Dominion Cleaning Up Toxic Waste | EOTL Dominion of Quesh

[Defender of the Lost]

On the outer reaches of Hutt Space lies a planet, Quesh. On the surface, it is a planet of no real renown; a toxic swamp ruled by the Three Families. But deep down in the bowels of the planet lies a valuable material: Venenit queshaaga or in basic, Quesh venom. Quesh venom is used to produce adrenals that heighten reflexes and aid concentration. The Hutts have held on to this resource long enough, it is valuable and must be claimed in the name of Empress Kanni Ugaiya Kilran.

Objective I - Clean House

The Three Hutt Families cower in their large palace like the rats they are. They have barred the gates and fire at us from balconies and parapets. The heads of the families hide in their vault underground, letting their band of pirates and mercenaries fight for them. Lead a forward assault on the palace and bust down the gates to bring the hammer of Imperial Order on these lawless criminals. Or find another way into the palace by way of subterfuge and stab them in the back while they’re distracted. However, one order is clear, the heads of the Families, must be captured alive.

Objective II - Seize the Means of Production

The largest mine and production facility of Chem-Basin must be captured and brought under Imperial Authority. The mines are protected by the Hutt’s mercenaries and the NISB predicts with a 78.9% certainty that those protecting the mine will use the adrenals produced. Expect heavily adrenalized resistance within the tunnels and caverns of the mines. Be careful, unrefined Quesh venom, while not explosive, if distributed through the air in large quantities will displace the already thin air, causing asphyxiation. A competent commander might be able to use it to their advantage.

Objective III - Hyperway Robbery

​

Our scouts on the planet have informed Naval Command that the Hutts have already begun loading and sending out their reserves of adrenals. Naval Forces are urged to capture these fleeing vessels for search and seizure. However, long-range sensors have picked up activity from the direction of Oba Diah, home of the Pyke Syndicate. Are they coming to aid the Hutts or are they coming to stake their own claim on Quesh? Whatever their reason, do not let them near the planet and rout their fleet.

FOR THE EMPIRE! FOR THE EMPRESS!

 

[Tella Voland]

Objective 1: Clean House
Partner: B/U-800 "Evelina" .

​

Tella closed her eyes as she rode down in the stealth transport that brought her and her partner to the appropriate drop zone, looking as if she were taking a nap, but in reality she was meditating and steeling herself for the mission to come. She was most likely going to have to take a lot of lives today, and killing was always rough if one wanted to maintain the balance necessary to remain gray instead of falling to the Dark Side. Conflict was draining, and she wished she were back on Ossus. It was peaceful there in the NII headquarters, allowing one to decompress and simply enjoy life. But everything had a price.

This is the price to be let back into the Empire, free from the anarchy and chaos of the Outer Rim. Although I can tell Mother and Alasdair are disturbed by how far the Mad Emperor Kilran took things, and Kanni seems to revere, rather than revile, her father. But is it not better to try to change the system from inside rather than without? Look at what TAC did, look at what the GA does treating us like any other Imperial entity, being uncompromising just hardens people's hearts and closes any chance of reform. No, what we must do is prove our loyalty to the Empire, bide our time, and wait to strike. Only then can we bring the Empire back from the hardliners' control.

As the shuttle approached the landing zone, Tella opened her eyes and glanced over at her partner curiously. She had come recommended by her mother, which meant she was competent enough for the mission, but she knew very little about the woman or her thoughts on everything.

"We'll be at the drop zone soon. Do you have any suggestions on how we handle this?" Tella asked, trying to make conversation and show a little deference. Mother had always told her to show respect to specialists and the lower ranks-it encouraged loyalty, something they desperately needed right now.

​

 

[Zago Kint]

12 Bumble Class Gunships, 40 Hyena Class Fighter-Bombers, 1 Hornet Class Cruiser, 10 Jita Class Freighters
100 Cloakshape Fighters

Objective III - Hyperway Robbery​

"All ships, Launch fighters," Zago Kint declared.

It had been a long and varied career that brought Zago Kint to lead the Pyke forces here, today. He'd been a toady of the Hutts, once. A minor Lieutenant among their forces. He'd risen in the ranks. Then left to seek his own fortune. Joined various pirate bands. Returned to the Hutts when that hadn't gone well. Then he'd proven to be the most effective commander during a Pyke confrontation with the Empire of the Lost.

... a feat he managed by selling out his own fleet commanders in secret so that he could escape the scene with his life.

That trick had worked better than Zago had estimated possible. The Pyke leadership had failed to detect the betrayal. They noted only that he was the most effective combatant on the scene, and his leadership all got themselves killed. The reason why this had been true escaped them. As such, they selected him to lead their forces in the next major engagement.

Hence here he was.

But now there was no other fleet commander to blame if things went wrong. There was no one else to sell out.

It was just him.

He had to succeed, or this might be his end.

On his own ship, compliance was without question. The entirety of the Hornet was droid crewed. They had no alternative but to bend to his demands. His gunships and fighters came forth with automatic efficiency.

