Dominion Honey in Leone | First Order Dominion of Absit

[Resurgent Narrative]

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Absit’s a little out of the way place, with plains, deserts, canyons, mountains, and just a little bit of everything. A collection of people have arrived here, on top of the already pre-existing Imperials from when the First Order had last been here. Trains and shuttles connect towns to each other but when you don’t wanna be seen, you settle on land speeder or beast. There ain’t much of a government out here, most people seem to do for themselves. However; a coalition of leaders from several towns saw the First Order’s ships and have decided to have a quick word with them. Most folks out here have honest work and don’t want any trouble. ​

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A deal was reached, the First Order would offer protection to these folks and in return, the folks would send what they could. Food, minerals, textiles whatever it was they could send would be loaded into shipping crates for the First Order to haul back. There's just one small problem; the Amargosa Family - folks around here say they were once an honorable lot but have since become corrupt with greed. Word is there's even a big ol' bad Force User, Papa Amargosa himself. There ain't a thing on this rock that don't happen without this family knowin' about it. First Order knocks out the Amargosas, and Absit will gladly join the First Order and be another happy member of an ever-growing Imperial family. ​

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The biggest town around here is the town of Leone it sits between the Argento River, a narrow fast-moving river that carries on through to the Great Santi Canyon. West of Leone is the wide and slow Donati River. Recently though, the towns had some troubles with their Sherriffs being bought and paid for by the Amargosa Family. So, one of the local Marshals will meet us at the windmill farm by the Donati River. He’ll have further details for us once we’re there. [Intel/Spec Ops/Armed Forces/Knights/Open]​

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Further down the Donati River out toward the Zion Mountains is the mining town of Walker. The mines out here are run by the Amargosa Resource Company. There was a collapse a few days back and the townsfolk are askin’ for the company to go in a rescue the miners. Turns out ARC just opened up another mine and sent more workers in, those who refused... Well. Ain’t nobody heard from them either. We need to sort out what’s goin’ on down here and rescue these miners, with or without ARC’s support. If you can find anything about ARC that links back to their shenanigans in Leone, pass it along to Intel, won’t you? [Intel/Spec Ops/Armed Forces/Knights/Open]​

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Gettin’ to the town of Eastwood means you gotta shuttle down, and there ain’t much of a landing pad so just find a spot and park it. Eastwood sits on the other side of the Zion Mountains and there ain’t much out here but the clay, the bricks, and cactus fruits some of which makes for great drinkin'. There was a man-made water connection back over to the fast movin’ Argento River, but a funny thing. These folks refused to open their land up to the Amargosa family and now there ain’t no water. What water that is around is well water, and food’s startin’ to get scarce. Get in here, and get these people food and water - then relay information about the Amargosa family back to Intel. [Medical/Armed Forces/Knights/Open]​

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Tell your story, get a scent on the Amargosa, build somethin’ for yourself, or work with the First Order. Whatever gets ya to post up here, works. [BYOO]​

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[Ariadne Gallaer]

The ship's ramp had just opened and already Ariadne was sweating.

The prickling heat clutched at the nape of her neck, and soon she felt a trickle of sweat racing down her spine. It's going to be that kind of day, she told herself, already dreading it. "Gallaer," the duty officer said as he approached her with a clipboard. "You're with the drilling team. Our surveyors are out confirming where to put it, but we can start unloading the kit and the other supplies now. Any questions?"

Ariadne shook her head. "None, sir."

"Be careful out there and stay hydrated. Your canteen full?"

"It is," she said.

"All right. You're all set."

Ariadne proceeded into the cargo hold, with its ramp already lowered onto the rocky earth beneath. She began to unload; the larger machinery was being offloaded by repulsorsleds, which left the other items to be offloaded by handtrucks or by hand. Ariadne didn't mind; she was reasonably fit. But by her third trip down the ramp and into the dry heat, she was uncomfortable. Still, it felt good to be doing her part. She was newly inducted into the First Order Corps of Imperial Engineers. She was a refugee, a stranger to these parts, but the First Order had taken her in, and her sister, and Ariadne would be damned if they would be a drain. No, she would work and earn her keep. Let them never give the First Order a reason to regret their help.

Twenty minutes later, the supplies had been offloaded and others were involved in setting up distribution centers for the kegs of water and food. Meanwhile, as Ariadne sat in the rear of a pickup truck speeder, her braid flowing in the breeze behind her as the truck sped across the landscape, she couldn't help but smile. Maybe it wasn't going to be that kind of day after all.

