Down the Line [Lords of the Fringe Dominion of Sluis Van]

[Lucianus Adair]

Sluis Van
Sluis Sector

A key world of the Outer Rim, it held the most extensive shipyards of the entire region and through it came trade, bustling exchange of information and work. The galactic economy might be in shambles right now, but it was critical to secure this sector for the future. When things were less fethed up.

There were two points of note.

Sluis Control, an outer system defense network. It had held the line for many years, was modernized over the ages and was now malfunctioning. The Fringe needed to repair the defense network, perhaps update it to Fringe-standard, because the Reavers were coming. A whole army of them and without Sluis Control the sector would fall.

The leader of Sluis Van, the Khedive has been Sluisnapped during the mayhem of the rapture. It has evolved into a hostage situation, this needs to be resolved before the planet can be properly secured.

Godspeed.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

~Sluisnapped~​

​

They were talking about a bunker, middle of nowhere, guards stationed all across the field and Darrell supposed there would be more security inside of it, almost impossible to get in witho- no, at this moment the Force wouldn’t have been of much help anyway. Point was, this situation was fecked the moment he had stepped foot on the planet.​

It had gone well for Irani, marginally so, his influence over the former Protectorate world was increasing daily, loans paid out, help freely given, the people remembered his name and that was all he needed for now. But this was getting complicated.​

He had come to have a conversation with the Khedive, talk about the future and what it would mean for the Sluissi. Appointment had been ready, everything had gone as planned, until he finally arrived at the stronghold and found it smoking, carcasses all around and only fire to keep him company.​

He was now perched on a tree, taking a look at what he was up against.​

This couldn’t be a military operation, the moment the army rolled in? ​

The Khedive would be a dead man. Lizard. Whatever.​

 

[Vrag]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Darell Irani"]

_________________________________________________​

She'd been skeptical about the Fringe at first, especially considering its ambiguous affiliations and highly diverse populace in terms of beliefs; you could get along with most and still get stabbed in the back by some random Fringer from the south, despite the fact that they all belonged to the same confederation. That sort of uncertainty had long kept Vrag away from them, but when she'd finally given in and butchered some reavers with the Fringe on Eriadu, the woman was forced to admit - however grudgingly - that the fethers knew how to have fun, if nothing else.

This time, the Knight wasn't gatecrashing the party, dropping on the planet by virtue of an endearing invitation. With the promise of a banquet and free drinks included, how could she say no?

Armored boots trampled grass and soil with no discrimination as the woman made her way towards a tree in the middle of the plains, an eyebrow arching at the lone figure sitting in the branches.

She was beginning to wonder if the coordinates she'd received were correct, and an armored hand came to rest upon her trusty sidearm. Just in case, you understand. After all, this could very well be one of those southern Fringers. Mad, the lot of them.

"Somebody call the cleaning services?" asked the Sith as she drew near, ready to pull the gun on him despite her joking tone.

 

[Malok]

Location: Sluis Control
Objective: Assess the Damage

There were two points of interest that the Sith had to choose from this day. One involved dealing with a sensitive hostage situation, and the other revolved around repairing a vital Defense network. Now, the Mandalorian blood that raced hot through Darth Metus' veins would have loved nothing more than to dropkick down the front door, guns blazing, until either the hostage was returned...or died. And it was exactly that reason that he chose to go the different route. Sure, he could use discretion and stealth, but where was the fun in that?

The other objective was right up his alley as well, for it appealed to the businessman part of him. Having recently come into ownership of a moderately decent corporation, he felt it proper to utilize their assets in situations like these. As such, he had called for a small congregation of corporate vessels to join him just above Sluis Control. Standing at the helm of his personal vessel, the Sith acted as the maestro for the departure of shuttles towards the defense installation.

"Alright lads, assess the damage and give me some figures. Let's see how much work we've got ahead of us."

 

[Hira Mitsae]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Vrag"]

Little did the Sith Knight know that she was currently addressing the Voice of the Dark Lord, Lord Carach, but he supposed that was understandable. One cannot expect their peers to recognize you when you are incognito, that was the downside of such affairs.

It seemed that the Fringe and the Sith were strengthening their bonds, which was a good thing - few if any nations these days were wholly stable, the ones that were and the ambitious needed to stick together to make sure all was well.

Still, he hadn’t been expecting any help in this, Irani could use Vrag.

‘Quite so.’ the gentleman slash businessman replied, climbing out of the tree and dusting off his outfithttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/46706-nazrin-cloaker that was currently resembling a slightly worn toxedo, stylish though. ‘the kidnappers have digged themselves into the bunker, this means that on one side it will be difficult to flush them out, but on the other that they won’t be going anywhere soon.'

‘The immediate area is flooded with their troops, this would be easier if we had a diversion. I do not suppose you could help with that?’