The real question was whether the Pykes would follow his orders.

So far, it seemed they were.

The converted freighters of his fleet vomited forth Cloakshape fighters. Not from proper hangars- these freighters had no proper hangars. Rather, the fighters came forth from the ships' cargo holds. This was a slow, clumsy process. Cargo bays were not hangar bays. They lacked elevators sized for fighter craft, launch racks, or any of the many things that would make the launch of fighters a smooth process.

None of that mattered. Zago's little fleet was still at the fringes of the combat zone. He was here to rescue the Hutts, but he didn't need to be in a terrible hurry about it.

 

[Mechu Deru]

Objective: II - Seize the Means of Production
Location: Chem-Basin Ditchlands, Quesh
Equipment:

• ICA-1 Imperial Crusader Armor
• Lightsaber
• Portable Chemistry Kit
• Atmospheric Analyzer

Tags: T'zarna Khab

The first time in the field was not exactly what Sella had expected it was going to be. She saw herself rushing into a deep cover situation, flashing her InterGalactic Exports credentials around to meet up with a super secret agent to give them the newest piece of tech that she had developed. Unfortunately the Obscurium was not in the need of high tech spy tech just yet. So the first time Sella would act as “Mechu Deru” would be on Quesh making sure that a strike team assigned to take control of a Quesh Poison factory wouldn’t end up dead because of the dangerous chemicals that were being mixed to create adrenals that were quite beneficial to the right recipient.

Thankfully Sella’s Master, Koler Fohl, had trained her in more than just science. Though she didn’t travel with a blaster like most Crusaders did, Sella was becoming more and more capable with a lightsaber. And her armor would help keep her safe. At least that’s what everyone told her. Now that she was in the armor she could already feel that there were improvements that she would have to make if she was asked to be part of the front lines again.

Of all things though, the thing that made Sella most anxious was that she wasn’t going onto Quesh as part of a Crusader squad looking to make a quick direct powerful strike and take what they wished to. Instead she was lent out to an Inquisitor team that was led by some being of a hybrid species that Sella wasn’t quite sure of yet. The young woman was far from xenophobic, but not knowing exactly what the Inquisitors had in mind for their approach and the norm thought process of their leader was troubling. Sella liked things with certainty. There were too many variables in this mission. ”Toxicity levels are minor here Lady Inquisitor,” Sella stated as she looked over the readouts on her atmospheric analyzer. ”We’re good to push forward.”

 

[T'zarna Khab]

Objective II: Seize the Means of Production

T'zarna was suspicious of the young lady who had been attached to her small squad. Her skills with technology were useful, but her link to the crusaders made the inquisitor wary. Were they here to spy on her, to assess her ability as a commander? It was hard to say, but what was for certain was they had a mission to be on. So for now, her and this lost lamb would be as broodmates. She would keep Mechu safe, at least until she gave the paranoid insectoid reason...

"You do your hive well to assist me..." With that the unarmored inquisitor strode forward, her inhuman genetics allowed her to stride through some of the deeper puddles of toxic muck without much a care in the world, while the others in the squad had to navigate more carefully. Eventually the squad came across a fallen chunk of metal debris that barred the path.

"Lady T'zarna, I shall call up a demolitions team from the rearguard," A trooper behind her said, "Shouldn't take more than a few-"

"We have no time to wait for explosives. I shall remove this obstacle personally!" She replied.

One might think she would use her force telekinesis to levitate the massive object, but such wasn't her style, far too time consuming. She had to be through this swamp before the other forces reached their objectives! So, she channeled the force inward, feeling it enhancing her body. She gripped the sides of the hulk of rust and durasteel, body shifting and morphing as the mystical energy affected her musculature. Within a few moments she was able to rip the metal from the ground and toss it into a nearby pool of green ooze.
Using the force in such a direct manner was faster, but more risky for the body. T'zarna was wracked with soreness and pain as her body returned to its normal strength. She snarled and hissed, her voice sounding like a chorus of buzzing and clicking insects.

"What are you troopers doing standing around! Move forward or I shall cull you myself!!"

Mechu Deru

 

[Mechu Deru]

Objective: II - Seize the Means of Production
Location: Chem-Basin Ditchlands, Quesh
Equipment:

• ICA-1 Imperial Crusader Armor
• Lightsaber
• Portable Chemistry Kit
• Atmospheric Analyzer

Tags: T'zarna Khab

The emotions that came from T'zarna were a bit unsettling for Sella. The young scientist was already nervous about her first trip into the field. Now she had to deal with distrust from her own allies within the Empire? The fact that she wasn’t exactly certain what species T’zarna came from was another nerve-wracking ignorance. Sella had some inclination that there was an insectoid species of some sort, but without being certain she couldn’t guess at any inherent traits that would be on display, or hidden just below the surface. Ultimately the yellow hued Inquisitor seemed to praise Sella’s service. She wondered as they moved forward if her hive was a reference to her family or the Quasesitorum. In the end it didn’t matter much. She was just happy that T’zarna was continuing their mission.