 

[Vhondryl Gallaer]

"Kriff." Vhondryl muttered, as she tucked her blaster pistol into its holster. She hadn't quite decided on what to do, none of the First Order military options really fit her deal. Wasn't quite keen on letting anyone tell her what to do, or how to do it. Gunslingers were a dime, or a fiver a dozen? Whatever the expression was out here. There wasn't exactly any 'roaming' law agency out around here either, then again, Vhondryl wasn't sure she should be someone wandering around Wild Space with a badge. "Gallaer, no, you, here take these boxes down the ramp."​

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The Keshiri picked up the box and headed down the ramp, that revealed the town of Eastwood. "We just go to all the nice places, don't we Ariadne?" Quipped Vhon as she headed back up the ramp to get another box and halfway down she got called. The other Gallaer. ​

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"Head over with Engineer Nvar to figure out what's gummed up the connection between the river and the reservoir here."​

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Vhon set the other box on top of a few others and headed over to a speeder bike. It was while she got on the speeder bike that word reached that a set of Knights would be joining them to help examine just what was going on and if they could do anything to help. Joy. Vhondryl followed the Engineer once the knights had arrived toward the given coordinates. The man-made connection was a wide canal that diverted water from the river to the nearby reservoir. The canal itself had been filled in, deliberately with junk, rock and anything else. "Someone really hated these guys."​

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[Nylea Apollodor]

Power was a fickle thing. It clouded judgment and morality and made it all too easy to overlook those who had less than you. Such abuses seemed impossible to prevent; every corner of the galaxy seemed rife with it, from the smallest of scales to the largest of governments. On Absit, it was the Amargosa family that had become the face of corrupting power. People needed help and they wouldn't give it. Thankfully, there were others who would.

Wearing a hood to protect her pale skin from the harsh sunlight, Nylea stepped off the shuttle alongside Elisea. She thought of the first time she accompanied her now-fiancé on a mission from the First Order, and remembered how nervous she had felt back then. While the echani would never be fond of the sight of stormtroopers, she was used to it now.

Hazel not being around, at least as far as she was aware, also meant she wouldn't have to worry.

"We just got here, and I am already feeling thirsty from the heat," Nylea remarked as she and Elisea walked. "I cannot imagine how the residents must be feeling." Thankfully, those people were getting the precious water they needed.

Elisea Korrado ​

 

[Raava Starwind]

Leone, Outskirts
Armaments: lighsaber x1 (purple)
Double-barreled blaster carbine x1


The city of Leone represents one of the largest population centers on Absit. But, be that as it may, it retains a robust and efficient rumor mill. The mill usually concerns itself with the most pressing issues of the day- whose sleeping with whose husband, what somebody's wearing, who was stupid enough caught with their fingers in ol' Papa Amargosa's cookie jar, etc. But the rumor mill was working overtime to crack a mystery.

The mystery of the out-of-towner.

Now, it's not like Leone didn't have it's occasional drifter or traveler come in for a variety of reasons- trade, business, refuge, the usual. So when a short woman came into town on a swoop, it didn't raise too many questions. But soon enough, questions were raised. She was dressed strangely- an assortment of well-worn body armor pieces- none of them matching- covered by a grey trench coat. The unmistakeable bulge along her waistline let people know that she was armed, which wasn't strange. The Outer Rim was a dangerous place after all. No, what was strange was that somebody told somebody that heard from their cousin, that when she was spotted at the local watering hole, and her trench coat shifted, they could have sworn they saw the silver hilt of a lightsaber, and the badge of a group of do-gooders (some would call them other things) that had been cropping up lately- the Judges of the Outer Rim.

The center of the gossip, unsurprisingly, didn't know that she had unwittingly been an object of curiosity since she rolled into town. But then again, asking Raava Starwind to actively understand anything that required a whit of how sentients socialized was asking...a lot. No, she was here for one thing, which is what brought her to the windmill farm by the Donati River. Well, technically, her grandfather's strange request/demand brought her here, but that's another story.

Raava's swoop rumbled to a stop. As she swung over the seat, she fished into her pocket for the holo. Peering at it intently, before closing it, Raava surveyed the scene, before she settled on the figure that could only be the Marshall. Satisfied, she made her way over to him.

Resurgent Narrative

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

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It wasn't always that the Chief Engineer of FOCIE was on hand to work on any one specific project. Most times he was held up in his office on Dosuun, or stuck working on a schematic. Not that he minded really, but it was always nice to work out in the field, even if today it was helping to feed a settlement. He worked side by side with one of the newer members of the organization, Ariadne Gallaer and it hadn't been lost on him of where she came from and just how it was she came through to the First Order.​

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There had been an influx of applications, and many were just looking for work. FOCIE had the work, but needed those who had some experience, and of course it meant that they also had to have mentors ready to take on their apprentices and aid them into becoming journeymen. Vega hadn't taken on an apprentice in years, and while there were plenty who thought he should. Vega routinely decided to just work and observe until the right person came along. Thankfully, not many recognized him out here, and as he descended the ramp and placed a box onto the palette he hoped it would remain that way.​

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Vega crossed the path toward the pickup and sat beside the Keshiri just before it took off across the vast landscape of Absit.​

