Junction And Yet the Sun Still Rises (Elysium Empire - Daxam IV & Silver Jedi Concord - Bimmisaari)

[Travot Ravenna]

Objective Two

Trenches had become altogether too familiar sight to the man with the recent wars. He pressed his body against the earthen wall, just in case some shrapnel or munition happened to explode nearby. The Concord soldiers continued to exchange shots with the Bryn'adul, and he couldn't be sure who was really winning at this point - actual hits were rare due to low visibility. The monotonous tension was soon broken up by the increasingly loud whine of repulsorlifts. Looking up, he could see a dark speck of a ship resolve into another Concord transport that made another quick landing and disengorgement of troops. As before, they quickly moved into the defenses, which his eyes might have simply glossed over save for the presence of a monster of a man. He had seen a handful of Taris officers before, but this man was clearly in a different league, judging by his physical performance and uniform. This has to be A AvRe . Travot offered a polite nod to the cyborg as he ran up to him.

"Master Ravenna, good to see you...so- do you... sense anything?"

Travot thought about that for a brief second. Jedi were legendary for their prescient sense of danger, and it had played a large part of keeping him alive over the years. Now, he could feel an almost constant, low level nagging of the feeling, but that wasn't too much of a surprise. He would only have to stand up above the trench to probably instantly shot and potentially killed.

"The ever present danger of the battlefield," said the susevfian, "nothing unusual for the battlefield though..."

A pair of men in tan fatigues, followed by a squat partially tracked droid, suddenly rounded the bend and nearly ran into the jedi master and the Tarisian officer. Travot glanced at their uniforms, noting that they were clearly not front-line combat troops judging by their lack of protective armor and lack of serious weaponry. He spotted a skyscraper insignia on one of their collars: engineers.

"You're an engineer?" guessed the jedi.

"Yes," said the soldier, "Sergeant Maktis, sir. My partner and droids have just managed to make a tunnel to what we think is their latest outpost. We were about to complete the breakthrough, but we're not really set up to face the Bryn'adul head on."

"You want us to be there."

The man nodded, "You want to break into their positions, don't you? That's what our orders were..."

Travot turned to Avery, "Are you and your men ready?"

 

[Salmakk]

Salmakk heard the approach of the ship before he saw it - a Mobquet transport. It had been a while since he had seen one of those - and a rare treat for starship lover who so often found himself deep inside theoretical starships that he rarely got to see functional classics. He stood up and walked quickly over the beach and onto the soft grasses to join Perit at the duracrete landing pad. Several minutes passed before he was able to get there in time to lik up with Perit to meet the newcomers. Salmakk's fish-like eyes briefly scanned the pair before his mouth crept up into a smile.

"Welcome to Bimmisaari. I am Salmakk, one of the coordinators for this meeting, and this is Perit if he has not already introduced himself. You must be Jedi Master Coren Starchaser ," said the engineer, turning towards the young lady ( Kyra Perl ), "and who might you be, young one?"

 

[Rex Valhoun]

Objective One
Post: 2
Tags: Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Gir Quee
Location: Asaari Hotel

"Lori! I'm sorry I'm late." He took the drink she had brought him, taking a sip. It felt good to have a cool, smooth liquid on his throat, which was becoming dry thanks to the mix of artificial air, and his heavy breathing due to his earlier pace. Then the burn, typical of such drinks. "Have I missed anything?"

But before Lori could respond, a short man with dark blonde hair bowed and said "It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty."

Rex grinned, extending his own hand to shake. He recognized the man thanks to the research he had done during the trip here. "You must be Gir Quee, the Admiral? I've heard a lot about you from our veterans. The pleasure is mine." He gave a friendly smile to the man. Despite being a King, and standing about a foot taller than the Admiral, he couldn't help but feel inferior to the man. From his research, Gir Quee had been a key component in many victories over The Bryn, and while Rex hadn't personally faced The Bryn'adul, he had seen footage and heard stories. They weren't the typical, holofilm villainous monsters that simply charged with no real tactics. No, they were ruthless, cunning, and still a very real threat.

 

[Vaux Gred]

Vaux gripped the controls as tight as she could. She'd opted for flying a Gred-made Toscan, the 8-R model. Twin particle cannons, munitions launchers, and fast. But right now her droid, VK, was letting out a few Binary yells as engine two struggled to stay on line. Karking osik why the heck did she need to have this kind of luck!? She saw a few more Bryn on the ground. Time to ditch some weight and see how close to friend lines she could limp this one winged bird. She quickly dropped her remaining proton bombs before pointing not quite home.

"VK, start sending an SOS signal. No clue how far I can get this thing before we lose the engine entirely, and I don't know how stable it is with only one engine functional." The droid got to work as she tried to keep it straight, but there was soon a shake, and the Mandalorian pilot could see a metal spike sticking out though where part of her repulser systems were. "Oh fragging.... Yeah this isn't going to be pretty. Hang on VK!" Pretty soon, the fighter began to descend and soon would hit the ground hard before skidding the a halt. Vaux looked out, opening the canopy and grabbing her weapons before looking around.