While T’zarna was indiscriminate where she stepped, Sella was cautious. She knew what these chemicals could do. ”Lady T’zarna I can see you have some chitin protecting your body even without armor. But you may wish to be more careful. The substances used in the facility we are going to…” Before Sella could finish they came to an impediment to their forward momentum. One of the troops of their retinue came forward and offered to bring explosives to clear the way but, T’zarna quickly rejected the notion. It was not a big shock to Sella. Though intellectual Sella favored science and logic that was understood by most sentient beings in the galaxy, she knew that the Force was a trump card that enable those with enough power to burst through things that would take “normal” folk hours, days or maybe even years.

Sella could feel the Force build in T’zarna’s body. The expectation was that a thrust of the humanoid arthropod’s arms or hands would send a wave of Force energy to clear the debris. Instead the power of the Force filled T’zarna’s muscles and she lifted and tossed the thing to the side. As T’zarna spit out anger to their forces to advance, Sella stepped towards the woman. It was obvious the effort had taken a good deal out of her. ”We have nearly perfected a Bota infused stim. I have one on me. It would help you recover quickly…let me know if you want it.” She gave a naïve smile and put her nose back into her sensor device. ”Still good for as far as the detector can take readings. Shall we move on?”

 

[Drenn]

Obj I: Clean House
Tags: Open

The air of Quesh felt thick with humidity, and clung to him like a second skin beneath his red armor. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, trickling down the contour of his helmet. With several slow steps away from the shuttle that just landed, he felt his boots already sinking into the oozing mud.

Far off in the distance he could see the palace, and hear the shots of blaster fire, as they had already been engaged. For Drenn, this was not just an opportunity to take resources; it was a chance for justice. Breathing through the air rebreather, he felt the cool air fill his lungs, giving him much needed assurance against any potential toxic fumes.

He then considered the pirates and mercenaries. They would likely be of little challenge to the Crusader, he mused, their simple tactics capable of easily being countered his skills in the Force. However, a tinge of caution then settler within him. He reminded himself to stay grounded, to maintain humility. While they were seemingly subpar to Drenn, there was still chance they could still be both unpredictable and dangerous.

He closed his eyes for a moment, tuning into the energy surrounding him, attempting to draw strength from the fact that he was not alone; the Force flowed through every living being on this planet, as it did everywhere else during his travels. With a final exhale, he opened his eyes. He now felt the vibrations in the air whispering to him, as if trying to guide him forward. He knew this was not just about testing his resolve; rather, it was also about reclaiming his integrity after the events on Dac.

 

[T'zarna Khab]

T'zarna arched a brow as the naive young girl approached her, and not only that, she seemed to care for T'zarna's health. This was strange to her, as most of her imperial comrades considered her monster. They only interacted with her as much as was absolutely necessary, even her personal purge troopers didn't deign to question her, with good reason.

All of that said, T'zarna's chitinous lips formed into a smile, one of her hands raising to rest upon Mechu's shoulder. "Thank you, should I require such, I will ask for it. Until then, we shall press forward. I dislike staying in one place for too long. It tends to make us targets for snipers..." Ever the optimist that T'zarna...

With a motion of her hand, the inquisitorial troopers moved ahead. There were two squads of them, one in plain armor, and one in white armor with yellow arm bands. The ones wearing the yellow moved together as one single body. Each swing of their weapons or step of their feet was in sync, these were T'zarna's personal troopers. Hand picked by the High Inquisitor herself for their efficiency. Even if their silent movements could be disturbing to watch.

Occasionally T'zarna would cast a glance at Mechu Deru thoughts bubbling up in her mind, not unlike the bubbles in the muck around them. This girl truly seemed to be a sweet soul. It was no act, there was a genuine want in T'zarna to protect this young girl. Both from the potential of enemy fire, but also from the horrors she might face as an attache to the Inquisition.

"Be mindful Mechu, I sense that the enemy is close. Can you?"

 

[Genesis Draykin]

​

Obj 1: Clean House
Location: Hutt Palace, Quesh
Theme: Lunatics and Slaves
Tags: Open

Gen pulled the comm out of her ear and threw it on the ground, promptly stepping on it as someone on the other end was screaming commands at her. She had only been an agent for a few weeks and already she was regretting her choice. She wanted autonomy, the freedom to make choices on the fly as she had done in her short endeavors in the eternal empire and before that her role as a sector ranger. She worked better and more efficiently without someone barking orders at her like they knew better than her in the moment.

That and working with full autonomy allowed her to use the full extent of her skills that she kept hidden from most people. She had signed up to be a field agent and got seated as a junior agent, it wasn't like she was asking to be the damn director of the whole intel group or hell even an agent commander. She should have gone to the other empire on the block, could have thrown around her grandmother's name or even aunt's name and gotten just about any position she wanted.

Still, she would stick with it for now begrudgingly, until she got sick of the bureaucracy, or they kicked her out for being an insubordinate rebel. It was in her blood after that rebellious streak, damn the man. Against orders she had moved ahead and gotten inside the palace, it helped that many of the pirates' orgs in the area knew of her name well one of her many names. Know the right people and grease the right palms you can get in almost anywhere.