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"Water?" He offered to her an unopened bottle, still cold. "Think we're gonna need plenty of it out here today." Not too much longer afterward he added. "A beautiful place out here, hope we're able to really get the agriculture and water back up and running."​

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It wasn't who he was expecting but damn if he didn't need someone who wasn't a friendly face around here. The Marshal tipped his hat toward the woman Raava Starwind and approached her quietly. "Names Clayton Arness, and I'm the Marshal of this here town and up until a few weeks ago. I had a host of lawmen that I could rely on, but seems to me they've fallen for that ol' Amargosa Honey." He looked away from the woman momentarily and toward the town of Leone. "See, I need someone who they don't know to go on and talk to'em. Get me some solid evidence that they are in fact helpin' the Amargosa smuggle our good ores off world."​

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"See Absit might be a small planet out in Wild Space but we sure got a heapin' of Aurodium, and Doonium."​

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"They've laid off the human workforce for droids in the case of Doonium, but well," his eyes squinted a second as he narrowed them briefly, "turns out they've been traffickin' poor slaves from the Outer Rim to dig up the Aurodium and whatever else they can get their grubby mits on." The Marshal sighed, "so." Another moment as he shifted his gaze back to Raava, "like I say, I need you to get me confirmation of their dealings."​

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"You get me the proof, and I can handle the rest."​

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[Sor-Jan Xantha]

On paper, it had seemed a good arrangment.

The Amargosa Resource Company had requested to take a loan out from Corel Financial. At the same time, the company had expressed interest in a purchase of the company's probe droids and holo-sensors to further expand a mining operation on Absit. Based on the figures that had been shared with the auditors, it looked like a good deal.

Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.

It was an old Jedi proverb. One that Sor-Jan had come to have full faith in. So, he'd shown up with the appraisers. It was a rather nice surprise, when the corporate manager at Walker had realized who it was that had stepped off of the shuttle.

The First Order was here. Maybe not in Walker -- not yet anyway -- but their ships had been unmistakable in orbit. It seemed that the Supreme Grand High Poobah had her eyes on the planet. That was certainly a detail that had been absent from the loan materials.

Second, there was a mining accident that had been unreported.

More than just unreported, if Sor-Jan was to believe what he was seeing, it was being covered up. Without any attempt at rescue and, instead, the credits and resources that his company was being asked to provide were to open a new mining shaft instead.

Suffice to say, the Corellian was disinclined toward their loan application. "Deploy our probe droids," the former Jedi General remarked, speaking to the company representative who had been originally dispatched to handle the transfer over to ARC. When he had finished, the boy looked over at his protocol drod and added, "I want an Equinox in low atmosphere before the sun sets."

"Very good, sir," the droid uttered. Its processors seemed to be working, as the mechanical figure almost fidgeted before stating, "But, sir, there will be diplomatic clearances required. We had not requested these in advance. The costs of a rushed application..."

"The costs will be deducted from the capital fronted by the Amargosa Resource Company," the boy announced, turning to level a seething glare over at the ARC manager.

"That was never a condition of our agreement," the manager argued.

Turning his back on the management, the boy stated flatly, "I am altering the deal."

He went several steps, before he turned to glance back.

"Pray I do not alter it further."

Resurgent Narrative​

 

[Raava Starwind]

Raava exhaled angrily through her nose. The minute the Marshall said "slavery", her preferred modus operandi- kicking down doors and flashing badges and lightsabers- went out the door. The minute the Amargosa family smelled something funny, they went underground. And if they couldn't move their trafficked product...

...Then they became a liability, Force help them.

"Right", Raava muttered to herself, a plan forming in her head. "Right, here's what we can do. You let the sheriffs- the one you know are on the take- that a smuggler with a highly, possibly illegally, modified YT-1400 freighter, was reported soliciting business opportunities. Tell them that she's been spotted at the bar where you'll find most of the scum of Leone."

She tossed him a com-link. "So you can reach me." Raava winked, and with a two-fingered salute, began making her way back to the swoop.

Resurgent Narrative

 

[Elisea Apollodor]

"Not a feeling anyone wants to imagine," reminded Elisea as she too felt for the residents of Eastwood. "But that is why we're here, the situation here on Absit is grim, and it might seem like the darkness is only going to get worse. It might, but we're here to help everyone get through it." She pulled a part of Nylea's cloak over to cover a spot of the Echani's body. "Echani's don't do well in the heat, and I would hate for you to get a burn." The two would work to create a cooling section where residents can seek relief from the heat and get water. ​

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"Hygiene stations will be set up there, laundry over here and the kitchens are already being set up as well."​

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"Engineering will be working on creating a method to connect the towns and work on a more permanent solution to the water problem here, or at least one that isn't so heavily reliant on the river." Irrigation was also something that had been talked about, or so she overheard. "But I imagine they might want the help of a friendly neighborhood Jedi to help get rid of some of the muck in the connection." A not-so-subtle hint followed up by a kiss from Elisea to Nylea, and a squeeze of Nylea's hand. ​

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Nylea Apollodor ​

 

[Nylea Apollodor]

"They indeed do not," Nylea confirmed, chuckling a little at Elisea's effort to keep her pale skin protected from the sun. Nylea often came home from hotter destinations with more than a few sunburns, but such was the fate of a pale-skinned Jedi seeking to help others in need wherever they may be. It was one of the many sacrifices she had made over the years.