"You ok bud?" A few affirmative beeps and then she looked around. She really hoped she didn't hit anyone on the way down, but she didn't really have much of a choice in where to land after having an 18 inch spike sent through her fighter.

Travot Ravenna A AvRe

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

OBJECTIVE ONE

Burtch noted that Gir Quee did not take his offered hand and that he was intently focused on Martin Dux as "Grunty" (Dorthea's droid) introduced him. Burtch got the vibe that Admiral Quee hadn't meant any disrespect by not taking Burtch's hand, but was in fact so distracted by Master Dux's title that it slipped his mind. Burtch made a mental note of that and wondered what about the presence of Martin Dux had concerned the other Grand Admiral. If Gir Quee had any concerns regarding the Imperial Knights, Burtch hoped they would have a chance to alleviate those concerns today.

On the other hand, Burtch was pleased at the manner in which Gir Quee introduced the rest of his entourage. It was an impressive group, and Burtch noted that the name "Captisan" sounded historically familiar. Bakuran, maybe? Burtch cursed his flawed memory once again. Keatoch wouldn't forget something like that.

Then, as per Rex Valhoun 's usual "fashionably late" style, the King arrived and Burtch was pleased at how professionally Admiral Quee had greeted him. All that mattered to Burtch was how well the Empire was received here today and Burtch considered this to be a great start.

Many more representatives arrived and Burtch observed each and every one of them. An impressively tall Hapes woman, a representative from a Wookie colony, two reps from Gyndine and Belasco, and a wealthy looking man by the name of Bail Chistor.

Then Aculia Voland arrived donned in styles that she obviously shouldn't be able to afford with her current salary. Burtch had followed Keatoch 's advice earlier and left credits out for her to steal to test her nature, and naturally, those credits had gone missing. Burtch was at least somewhat pleased to see that those credits had been "reinvested" into her wardrobe for an Elysium Empire occasion. Trustworthy or not, at least she was showing personal investment in the nature of Elysium Empire dealings. He could work with that…

He and Dorthea both greeted her warmly.

Then, a tall man entered the room, and once again, Burtch could tell a man forged by military life when he saw one. Aside from his obvious military outfit, Thirdas Heavenshield 's build was military, his grooming resembled some kind of regulation, his posture was very much military, and his prosthetics seemed to tell the tale of a warrior that knows suffering and glory. As a Grand Admiral, Burtch could feel nothing but respect for a true veteran of war. On impulse, he straightened to attention, but didn't salute as he was a Grand Admiral and it wouldn't be appropriate. Instead, he simply tilted his head in earnest respect at the man, waiting for a formal introduction by the appropriate parties. Dorthea Dobson , being an officer herself, also bowed her head in respect.

Her protocol droid, Grunty, simply hovered nearby their two bodyguards, waiting for the right time to speak.

 

[Martin Dux]

Martin gave the hotel and the respective delegations a look over, It appeared everyone was here. At least, most were here. The old master didn't know too much about politics, and he certainly didn't have any special input for the people present. With an assassin afoot, Martin's abilities would certainly be better spent prowling the area.

Thankfully, Aculia Voland had arrived right on time for him to take that leave. Martin didn't know her well enough to make assumptions, but he had heard she could be a bit mischievous. Either way, he knew she was capable of protecting the people present. Hell, he could sense it. She was on par with him, maybe a bit undisciplined but that never stopped him.

Martin tapped the knight with him on the shoulder, gesturing to the ones with Rex Valhoun . There was another protective measure, the knights. Martin chuckled, shaking his head. He was getting absent-minded in his old age, didn't even realize they were there.

He cleared his throat. "Well, looks like everyone's here." he turned to Grand Shepherd Burtch .

"Burtch, if the people present have questions about my nature, you can certainly answer them, you're definitely one of the most knowledgable on the order." He looked to Gir Quee .

"Admiral Quee, It was a pleasure meeting you. If we have the chance, we should talk later, you certainly seem the kind I typically spend time with." He smiled, earnestly. He hoped that he hadn't offended the man with his sudden departure, and he meant every word he said.

"If I'm required, I'll be," he paused, thinking, "around."

He gave a quaint bow to Rex, then to Gir. The young king would be in safe hands, that's all that truly mattered. Turning to leave, his eyes locked onto those of Sol'yan , he nodded at him, a sign of his respect. He hadn't been around someone like him in a long time, and while he couldn't sense much, he did feel a certain wisdom around him.

Making his way from the group, he nodded to Thirdas Heavenshield , then gave a small salute.

Now, his watch began.

 

[Sol'yan]

The Force​

OBJECTIVE: I - A Meeting of Co-Belligerants
LOCATION: Glastro Intergalactic Spaceport, Bimmisaari - Gir Quee’s party
TAG: Martin Dux Aculia Voland Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Rex Valhoun Gir Quee Grand Shepherd Burtch (Sorry if i missed anyone)

The hotel in which the meeting would take place was very nice indeed, which was to be expected when it involved politicians and heads of state. For Sol’yan, nothing compared to the majesty of the galaxy, such as finding an untouched nexus of force energy alongside a tranquil waterfall, or meditating within a sunlit glade with one’s eyes closed; sensing the life surging throughout the planet. He had been long overdue in such an endeavor. Perhaps after this summit, the Jedi Master would indulge himself yet again with his apprentice. For now though, the Jedi kept his wits about him. Specifically, his senses prodded him as they made the acquaintance of a certain ‘Mystic’ by the name of Martin Dux. Sol’yan had only ever heard of that expression with regard to native peoples who equated the force to a mystical energy tied to some deity of theirs. It was no secret that the Elysium Empire was enigmatic, and that the Silver Jedi Concord could learn much about and from them should these talks progress positively.

