Cirque du Mystique (Corporate sector tour, Tion)

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Marakai Al'Orren"] [member="Selinica Miriya Cailis"] [member="Tahira Solo"] [member="Arieth zh'Vranthi"]

[member="Rave Merrill"] [member="Jared Ovmar"] [member="Darth Janus"] (no you don't have to post) [member="Hion the Herglic"] [member="Jared Starchaser"] @Tion people.

The small fleet of ships they used to transport the circus dropped from hyperspace and began lighting up like a life day parade. The large refitted frigate that served as the flag ship began transmitting a signal declaring the Cirque du Mystique had arrived in the system.

A squadron of colorful fighters trailing brightly colored banners made from solar sails began flying in various patterns and we're reminiscent of sea creatures in a vast sea.

The ships were a ragtag mix of new and old that could have come from anywhere but the transponders read Oko E, a distant resort world, as the home port. Talong sat in his bunk in his starlight-class light freighter which he shared with a few others as they approached the queue to enter the gravity well. As their ring master signaled the flight controller.

"This is Ring master Jorgan Abernathy, of the Cirque du Mystique requesting landing and operations permits for Tion sector worlds."

Meanwhile...

Talon fell into his quey'tek meditation and sent a brief message to his former padawan [member="Kian Karr"].

'Dear Kian,

I heard the news of your promotion. Congratulations, I knew you would get it some day. Keep in touch.

Greenie'

 

[Tahira Solo]

[member="Talon Vosra"]

A cool breeze would ruffle against the back of Talon's neck. The lights in his shared bunk-room flickered. Being a specter had advantages. Time didn't exist and she had plenty of it to observe others and know them.

"Talon Vosra." A voice whispered at his ear. "Be careful where you go. These are dangerous people."

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Tahira Solo"]

Talon looked around confused for a moment as others began to get their gear and costumes ready for the act.

"Did you hear that?" He asked a fellow performer.

"The hyperspace klaxon? Yeah we all did."

"...ok. Just checking." He said as he slid off his rack and onto the floor. His bare feet making nearly no sound. "Great first I get infected by a Sith Nutcase then I search all over for someone I'll never find, Now I go from talking to myself to hearing women's voices warning me." He mumbled.

"Things just keep getting better, self." He told himself.

Talon pulled out his duffle bag and began looking for his costume and mask for his act.

 

[Tahira Solo]

[member="Talon Vosra"]

There was a moment when all the others in the bunkroom were preoccupied. A loose bootlace there. A blowing nose here. A sudden urge for a trip to the refresher.

The force swirled around Talon and nudged his senses as a specter of a woman appeared in the cramped space, sitting on the floor next to his duffle-bag, glowing arms encircling her knees.

"Search your feelings, Talon. This warning is real."

It seemed as if a breeze pushed her glowing hair away from a face that was just across from Talon's but the air was still in the bunkroom.

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Tahira Solo"]

Talon looked around and met the apparition's eyes. This wasn't his first encounter with force ghost but he'd never had one seek him out before.

"I know," he told her as he noted her posture, "we wouldn't be here if they were safe."

He took out the bright costume and began wrapping his hands for the high wire act and trapeze show. He tied on his mask and looked at her before he began disrobing and re-dressing.

"What can you tell me about the Tion Hegemony?" He said as the rest filed out and closed them in.

Meanwhile. ...

"Tion control this is The Bright Dancer of the Cirque du Mystique. Please, respond." Abernathy said through his large mustaches.

"Bright Dancer, forfeit control of your ship recall your fighters and prepare for automatic landing procedures an official will meet you for permits and inspections."

The captain nodded to the pilots and crew to give the orders to comply and sent a message to all ships relaying the orders before replying.

"We are ready when you are Tion control." The ring master said.

 

[Tahira Solo]

[member="Talon Vosra"]

Glowing eyes held those of vibrant green as the man changed. Her form flickered as she 'stood.' "There is a master mentalist, a mad scientist, a man with a droid army, a bionic sniper, a hefty financial backer, and a monster of the sea. Probably more but those are only the ones I was aware of before...They don't claim to have a leader but there is one."

The lights brightened in the bunk room.

"Tread lightly. Your group doesn't have much time. I'll help where I can."

 

[Valik]

Valik would have sneered had he heard himself been described as a "mad scientist". The title, while accurate, did not truly convey what Valik really was, or what he was capable of. Or at least, that's what his hubris would have told him.

