Faction Frontier Liberation: The Assassination || The Confederacy

[Iliana Röhr]

I L I A N A⠀R Ö H R

'Sway'
​

A sense of glee washed over Ily, grinning to herself as she found her assumption to be correct. Chuckling to herself as Brakkus complimented her tastes- knowing full well she wasn't a fan of brandy, she just wanted an introduction of some sort with the man.

As her Corellian Brandy landed in front of her, she simply ignored it- instead taking yet another puff of her cigarra while choosing her response carefully; "Well met, Mr. Brakkus," she spoke softly, fully aware that business opportunities could be realized this evening. "You'd be correct in assuming so, these past few days have been my first in Wild Space.."

Taking another puff of her cigarra, she paused for a moment to consider his question, tapping its ash into the tray nearby; "Why not both?" retorted Ily' with a coy smile, "business never ceases for individuals like us, yet that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the ride.. wouldn't you agree?"

".. Speaking of, aren't you in the mining business?" questioned Ily', furrowing her brow as if remembering a long-lost memory, "a tough industry to break into, we tried to explore some options for kyber & cortosis mining on Kalidan-Lysenia a while back, but the licensing and regulations alone were more hassle than it was worth.." she chuckled to herself, "so we just stuck to what we knew.."

Her tone now more professional, Ily's eyes glided back to Brakkus, "How about yourself? Business or pleasure?" quizzed the financier, finally taking a sip of her brandy- all while trying extra hard not to wince at the taste.​

Brakkus , Open!

 

[Rulonom Laborr]

Iliana Röhr Brakkus ​

The ability to network is often regarded as a crucial tool in an individual's repertoire, as it facilitates the formation of significant relationships with corporations and potential investors. Although It is essential to identify which partner holds the upper hand in the agreement, as true equality in partnerships is a rarity, particularly in the recent strategies employed by the Trade Federation.

They had allowed rival corporations considerable leeway and sway in dealings with the galactic superpowers. If the Confederacy aimed to position itself among these powers, Rulonom would need to exert considerable political effort.

He had already made strides in this direction by securing two representatives in the newly formed Parliament: himself on the corporate council and General Sentapoth Findos for the Planet of Abrion Major, a crucial agricultural hub essential for supplying food to the millions necessary to protect the new power's interests from piracy and competing factions in the region.

The situation remained insufficient, prompting the Commanding Viceroy to devise a plan to participate in the conference at Halfway Station, organized by delegates from Ru-Duba. Although he was unable to attend the conference in person due to pressing obligations within the Galactic Alliance, particularly concerning the escalating Core War against the Dark Empire, he opted to present himself in holographic form to advocate for his own interests with the other people in attendance.

The Mechno-chair glided into the room at a deliberate pace, as the holographic device materialized, providing the Viceroy with an unobstructed view of all present from the security of his Stronghold on Skako. A significant portion of the Confederacy's Government was assembled, including the Vice-Head of State, the Viceroy of Commerce, and several representatives from the newly established Corporate Council.

He moved the device remotely towards a pair of individuals occupying the space of the bar arena, in the form of Brakkus and Iliana Röhr . Although it did not interrupt them until after their conversation was halfway through, just enough to judge their personalities' and interests at the conference.

"AWEEORRORORORORORO....Pardon the intrusion, Lord Brakkus and Lady Röhr. I hope you do not mind additional company at this conference." The Skakoan explained his thoughts amidst the hissing and squealing of the pressure suit, modulating the sound levels to restore a degree of clarity to the conversation.

 

[Jas Katis]

MARA STATION | GALA
THE CONFEDERACY | HELLION PRIVATE MILITARY GROUP
ALLIES: TC | Zhuan Cao | Xazzex Xivar | Takeshi Ryu | Vemric Keldra | Tertius C. Nargath | Brakkus | Iliana Röhr | Mars Raynor | Tamna Korvan | Phee Zti
ENEMIES: N/A
ENGAGING: N/A
GEAR: In bio | unit equipment

GUILLOTINE​

The Pureblood’s brow rose as he watched the Sephi approach the group with an egg of his own to lay. A quiet huff escaped him as he glanced at the others around them. Sephis were always too close to humans for his liking, only a little more…

No, that wasn’t a healthy thought to entertain. He was in charge of protecting the man, after all. She would smack him if she heard him think like that. No, rather just enjoy the evening. Luckily Vemric didn’t linger for long before moving on to dance with Minister Cao, while the other delegates moved on as well, allowing Jas and Xazzex to have a moment to themselves.

”Please, Speaker, if you compliment me any more, you’ll make me blush.” The Pureblood joked with a smile as he glanced down at the girl. He turned to face her with his lips parting to speak, however that chance disappeared as another approached the two of them. Jas eyed the Corpo for a long moment as he greeted them.

"Madame Speaker, Supreme Commander Katis, I truly hope you are enjoying yourselves."

"Madame speaker, if you are not too busy regarding the festivities, might I perhaps have a word with you?"