The Jedi carefully listened to Elisea as she explained all the efforts that were underway, keeping as much as possible of it in mind in case she had enough time to help with more than one project. The hint she got from her fiancé gave her a good idea on what to help out with first, though. "I think I could lend a hand with that," she replied as her cheeks ran red a little, and not from the heat. After all this time, Elisea still had the ability to effortlessly release butterflies in Nylea's stomach.

It wasn't like she hadn't done anything similar before. Her efforts on Skye came to mind, this wasn't much different. Hopefully she could stand in the shade somewhere while she worked, though.

"I suppose we should get to work, then?"

Elisea Korrado ​

 

[Ariadne Gallaer]

Ariadne had no idea who it was that plopped down in the back of the pickup with her, but she was happy to accept his water. Especially since it was cold; her canteen was already lukewarm, she was sure. "Thanks," she said, careful not to let her usual curtness turn the word into a grunt. "Don't think I've ever been anywhere this dry. Need a week in the shower after this, eh?" She twisted the cap off the bottle and gave him a silent toast. The heat was already causing the rapid formation of condensation on the bottle; it dripped down from where her fist grasped the bottle to the fabric of her uniform pants.

"Name's Gallaer," she said after taking a swig of the water. "Ariadne Gallaer, new Junior Tech. Sorry if you thought you were giving this to somebody important. But I already put my mouth on it. Germs and all, hum?" She chuckled and recapped the bottle, setting it carefully next to her rucksack. In response, her rucksack shuddered.

Oh no. She hesitantly reached for the flap of the knapsack, but before she could reach it, it flew open and out popped Chunk. The droid clambered onto her lap, then up her arm and shoulder. She couldn't stop the grunt this time. "This is... my assistant, Chunk," said Ariadne, the amythest of her cheeks going positively violet. What kind of engineer couldn't keep her creation from stowing away in her luggage? Still perhaps it would come in handy. Chunk, for its part, crossed over to her other shoulder and peered inquisitively at Vega through its flickering, mismatched photoreceptors. It chittered an inquiry before retreating to the other shoulder.

"We're in a First Order engineering convoy," she replied to Chunk, offering Vega an apologetic smile that looked more like a grimace. "He's one of us. You can relax." Chunk chittered, its beeps agitated, but then fell silent and rested against Ariadne's shoulder, occasionally peering around the back of her head at Vega. Ariadne turned back to Vega, still blissfully unaware that he was the boss of all she knew at the moment. "You really think we can get this place to bloom?" she asked skeptically.

Resurgent Narrative​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

It had been sometime since he had taken a trip for any reason outside of helping the FIrst Order or for some godforsaken business dealing or some such. Today was different, he ended up on this backwater world...Asbit? That wasn't it. He checked his datapad again to make sure he was in the right place. The list that greeted him was one of the top 10 brands of tequila in the Outer Rim. The planet started with an 'A' so it shouldn't be too hard to spot. Absit. That was the one, checking once more his location he confirmed that yes, this dustball that had barely more water than Tatooine, was indeed the right place. Now it was just finding a place that served the booze. Didn't seem to be many settlements around here so finding a bar in one should be easy enough. Leone seemed the best place to start since it was apparently the main artery to the rest of the galaxy from here.

He took his time walking through the streets of Leone, reaching out through the Force and getting a sense of the place as he looked around seeming no more than a spacer who came unarmed. His saber was in its small pouch on his belt, but if he didn't have to draw attention he wouldn't. Upon entering the bar he sidled up to the bar and ordered the best tequila they had. It was a few seconds before a shot was set down in front of him. Taking the small glass in hand, he threw it back before ordering another. This one he also threw back. Before he got the chance to ask for another he overheard a couple of weather worn guys talking about the fact that there was some family or something, powerful around these parts it seemed. Also something about mines and missing people. Well, damnit all, looked like he was going to have to go to work. Unfortunately When he stood to leave, the men had moved on to some other topic while playing pazaak. That quickly lead to cheating accusations from both parties as the Corellian headed out and into the dusty streets again. All he had was the name of the family, the Amargosas .