Yet, the title itself caused Sol’yan to extend his awareness to those in the room, namely Martin, and a peculiar looking young woman who shadowed Admiral Birch. They both carried traces of the force within them, and the Jedi Master reached out to skim their minds for any stronger indication of their alignment, or perhaps even their motivations. It was a risky proposition to be sure, yet it was important to determine who they were dealing with here. For all he knew, their delegation was walking into a trap. He could handle himself well enough, but Gir? He was a notable figure, and a military man. But against force users, even the most experienced of fighters were at a disadvantage.

Rex Valhoun approached them, directing his primary attention to Gir, which contented Sol’yan as he set about surveying the room, keeping to himself unless spoken to. That was until Martin himself made eye contact, and gave him a subtle nod. The Jedi felt obligated to return the nod, although given the rarity of the Feeorin species in the galaxy compared to other races, the faint 'smile' he had on his face probably appeared to be little more than a grimace despite himself. Even still, it was an interesting enough interaction to cause him to think further as he lightly probed the room.

 

[Gir Quee]

"You must be Gir Quee, the Admiral? I've heard a lot about you from our veterans. The pleasure is mine."

Gir nodded in a polite acceptance of the compliment from Rex Valhoun . Veterans? We must be talking about the bryn'adul war then. It had been a brutal conflict - probably even worse than when he had still worn the uniform of the Galactic Republic as a young officer and fought the One Sith in that great conflict. He hadn't felt like his performance had justified the compliment in a sense - one of his greatest defeats had been at the hands of the Bryn'adul at Sarka, but the Concord had managed to outlast their opponents in terms of cohesiveness, largely due to the support of their allies like the Elysium Empire.

Senator Chistor offered a smile as the exchange ended before clearing his throat and beckoning the admiral, Sol'yan , and Thirdas Heavenshield .

"Admiral Quee, Master Sol'yan, and Colonel Heavenshield - if you and your people will help secure the room please so we can begin the talks..." said the man from Tirahn, sweeping a hand across the room.

Not only did the commons area serve as the lobby, but it also merged through its flowing organic lines to the dual purpose conference/dining area, with its neatly arranged white plasteel chairs and tables. With the morning sunlight streaming down from the canopy and windows aside, it was warm and inviting...and an absolute security nightmare. The Bimm Mercantile Guard had attempted to secure all areas outside that might have a view into the hotel, but that was difficult given the sheer number of windows. Even inside, there were a lot of points of entry and exit for the convenience of the staff and guests. A very careful spy or assassin could easily move in and out of the room with a little luck and preparation.

The admiral nodded and moved off to the side, dispatching several members of the Bimm Mercantile Guardsmen present to guard some of the entrances, even as the others did their own work. Fenni crept up to him and whispered in his ear.

"Do you want me to stay with you? Or do you want me somewhere else, perhaps by the king?"

Gir glanced at the Elysium entourage and turned to face her before whispering back, "I think they have their own security presence around their people...and probably some of their security personnel are incognito, just as some ours are...stay with me for the moment...but let's play it by ear..."

As the two quietly spoke, Senator Chistor approached the Elysium delegates, moving quickly to be by the king and his queen, Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , Grand Shepherd Burtch , and Aculia Voland .

"The elders of Bimmisaari here have kindly provided us with the best of the hospitality that they can - feel free to grab any drinks or refreshments as you need them, but I like we should begin the talks while it is still earlier, lest we encounter an unexpected problem area that takes us longer than anticipated to...negotiate. Please, won't you join me and the other representatives of the Silver Assembley at the tables set over there to begin talks?"

[OOC note: Martin Dux C Cirrus Aculia Voland and anyone else involved in the spy game- Security is tightening up, securing things, and sizing everyone up - feel free to respond as you like - might be a good spot for some tension]

 

[Cirrus]

Objective: I - A Meeting of Co-Belligerents (Surveillance)
Location: Glastro Intergalactic Spaceport - Outer Ring District
Tags: Aculia Voland Open

The trek through the maintenance tunnels was rather mundane and uneventful. Most workers who traveled within them were focused on their own assignments, meaning that he was but one of scores of blank-faced workers who toiled away at the starport. He occasionally attracted a few casual nods in greeting, to which he responded with a friendly grin and wave. The tunnels snaked throughout the entirety of the spaceport, with spartan signs lit with a bright LED backlight indicating which section the access hatches fed into. He eventually approached a hatch marking an entryway into the ‘golden strip’. He emerged from within the tunnels to the bright, ambient lights shrouding the area.