”Go kark yourself, Nagarth.” He grumbled, turning to give a polite bow to Xazzex. ”Excuse me, Speaker.” He said politely, albeit stiffly, before walking off. There was a line for the amount of bantha poodoo he could tolerate, and Corporate schemes were way past that line. The Old Man knew that very well, a trait the Pureblood missed dearly from his old boss.

He finally reached the bar just as two other delegates ordered some whiskey. ”Make that three.” He spoke up as he rested his hands on the counter and gave a look at Brakkus and Iliana Röhr . ”Who do you two represent, if I may ask?” He asked out of curiosity. He had read up on all the invited delegates, but some of the details escaped him at the moment.

TAGS: Zhuan Cao | Xazzex Xivar | Takeshi Ryu | Vemric Keldra | Tertius C. Nargath | Brakkus | Iliana Röhr | Mars Raynor | Tamna Korvan | Phee Zti | Tish Cowen | Jessina Vedez

With all of the festivities and distractions aboard the space station, very few noticed the whines of blaster shots tearing through the relative silence of the station’s bowels. Those that did, were quickly silenced before an alarm could be raised.

Silence returned as quickly as it left, and the bodies of a few guards and engineers were quietly dragged off by masked intruders. Affixed to each one’s arm was a cloth band sporting a symbol nobody would recognize, apart from the representatives of R-Duba. Even then, it would only be known for a very nefarious reason.

”Get those uniforms on, quickly.” One spoke up, pointing to his group before checking another corner. The coast was clear for the moment on the engineering deck, but a patrol could be expected at any moment.

”Are you sure of this, brother? If something goes wrong, we could-” The second figure was silenced by the first as he grabbed the collar of his comrade. ”Do you wish to turn back now, Storm Two?” The figure practically growled as he yanked the doubtful man closer. After a tense moment of silence, Storm Two shook his head. ”No… Storm One. I am with you. These heretics can not be allowed to reach our lands.” He proclaimed proudly with a hushed voice.

The tension dissipated and the group got to work. The others would be reaching their designated areas soon, and the ship would be listening for their comms. Come hell or high water, they would see their mission through.

”Okay… my brothers and sisters, the time has come. Benevolent Osyron would never want us or our people to bow to these barbarians and heathens. This is our chance to ensure the purity of our people. For the Maelstrom Brotherhood.” Storm One spoke proudly with a raised fist. The others echoed his words in unison. Weapons were gathered and explosives were distributed.

”And remember… no Ardubian.”

 

[Arjen Herrix]

HNV-701 ‘TYTHON’ | MESS HALL
TAGS: Jessina Vedez | Tish Cowen | Su Rov
GEAR: Hellion admiral’s uniform

SPIRIT IN THE SKY​

Herrix was about to exit the mess hall when he heard a toast from behind him. One of the troopers took it upon herself to raise a glass to him and the others, earning a laugh from the admiral. He raised an empty hand as if he were holding a glass as he faced the crowd.

”And here’s to the ungrateful rock spiders we gotta ferry! Keep stackin’ ‘em and we’ll keep flying, rock jumpers! To the ground pounders and the Hellions!” He declared with a bright grin. It was nice to see everyone getting along like this, normally it was a case of herding loth-cats to get all of the divisions to get along, especially now with the Hellions having to fight alongside professional soldiers. Hell, they were even in charge of the training for this new Confederate Armed Forces.

He turned once again to leave, but this time another distraction drew his attention back. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed a pilot chirping at the trooper, who fired right back in turn. He watched the two for a moment with his hands on his hips before deciding to intervene.

”Hey, kids! You’re both daddy’s favourite, don’t go fightin’ now.” He teased before finally taking his leave… but not before grabbing a crate with some drinks and food for the bridge crew. They deserved a little treat as well.

 

[Chase Buchanan]

Location: Mara station
Objective: Security sweep
Location: Any soldiers on duty

There was a rapid clicking noise as the small spider drone raced through the ventilation ducts on the mara station. The private was on security detail and she was doing what she did best. Her hand twisted and the drone skitters sideways and up to run along the sidewall of the duct to prevent it falling down a vertical shaft below. She had been at this for ages, there was nothing to see, but it was her assignment and was useful practice with the drones either way. It continued like this and Chase watched through her hud a view from the drone's own camera's as if she were there. "Still nothing corporal" she muttered to the other soldier with her as she felt his boredom turning to impatience.

"Hang on, this is Sec 3 again, I think I've taken a wrong turn..." she typed on her forearm and the schematic map appeared in front of her. "Yeah... chit. OK, heading across the hangars to get to Sec 7." the drone burst out of the vent and seamlessly transitioned to its microrepulsors to skim across the upper part of the hangar where several ships were stationed, the lights were off but there was some movement below that caught the operator's eyes. The drone rotated down silently and skimmed over two staff in cleaning overalls. "IC2 civis, cleaners, no lights or equiptment, seems odd." there was a crackle from her radio that hangar security would do a check, probably someone trying to make a few side credits. "Roger roger, heading on" the drone left whatever was happening there and reentered the ducts on the other side to continue on her patrol.