Making his way back to his speeder, he slipped his helmet back on and pulled up any datafiles he could find on the Amargosa family. Apparently they dealt in doonium and aurodium. Or at least that was what they were listed as purveyors of. Something had felt strange though when those two men were talking and the fact that he couldn't find any information on the location of the supposed mining sites just made the whole thing even more convoluted. He might not have locations, but he could manage to find the people easily enough with a little luck. Okay, a LOT of luck.

 

[Phoenix Edorath]

Tag: Resurgent Narrative | Kurayami Bloodborn
Gear: Outfit | DC-17m | DC-15s | Tactical Knives
Muse Soundtrack: Sabaton “To Hell And Back”​

This...was a metric kark-ton of sand.​

Phoenix sighed aloud for perhaps the three hundredth time since landing on the planet earlier that day. There was nothing pleasant about desert planets, she mused, and she'd been on a dozen like it. Perhaps it had a modicum more water, considering some of the settlements were larger than comparable ones on Tattooine, but at least there the places to avoid were more obvious.​

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Although avoid was perhaps a strong word...after all, it wasn't a party until you got thrown out of a Mos Eisley cantina with a bloody nose. Some Houks just had no sense of humor.​

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With a shrug, she turned her attention back to her datapad, the movement subtle but no doubt noticed by the people trying so hard to not stare at her. Nix resisted the urge to tell them they were failing at it, but only barely. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, either. Her green skin? Possbly. The obvious weapons strapped to her unmarked desert ready gear? Could be.​

Whatever it was, it gave her the opportunity to observe in return, and take in the bits of conversations that were filtering over to her. Bits and pieces about the unmarked mines, the missing miners, and the tight fist of the Amargosa family. The last one was barely a whisper, as if the buildings had ears, or the people feared being ratted out, which felt as if it were far more likely. Frowning at the information, she shook her head and tucked the datapad away in a pocket before taking the opportunity to stretch and survey the dusty street in front of her.​

Whether it was providence or coincidence or the blasted Force, Phoenix had the distinct pleasure of laying eyes on Kurayami weaving his way to a landspeeder and attempting to make sense of whatever passed for a map around these parts. Grinning like the idiot she could occasionally be, Phoenix strode over and tapped on his helmet.​

"Fancy meeting you here, Ami. Here for the tequila or the bad guys? Maybe both?" she said softly and winked, before glancing over at her own speeder bike. For a brief moment, she lamented the fact that it had been borrowed from a local since since it wasn't possible to bring her personal one on a mission.​

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[Isobel Nakano]

FAR REACHES OF THE ABSIT SYSTEM
SSI-RUUK IMPERIUM TRANSPORT
MAINTENANCE CLOSET​

"You've had some bonkers plans in your time," Isobel muttered to Val Pellian . "That thing on Lanteeb, remember that? And let's not forget that little number on Halm IV. I couldn't sit comfortably for a week -- and I'm talking a Halm IV week, not your basic bog standard, galactic basic week. But this one, oh Val, this one is right up there."

They had been in precarious positions before, it was true, even sometimes during work hours. But being within the belly of a Ssi-Ruuk Imperium transport ship that were taking a cargo of hostages to a secondary location for probable entechment or, failing that, certain death -- well, that was more precarious than most. Isobel didn't know if the location to which they were being taken would be equipped with sensors that would be able to detect them. She didn't know what the facility was. It could be in space. It could be on the ground. Or it could not exist, and they were being taken somewhere else to be dumped in a mass grave.

In addition to the metaphorical precariousness of their position, it was also very physical. The maintenance closet was less than a meter square -- not large enough to sit down, so they had been standing for the few hours of the hyperspace ride, in quite confined quarters. She had found it slightly more comfortable to lean against the bulkhead, occasionally shifting her weight as she felt bruises form. It had been several hours since they had left Crytal Nest aboard the transport, and Isobel felt each one.

"I don't know why I let you talk me into these things," she muttered, squirming in the tight confines of the closet, accidentally elbowing Val in the abdomen as she reached for her datapad. "Oh -- sorry!" Isobel hissed, instantly putting her ear to the door to her right to listen to see if the noise had traveled. After a few moments, she glanced back at Val. "Accident." She drew her datapad and glanced at the display, her eyebrows furrowing. "Huh. Absit system," she said, holding the datapad up for him to see. "But not heading for the planet. Where the hell are they taking us?"

The agents couldn't see it, and since the First Order wasn't aware of it it was not on the system map on Isobel's datapad, but outside in the void of space, a Shree-class battle cruiser that had been retrofitted as a mass entechment facility hovered in the far reaches of the Absit system, far enough to be out of range from the First Order forces operating on and around. Watching. Waiting.