Her weapon strapped to her back, outside her Coat. Underneath the black coat she had her sidearm strapped to her hip and several concealed knives. She wore a flight suit under the coat that blended well into the scum that inhabited this palace. She walked past several balconies where people were firing out over the wall at the invading forces. She had to find a way to get the gates open, cause some chaos to distract the hired mercenaries, and locate the Hutts. She smirked to herself damn cake walk she thought.

 

[Alasdair Voland]

Objective III: Hyperway Robbery

Task Force 723 "Aurora"
3KM Size

1x Bulwark II Star Destroyer "Terror"
2x Pera Escort Carriers "Tenacity", "Determination"
2x Storm Hawk Heavy Frigates "Destiny", "Polaris"
6x Hasta Mark II Corvettes
120x ISTFL Advanced TIE fighters
96x ISTBL TIE Bombers
​

Alasdair sat in his command chair on the Terror, thoughtfully stroking his ragged beard as he mentally prepared for the battle ahead and reflected on his past. He had spent years in the Outer Rim under the command of Zonn Geist fighting bloody battles where he was both outnumbered and with limited and oftentimes damaged resources as they barely had the infrastructure in the remote regions of the galaxy to keep up their military. Now, he had by comparison virtually unlimited forces who were actually supplied and well-kept, even though he knew in a wider strategic sense that the Empire was strained both expanding and fighting the Tingle Arm Coalition. His present fleet was modest by galactic and especially by Imperial standards at a mere 3 kilometers, but to him that was more than enough to crush whatever the Hutts could bring to bear. It seems the galaxy had forgotten just how powerful a lone Star Destroyer and escorts could be.

We should easily have space superiority in terms of strikecraft with the Hastas and number of fighters we have brought, good medium range cover and screening with the Storm Hawks, and more than enough artillery firepower with the Terror. I doubt the Hutts will commit to a protracted battle when they realize whatever they could possibly gain by holding this system is simply not worth being annihilated. I suspect at most they will get a bloody nose, then retreat.

As the fleet dropped out of hyperspace in an organized fashion, relatively close to their ideal position with the drift being minimal, Alasdair cleared his throat and announced their arrival.

"Task Force 723 has arrived. Beginning combat operations!"

 

[B/U-800 "Evelina"]

Location: Quesh
Objective: I - Clean House
On Objective: Genesis Draykin Drenn
Direct Interaction: Tella Voland

It had been only days since Evelina had accompanied the Grand Inquisitor to the ruins of the Jedi temple on Ossus, where they had encountered and driven off a pair of intruding Force-wielders. And now, Evelina found herself working alongside the woman’s daughter, who was herself an Inquisitor as well.

It seemed that by virtue of her performance, she had gained the Grand Inquisitor’s trust. Or at least, her respect.

And so, as the stealth transport she was inside dipped low to the earth on its approach to the landing zone, Evelina stared out the nearby viewport with a half-lidded gaze. Unlike her first mission, which had been a test of her restraint, the Butterfly sensed that this one might be a test of her ruthlessness and subtlety. After all, from the briefing, she knew that the mission would likely involve a lot of killing. And given the fact that non-Force-sensitives like Evelina could kill while taking on far less baggage than most Force-sensitives, the assassin felt that she had also been brought along to see the mission complete in the possible, yet unlikely event that the Inquisitor was unable to do what was necessary on her own.

In that regard, the issue of ruthlessness was a test that Evelina expected to pass with flying colors. The ability to do so had been a focus of her training, after all.

Evelina’s ears perked up as Tella spoke, compelling the Butterfly to turn around as her lime green gaze took stock of her features. She was almost a living replica of her mother, her eyes a striking blue hue, her skin pale a pale alabaster tone, and her hair a shoulder-length silver color. For a moment, Evelina wondered if she might be a clone of some kind. However, that thought was quickly shoved aside in favor of answering the Inquisitor’s question.

“We could climb the face of the palace structure to reach the upper levels. Then, we can break in through a window and stealthily work our way down until we find the Hutts.” Evelina suggested. “It may play more in our favor to attack from above, rather than from below.” She added.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit Mk. II
  
  • Arms
    
    • Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade (2) - L/R
  • Energy Shield
    
    • “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Personal Concealment System
    • Taozin Skin Nodule
• Butterfly Tiara - Energy (2)
• Butterfly Tiara - Sonic (2)
• Blaster Pistol
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (4)
• Pink Vapor Spray Gas Canister (2)
• Kinetic Concussion Grenade (2)
• ASBF-X86p “Njósnari” Probe Droid

 

[Tella Voland]

Objective I: Clean House
On Objective: Genesis Draykin Drenn
Partner(s) so far: B/U-800 "Evelina" ​

As Tella listened patiently to the woman, she reflected on many aspects about her partner, and indeed, herself, given that her partner today was a clone. Although her mother had not ever directly told her that she was a clone of herself, she had suspected so from a relatively early age, and when she could, she had run DNA tests to confirm it, which it had. It had bothered her for quite some time, raised much anxiety for about whether or not she would succumb to "clone madness" as often happened when Force Sensitives were cloned, and a plethora of other issues. But as she had grown into her own woman distinct from her mother and the insanity did not, at least in her opinion, appear, those anxieties had eased, and she had become more comfortable with it.