 

[Takeshi Ryu]

Personal Objective: Stand guard and try to avoid embarrassment
Tag: Xazzex Xivar Tertius C. Nargath Jas Katis Brakkus Mars Raynor Iliana Röhr Zhuan Cao Vemric Keldra Tamna Korvan​

At the voice of the supreme commander Ryu immediately stood at attention. He was so glad to be wearing a helmet, masking his embarrassment. Can't believe I forgot the commander is here too. At Katis' next words the young Hellion relaxed, while sighing and he nodded.

"Yes sir."

He watched the Pureblood go on. Until joining the outfit Ryu had never seen a Sith Pureblood, let alone heard of them. Must be quite the story to be going from that heritage to leading the Hellion PMCs. There were rumors of course, like how Commander Katis was an exiled prince or that he was the clone of an ancient Sith Lord. Whatever he was before Ryu only knew him as his boss who wasn't afraid to lead them from the front and that was enough for him.

He quietly watched the proceedings go on as more joined the event. Envoy Zits' toast briefly got his attention. In all honesty Ryu hadn't thought or cared anything about this Confederacy stuff until it came into being. His focus had been making it as a Hellion and insure the credits he sent back home made it there. Yet by now that sentiment was changing since Tao was under the banner and so to keep his beloved home safe that meant serving this new regime.

Subsequently He watched his CO tell off to some rich Twi'lek. Though Ryu couldn't hear the words, he can read lips. When at the realization of what was just said the young soldier bit his lips and snickered quietly, trying to resist the urge to laugh out loud. Again having a helmet can do more than just protect one's head.

 

[Brakkus]

Location: Mara Station
Objective: Networking... and fun
Tags: Iliana Röhr Rulonom Laborr Jas Katis

"I concur, Miss Röhr. There's always room for enjoyment in our line of work." Truthfully, Brakkus was already content as president of the Ando Mining Collective. He found satisfaction in his role without the need for additional theatrics. Yet, Iliana's point rang true. Without events like this, he'd likely become a hermit, too focused on the Collective to live anything resembling what most would consider a "life." He glanced at the cigarra she was smoking. "Speaking of pleasure, I don't suppose you have a spare cigarra?"

Her inquiry about the mining industry piqued his interest—this was a topic he could discuss for hours. "Yes, the Ka'bo family has been in mining since shortly after the fall of the Empire. After my father's passing, I took control of the company as the sole heir." He paused, taking a long sip of his brandy and a drag from the cigarra if Iliana had offered him one.

Brakkus continued, pushing aside the lingering thoughts of his late father. "Well... the regulations in the mining industry aren't as rigid as you might think. Like in any industry, there are ways to navigate around the stricter rules. But you're right—licensing is the most difficult part. The key is knowing where to look. Planetary governors in independent systems are preferable. As you know, everyone has a price, and it's far easier to negotiate when there isn't an interplanetary government in the way." He paused briefly, wondering if he had revealed too much. But he reassured himself; the Röhr family had its own reputation.

"Now tell me, why is the Röhr Group interested in the Confederacy?" he asked, steering the conversation back toward her.


Shortly after, a blue, translucent hologram of Rulmonon Laborr appeared beside them at the bar. As Commanding Viceroy of the Trade Federation, his name was known in every corner of the corporate sector. No matter the industry, the Trade Federation's influence was inescapable. A privatized galactic superpower, it was the envy of many corpos—including Brakkus.

"Not at all, please join us," Brakkus said with a chuckle. "It seems we're assembling the Corporate Council right here at the bar." He raised his glass. "Are you joining us from Skako?" His protocol droid, pre-programmed to handle translations, immediately relayed the words in Skakoan, whether the Viceroy preferred it or not.

Next to approach their growing group was a man Brakkus didn't recognize—clearly not a member of the Corporate Council. His ornate, ceremonial Hellion uniform gave him away as military, but he seemed quite comfortable among the corpos, even adding his own drink to Brakkus' tab. Was the bar free? Brakkus hoped so.

"Brakkus Ka'bo," he introduced himself, extending a large, furry hand to the soldier. "President of the Ando Mining Collective."

 

[Iliana Röhr]

I L I A N A⠀R Ö H R

'Tin Pan Alley'
​

"Ah, of course.." Ily' responded, pushing a Fiora Ivory ciggara from her tin for Brakkus to take, extending her hand with a lighter as if to offer a light. "I see.." she listened, genuinely interested in his story, while taking another puff of her own cigarra.

After a few moments, the conversation had turned back to her: "Well-" Ily's train of thought was interrupted by the approach of a holographic Skakoan, and a familiar one at that. Following Brakkus' greeting, Ily' chimed in, "Pleased to finally meet you properly, Mr. Laborr-" followed by a chuckle at Brakkus' comment on the corporate council meeting at the bar.

Moments later, yet another voice materialized nearby.. A military man, no doubt; "My my," retorted Ily, humouring the Pureblood's candid introduction while allowing Brakkus to introduce himself first. "One typically starts a conversation with a greeting-" Ily' qupped with a smile, not wanting to offend the man. Taking out her cigarra tin, she offered the Pureblood a choice of cigarra: green, white, black or red.

"The name's Röhr, a pleasure to meet you, Mr..?" offered Ily', now genuinely curious in making a new acquaintance.