He did not, however, balk to observe the alluring sights of the scenic district. Instead, he kept his head down and moved along - as if he had seen the same view every day for years on end. His coarse, bushy and unkempt mustache did much to render his face unappealing to look at, which further allowed him to pass with hardly anyone getting a good look at his features. He approached the hotel, which was swarming with SJC security personnel, who manned cordons at regular intervals. Civilians were compelled to stop and show their identification as the cordons drew closer to the hotel proper, with some being subjected to body searches as they attempted to gain entry into the facility itself.

A sardonic grin flashed across Cirrus’ lips, which was heavily distorted into a toothy smile which further added to the repellent appearance he had established for himself. This was the ‘freedom’ people prized so much? Along the strip, he noticed an SJC security team breaking up a dispute which had escalated into a fist fight, and the sight of others rebuilding from the devastation brought upon them by the weakness of their leaders. This wasn’t freedom - it was merely the veneer of freedom. As evidenced by the very security details at the hotel and at the checkpoints, these people only held freedom when it suited those who had the power to enforce it. When it didn’t suit them, it was amusing to see just how quickly those freedoms were curtailed.

And they didn’t even get the security that came from that curtailing of liberty.

He pitied these people. The Eternal Empire was strong. It exterminated the epicenter of Bryn’adul strength on Danuta - ground the nucleus of their entire civilization into oblivion. Their military might was feared across the galaxy, and their people were safe because of it. Not so with the people on this ‘picture perfect’ planet. But that was a musing for another time. As he neared the building via a maintenance catwalk, which fed out to the main thoroughfare - and consequently, a checkpoint; he brought to mind the details he had studied the night previously should he be questioned.

Yet, it would seem the checkpoint was far enough away from the hotel for his keycard to be sufficient to bypass the check in. He wouldn’t complain. It was bad manners to tell one’s rivals when they made a mistake.

That victory would be short lived though when he made his way to the back alleys near the hotel. He moved briskly through the narrow streets, and when he approached the back entrance, he heard a very loud and commanding:[/color] ”You, stop!” He froze in his tracks, and slowly inclined his head to the source of the voice. A pair of security officers strode up to him, blasters and riot batons strapped on their hips.

”Hey officers. Somethin’ wrong?” His tone was friendly and rather disarming, as if he had not a care in the world, smacking of Corellian.

”We were hoping you could tell us whether something was wrong or not.” The officer eyed Cirrus up and down suspiciously. ”What are you doing back here?”

”Checking on a report for a defective exhaust vent. With how tight security was out front, I was gonna try to access the mechanical yard via the service ladder back here. You can check my credentials if you want.”

’Good.’ He mused to himself. Willing, but not overeager. By the look of things, the partner of the officer giving him the riot act appeared more placated by the offer of reviewing his credentials, but the lead officer was not so easily satisfied.

’Heh, satisfied... why am I like this?’

Childish puns aside, the officer quickly followed up: ”As a matter of fact, I do want to.” He extended his waiting hand, ready to accept the offered identification codes. As Cirrus slowly reached for his codes, the officer spoke again - this time, a slight tone in his voice bespeaking a very not-subtle ‘Let’s see how well your story holds up’ intention. ”I don’t recall hearing a report of a broken exhaust vent. Now that sounds like something i’d know about, considering the increase in security.” The officer adopted a very smug grin, as if he had caught a mouse within his fat-ass cat claws.

”It’s not broken yet, genius.” Cirrus began, a mildly annoyed tone in his voice. ’Careful...’ He thought to himself. He didn’t want to push too much.

”Some of the floors were experiencing coolant level indicator warnings, and are about two degrees off what they should be. If I can get to them quick enough, I can top them off and reset the units to prevent any actual damage. This call came from facilities. We detected the issue remotely.” That was good. It was a lie, but damn... that was good. Did he even know what all of that meant?

”Right...” The officer looked skeptical, and slightly taken aback as well. It seemed obvious that he wasn’t really expecting an answer quite like... that.

’That makes two of us.’ Cirrus mused again.

”I’m going to run your ID codes, and check on that alert you’re talking about.” The officer said, which was categorically not what Cirrus wanted to hear. ”Watch him, make sure he doesn’t do anything funny.” The officer said to his partner, who appeared more annoyed than alert.

Alarms began to ring within Cirrus’ head, but his training took over during that moment - and from that training, he had the presence of mind to see that an opportunity had presented itself. With enough theater to potentially earn a spot within an inter-planetary troupe, Cirrus’ bag of tools ‘accidentally’ fell from his grasp, causing the bag to hit the ground, with all manner of wrenches and spanners and spare parts scattering across the ground.

The guard standing with him leaned down to help Cirrus collect his tools. So he was a nice guy. Unfortunate.

Cirrus reached down, apologizing for his apparent clumsiness as he swept across the scattered parts with his right hand, while clandestinely pulling a knife into his left hand. With reflexes like a nexu, he sprung over and grasped the guard into a bear hug - with the knife plunged deep into his neck. A gurgling sound was all that escaped, far too muffled for the lead officer to hear as he stepped away to get on the line with his superior.