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

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"Your welcome," replied Vega who then chuckled at the Keshiri's comment on showers. "Well, by the time we get to Eastwood, should have some hygiene stations set up so that can be arranged." He raised his own bottle and returned the young woman's silent toast. The woman beside him in the back of the pickup introduced herself as Gallaer. "Names Vega," he told her plainly as he took a sip of water and recapped it. It was then shortly after that movement from her rucksack was noticed and Vega's raised a brow, curiously.​

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"Oh uh, yeah, I've got plenty so it's fine you keep that one..." His voice trailed off as he watched the droid. "Haha," a jovial bit of laughter followed by a pleasant reply. "It is very nice to meet you Chunk, I'm Vega. I used to have a droid of my own when I was growing up." That droid was now the darling of Vega's daughter. Vega laughed lightly hearing the junior tech explain things to the droid. The junior tech then skeptically asked if they could really make a place like Absit bloom.​

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Vega answered, "in time yes, but we'll need to work with our friends in science and learn everything we can about this world."​

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"In the meanwhile, we'll be here to help those who call this planet home. There's a team out by the connection to determine what we need to do to get water flowing again. A more permanent solution to the water issue will have to be settled afterward, can't have something like that happening again. Not when so many lives depend on it, plus there's more to Absit than the dust ball I'm sure." Vega paused a moment and shook his head, "sorry, I get a little carried away, and hey Gallaer, right? Well. If you need anything you let me know."​

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The pickup truck came to a slow as they approached Eastwood. Vega looked over his shoulder and noticed that Dr. Vekshi had already arrived and not too far behind him Marasigan with FIMS. "Maybe we can work later today on one of the projects around here," added Vega. Once the truck stopped Vega got down from the bed of the pickup and before he could turn to grab a box. Vekshi had already approached. "Take care of Gallaer alright Chunk?"​

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"Doctor Vega, come, I want you to look at the geological survey my team completed."​

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Vega gave a smile of reassurance toward the Keshiri and then followed after Vekshi.​

Ariadne Gallaer​

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"Yeah, I'll do that..." Marshal looked at the comm-link and tucked it away. Unbeknownst to him, Agent Sahani had been watching the meeting, the Marshal would do as asked by the woman. Quietly he would make his return to Leone and let slip to one of the boys exactly what he had been told. After making the call he sat in his office for a moment debating what he would do next, he paced his office back and forth. Not noticing the woman who had entered. ​

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"Where can I find some really good drinks around here?" Sahani inquired, the Marshal turned around and looked at her quizzically. He started to answer but she stopped him. "Drinks where the good, the bad, and the ugly all come to say hello."​

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"Ah, then you want to head down to the Red Whistle," he answered plainly and just as he turned around the woman was gone. The Marshal looked over to where the woman had been standing and sighed. Something told him she was going there for the same reason as the other lady he'd just spoken to. Last thing he needed was one of the boys to get spooked and go runnin- well, actually maybe that might just work. If they go runnin' back to the Amargosas... The Marshal could figure out just where those sunva hutts had been hidin' out. ​

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Raava Starwind ​

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[Sor-Jan Xantha]

The shadow of the science vessel lay over the mining town.

A trio of probe droids buzzed across the landscape, two over by the now closed mining shaft and the third traveling down the shaft that had been opened as the so-called new wing of the operation. Which was what Sor-Jan's company was being asked to fund with the loan.

The management on site had been on the comm to the corporate main offices. Who had already brought in their lawyers and were trying to figure how to prepare for PR damage control.

Which, if you were going to deal with a company that dealt in subspace telecommunications, perhaps up your encryption game.

The sight of the manager storming this way seemed to be an indicator that his bosses had, indeed, sent him to deliver the eviction notice to the Corel Financial appraisers. "You are trespassing on company property and I must insist that you remove these sensors at onc.."

Holding up a datapad, the small Anzat nonchalantly turned to look up at the man as he stated, "Your company agreed for the site to be appraised as part of the loan application."

It was almost as though he'd known precisely what the Amargosa Resource Company was going to come out here and say. Tossing the display, containing a copy of the digitally signed documents, the boy gave the company bottom line. "I have discovered cause to believe that your company did not act in good faith in describing the mining operation," he remarked candidly. Not the least of which was due to some tidbits from his own corporate lawyers. "I am within my rights to appraise and evaluate the actual site in order to determine whether to approve or disapprove the loan."

The manager tossed the datapad back at him. "Then we withdraw the application," the man huffed, bowing up in the chest as he tried to impress his full height over the much smaller youth. "We can get our money from Scion Investments!"

"I wish you luck with that application," the boy noted flatly. Turning the datapad around in his palms, he held it out once more. "That doesn't change the fact that your company has already executed the consent to appraisal."

Tossing the pad off onto a nearby table, the boy added, "If you're unhappy with our being here, why don't you tell it to the First Order?"

The man bristled, but took a step back. That was a threat. And they both knew it. "I'm sure the regional governor would be happy to mediate the dispute..." the boy continued, pausing there a moment before concluding, "...after the First Order Security Bureau has investigated your business practices here, I imagine."

The man's nostrils flared as he drew in a sharp breath. Gritting his teeth, he managed to remark, "You can be assured our lawyers will be touch."