Her partner's resume was impressive, surviving the Butterfly Unit training program, adjusting to numerous enhancements and implants which could not have been easy, and in general being modified to push to the extreme the limits of what a non-Force Sensitive could do. Indeed, Tella herself suspected that "Evelina" would be able to take out the lesser and average trained Force Sensitives if she managed to get a drop on them by herself, especially if she had the correct training. She wondered if she had been trained in Teras Kasi to assist in that, and if not, maybe after this mission she could be recommended to under go specialist training to do so. They needed every advantage they could in the coming days.

Velran was many things, and a bastard for what he did to us, but he clearly had a talent for cloning. If she turns out to be as skilled as mother reported, we could take her very far, and there are always uses for those who are not attuned to the Force for the Inquisition…and our own family.

Listening to the advice, she nodded. It was a sensible solution, go in from the top where they would not be expecting a stealth approach, then work their way down to the underground vaults and force them to capitulate. And she may not even have to directly kill many today, if she outsourced that to Evelina and focused on cloaking and assisting her, which caused less of a "feedback" in the Force to her when it came to her own alignment.

"I have a variety of skills that could help us do so undetected. I can get us to and over their walls undetected, but you will have to stay close and trust me."

Tella went on to explain her plan to Evelina before they stepped out of the shuttle, namely using her sight and sound Alter shields to slip past the outer defenses. It would require Evelina to hold on to Tella as she would not be able to hear or see anything and let Tella use the Force to guide them as their senses would be dulled, but they would effectively be invisible to all wavelengths of light and sound.

 

[Zago Kint]

12 Bumble Class Gunships, 40 Hyena Class Fighter-Bombers, 1 Hornet Class Cruiser, 10 Jita Class Freighters
100 Cloakshape Fighters

Objective III - Hyperway Robbery
​

Zago watched as the Imperial fleet formed up in the system.

He frowned, considering his options.

There was no way he would convince a bunch of Pykes to fight to the death, even if there was a chance they could win. They were criminals, not true soldiers. He should know. He was a pirate, after all.

But the goal here wasn't to vanquish the Empire. It was to get the Hutts out of here. If they didn't fall under the control of the Empire, they couldn't be strong-armed into doing the Empire's will. Perhaps more importantly, if they didn't get captured, they could still sign the proverbial paychecks.

"Jita Class Freighters, make a ring around the Hornet. Cloakshapes, fill the space between the Jitas and the Hornet. Hyenas and Bumbles, stay directly in front of the Hornet at the center of our formation. We're making a run straight for the planet. The goal is to get the Bumbles on the ground.

We make the enemy come to us. We force them to pay for every ship they take out. We make them pay a steep price for trying to stop us.

The Bumbles get in, get the Hutts, and get out. Then we all run for the edge of the system and jump out.

This is not a combat mission. It's an extraction. Fight defensively, shoot straight, don't panic, and we'll live to cash our paychecks when all of this is done." That was for the benefit of the Pykes, of course.

He cut the line to the fleet and addressed the droids on the bridge.

"Steady as she goes. Stand ready on defense systems."

He'd let the Imps make the first move. And when they did move, he'd make that move as expensive as possible.


Alasdair Voland

 

[Genesis Draykin]

​

Obj 1: Clean House
Location: Hutt Palace, Quesh
Theme: Lunatics and Slaves
Tags: Tella Voland | B/U-800 "Evelina" | Drenn

She continued to wandered through the palace past all variety of scum and villainy. Some even had some healthy bounties on them that she was aware of. If she was head hunting she could make a nice nest egg from this place she thought passingly as she just moved through them like she was one of them. In truth she was at least as a product of her birth, both her parents had been pirates among other occupations. She had been raised among these kinds of people.

When people looked on them, they just saw scum, not the fact that most of them were just trying to survive by any means in this harsh unwelcoming Galaxy. She didn't judge them for there choices she did much the same just trying to survive on the skills the writers in the sky gave them.

She had been watching the crowds and groups as she moved through them her eyes landed on a big burly alien, she wasn't sure the species they were, they looked like a cross between a bear and a wart hog. The alien stood by a door, underneath door through the crack she could see shadows moving so people were in whatever that room was. It wasn't the stairs down to the first floor she knew that, those were back behind her. Perhaps it was just a room of people doing illicit things but the way the alien was standing guard she suspected something else.

She made her way towards the door and as she approached the alien reached out a hand towards her chest stopping her from entering the room. "Dis room isa off limits, onlee da Hutts peeps allowed." He spit while he talked Gen caught more than a few droplets when he talked down to her. She first looked down at his hand then gave him the side eye before speaking.