Soon, Iliana's eyes glided back around the group as if she wanted to start a discussion; "Mr. Brakkus and I were just discussing business & pleasure.." she paused for a moment, taking a small puff from her cigarra, "we were agreeing that there's always room for enjoyment in our line of work.." grinned Ily' repeating Brakkus' own thoughts on the matter for the group..


Brakkus , Rulonom Laborr , Jas Katis & Open!

 

[Xazzex Xivar]

Location: Mara Station
Objectives: Fostering Intragalactic Relations

"You might actually look dashing with a little color in your cheeks," Xazzex quipped. Well, even a Falleen could appreciate a vibrant and hale specimen of a species. To say nothing about the air of danger that surrounded him. Oh, and his sharp tongue, which was quickly put on display when Nargath drifted closer in. Let the Magister and Viceroy worry about smoothing over ruffled feathers. Xazzex enjoyed spice.

"Supreme Commander," the Falleen graciously replied as the man excused himself. Evidently some history between the two men. Shame, really. Xazzex wouldn't mind talking with someone that didn't care for the beguiling nonsense of politics. There were sure to be things the military would need that official channels couldn't provide. Even the Confederacy had to maintain face in the galactic community. Well, maybe later.

Her golden eyes turned to Nargath in short order. He certainly had his presentation well prepared at least. Perhaps a tolerable manner of Human? Time would tell. "Of course, Duke Nargath, what interests you today? Does the wine agree with you?" She should consider getting something to drink, herself, now that the dignitaries were occupied trying to establish relations with others. So much left to do with regards to R-Duba, but there was time yet.

Jas Katis | Tertius C. Nargath | Open​

 

[Droc’tav’nar]

|| ASSASSINATION ||

~in a coat of gold, or a coat of red~

TAG: Brakkus | Iliana Röhr | Jas Katis | Rulonom Laborr | Open

Spoiler: THEME

​

HALFWAY STATION

Ando Mining Collective. That caught the young ambassador’s ear, who at the moment is enjoying his margarita with some lesser nobles and debutantes. While he attends this gala as an official representative of the Planetary Republic of Excarga, his ties run deeper than that. His father and sister unfortunately can’t attend this festive event (or they just decided not to?), thus Octav also has to take the mantle of House Droc representatives, albeit unofficially, and with that the mineral extraction and freight forwarding business that propelled the family into the upper echelons of Excarga high society almost a century ago.

“I have to excuse myself dear, ciao.”

He shifted his focus back to the curious group of four after bidding his farewell from his previous. The mining collective president was just that, a sharply dressed Aqualish who, if he can take a wild guess, also a nepo-baby like Octav is. He can smell them from miles away, he always said. With him is one lovely lady he has never seen before. Someone from the Inner Rim, perhaps? With the establishment of the Confederacy, new people flocked in in waves. He still has his homework when it comes to new faces who are not from a neighbouring system or ones who he knows from his time in Coruscant. Or the uber famous of the galaxy.

Which is the case for the third figure entering the frame. The Viceroy of the Trade Federation. If you are in any way connected to the galactic trade world, you would be familiar with the Skakoan. And the last but absolutely not the least, the Supreme Commander of the Confederate Army. The Chiss had seen him a couple of time, but never on a casual event like this.

Just these four is already a party and a half on its own. Time to add a sprinkle of Chiss extravaganza on top.

“Gentlemen, my lady, any room for another one?” Octav waltzed in to the conversation with his drink on his hand. His bespoke Naboo-wool suit would stand out even amongst the upper echelons of the galaxy’s high society, perfectly paired with his citrusy-floral bergamot perfume.

“Octav of House Droc, representative of the Planetary Republic of Excarga.” he nodded to the three gentlemen, before offering to take the lady’s hand as an introduction.

 

[Tertius C. Nargath]

Attire: [X]
Objective: Foster better relations
Tag: Xazzex Xivar ​

"Now that...was unexpected," The Marquis of Valkan sighed with a clear hint of confusion visible within his expression. Clearly he had not expected such a reaction from the Supreme commander, especially sincehe had no clue as to why he would have deserved such a reaction. However, since he had no clue as what to make of it, Tertius just shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back towards Xazzex Xivar who he wanted to talk to. "My apologies, it seems that I may have interrupted...something"

Giving a respectful nod, the Marquis seemed to be dazed a bit, but quickly regained his bearings, shaking his head for an instant, as if awakening from something, taking a swig from his glass of berry wine in order to try and subdue whatever it was that had been bothering him. "Hmm? what? Oh yes, the wine...yes, it's...great."

Raising his free hand to clear his throat for a moment, the man seemed to be a bit lost for words, but taking a second swig seemed to do the trick. "My apologies, I have no idea what has come over me, Madame Speaker."

Combing his hand through his hair, the Marquis seemed to have finally gotten to the point where his mind started to overpower whatever it was which seemed to cause the momentary desillusion within the man's demeanor. "Now, What I wanted to talk to you about was the construction of a powerplant on Falleen... It would be the first of its kind and could grant lots of potential in terms of energy capacity. It would also allow you to expand the industrial strength of Falleen and its position within the Confederacy..."