An exaggerated bow flowed into a quite dismissive motion. "And a good day, sir," the boy chimed brightly, waving the man off.

As the man turned and stormed back toward the shanty office where he was likely to be in more teleconferences with the corporate headquarters, the Anzat turned to find one of the appraisal droids returning to him. The initial sensor data should have been compiled by now.

Affirming that thought, the droid produced a holocaster, which popped up a three dimensional image of the mining shaft. A spindly, mechanical finger pointed to red-purple blobs in the hologram. "Bodies here and here," the droid reported, before moving to blobs with more vibrant reds and yellows. "There are pockets of air located here and initial indicators are that life signs are present."

The boy clenched his jaw. "This isn't a mining accident, it's a mass murder," he murmured darkly, his eyes working their way back to the hut where the manager had disappeared back into.

Bringing his left arm up, the boy tapped his wristlink. "Xantha to Solstice."

"Solstice here, General."

Returning his gaze back over toward the droid, then over to the direction of the mining shaft, the boy announced, "Send a distress signal. Then inform the First Order that there's been an accident at the Walker mining complex."

Resurgent Narrative​

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

​

The First Order had been notified beforehand, and so when they were notified by Sor-Jan Xantha their response would have seem fast. Rapid response teams coupled with the pararescue from the Starfighter Corps, were the first to set down. The information obtained would enable the First Order a more precise insertion toward the mines to get the rescue efforts underway. The rapid response team and pararescue crews were accompanied by members of the Army and the Stormtrooper Corps. ​

​

The only thing left now was to figure out how to deal with the Amargosa family, at least as far as Mr. Branneth was concerned. His cousins, Ariel and Natasi were both busy and so he was tasked with helping to integrate Absit into the First Order's family of worlds. He arrived with one of the shuttles that brought supplies, while ambulatory ships appeared over the horizon. Lt. Colonel Caceres approached Mr. Branneth, "your orders sir?" He was accompanied by Captain Rajaverde who led the Army units present at Walker.​

​

"Caceres, right?" Branneth inquired, the trooper gave a nod of his head for affirmation, "great, can you explain to the ARC in the most delicate way possible that they are no longer in business?" Normally Branneth was an easy going man, but after the information he read on his way here. He decided that the ARC and the Amargosa family didn't need to have courtesy. "Rather, they're no longer in business here on Absit."​

​

Time would tell if they would be in business in the First Order, but as far as Branneth saw it that was a no. Infractions left and right, not to mention their reckless disregard for loss of life. "Rajaverde, secure the mines please. If you can, I'd like to get some men down to the mines to tag and blanket the deceased. Once the survivors are out, we'll get the deceased, I'm also going to need a list of workers..."​

​

Caceres nodded and acknowledged, "I'll grab the list."​

​

"Good." He pushed out a breath between his teeth. "I'll need someone to gather the families somewhere, so we can break the news to them and offer support." Branneth would want to pursue for reparations to the family but for now, the basics had to be accomplished. ​

​

Zion Canyon was one helluva place to be, Tanileu hated it. It was dusty and hot, but for the moment she sat in the shade. Binocs focused on the empty tread-paved road. She sat atop the canyon having caught word from a local in Leone that Papa Amargosa was pissed. Pissed about several things least of all the First Order expanding out toward Absit, but rather that the ARC was having troubles getting loans on account of how they handled the Walker mine incident. Mad, that the one Marshal in Leone had sniffed around and wasn't dead yet. Mad that the slavery and trafficking he'd been doin' out here was about to go belly up. ​

​

Word had it that he planned on dealing with those who had failed him out here in the canyon. Imaging from recon noticed bodies at the bottom of the canyon. Tanileu was sent alone to figure out the details and if necessary get rid of Papa Amargosa while other members of the Spec Ops team worked to clean out the rest of the family. Some she figured would be taken in for questioning, but the others might just have a terrible accident. All she really knew was that the people out here needed help, leadership and that Her Majesty's Government was just the government to provide. Praise the Holy Mother... A sardonic thought crossed Tanileu's mind.​

​

What the Gilarian hadn't accounted for was running into Phoenix Edorath and least of all Kurayami Bloodborn but that was all about to happen in a short few.​

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[Amun]

T H E _ G O O D
​

Crime pays well.

And there was plenty in the Outer Rim. He was a licensed Bounty Hunter in legitimate organizations such as the Galactic Alliance, but most cases factions involved in organized crime paid better than governments. The Amargosas had enough wealth to compensate for Amun’s services, showing fright into the lawmen of these settlements and demoralize their efforts which compromised the judicial security in these parts.

And now with the First Order around? Well, the family was distressed of these news. Not for Amun; no, he received more than his standard fee just as long as he could keep the Imperials’ noses out of their operations.

Easy enough.