"Control room?" Was all she said to him still looking at him out of the side of her eye.

"Ye….I mean nah nah, not da control." Strong brute but not too many brain cells she thought to her self as her gloved left hand reached and touched him on the chest palm out like she was trying to stop him, like was doing to her. The alien gave her a curious look as he looked down at her small hands. "Sorry nah inta Humeens" Gen just smirked.

"I'm not human." She said as her gloved hand dispersed a shock to the mans chest causing his heart to explode inside his chest. His body crumpled to the ground lifeless as several of the mercenaries turned to look at her standing over the dead alien. She looked back at them and smiled. "He touched me, and I didn't like it." The mercenaries nodded and then turned to go about their business. Then she proceeded for the door swinging it open to the surprise of the people in the room, moving in closing the door behind. "Howdy."

 

[Drenn]

Obj I: Clean House
On objective: Tella Voland B/U-800 "Evelina" Genesis Draykin

The concept of questioning his objectives was a foreign concept to the Crusader, being crafted to simple serve and carry out orders. However, as he surveyed the palace ahead once more, his mind could not help but find the unexpected targeting of the Hutts an interesting choice. Given his origins, tales of their ruthlessness whenever crossed was well-known to Drenn

Continuing to slosh through the murky mud, each step felt as if it were sinking as he came upon trees nearby. With a single hand, he checked his equipment one last time—his lightsaber secured at his side, and a lone thermal detonator within reach. As the currents of the Force continued to guide him, a faint ripple touched against his awareness. While he detected the presence of many others within close proximity, there was one figure that sparked a sense of recognition, but their identity remained elusive for now.

His natural instinct urged him to rush forward, but he understood the necessity of caution. Given the red hue of his armor, there was only one option for reaching his destination unnoticed. The Crusader closed his eyes for a moment, drawing upon the Force that swirled around him. Focusing his energy, he summoned a simple yet useful skill, cloaking himself from the sight of any untrained observers. As he pressed forward, the world around him seemed to blur, the vibrant color of his armor now fading into an indistinct aura, which blended in better with the natural browns and greens of Quesh.

As he approached the entrance towering, the air was filled with the scent of smoke and the sound of blaster fire. With every single breath drawn in, Drenn felt the flow of life surrounding him. Some were bold, fighting with fierce resolve, while others perished rapidly, snuffed out like candles. His lightsaber was then unclasped from his belt at last. Stealthily, he crept around the walls, remaining alert, and waiting for the perfect moment to reveal himself and unleash the full extent of his power.

 

[B/U-800 "Evelina"]

Location: Quesh
Objective: I - Clean House
On Objective: Genesis Draykin Drenn
Direct Interaction: Tella Voland

“I have stealth systems of my own.” Evelina said as she followed Tella out of the shuttle, at which point the Butterfly pulled out her probe droid and launched it skyward, where it then took flight. Indeed, as a Butterfly, she had not been spared much expense when it came to equipment. “But, if you can keep a small part of yourself visible, or just periodically make a small noise, I will be able to track you off of that.” She added.

All the while, Evelina followed after Tella as the Inquisitor started her approach to the palace. Even with her stealth systems, the Butterfly made sure to stay clear of the swamps as not only was the water itself toxic and possibly corrosive, but the disturbances she would make by entering it might tip off an alert, sharp-eyed patrol to her presence. Instead, the assassin moved in the shadows, staying clear of any direct paths or expected avenues of approach. However, while her training had made her proficient in moving stealthily, she hadn’t quite reached the level of doing so by pure instinct. Thus, her movements were restrained and deliberate, each step taken with the precision of an adept who knew all the rules and techniques, but lacked the experience needed to know when it might be necessary or more efficient to break them.

“At some point, we will need to make contact with the other infiltrators.” Evelina spoke up over comms as she gracefully stepped over a fallen twig. While both of the women had been informed of a Crusader and a NISB agent who would also be infiltrating the palace during the briefing, they had not been clued in regarding the particulars of their chosen means of infiltration. For her part, the Butterfly hoped to make contact with them sooner rather than later, so that they might coordinate their efforts and avoid any unfortunate incidents.

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit Mk. II
  
  • Arms
    
    • Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade (2) - L/R
  • Energy Shield
    
    • “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Personal Concealment System
    • Taozin Skin Nodule
• Butterfly Tiara - Energy (2)
• Butterfly Tiara - Sonic (2)
• Blaster Pistol
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (4)
• Pink Vapor Spray Gas Canister (2)
• Kinetic Concussion Grenade (2)
• ASBF-X86p “Njósnari” Probe Droid

 

[Alasdair Voland]

Objective III: Hyperway Robbery

Task Force 723 "Aurora"
3KM Size

1x Bulwark II Star Destroyer "Terror"
2x Pera Escort Carriers "Tenacity", "Determination"
2x Storm Hawk Heavy Frigates "Destiny", "Polaris"
6x Hasta Mark II Corvettes
120x ISTFL Advanced TIE fighters
96x ISTBL TIE Bombers
​

Alasdair analyzed the situation showing up on the tactical holomap battlefield, and from the reports coming in from his various subordinates through his earpiece, and an eyebrow was raised briefly for a moment as it turned out that the signatures were Pyke vessels, not Hutt, ones, and a fairly formidable, if ragtag force compared to that of the Imperials, being what looked to be like one dedicated combat cruiser, ten makeshift converted frigates, and a large amount of outdated, but still dangerous strikecraft. What they were here for, whether to assist the Hutts or try to curry favor with the Imperials who would soon be occupying the planet, remained to be seen.