Cirrus wasted little time, as he closed the distance and buried his knife into the officer’s clavicle - a fine mist of blood sprawling across the alley wall just before the guard’s finger hit the ‘call’ button on his commlink. Cirrus took in several deep breaths, with a single ”Frak...” escaping his lips between breaths. Once again, now wasn't the time for rest. He quickly set about pulling their corpses deeper into the alleyway, muscling them bodily into a dumpster a few feet away from the back entrance. It wasn’t a perfect solution now, but it’d buy him some time at least. After throwing the second body into the dumpster, a... sensation washed over him.

It felt like a tingle at first, but then sudden realization washed over him as his eyes opened wider. Someone was trying to find him.

His training had ingrained within him techniques to avoid being discovered through the force. It was highly likely no one knew that he, personally, was here in the spaceport. Usually, force users searched emotions - searched thought patterns to discern if something was amiss. He utilized his training, trying to resist the gentle probe with all the willpower he could muster. He thought about dejarik moves, pazaak games, betting odds, the latest adult holovid stars... thoughts that often discouraged further probing.

Soon enough, the feeling faded. He had no idea if he was successful in resisting the efforts of whomever it was trying to ascertain if something was amiss, but it reinforced the need for him to keep moving.

At that, he gathered the remainder of his tools, and set about scaling the ladder to the top of the building.

Spoiler: OOC

Forgot to tag Aculia Voland . See below dice roll. I'd say it's bad enough for you to know something's going on, but not quite who or where.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: 1


Lori gave a small smile as Rex Valhoun regarded her a little. He didn't return her compliment at all, but either that just wasn't his way or he might of had far too much on his mind.

Regardless she was just his arm candy and along for the ride. At least that was how it felt. Even if she wasn't clinging to his arm or touching him in any sort of way.

Lori kept quiet, much in the way her bodyguard Arla did. It would probably make the meeting better anyways. There was less chance of her saying something stupid. Her mind was pre-occupied with a bunch of things anyways. So far it seemed like the Dobsons weren't going to show, so that was a relief. It was better for the Empire that way.

She had a sip of her brandy and just waited for everyone else to move to the tables before she did. A breath of fresh air would be good after the meeting was over. Maybe she'd be permitted to go for a walk or something later.

 

[AvRe]

Avery gave the soldiers a once over, the ones with Travot Ravenna and those he brought with him. Avery remembered the Bryn, he remembered the cruelty, the way they fought, he remembered the people who died in those awful battles. A huge part of the commander wanted nothing like that for his men, he didn't want to put them through those awful things. But then again, they were only following in his footsteps.

Avery nodded to the Jedi. "They are, more than most should be in a place like this." he looked out of the trench again.

"As far as I can tell, that tunnel seems to be the best bet." He nodded to himself.

"Here's what I think, the snipers should stay here, keep the fire on them, you should leave that officer with them. You and I will make our way to that tunnel, the troopers in tow. I know the far troopers, they wouldn't be much good inside the outpost, and they'd rack more of a body count out here than anywhere else. As far as I'm concerned, I'm with you master Jedi. I'll do my best to keep the men in check if you don't mind heading the charge."

He paused for a moment, looking deeply at the Jedi. He wondered, how many wars had he seen, how many times had he been told to be the cap of the explosive? Then Avery wondered, how many times had he been told that? While the commander was not force-sensitive, not to his knowledge at least, he could feel something from the other man. A sort of, 'battlefield compassion'. Avery had that, and because he did, he knew he'd work well with Travot.

"If there aren't any further questions, master Jedi, led on."

 

[Aculia Voland]

Aculia was in the middle of eating one of her fried nuna legs off her plate and waving back to Dorthea Dobson and Grand Shepherd Burtch 's greeting when she felt the telltale tingly “ping” on the hairs of the back of her neck of nearby danger. It was so abrupt that she practically choked on the leg, resulting in a comical moment for anyone who may have been observing her at that moment, especially the entire delegation of important people including Rex Valhoun , Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , Thirdas Heavenshield , Gir Quee , Sol'yan , Senator Chistor, and Grand Shepherd Burtch moving over to near the refreshment table per the suggestion of the Senator. She completely and utterly lost her poise, rushing over to the refreshment table, tossing down the plate with nuna legs still on it with a loud clatter and sending more than a few flying onto the floor and even one in a bottle of ludicrously expensive wine, as she unceremoniously coughed out the one stuck in her own mouth. Once that was done and she quickly gulped down a glass of water before standing to abrupt attention to analyze it more, looking much like an upright mongoose looking for prey.

Not directly in the room, that much I can tell. Somewhere nearby? But where? In the fringes of the hotel? Outside somewhere maybe, trying to get in? But from what side, level, and entrance? Roof? Basement? Ground level? No clear sense of who it is either, they seem to be blending into the general noise, I can’t tell if they are Force wielder either. Damn you, who are you and where are you going? You are NOT going to mess up this sweet deal I have going for me right now and ruin my vacation here. Go ahead and kill whoever from these Silver Jedi, that’s their Jedi’s problem, but not one hair on an Elysium VIP!

The thoughts raced through her mind like lightning as she suddenly drew heavily upon the Force, her eyes taking on a suddenly serious and purple sheen as felt the welcoming embrace of warm power flowing into her from Force Unification*. Any of the Jedi present, or perhaps even the assassin if they were Force Sensitive would have immediately felt this sudden surge of flowing power into her as it lit her up like a blazing beacon on their senses. It was a risk she was taking, as if the assassin was Force Sensitive he or she would almost certainly be able to track her movements, but she needed the extra boost to her sensing abilities to begin narrowing down his location and identity she needed it now. The best defense with VIPs was an effective offense, and not letting an assassin get near your targets.