More so with sheriffs and other agents reporting to him with every suspicious movement going on. He waited at the bar with all the scum that gathered around from every corner of Leone, sitting alone in a dark observing his surroundings.

Resurgent Narrative | Raava Starwind​

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

That was too fast.

One of the miners must have gotten a signal out to the First Order before they had. But, all the better. The sooner they started working to get to the miner's trapped inside the collapsed shaft, the better.

There was just a small matter of several metric tonnes of rock and ore between them and that goal.

As the pararescue teams began deploying, the boy was walking toward the rubble that was blocking the mine shaft. It was a rather imposing sight. It'd take the First Order Combat Engineers a lot of work to blast through that. And a lot of time to do it without killing the miners on the other side. Drawing in a deep breath, the tow-headed Anzat was looking inside himself and questioning whether or not he was up for this or not.

There was a time, the boy could move as much as six metric tonnes with the Force. Including four of the Muntuur Stones.

He wasn't sure he still had it in him. He was even less certain if he was even the same person. But with those ambulatory ships approaching, they needed a way into that mining shaft.

Truth be told, this was probably the closest that Sor-Jan had ever stood to an Imperial Stormtrooper or officer without the two trying to kill each other. Which made what he had to say next even more awkward. "If you'll permit me, I think I can clear a path for you," the boy offered.

If they followed standard procedure, they'd already run the ID scan on everyone. And Sor-Jan had to imagine he had a file back at the First Order Security Bureau. A few traffic violations. Minor property damage perhaps. Maybe some unpaid speeding tickets. On top of being the CEO of one of the galaxy's largest computer and telecommunication conglomerates.

Which, now came the awkward part. "I don't think these ARC assholes like me much, however, so I'd very much appreciate if you'd watch my back," the boy noted.

Stormtroopers. Watching his back.

And he was resigning himself to this happening. Oh, how the Resistance had fallen.

Setting his feet apart, the boy dropped his center of gravity slightly. Holding his arms out, he brought them slowly together, as he executed a ritualistic breathing exercise. One that he hadn't even thought of since well before anyone standing in Walker had been born. "Come on, SJ, you used to teach this to new padawans," the boy muttered under his breath.

Stretching out with his left hand, the boy closed his eyes and felt himself slip into the familiar grasp of the Living Force. His arm outstretched before him, in his mind's eye his fingers seemed to stretch into the rock and rubble that had collapsed.

At the same time, his right hand moved up from his side. Poised differently.

It was not enough to simply move the rock. The mining shaft had to be reinforced against further collapse. Otherwise, this could all be for nothing. So before he could move the rock, he needed to have Force barriers and shields in place to buttress the shaft.

It was a moment before he spoke again, his eyes still closed and his hands still held out before him.

"Let me know when your team is ready to move in," the boy stated, internally bracing himself for what was going to come when that word came.

Resurgent Narrative​

 

[Vhondryl Gallaer]

​

FOCIE had officially arrived in Eastwood and joining her at the Connector as it was creatively called out here. A knight or two, and Nylea Apollodor which thank the Force for that. The solution seemed easy enough for Vhondryl since it was going to take time to get this Connector unclogged and ready for use again. Dr. Vega, the Chief Engineer of FOCIE arrived with a team not too far behind him and among them Ariadne Gallaer apparently Vega had asked her to come with him. "Before we move the debris, we're looking at setting up a more permanent solution, so that the town of Eastwood doesn't have to worry about whether or not they'll have water."​

​

Dr. Vekshi with FODOS that is the First Order Division of Science cleared their voice, "ah yes, survey teams have started to report back that there is an aquifer not too far from here. It is a prolific, artesian aquifer that is to say an underground layer which holds groundwater under pressure-" Vekshi looked around at the team and sighed, "it has a lot of water that the residents can use, but we must monitor this water. As to not run it dry, and ensure it's levels for the ecosystem that depends on it... And, of course."​

​

"The Amargosa Family has polluted the recharge zone of this aquifer greatly, but I believe we can make use of this Connector to divert the muck and grime away from the recharge zone, into a water treatment facility and we can use clean energy to do so." Vekshi remarked, and then they adjusted their spectacles and gave a nod in Vega's direction.​

​

Vega gave an incline of his head to indicate his agreement and turned to those present. "Which means we're going to need to work, but we'll start by getting this cleaned up and get the main Connector going. We'll have to bring more supplies and personnel and fully work out the specifications of this system as proposed by Doctor Vekshi. I believe that we can do this, and that we will do this. We've got a lot of talented people here, and there's an entire town depending on us."​

​

Vhondryl just wanted to yawn, all this just bored her to pieces. ​

​

What was she going to do? Run? To where? At least she was keeping busy and helping people. Vega divided people up into teams to follow the knights and the Jedi to help clear up the Connector. ​

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Firenne Van-Derveld | @First Imperial Knights​