He called for his communications officer to come over, and relayed his orders.

"Send a transmission to the Pykes informing them that this is an active combat zone and that they should retreat out of system, now, if they know what is good for them. Any attempt to move towards the planet or impede Imperial officials will be taken as an act of aggression."

Hopefully, this would discourage the syndicate from whatever they were planning-the Pykes were known for many things, but bravery on the battlefield? They would most likely fold now that they had an equal opponent to deal with.

But just in case…

Alasdair ordered his fleet to advance, not yet opening fire, but to begin calculating long-range firing solutions from the Terror onto the ten Jita Class freighters as per his orders-they were threatening enough with their conversion into eratz warships and numbers to need to be dealt with first, and also denied the Pykes the ability to escape with any meaningful amount of loot and personal if they were trying to get something out of this. He fanned his Hastas out into a forward facing semicircle screen, ready to slaughter any errant strikecraft that dared approach the fleet, and ordered both Storm Hawks, slightly ahead of the Terror, to assist with the targeting of the Jitas. His strikecraft, for now, deployed within the safety of the fleet, waiting to see what the Pykes would do. The only other ships that could realistically extract anyone or anything of value was the squadron of gunships, and if they looked to move towards the planet, he would account for that.

Hopefully, however, the Pykes would see reason, and simply leave now before dying for some slimeballs that always served their own self-interest first.

"To the Pyke Forces, this is Imperial Task Force 723, I repeat, this is Imperial Task Force 723. You are in the middle of a hostile combat zone. Pull back and make a course to exit the system immediately or you will be considered aiding and abetting the enemy and all the consequences that come about with that. You will have five minutes to comply. Any hostile action, or any move towards the planet, will be considered in violation of this order!" The communications officer transmitted.

Zago Kint

 

[Tella Voland]

Objective I, Clean House

On Objective: Genesis Draykin Drenn B/U-800 "Evelina"

​

Tella nodded, although turned away for a moment, ostensibly to check that she had everything on her, but to hide a momentary blush of embarrassment. Of course the agent had her own stealth systems that would likely be more than sufficient for this job. She hoped she had not offended the Butterfly with her offer, or appeared stupid. This is what mother meant by never taking non-Force Users for granted, you could always learn from them, and it helped to check one's own arrogance, which, in, turn, would help keep one alive.

"I can drop the sound shield periodically, and at intervals crack the occasional twig. You will be able to hear me." She replied, once she had recovered and was able to look at the woman, giving her one more nod before wrapping herself with the light-bending concealment shield. She made her way towards the palace, letting the Butterfly take the lead, and learning a thing or two about stealthy moving by observing her through the Force. In many aspects she had always used Force Cloak as a crutch to not learn proper stealth techniques, as it was now this was an invaluable opportunity to learn more about how to do so when she could not wield the Force, or to enhance her own abilities with it.

"Agreed, we should link up as soon as possible." Tella replied softly, letting her senses reach out in the Force, trying to pinpoint the location of the other two agents. She felt the Crusader relatively easily, being strong in the Force to the north of their position near where the fighting had already begun, and from the way he felt, he had a similar idea to what she had put into practice, a cloak to hide himself from non-Force Sensitives, though he, like she, had decided it was not worth the effort to suppress their presence in the Force today, unlikely as it was they would run into a trained Force User owned by the Hutts.

She could already feel her mother scorning her, reminding her she was not omniscient and she should always keep suppressing her presence, but then again her mother was far more advanced than she was at it and it was nice to take a break from the practice once in a while.

She sighed softly, always thinking about her mother it seemed, and tried to find the other NISB agent, a bit more difficult than the Crusader, but was unable to do so with the relatively moderate effort she was exerting and having never met her and her being non-Force Sensitive. She could feel a lot of life signs to the north in one of the Palaces, but could not quite pick out their fellow agent, if she was there, given the above.

Speaking quietly over the comms to Evelina, she updated her on the situation.

"I can feel one of the agents ahead of us, slightly to the north, and it seems that the party has started. The other one I cannot make out for now. Giving their infiltration skills, I would say somewhere in the palace, but other than that…"

 

[Genesis Draykin]

​

Obj 1: Clean House
Location: Hutt Palace, Quesh
Theme: Lunatics and Slaves
Tags: Tella Voland | B/U-800 "Evelina" | Drenn

"Howdy." She said a smirk hanging off her lips as three men pushed back there chairs in a hurry and stood up drawing there blaster and pointing them at her. Gen raised her hands as they did so like a sign of surrender though she was hardly surrendering. As she raised her one of the men in the control room yelled at her.