But Valik was not in a Cirque De Mystique dressing room being haunted by a ghost of the opposite gender. Instead he was at "Tion Control", whichever control it was. His face, as usual, was hidden behind a usage of Sith Mask. Most practictioners of the skill used to alchemy to hide their corruption, to appear as if not aligned with the Dark Side. Valik was proficient enough to use it to change his entire appearance, this time choosing the pink skin and red hair of a Zeltron. Someone who might enjoy one of those circus type things. Valik himself wasn't normally one to attend these sorts of events, but there was an offchance this "Cirque Du Mystique" had some unique test subjects, and there was another chance a member of their might become lost while touring one of his labs. They were here to entertain after all, and Valik had a very specific way of being entertained.

Hopefully they wouldn't disappoint.

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Valik"] [member="Tahira Solo"]

"Cryptic much?" Talon said offering a lopsided grin, "sounds like we're in the right place. If you know more we can do a legitimate show, skip the reconnaissance and move on to other things."

Talon began walking toward the door and stopped to look back toward the specter.

"Got a name?" He said, "or do you always watch people change anonymously?"

......Meanwhile

The fleet landed in the designated area and began unloading the hundreds of prefabricated attractions. Most were refitted from old emperial and republic bases that were aquired via a friend in the salvage business. The workers were actually real carnival workers and the circus a real circus. Very few actually knew there was anything other than entertainment involved in the stop. The well practiced people erected the main tents for the show and the creatures and animals were gotten into position and checked on. It was quiet an affair. Tickets were already selling quickly and provided to the government for their leaders, whoever they may be to attend for free.

Within the hour small shows were ready and games were getting visitors. Within 4 hours the main tent opened.

 

[Tahira Solo]

[member="Talon Vosra"] [member="Valik"]

"Tahira Solo. You'd be surprised how many nude people a master healer sees in her lifetime." A ghost of a smile on the ghost. Her form flickered. "Trust your instincts."

She tilted her head beyond Talon's shoulder and narrowed her eyes as if she were looking at something important.

"He is here. My presence will put you all in danger. I will come only if you need me."

Her form began to fade as she disappeared.

"Trust in the force Talon Vosra."

 

[Arieth zh'Vranthi]

It was just then that a knock on [member="Talon Vosra"]'s tent flap would come. On the other side stood a long woman, her dark brunette hair tied back in a thick plait down her back.

Large brown eyes would stare up at the Zelosian should he slide the flap open, followed by the slow accented murmur.

"We have a problem." she would say curtly.

"Nico is missing."

Nico was their main announcer.

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Arieth zh'Vranthi"] [member="Tahira Solo"] [member="Valik"]

Talon walked to the door and hit the pad to open it expecting someone to remind him it was time. However, that was far from what he got. The young woman he met at the carnival in his travels looked worried.

"Nico? We've been here 4 hours." Talon looked at the girl squeezed her arm reassuringly and stepped pased her. "Have one of the others fill in. We'll search for him. I think we found a wasp nest."

 

[Arieth zh'Vranthi]

"How so?" she would ask, walking behind him in a shift of beige muslin skirts. Her hands would rise to flick the length of her scarf over her head, much like a cowl.

Two fingers would wave towards a Zeltron female with vibrant blue hair. A smattering of Ortolan would rush in a quick streak of speech with a hand gesture.

"Balo. Dueeloona Verin. Dueeli nuoom dalumo nemaamai naoobieeaio."«Go. Get Verin. Have him take the announcer position. » she said, turning back to see the Zelosian walk further away. Quicken steps would bring her to [member="Talon Vosra"] 's side.

"What do you mean?"

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Arieth zh'Vranthi"]

Talon slowed a step to not out pace the woman, not that he had too, and looked at her.

"Now don't go making signs and doing rituals, but I was just warned by a spirit that the people who govern this sector are dangerous. Now Nico is missing." Talon looked at her for a second, "I can't believe that it is all coincidence."

He walked passed a pen where a Ronto was eating grain as they walked. There had to be something close by for Nico to disappear so fast.

"Maybe I'm over reacting and he ran off with some pretty lady friend but It feels wrong."

 

[Valik]

"Swiggity Swooty, comin for that booty."