 

[Malok]

Location: Sluis Control
Objective: Get Started

By his command did the shuttles cascade down from their respective capital ships. The approach was slow, but in a few moments' time there was docking on several points. These points were, of course, clustered together as the teams worked better in unison. All the while, the Sith monitored the progress of his employees from the Mie'yebo's central console. At first, the comm sounded with numerous affirmations that the staff had arrived...but then a low whistle echoed across the channel. T'was the lead engineer of the company's part of the operation.

"God. Damn. This installation is karked up."

Well, that settled it. The crews were definitely in for a solid chunk of work this day, but their boss was not an evil overlord. There would be breaks, sure, but also incentive. "On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the Republic, how karked up are we talking?" inquired the Sith, biting back a grin. "Eh...Bout a...solid twenty-five? Twenty-six maybe?" came the engineer's response. Yikes. "Work your magic, gentlemen. When you're finished, expect a bonus."

With that said, Darth Metus reached for his bowl of popcorn and began to snack.

 

[Vrag]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Darell Irani"]

___________________________________________________________________​

Who the hell goes to battle in a tux?

The eyebrow remained arched, her derisive expression safely hidden behind her blackened visor. It seemed her 'southern lunatic' judgement had been spot on, as far as the sensibility of his garments was concerned. His one redeeming quality was that civil, calm attitude of his; Vrag could always appreciate someone who knew how to behave themselves.

The armored Sith came to a stop a few paces away from the man, taking him in with an appraising gaze. He didn't look like much, truth be told, but she would stay open to possibilities; who knew, maybe there was more to the rugged businessman than met the eye.

"I always keep a few troops on hand," the woman replied slowly, carefully, cocking her head to the side in thought.

"Every defender with half a brain would respond to the threat of an enemy siege," she went on, her lips curling into a small, cruel smile. "Yes, I believe a distraction will do nicely indeed."

With that, the armored Sith established a connection to the larger vessel orbiting the planet, ordering the deployment of an appropriately intimidating number of soldiers, but not enough to constitute a real invading force. No point in throwing away lives that needn't be wasted, especially if their purpose was to serve as decoys while the two of them infiltrated the bunker.

 

[Jorga the Hutt]

[member="Darth Metus"]

Lord Metus,

My name is Darth Parash. I'm looking for a perspective that I think you can provide. An outside perspective, if you will. I'm not interested in begging you for instruction or otherwise wasting your time, and if at any point you find interaction with me to be tiresome, do feel free to cut me off without consequences.

I intend to visit the Sluis Van system to aid in its pacification. If it's convenient for you, I'd like to meet with you. I intend to make it worth your while.

Parash

 

[Hira Mitsae]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Vrag"]

Probably someone who wanted to look stylish while making things explode, which was only accentuated when Irani walked over to the other side of the tree and revealed a durasteel safe box there. He typed up a code and the box opened itself, revealing an assortment of weapons, best of all the Harbinger and the Ravager. He picked up the Ravager, a cannon that had always been marketed as heavy, cumbersome and generally a pain in the ass to handle as an infantry... and it looked like he was just playing around with a toy.

Standing at 6'9 Irani suddenly seemed less gentleman slash businessman, and more some kind of Bambo stepped outta the screen.

'Excellent.' the Sith, not Sith praised her. 'I think we are going to have some fun with this.' he said as he rechecked the cannon and removed the safety. The clicking noise signified that it was ready to blast open anything in its path.

'Yes, I think this will work just fine.'

 

[Malok]

As the Sith worked through his initial bites of "lunch", a rather intriguing message arrived at his personal terminal. Looking down, Darth Metus gave his datapad a few taps, pulled it up, and minimized the background applications so that he might view it properly. "Interesting." he said, taking a moment to ponder the message. He weighed the pros and cons of affording this Darth Parash the perspective that he desired...and decided that having a potential ally was something he was always open to.

As such, he typed up an appropriatr response before guiding his vessel forward.

[member="Darth Parash"],

An outside perspective is something I am more than willing to provide. If you would, upon arrival, seek out the lead vessel of the corporate force tending to the defense station. I shall be waiting in the Hangar. I look forward to this encounter.

Metus.

It would not do to have such an encounter aboard the Mie'yebo, for it was...small with a side of tiny. As such, Darth Metus promptly landed his ship in the Hangar of an adjacent Hades-class Heavy Cruiser. From there, he disembarked and did exactly what his message said: he waited.

 

[Malok]

Meanwhile.

The engineer assigned charge of Stargo Defense Enterprises' assistance of the Fringe found that he had quite a lot of work ahead of him. All about, propelled by thruster packs, his employees went about scanning the installation. If they were to make appropriate repairs, then they were going to need to see just how deep the damage went. The initial inspection...was not good, of this there was no doubt.