"You can't be in here; how did you get in?" He then spoke to one of the other men in the room. "Boff was supposed to be watching the door, that damn idiot."

Gen just watched with the blasters pointed at her as the men conversed between each other their weapons still firmly planted on her. In her head she was doing mental calculations on the best form of attack. Just watching the men as they spoke, she noted one of the men's hands was shaking a little bit hold his blaster, probably fairly green. The one who was talking the most must have been the leader of this small group. The other one kept his sites trained on her barely blinking, no doubt a veteran with the way he held himself.

"Yeah, Boff had a sudden heart attack, sorry about that." Gen said, giving them an answer to their question as to how she gotten into the room. Gen with her hands raised the index fingers on both her hands were subtly moving in a certain pattern. No one would really notice it unless they paid close attention and even then, they wouldn't know what it was.

"Still doesn't answer why the hell you're in here." The lead man said to her.

"Fångad, ge mig spindelben, hastighet av Toocha." She answered back to him unaware they had just sealed their fate. They did notice under the contacts Gen wore her eyes flashed a bit brighter in orange glow, but it only lasted a second before they went back to the blue color of the contacts.

"Sorry I don't speak gibberish, now answer me!" The guard yelled at her but in a blink of an eye she was gone. The Veteran had noticed it though seen a blur run up a side wall and onto the ceiling then the blur sped across the ceiling and dropped behind the green security man. The veteran spun around and opened fire just as gen grabbed the green soldier and used him as a shield. Two shots to the chest and one to the head of the green soldier was done.

Gen tossed the corpse in the direction of the veteran as the leader finally turned and started shooting at her, but she had already moved and was on him as she passed by the veteran. She grabbed his arms and forced his shots up in the ceiling. Two punches to the armpit where there was no armor to protect and would soften up his arms as her other hand holding up the arms holding the blaster twisted the arm down slamming it on a nearby desk to cause them to lose their grip on the blaster.

Then she headbutted the leader guard so hard with the momentum of her accelerated speed she busted his skull, and he went flying back into the wall near the door. Without a second thought she spun around grabbing the dead leader's blaster off the table it had landed on then fired two shots into the veteran's head as he finally pushed the corpse off him.

She then just dropped the blaster to the floor, no doubt soon people would be coming to investigate the commotion. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a slicers key and stuck it into a slot on the console. Then hit a button on the keyboard. "Open sesame." She said as the front gates to the courtyard began to open. Her eyes then looked to the camera system, no doubt the huts wherever they were at could see the same feed. "Now, you fade to black." She said as she cut the feeds. Outside the door she could hear the mercs scramble and panic as they saw the courtyard gates opening, the chaos had started.

 

[B/U-800 "Evelina"]

Location: Quesh
Objective: I - Clean House
On Objective: Genesis Draykin
Direct Interaction: Tella Voland Drenn

At some point over the last few minutes Evelina had ended up taking the lead (even though she had originally meant to follow Tella) and the role had simply stuck. Still, the Butterfly didn’t think too much of that fact as she made her way around the swamps. All the while, the two women were quickly approaching the palace. However, their progress was made slightly slower the larger the towering structure grew in the backdrop, due to the increased patrol presence and the uptick in other threats, including the likes of mines and concealed traps, which were circumvented.

"I can feel one of the agents ahead of us, slightly to the north, and it seems that the party has started. The other one I cannot make out for now. Giving their infiltration skills, I would say somewhere in the palace, but other than that…"

“Let me see if I can’t raise the Crusader on comms.” Evelina said to Tella as she cycled through her HUD, before sending the Crusader a ping through the local Imperial network. “This is Eve to unidentified Crusader callsign. Do you read me? What is your status?” She began. “We are presently less than half-a-klick away from the palace. Our plan is to scale the structure and break in at the upper levels, before making our way down.” The Butterfly paused then, to confirm a response and contemplate her next words.

“If you can enter the structure around the ground floor, we might be able to box the targets in.” Evelina suggested. However, the Butterfly couldn’t be sure that her suggestion would be followed, especially as she had no idea that the Crusader at the other end of the line was someone she had met before.

Someone that she very well might have scorned.

“Let’s keep moving.”

Spoiler: Loadout

• Pulsiva Bodysuit Mk. II
  
  • Arms
    
    • Energized Gauntlet Vibroblade (2) - L/R
  • Energy Shield
    
    • “Force Avenger” Energy Shield
  • Utility
    
    • Personal Concealment System
    • Taozin Skin Nodule
• Butterfly Tiara - Energy (2)
• Butterfly Tiara - Sonic (2)
• Blaster Pistol
  
  • Ammunition
    
    • Power Cell (4)
• Pink Vapor Spray Gas Canister (2)
• Kinetic Concussion Grenade (2)
• ASBF-X86p “Njósnari” Probe Droid