Tertius was trying to gauge the Speaker's ambition, her cunning and her desires...after all, if he could get a few high ranking people in his pocket, it would benefit him when it came to negotiating further deals with the emerging power in the outer and mid rim.

 

[Jas Katis]

MARA STATION | GALA
THE CONFEDERACY | HELLION PRIVATE MILITARY GROUP
ALLIES: TC | Zhuan Cao | Xazzex Xivar | Takeshi Ryu | Vemric Keldra | Tertius C. Nargath | Brakkus | Iliana Röhr | Mars Raynor | Tamna Korvan | Phee Zti | Droc’tav’nar
ENEMIES: N/A
ENGAGING: N/A
GEAR: In bio | unit equipment

GUILLOTINE​

To the Pureblood’s surprise, the little group at the bar was growing very quickly with all manner of representatives joining the conversation. The Skakoan did not need any introduction, his identity was pretty much common knowledge at this point. Thankfully the other two introduced themselves.

Iliana even went as far as to offer Jas a cigarra. He eyed the options for a moment before glancing back at her with a knowing grin. ”Normally I only smoke in private or after a firefight… but with the amount of killers in this room, I’d say it’s safe to count this gathering as the latter.” He joked as he took a white cigarra from the offered tin. With a snap of his fingers, a small flame sprouted from his thumb to light the cigarra.

Flicking his hand, the flame disappeared and he took a long drag as he looked back at the gathering. ”Katis. Supreme Commander Jas Katis.” He finally introduced himself.

"Mr. Brakkus and I were just discussing business & pleasure..

"we were agreeing that there's always room for enjoyment in our line of work.."

”Oh, I wholeheartedly agree on that. It’s always good to find some sort of pleasure in what you do. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ministers. Speaking of pleasure, feel free to put your drinks on my tab. Might as well enjoy the benefits of the rank.” He spoke with a gesture at the bar before taking another puff of the cigarra. The group was accompanied by another, who quickly introduced himself. Jas couldn’t help but grin at the spectacle. ”Are we going to move on to secondary colours now, or is green, red and blue enough for the moment?” He joked with a glance at the Speaker.

He fell quiet, however, and his face sank as he stared off into nothing. Something felt off in the Force, it was practically screaming at him. Something was wrong…

TAGS: Zhuan Cao | Xazzex Xivar | Takeshi Ryu | Vemric Keldra | Tertius C. Nargath | Brakkus | Iliana Röhr | Mars Raynor | Tamna Korvan | Phee Zti | @ Tish Cowen | Jessina Vedez | Droc’tav’nar

With the uniforms adorned, the intruders appeared at a glance to fit right in. A few soldiers and maintenance personnel, nothing that would seem out of the ordinary. ”Team one, get the gas prepped. Team two, scan the area and set a perimeter. Make sure you have your masks on.” Storm One ordered as he oversaw the operation.

Several drums of Dioxis were fetched and connected to a pump before the crews moved out to find suitable ventilation ducts to rig the whole system up. But the crews didn’t get far before two soldiers entered the engineering level. ”Hey, what’re you guys doin’ down here?” The one soldier spoke up.

Without warning, the intruders opened fire on the two soldiers. One was gunned down while the other immediately took cover. ”All units, this is Krast! We got intruders on the Enginee-” He didn’t get to finish his sentence before a lucky shot hit him in the throat. Krast collapsed to the floor, still clutching at the wound to try and save himself.

”Quickly, get the drums set up! We’ll have company soon.” Storm One barked as he switched to a better angle toward the door of the reactor room.

Krast, in the meantime, was writhing on the ground. Years of combat and a generally rough disposition simply kept pumping more adrenaline into his body. Through foggy eyes, the soldier inched closer to his rifle and took aim while the attackers were distracted and took aim at what appeared to be the leader. He pulled the trigger and sent a burst of bolts out, however his aim was off.

Several direct shots impacted the reactor and an overload soon followed. A few moments later, several chain reactions sent a series of explosions throughout the space station. The entire station shuddered under the extreme damage while several levels burst and debris showered any and all unsuspecting inhabitants.

A big explosion rocked the gala room and debris flew across the space, threatening to shower the guests in deadly shrapnel. Alarms blared and blast doors slammed shut while an automated distress call rang out to the surrounding fleet.

A call that summoned a frigate out of hyperspace. It immediately docked at one of the hangar bays to deposit a couple dozen intruders all armed to the teeth. With the station in disarray, they took full advantage of the distraction to infiltrate the various levels.

 

[Tarra Vos]

Mission: Classified
Location: Gala, Mara Station
Small Arms: Type 73 Compact Pistol, Type 74 Assault Rifle

Those attending the Gala were aware of the sparse security present in the room. Most of them had forgotten about their existence after passing through the door, but they had seen them. At least, that's what they chose to believe.

A firm hand took hold of a dignitary's shoulder, and before they could turn their head to ask who dared to handle them in such a manner they were thrown aside. Long strides carried a spectral entity across the floor, its reach roughly forcing people aside too oblivious to see it coming or understand why people were starting to murmur and gasp. The stealth field rippled and collapsed as the scarcely seen presence neared the knot of socialites. Flashes of obsidian resolved into a figure carved from the void itself with a helmet that bore no illusions to its purpose.