"Chief Keith!" called one of the adjacent engineers. "The damage is pretty bad, but from what I can see the most vital systems can be kicked back online. The emergency power is still active, just gotta get the wiring re-done."

Well, it was a start.

"Excellent. Keep our Fringe friends posted with each step. I want them to know we aren't here dicking around on their turf, understood? Then get the droids to work, I want this wiring fixed pronto!"

"You got it Chief! I'm sending the Fringers our initial report. Droids inbound."

 

[Jorga the Hutt]

[member="Darth Metus"]

Hades-class heavy cruiser. Modular armor, bridge located in the prow, obsolete weapons loadout, flexible carrier complement. A common sight, this far out toward the Rim. Parash's nondescript shuttle touched down in the cruiser's cavernous hangar. He let out a slow breath as he powered down, and aimed for equilibrium.

Like many Sith, he wore a mask, this one a simple thing that hid his face and altered his voice just slightly. The lightsabre he'd taken off a dead Sith hung at his belt, a more weathered weapon than his modest Force presence would suggest. He knew, too, that Metus would sense something distinctly off, slightly warped, about his Force signature.

 

[Vrag]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Darell Irani"]

______________________________________________________​

Now that she thought about it, the man did seem like the type that liked to be filmed by a professional crew while buildings were going boom in the background. Vrag glanced around on the off chance that she would spy his stylist following them in the wavy grass of the plains, but abandoned her search soon enough.

She whistled appreciatively when the man opened his safebox, barely holding back the urge to caress the weapons. They were truly a work of beauty, and seeing as she'd just recently begun exploring the fun side of firearms, Vrag had to exercise a lot of willpower to tear her gaze away from the exquisite display.

"I guess that's a no to stealth, then?" the Knight asked without a shred of disappointment in her voice, slinging her flamethrower around her shoulder. She'd first tested it out on Rendili, and the weapon had performed admirably. Now, she was no scientist, but even Vrag knew that continuous experiments were required to truly ascertain the quality of something so promising.

Her comlink crackled as the Sith commanders reported touchdown, and the Knight gave a curt nod to her tenuous ally. The landing forces would begin their maneuvers in a matter of minutes, and they would do well to cross as much distance as they could. When ignorant of the enemy's intelligence or strategic prowess, it was always safer to assume that they were skilled, rather than stupid, and in that scenario, it was doubtful Vrag and her action hero companion would have very long before the kidnappers realized the main attack was a ruse.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Vrag"]

After he had finished outfitting himself with the firepower of a platoon they would go on, slowly, almost casually strolling through the vale and waiting for her forces to destroy what needed to be destroyed. Truth to be told Irani had wanted to talk to the Khedive first, perhaps get him on his side, but that was before some idiots had decided to take him hostage and ruining the original plan. Which meant they had to go for the back-up plan, yes, there was a back-up plan.

There is always a back-up plan.

'I was planning on having a good conversation with the esteemed Khedive.' the businessman shared with her, while they were strolling. It would probably take a while, before they got there and her troops were firing away. So pleasant conversation wasn't the baddest of things to share before the action. 'But I suppose this could work too.'

If the Khedive managed to expire during the shoot-out, they would need to elect a new one. Which would only work in his favor - he knew a guy, lizard. Whatever it was.

'So what is it you do, Sith? Besides killing people, of course.'

He didn't seem very intimidated.

 

[Malok]

There were a few common traits held by those who wielded the Dark Side. For one, masks or helms were often worn. While the reasoning differed from Sith to Sith, Darth Metus was of the opinion that it was a way of fully adopting one's Sith identify. The Darkness corrupted, leaving those it touched forever changed...so it was only fitting that a physical change occurred alongside the internal. In a similar manner, Sith could usually be felt before they could be seen. Some chose to do so in the name of announcing their might, whilst others did so for the sake of identitication.

As to be expected, both of these characteristics defined the men who were about to meet in the Hangar of the Hades-class. With arms folded upon his chest, the Sith felt [member="Darth Parash"] through the Force...and lofted a brow. There was something distinctly off about his signature, but then again the Force had been wonky as kark since the "rapture" happened. In fact, ever since re-emerging from what could only be described as "Hell", Darth Metus' grasp of the Force had been affected as well. Perhaps that was the culprit...or perhaps it wasn't. Regardless, when the shuttle entered the Hangar, the Sith stepped forward to greet his guest.

"Welcome." he began, regarding the man with a nod. "Tell me about this perspective that you seek." Straight to the point; that was the CEO part of his diet rearing its wealthy head.

 

[Jorga the Hutt]

[member="Darth Metus"]

Parash bowed, head and shoulders, but kept his eyes on Metus.