She again utilized her Unclouded Eye technique as she started to move at a brisk pace, as she nodded brusquely at the likely bewildered delegation that had just witnessed the event, heading for the front exit of the meeting room with her right hand on the hilt of her lightsaber, this time bolstered with an even stronger connection to the Force in a “loud” and “active” sensing kind of ping in the Force, one that Martin and the Silver Jedi would have certainly felt emanating from her. So focused was she on finding the assassin, that she did not notice the Silver Jedi’s lighter, more careful and deeper probing of her sense of alignment. |She shot a piercing look at Martin as she not-quite-ran there with her purple-tinged eyes that practically screamed “play your guard dog role old man” as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead from the sudden large exertion in Force Power.

As she approached the main entrance door, a member of the Brimm Mercantile Guard who had taken up his security post seemed to move to intercept her and ask her questions, likely worried after observing what had happened.

“Miss, is everything okay? Do you need somet-”

“Out of my way you sad excuse of a third-rate rent-a-cop!” She snapped at him as she shoved past him, flashing her Elysium Empire diplomatic clearance badge as she did so. “There, I know you kind love procedure so much, go get a gold star from your captain. I have important business to attend to, now!”

------OOC/Dice Info------

Previous EP: 15.

Force Unification: 50 EP + Unclouded Eye second use (15 EP).

Total=80/300 EP, Exhaustion Level II, Warmed Up.

Rolls against Sol'yan 's alignment probing: 11 vs 22, Aculia feels nothing.
Roll against C Cirrus below 17 base +6 (Sense Proficiency plus Force Unification) for 23.
Ignore the 3rd 20 base roll, that was an accident. Doing these kinds of summing up posts since roll modifiers are still broken.

* See bio.

 

[Grand Shepherd Burtch]

To his Chiss eyes, Burtch noted that Sol'yan 's infrared temperature dropped a little and Burtch wondered if he was calling upon the mysterious power of the Force as he had seen the Elysium knights do on several occasions. Burtch worried that something might be wrong, but decided that there was nothing he could do for it in his current situation. He had to trust his bodyguard to handle that if he was in any danger.

Then suddenly, Martin Dux excused himself and Burtch realized that he hadn't observed Master Dux's own facial temperature change before he politely left for "no reason". Whatever the reason, Burtch couldn't help but wonder if it was related to Sol'yan 's own behaviour. But Burtch felt he was grasping at explanations, so he let it fall from his mind.

Then, suddenly, Aculia Voland took off in a curious manner, leaving a mess behind her. Burtch was beginning to worry.

Senator Chistor:

"The elders of Bimmisaari here have kindly provided us with the best of the hospitality that they can - feel free to grab any drinks or refreshments as you need them, but I like we should begin the talks while it is still earlier, lest we encounter an unexpected problem area that takes us longer than anticipated to...negotiate. Please, won't you join me and the other representatives of the Silver Assembley at the tables set over there to begin talks?"

"Thank you kindly, Senator Chistor," Burtch said genuinely and he looked at the refreshments offered. He was actually much hungrier than he had expected to be and figured it wouldn't hurt to indulge a little. He picked up a sandwich and took a small bite. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw his bodyguards cringe and Dorthea Dobson bury her forehead into her palm. Burtch paid no mind to them and continued to do his best diplomacy but failed to realize that his mouth was full, "I… um…" he stopped to swallow in embarrassment, "I am looking forward to discussing our alliance with the Concord, and I hope we can deepen our ties more here today. We have both benefited from a strictly military alliance until now, and this has been a successful testing grounds of our partnership until now, so we are proposing a more multifaceted approach to our relationship. Deepening our military ties is up for discussion, but cultural and economic facets would be welcome to the Elysium Empire, and we certainly hope that the Concord is open to this as well. With the King and Queen here, we can perform more than just brokerage, and achieve much today. I'm interested in your thoughts on this."

Burtch took another bite of the sandwich and decided it was pretty good. What he wasn't aware of was that he was standing in front of a large window, next to an unattended briefcase, and directly under a ceiling vent.

Why do I smell fish? Burtch glanced at his sandwich.

Rex Valhoun Loreena Arenais-Valhoun C Cirrus Gir Quee (hope I got all the relevant parties to the summit)

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Objective 1: A Meeting of Co-Belligerents
Location: Asaari Hotel
Tags: Gir Quee Rex Valhoun Sol'yan Grand Shepherd Burtch Martin Dux Loreena Arenais-Valhoun Aculia Voland C Cirrus

Already there were a lot of people to take into consideration. As one trained in matters of security, the Colonel immediately took note of the nightmare that was the layout of the lobby. There were too many windows, too many entrances and exits for someone of ill intent to take advantage of. Some of the people in this room could very well be a spy or assassin waiting to strike. Lots of big names in attendance.