"Mister President," the deep, synthesized voice announced as the Shadow Trooper stopped before Vemric, "there's been an incident, we need to get you to a secure location." An squally dark, armored hand already had hold of the Type 73 pistol while the rifle remained strapped across their chest. Tight spaces meant limited mobility to swing around an extended barrel.

Tarra Vos was prepared to literally carve a path through anyone in the room that got between her and escorting Vemric out of that room, if need be. Whether she'd committed herself to lifelong service remain an open question, but she was there to serve regardless. It wasn't her job to manage drunk politicians; she was there when things went pear-shaped, and from the communications she'd been monitoring that was precisely what was about to happen.

If Vemric gave the appearance of someone confused or paralyzed with indecision or fear, the Shadow Trooper would take him into custody and get him out of there. From what she knew of the man that seemed unlikely to be necessary. If anything, she was afraid his responsible might complicate the new objective.

The black helm snapped half an inch to the right. "Down!" Her left forearm rose as she pivoted around in the direction of the chain of explosions. It'd been the tremors in the deck. How or why they'd begun didn't matter; Vos had felt those tremors before in her career and knew nothing good would come of it. An energy field snapped into being as she sought to use herself as a shield for Vemric. Jas Katis as well, but a former Sith commander did whatever they wished; he might or might not have been close enough.

Tag: Vemric Keldra | Jas Katis | Zhuan Cao | Xazzex Xivar | Takeshi Ryu | Tertius C. Nargath | Brakkus | Iliana Röhr | Mars Raynor | Tamna Korvan | Phee Zti | Tish Cowen | Jessina Vedez | Droc’tav’nar​

 

[Devros Hoxton]

___________________________________________________________________________

[Theme]​

Devros Hoxton

| Location | Aboard Halfway Station, Space​

| Objective | [OBJ 1] Engage hostiles​

​

It was impossible to tell what was going through the armored guard's mind with helmet obscuring their face. Hoxton muttered to himself in his half sleep, leaning against the wall. Security details always bored the hell out of him, especially when it involved a bunch of uppity politicians and rich people. Perhaps he deserved it for the last officer he pissed off and gave lip to, but an assignment was an assignment, no matter how droll it was. At least he was getting paid.​

​

His little nap was interrupted by the rumble beneath his feet as several detonations reverberated across the station, snapping Hoxton out into a fully alert state. He didn't have much time to figure out what was going on as alarms started to blare loudly through his helmet. He muttered to himself as he looked down at his shotgun, pulling back the pump to ensure a round was loaded and ready to blast the first poor soul that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Satisfied that his weapon was ready to go he looked over to the private assigned with him and gave him a nod as the two moved through the corridors.​

​

"What do you reckon it is Sarge? Pirates?" the private asked.​

​

"Don' matter. I's about bloody time somethin' interestin' 'appened. Make sure your suit's sealed proper." Hoxton responded.​

​

The two rounded the corner in one of the hallways, spotting another soldier and a worker alongside one another. Something was off as they were typically assigned in pairs, and the trooper's partner was nowhere to be seen. His finger rested lightly on the trigger as Hoxton let out a sharp whistle to get their attention before calling out, "Oi! Troopa', what's the egg'ead got to say bout what's goin' on?" ​

​

The soldier and worker turned to Hoxton and the private accompanying him, the briefest of glances of a weapon in the worker's hand moving Hoxton to immediately engage. His shotgun was leveled in a heartbeat as he squeezed the trigger and sent a slug through the soldier's chest, targeting him first since he had the deadlier weapon in hand. The fake maintenance worker brought their pistol to bear as they started to fire off shots, Hoxton hunching forward as he pulled the pump back to eject the empty shell and chamber a new one, moving to cover as the private dove for the opposite end of the hallway.​

​

"Sarge what the hell was that about?" the private called out, barely having time to process what was going on.​

​

"Don't fockin' mind it and cover me ya fockin' greenie. They ain't one of ours." Hoxton replied as he made ready to advance once the private gave him some covering fire.​

​

The private decided it was better to oblige the veteran soldier's request rather than find out the hard way. The private peeked from the corner and fired staggered burst to cover Hoxton as they advanced forward. In the end he could just say it was all the sergeant's fault and not get chewed out right?​

​

___________________________________________________________________________

[Open to Tags]​

 

[Zhuan Cao]

Location: Mara station
Objective: Enjoy the event
Tags: Vemric Keldra @Vemric Keldra Jas Katis Xazzex Xivar Takeshi Ryu Tertius C. Nargath Brakkus Iliana Röhr Mars Raynor Tamna Korvan Phee Zti Tish Cowen Jessina Vedez Droc’tav’nar
Gear: Ship - Rì chū | Protocol droid, wearing this

*NB all of Zhuan's dialogue is spoken in atrisian and translated in real time

Vemric Keldra was just asking her how her interaction had gone with the R-duban delegate that she had been courting, and yes, things had gone well, she was just beginning to share that information when she stopped and a look crossed her eyes. She instantly watched the strands of the force moving and she could feel that something was about to happen.