"I'm of the opinion that the Force is not being studied in a serious way, at least not openly, not in the circles where I have contacts. Too many elements are taken for granted when they could be tested, exhaustively. For example, I have no interest in learning Sith magic, but it strikes me as more than odd that the Force responds to specific gestures and incantations. Who or what decreed that? Does it work with artificial limbs, and if so, does it work with droids if a Sith is still focusing on the effect? Would a visualization be sufficient? What about for non-humanoids, or humanoids with different arrangements of digits?

"That's one example. My aim is to apply the scientific method to understanding the whys behind our power. Do I have your curiosity?"

 

[Vrag]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Darell Irani"]

______________________________________________________​

"What about?" the woman asked, quirking an eyebrow at the man as she cast him a sideways glance. They were making good time across the grasslands, and the Sith commanders constantly chirping in her ear with updates added a barely noticeable spring to her step. Her forces were slowly circling the bunker from the north, taking up strategic positions on the surrounding hills as more troops poured in from the dropships. Closing in on the kidnappers from above gave them two significant advantages; high ground, and the ability to hide their true numbers as they crested the slope. It would buy them some additional minutes before the enemy realized something wasn't quite right.

"Oh, you know," the woman shrugged as she adjusted the strap of her flamethrower, kicking aside a stray stone in her path. "The usual. Drink, eat, sleep." A short pause, a little smile. "Frak."

"I'm always up for a game of Pazaak, if you think you can take me," she added after a moment of thought, her tone almost jubilant. The man wasn't wrong when he assumed she enjoyed the favorite pastime of the Sith, but it certainly wasn't her only vice.

"And you, Fringer? Besides killing monsters, of course."

 

[Hira Mitsae]

Objective: Sluisnapped
Allies: [member="Vrag"]

‘His current relationship with the Protectorate for one.’ the Sith supplied helpfully, while pondering on the coming battle. It was going to be bloody, that much was for sure and he hadn’t had bloody since Bespin, this seemed to be more pleasant company though.

[member="Ashin Varanin"] was so uptight, but perhaps that is what marriage life does to you. Irani patiently listened to her explanation, until she said the thing between the last and third, now there was an interesting thing.

Darell tilted his head slightly, as if hearing something amusing.

‘You can show me what you got after we are done here.’ it was not entirely clear if he was talking about the pazaak or the frakking, Irani wondered what Xiangu would say about that. Heh.

A shrug, he wasn’t really a Fringer, but there was no need to make this anymore complicated than it already was.

‘Much the same as you, I suppose. Perhaps we aren’t so different.’

 

[Lassiter]

Oh but there was something that would become somewhat something of a habit between Sena and [member="Khaleel Malvern"]. Pestering. With the way the force acted, or rather reacted lately there was little Sena could do in her spare time but continue keeping tabs at the stores and fronts that had connected to the Exchange on Coruscant. Still nothing major but having an underground ‘emancipator’ in your crew seemed to gain you favor in some of the more ‘reputable’ shops around level 1313 and below.

Not that she truly revelled in such a title. Oh who was she kidding? She loved it. A bloodthirst satiated on those preying on the weaker? Who knew that deep down Sena still had a heart? Even if said heart was being corrupted by, you know, a Sith Lord.

Her mind was going off on the wrong tangent here. The point was that somehow she had managed to get herself to Sluis Van with ‘bossman’ again. This time they were both above Sluis Van looking to find ways of increasing ‘productivity’ within Fringe space, again. Because the last few times had gone sooo well.

Shame he who quit, right?

“So run me through that plan of yours again. We get ships, we get customers. We get customers, we get paid. We get paid, I get paid. That about it, bossdude?”

 

[Reverance]

Sluisnapped...
[member="Vrag"], [member="Darell Irani"]

Busy busy busy. The Immortal escaped hyperspace to lay at the fringe of the what would soon become Fringe space. You see that? That was a pun. I'll be here all week. Anywhoo, a singular star viper cut out from the gaping maw of the hangar bay of the Immortal, laying waste to cosmic debris and interstellar comets. The contrails billowed out from multiple thrusters as the wings shaped against the momentum, moving in tandem to steer the vehicle. Behind the metaphorical dash, though not at full control, Gabriel sat with his feet propped up, sipping a beverage of some sort. Might have been a whiskey sour, with one of those yellow umbrellas. As he approached what he could only assume was another attempt to take advantage of a universe at odds with the Nether, he leaned forward and kicked his feet down.

Right hand opened communications to the Fringe and her allies, upon encrypted waves, as the haggard voice of the Hand poured through the waves. ::This is the Hand of One Sith...:: He made a 'not bad' face at the proclamation of his title. He wasn't one to tote his own medals, but he was two glasses deep in this whiskey and feeling pretty happy with himself. ::Seems you have a hostage situation...I specialize in...remediation of such issues. Where can I be of service?:: He kicked on the power to the ship, heading in the appropriate general direction. The voice was masked across the bands, allowing for a discrete lack of identity to the character of his voice.