When given the word, Thirdas saluted the Senator and performed his duty like the soldier he was, not letting his personal feelings towards this post get in the way of doing his job. Turning to the security detail provided by the Antarian Rangers, he informed them of their task and directed them to patrol the premises. Though only discreetly armed for the occasion, they would not hesitate to draw their weapons in case of suspicious activity.

"How the hell are ya, lads."

"How the hell are you, sir," the detail returned his greeting in unison, recognising the Colonel. The man had earned the respect of his peers through blood and sweat having fought the Bryn since the very beginning and partaken in most major battles since, and somehow come out alive. It was the unfortunate truth that for a young man like himself to have risen so rapidly through the ranks, the position first had to become vacant. They'd lost a lot of good officers during the war.

"Well, it's no glorious charge into battle, but we'll do our duty nonetheless, won't we? You've all been briefed by your superiors on the trip here so I won't go into detail as to why we're here; you know the score. These talks need to go off without a hitch and we're here to make sure they do. We'll be splitting up into two teams: one for exterior threats and the other for interior threats. The bulk of you focus your attention to the windows and entrances, while a handful take up strategic positions from where to observe the crowd. Stay on comms at all times, and do not hesitate to call in any suspicious behaviour from either side, theirs or ours."

"Ours, sir?"

"You never know, Private. Always expect the unexpected; that way you'll never be caught off-guard." Thirdas cast a wary glance over his shoulder at the various delegates and their entourages, then turned to the security officer. "Lieutenant, deploy your men. I'll be in the thick of it if you need me."

Sidling up to Gir Quee , he felt compelled to air his grievances, one veteran to another.

"At least in battle you know the other side is trying to put you in a body bag," he only half-jested as he offered his metal hand for a shake. "Good to see you, Admiral. You baby-sittin' too?"

 

[Omar Dobson]

Objective: 4

By the time that Omar and his unit arrived at the camp; the elder, Quinn and the others were already at the outskirts of it with their rifles on hand. Both sides were giving a watchful eye of the other.

Once Omar stopped near to the elder, he unclipped his helmet and removed it. Silence continued as the two looked at eachother with stern stares. Their gazes were so locked that any observer would think that neither of the two men blinked. Only the wind brushing the elder's hair gave any sign of movement.

Omar's men stood still at attention. The signal was not yet given to them and so they did not move, instead standing as still as statues, while the warriors held their ground, shifting their feet ever so slightly every so often.

After what felt like an eternity, Omar broke out in a very, very rare smile. He stepped forward to the elder and embraced him. "Hello Morty. It's been a long time."

 

[Silver Strand]

"Thank you kindly, Senator Chistor, I… um…I am looking forward to discussing our alliance with the Concord, and I hope we can deepen our ties more here today. We have both benefited from a strictly military alliance until now, and this has been a successful testing grounds of our partnership until now, so we are proposing a more multifaceted approach to our relationship. Deepening our military ties is up for discussion, but cultural and economic facets would be welcome to the Elysium Empire, and we certainly hope that the Concord is open to this as well. With the King and Queen here, we can perform more than just brokerage, and achieve much today. I'm interested in your thoughts on this."

Senator Bail Chistor silently listened to Grand Shepherd Burtch without interrupting, though he did try to surreptitiously spare a glance at the other representatives present to try and gauge their reaction. Part of being successful politician was being able to put on a public show without revealing what was truly going on in the inside. While Chistor had respect for the grand admiral - and he especially would on military matters - an experienced observer of human nature could probably tell that the man from Tirahn wasn't fully concentrating on the admiral's worlds. When the chiss finished, Chistor gave the grand admiral the same carefully practiced smile he used at public appearances and holoNet interviews.

"I think that every relationship, as you say is certainly inherent multi-faceted to some degree, and I suspect that our Concord and the Elysium Empire can be engaged in all of those areas that you mentioned - I daresay that some of those ties exist to some degree today, otherwise we would not be talking, but the real questions to discuss are the depths of those ties. Can we each find each other to be a reliable partner in these specific areas? Do we have enough in common to make these efforts practical and worthwhile? With your rank, I would hazard to guess that you are very intelligent and reasonably versed on some geopolitical realities. What foes do you believe that the Concord and the Elysium Empire share?"

 

[Travot Ravenna]

Travot nodded A AvRe and moved forward with the engineers towards the tunnel.

As much as he despised warfare, he had become resigned to it - an necessary sacrifice so that others might have better lives. He was gifted after all - better able to survive such rigorous and dangerous encounters than most - his strength in the Force alone might allow him to take the place of a couple hundred men over the years of conflict. But the more he fought, the more he wondered about such things - and that could be dangerous thing to an organization like the Silver Jedi Order. The squat droid led the way, taking through a winding maze of muddy trenches before they went down into an actual tunnel. The mud turned to vitrified earth and stone, while the fresh but dusty air turned to cool staleness. The sounds of battle became dim as they entered the darkness, and for a few moments the Jedi felt at peace again as the prescient sense of danger receded. Regularly placed glowrods suspended from the ceiling provide a steady soft glow throughout the tunnel, bathing the warriors in an eerie light - the armor of the mercantile guardsmen present seemed to take on a glossy sheen even as the dour clothing of the Tarisian shock troopers simply seemed to absorb the light with abandon. Finally, they neared the end of the tunnel with the engineer sergeant holding up the advance with an outstretched hand.

