him, a shake of his head the rest of his reaction as she pushed himself to his feet.

"See, my father would probably be overjoyed if I were the head of a criminal cartel, or if I were anything really. He always thought that just given the chance he could make something out here. Only he could never really pull himself away from being a mercenary...and now look at me." It was a sore point for the man, they'd left Mandalore hoping to be able to find a better life for themselves, away from the mercantile nature of the planet and had found themselves caught up in the very same trade. It was like being a mercenary was all that they knew, all the galaxy could see him as. Every job, every credit he'd earned had been on the back of being a Mandalorian, the muscle, a bounty hunter. Once, just once he'd like a place where he could be more than that. Maybe a crime syndicate was the place to be more than a label, or if not he could always move on, skills like his were always in demand somewhere in the galaxy, and one day he'd find that hook that let him find a life more than a travelling merc, he owed his father that much.

That was a problem for later though, for now, there was the source of the mental attacks to pin down. "If it doesn't care, then it's not being directed be a sentient mind, it just is. So then, spot where it's strongest huh?" Kartus bounced his knife in his hand before tossing it to Shaun. "The easiest way to do that is with a canary, so I'll go wander over in that direction, whenever I feel myself weakening the most, and when I turn away or attack you, do something out of the ordinary, we'll know we're in the right direction." The man's gaze fell to the knife in the man's hand. "Just, try not to hit me anywhere vital huh?"

[member="Auberon"]