She was not disappointed.

The ground shuddered as the station shook with an explosion and all the lights went out before the dimmer emergency lights activated. "Oh no." she said unnervingly calmly with wide eyes. People had gone into panic but Zhuan was still processing what the force might reveal to her. Zhuan had forseen that something unpleasant would happen here, but the strands were never clear as to what exactly it might be. She knew this was not the day of her death, but she had no idea how many other stories might end right now.

"We should make for our shuttles as soon as possible." security were already moving towards the president and other various dignitaries including herself. One of her own bodyguard m slapped a bracelet onto the Viceroy and she watched as an energy field briefly simmered across her skin before becoming invisible.

A secondary explosion showered the pair with sparks and Zhuan felt the impact of something on her skinshield. The security guard grabbed her arm roughly and began to pull her towards an exit. Another trooper Tarra Vos , did the same to the President, the well trained soldiers immediately filling their emergency tasks.

 

[Xazzex Xivar]

Location: Mara Station
Objectives: Fostering Intragalactic Relations

Unexpected? Xazzex wondered how the Sith Pureblood knew the man, but the man did not know the Sith. Perhaps it was merely 'that sort' -- politio-business types -- the man despised. Obviously Jas was a man of deep feeling. Something she'd have to drag out of him over a drink. It helped to have someone to commiserate with did it not?

"Hardly, Duke Nargath." Better to nip the idea Nargath had interrupted 'something' before it had a chance to grow... creative at what just that 'something' might have been.

The Falleen woman tilted her head just a bit as the corners of her lips curled upward. Just that quickly Nargath seemed to be having difficulty focusing. Was he someone particular susceptible to her kind? There was nothing wrong imagining what a woman could do having identified such a weakness in another. All the beneficial scenarios that could play out. But now wasn't the time to try and coerce his undying devotion -- if ever there would be such a time.

"A power plant?" Xazzex paused for a moment in consideration. "What would be used for fuel, and whose personnel would operate it?" There was already the Heart of Falleen constructed in the wake of the Gulag plague, but while it had been upgraded it was a steadily aging facility. It wouldn't be amiss to at least hear the man's proposal. That being said, the matter of whether this was an attempt by outsiders to establish a lasting presence on Falleen could not be overlooked. Her people were quite particular about not indulging in the galaxy's obsession with cultural melting pots.

While Jas was uninterested in such talk, Xazzex had a planet to think of outside of her usual Confederate duties. If the man's proposal was in Falleen's interest then she would be a fool not to hear it. A price every ruler had to pay -- one's time.

After some discussion, a tremor strong enough to be felt underfoot caused the Falleen to sway. Her golden eyes swung around to find a Shadow Trooper near Vemric and a dark scowl crossed Xazzex's features. They wouldn't have broken cover unless--

The concussive force alone was enough to send Xazzex down to the ground as the roar of metal being torn like paper and tightly wound strands of wires snapped as thread.

Slowly she pushed against the floor with her teeth clenched out of rage at whomever was responsible for this disgrace. A minor cut on her temple allowed her cold blood to seep out and ran down the side of her head. Xazzex hissed as she got back to her feet. "Calm down!" she snapped at those panicking nearest to her. Their cries and demands to know what was going on spoke of how utterly inept such people could be. As if this were all some planned event. "See to the wounded." There was a damnable lack of security personnel present to have help coordinate a room full of dignitaries. It was going to be a right mess. "You!" Xazzex pointed at a waiter. "Get all your towels and see if there's any water or alcohol that isn't spilt."

Her attention swept through the room to see if Vemric was safe. Just how much of this disaster was going to land in her lap personally?

If he was alright, she'd probably check on Nargath next -- if he hadn't helped her earlier already -- since he had been closest to her.

Tertius C. Nargath | Vemric Keldra | Jas Katis | Zhuan Cao | Takeshi Ryu | Brakkus | Iliana Röhr | Mars Raynor | Tamna Korvan | Phee Zti | Tish Cowen | Jessina Vedez | Droc’tav’nar | Tarra Vos​

 

[Tertius C. Nargath]

Attire: [X]
Objective: Foster better relations
Tag: Xazzex Xivar | Jas Katis | Zhuan Cao | Rulonom Laborr ​

"Hmm, it would essentially be capable of producing both energy and fuel, Madame speaker," Waving a bit with his hand in the air to emphasize the fact that his proposed powerplant would do both , Tertius hoped to at the very least make his plan seem less overtly ambitious, but also much more doable and much more rendement friendly. "The advantage of utilizing the N&Z reactors is that their wasteproduct can be refined into either a toxic gas...which I don't think might be all that interesting or a very efficient fuel, which when pressurized into a liquid form is much more stable and reliable than for instance Tibanna gas."

Ofcourse she had to mention whose personel, obviously it HAD to be N&Z personel, after all it would have been a dumb idea to build powerplants and not reap any benefits from it. Usually the benefits for the loction would have been working personel and the energy itself which could be sold TO the planet or faction controlling the region. However, it wasn't too much of an issue when it came to convincing the Erinar government (though those were subservient to the Eriadu government, thus not being an actually useful comparison), so maybe if he played his cards right, it wouldn't be too much of a hassle now either.