The hit song by the Sarcastic Umbarans seemed to be playing all across the carnival. Valik smiled as he remembered that one time, on a whim, he sliced into some of [member="Darth Janus"]'s accounts and traced his purchases to find that he was actually the band's sponsor, or at least the dummy account Valik sliced was. He hoped they all had more than a few dummy accounts by now, but who knew. Walking around the carnival waiting for the show to begin Valik had some fun, mostly by scamming circus men everywhere, rigging their rigged games with the Force to obtain all sorts of small fish, stuffed animals, and other trinkets. All of which he promptly gave away to whatever wide-eye'd child was around, but not before using Art of the Small to alter the bacteria on them. In a week, perhaps two, a dozen new viruses would be running their courses on all sorts of worlds, and perhaps in a month he'd receive word of one of them reaching pathogen status, at which point he'd find a sample and test to see what he did to it.


Mostly though, Valik wondered when the show would start. It was supposed to be starting in less than half an hour, but with the way the staff were talking? It seemed they were expecting delays.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Valik"]

One of many of Janus' dummy accounts, that Valik could identify only because he was within the illustrious ranks of the Tion Hegemony, was indeed financing the band. This may or may not be because the band's drummer was his bastard half-Zeltron, non-force sensitive child. He didn't like to talk about it, and neither should anyone else. Largely because they shouldn't know about it. Ever.

Move along.

 

[Tahira Solo]

[member="Darth Janus"] [member="Valik"]

For better but probably for worse, the specter knew all.

 

[Caulder Dune]

[member="Tahira Solo"]

No, it didn't.

 

[Kian Karr]

Kian Karr was sitting quietly in his quarters shuffling through a series of reports and documents. There were financial documents, criminal records, military dossiers, intelligence reports, and just about anything else that would be of use to Kian as he continued his search for Sith Cults to hunt down and apprehend. He he perused through the papers, a smile came to him as he considered how far he had come over the past few years. Under the tutelage of Jedi Master [member="Talon Vosra"], Kian had learned not only of the force and combat, but he had also learned the finer arts of investigative work. Now, as a Shadow, that aided him greatly.

This thought had no sooner left his mind then he heard a chirp on his datapad and he brought it up, finding that Master Vosra had sent him a message congratulating him on his promotion. Kian smiled broadly and began to work on a message in return. He hadn't spoken to his master in some time, and he felt it was about time he contacted him again.

Master Vosra,

It was good hearing from you and thank you for the congratulations. Your teachings and guidance helped bring me to where I am and I look forward to seeing you again. There are a great many changes happening here and I think you would be pleased with the quality of the Jedi that are coming into the Order. I've taken on a number of apprentices and I hope I am doing as good a job with them as you did with me.

I hope you are well, wherever the force has taken you, and I will surely keep in touch.

May the force be with you,
Kian.

Kian finished the message and sent it off. He wasn't sure where his master was.....or what he was doing. He hoped he would receive the message and he hoped that wherever he was, he was safe. Finally pushing aside those thoughts, Kian turned back to the stack of documents before him and sighed. He had a lot of work still to do.

 

[Arieth zh'Vranthi]

[member="Talon Vosra"]

She would give a frown, coming up to his side. "While he has scoundrel ways, he knows better than to miss a show. Nico isn't one to leave the spotlight when it can garner him more attention. "

The scent of animal waste from the nearby horses and few animals for specific acts would come wafting in. But she would pay it no heed, this was their circus. While they did not cater to normal animal acts, they focused on the mysterious and extraordinary. With acts of acrobatics, magic, and illusion. Most would believe that it is all an act.

However, there was more than met the eye.

"No, his sword was still in his tent," it was a pretty shiny cortosis blade at that. One he was all to proud to show off. "What do you fear?"

 

[Talon Vosra]

[member="Tahira Solo"] [member="Valik"] [member="Darth Janus"] [member="Arieth zh'Vranthi"]

Talon stopped and looked at the woman.

"I fear he was grabbed by one of the dangerous people that the force ghost told me about or at least someone who works for them." He said, "the darkside is present here. Close your eyes and stretch out with your feelings you'll sense it too."

Talon looked around the area and back to the girl.

"We need to go to Nico's tent and get an item close to him...we may be able to track him that way...maybe."

Talon strated to the Man's tent while the illusionist began to be announced by the back up announcer. Luckily they could use yhe circus as a cover and Talon was near to the last act.