"No-one beyond this point. The breaching charges are in place, and we don't need you caught up in it..."

With that, the combat engineer pulled out a simple durasteel panel from the side of the wall, and swung it around to make a makeshift barrier, even as his subordinates made sure that everyone stayed down and covered their ears if not already protected by headwear. With a yell down the tunnel, the sergeant hit the detonator's button. A muffled 'boom' echoed up an down the tunnel, even as specks of dust managed to fly past the impromptu barrier. The engineer tossed it aside, and the Concord soldiers rose up to take advantage of the newly formed breech.

Travot bounded forward, using the Force to augment his legs ability to absorb shock and simply move faster. Darkness and dust met him, but he soon emerged into what had been a residential basement. Shards of duracrete and rebar had managed to impale several hapless Vaydralen that had been using as their refuge from the fight outside. One staggered up to fight him - Travot pushed his left hand towards the alien, sending a Force push that sent the creature flying back into a duracrete wall. The jedi master followed that attack up with snap kick to the alien's head, firmly knocking the alien unconscious, even as the soldiers filtering in behind him began to flood into the former Bryn'adul fighting position.

Vaux Gred

 

[Gir Quee]

"At least in battle you know the other side is trying to put you in a body bag. Good to see you, Admiral. You baby-sittin' too?"

Gir let a subdued smile creep up his face at Thirdas Heavenshield 's remark. In a more casual setting, with no outsiders around, the smile would have been broader, and he would have at least softly chuckled. But here, he guessed that someone was always watching him. Whether it was someone who could have been offended or not, someone could make a difference on the outcomes of the negotiations, he did not know, nor did he think he could easily find out - he'd have to wear the mask of reserved professionalism.

He leaned in close to the other man's side as if exchanging a secret.

"I'm not sure if I'm babysitting, or being babysat," said the blonde man, eying his bodyguard with that last phrase, "but hopefully none of us will be too much work. If there's any trouble, I'd bet you a hundred credits that the Elysium Empire brought it with them."

 

[Martin Dux]

Aculia, Aculia, Aculia.

Martin shook his head, chuckling to himself. He sank into his robe, even more, grabbing the edges of the hood, tossing it over his graying hair. He folded his arms over one another. that was quite a stare, deep, concentrated. He'd be lying though if he said he didn't sense anything too, someone was here, and looked like Aculia Voland had taken particular notice of it. He chuckled again, pinching the bridge of his nose. Well, it looked like there would be no need to leave, he just needed to stay on watch.

But then again... that felt like a challenge. He shook his head again. No, Martin, you're old now, you don't do that. Besides, since when have you just laid back and let the younger folk do all the hard work?

He leaned against the wall, finding himself a nice corner to watch the room from. Truly, he could have rejoined the delegation but he felt like there'd be a certain shame in going back. It didn't matter, guarding the people here would be just as good.

training his ears on the grouping, he overheard Gir Quee and Thirdas Heavenshield little talk about 'babysitting' and 'Elysium trouble'. Martin smiled at that, they were right, this was just babysitting. And if anyone would bring trouble, it would be the Elysium. Pirates to crime families, that's what Martin saw. Why hadn't he joined up with people like that in the concord? For all intents and purposes, he was an outsider among his own faction. he never spoke to anyone, always kept to himself, even the knights of the order barely knew the old. He was casual, almost too casual. He still acted like he was traveling, his frayed robe and lightsaber being the only thing to his name. But no, he had a ship now, and a rank. He was master of an entire order of force-sensitives. That was something a younger Martin would've fainted over.

As time went on, the only people he felt close to were Grand Shepherd Burtch and Rex Valhoun .

Rex, he thought. He looked to the young king, narrowing his gaze on him. The boy, that's why he stayed. He was like him, he had potential, he was his... Apprentice.

How long had it been since Matin used that word? He couldn't remember. He looked at the ceiling, closing his eyes. He concentrated, searching for that thing that Aculia had most likely sensed. he wouldn't engage, he had no intention of leaving this room. But he would keep track of that feeling, in case it got closer. It could have been an assassin, but then again, maybe not. He wondered if Sol'yan had felt it too, that ping. he certainly wasn't going to ask, that would've caused too much of a fuss.

Until things had gotten clearer, or until that feeling had gone away, Martin would try and keep his mind trained on sensing the area.

C Cirrus | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun

(OOC: rolling to keep a bead on Cirrus)

 

[Kyra Perl]

"Welcome to Bimmisaari. I am Salmakk, one of the coordinators for this meeting, and this is Perit if he has not already introduced himself. You must be Jedi Master Coren Starchaser ," said the engineer, turning towards the young lady ( Kyra Perl ), "and who might you be, young one?"

Droids could mess up math? Kyra looked up to her father as they disembarked, the question curbed by a new arrival. "I'm Kyra. Just Kyra," she informed, her voice fluttering nervously. "We've brought the equipment my father's told you about, were you able to secure a high, clear spot to set it up?"

Straight and to the point. She didn't like to linger.

Coren Starchaser