"Ofcourse the N&Z would start off the powerplant with its own personel in the short run, with the intent of phasing out those workers for locally sourced personel after having gone through procedural and technical training," Tilting his head a bit, the Marquis tried to calmly assess the speaker's expressions in case he'd have to adjust his proposal. "The fuel refinery would very much follow the same principle. Inevitably this would create jobs that would also benefit the government in the long run, ofcourse when it comes to management and higher ups, any bright locals may also apply, which would make any communications much smoother between the N&Z and local governments... what the?!"

Slightly taken aback by the sudden tremor running through the entire space, the Marquis looked at Xazzex Xivar , noticing the small cut near her temple, he himself tried to stand up only to find out that while he had no obvious cuts and bruises, he had apparently not landed all that well on his left arm, which grew stiffer and more painful with each passing second. "It isn't broken...must have probably strained my elbow quite severely."

"Madame Speaker, are you alright?" It seems this question didn't need any answer as the Confederate Dignitary seemed to quickly dictate her orders to those closest to her, making it clear how woefully undersecured the area seemed to be. And that with so many highrollers and highly placed politicians in one place...this was never a good thing.

"Any idea what or who?" Tertius didn't know what to ask or say in this situation, simply obliging the Speaker's orders by starting to look around in the immediate vicinity for anyone with more serious wounds than himself. "Just the right time for something like this to happen...I should have taken some security with me..."

 

[Brakkus]

Location:Mara Station
Objective: Networking... and fun
Tags: Iliana Röhr Jas Katis Droc’tav’nar Rulonom Laborr

Explosions. Shrapnel. Darkness. It all happened so quickly that most of the gala attendees didn't have time to react. As the emergency lighting flickered to life, the aftermath became clear. Many guests were sprawled on the floor—some unconscious, others visibly injured by the metal fragments that had torn through the room.

Brakkus had been fortunate. His instincts kicked in, and he grabbed the edge of the bar when the first explosion hit, barely managing to stay on his feet. Some shrapnel had struck him, but his thick fur shielded most of his body. A few small cuts marked his exposed extremities, but in the rush of adrenaline, he barely noticed them.

He immediately turned to Iliana, who had been sitting next to him. "Miss Röhr, are you injured?" he asked, concern in his voice. If she had fallen from her barstool, he would help her to her feet. Then, he glanced over at the Chiss nearby, checking if he required any assistance. Lastly, his gaze shifted to the Supreme Commander, a man Brakkus presumed would have things under control.

As Brakkus scanned the room, his mind raced to understand the cause of the explosion. He was no stranger to explosives—blasting was routine in many of the mines he oversaw across the galaxy. But this felt different. The explosions weren't isolated; more reverberations echoed through the hull of the space station. Yet, with the fleet in close proximity, it seemed unlikely the station was under direct attack. Then, as he noted the emergency lighting, it clicked: the reactor was overloading. They had to evacuate—now.

Brakkus turned to the Supreme Commander, his voice blunt and urgent. "I think the reactor is damaged. We need to get out of here." He paused for a second before adding sharply, "Please tell me you have a contingency plan for this."

 

[Phee Zti]

​

Objective: Survival

Phee was in the middle of telling another funny story to Soej when the festival atmosphere changed immediately. Hearing the gasps she looked around to the source, to see a new trooper show up before the Viceroy. Something was definitely wrong. Frightened, Tao's Envoy was knocked off her feet by the resulting explosion. On impact Phee Zti struck her head to the floor, rendered unconscious as a result.

One of the Tao guards, the rest being dead from the blast and shrapnel crawled over to the envoy. He checked her pulse and sighed as she continued to breathe. Then to his alarm he saw Phee was bleeding in the head due to the earlier fall.

"Help! Somebody help!"

 

[Takeshi Ryu]

Objective: Keeping it together!
Tag: Tarra Vos Xazzex Xivar Vemric Keldra Jas Katis Iliana Röhr Rulonom Laborr Droc’tav’nar Tertius C. Nargath Zhuan Cao Mars Raynor Brakkus

Ryu groaned as he stirred. His head rang for a bit as he fought to get up. Looking around the trooper soon can hear moaning and panicked screaming. All the while Takeshi thought.

Where is my weapon?

Soon enough he found it inches away from him on the left side. The private picked up the gun checking for damage and there was none. Done he then noted a number of guests were dead or wounded while the others were trying to get their bearings. His blood ran cool seeing a dead Gran merchant impaled by multiple searing shrapnel all over his body. Then the trooper in the midst of the klaxons going on and off heard word from the comms.

Hostile forces had breached into the station.

His horror turned into determined fury as his eyes narrowed within the visor helmet. Ryu didn't care what their agenda was, only the fact they apparently just done this. Yet his desire to avenge was overruled by the reminder about his leaders‘ well being. He rushed over to the guests, searching for the Viceroy and the Supreme Commander among them.

"Commander! Commander! Where are you!?"