Dominion Housekeeping | EE Dominion of Endor / Annaj

[Arturo Braga]

Slinking away from the vantage point, Arturo turned at the sound of footsteps approaching, momentarily surprised to see Ingrid and her Wolfguards appear, prepped for battle. He recovered quick. "Was just talking about you," the contractor said, keying his comms off, his expression neutral as the Witch spoke, her words bringing some small amount of life to his eyes. "Wouldn't dream of it." Arturo replied, gesturing to the overlook where the togruta still lay, her attention no doubt caught between their conversation and the compound which his men had singled out as the likely safe house in which their targets had taken refuge.

Not that high walls and armed guards will save whoever's in there from the Ulties, Arturo thought, his gaze lingering a moment on the balcony he'd been watching with his sharpshooter pal. In the few seconds he'd been absent, the guard had wandered off, leaving the compound seemingly empty. Scans and reconnaissance had proven that wasn't the case, however. Estimations ranged anywhere between forty to eighty armed hostiles within. Maybe one or two more. These things were never exact, especially with such a high number in close proximity to each other. Not that it mattered. Between Ingrid's people and his own, they had the enemy nearly two-to-one, not including the men she had stationed throughout the surrounding area in the chance the targets somehow got by them.

Turning, he addressed Ingrid. "You're ready, we're ready. And now's as good a time as any." Pulling a detonator from his Sk-AR's Tac-rig, Arturo was quick to trigger the breaching charges linked to it, signalling the assault. A series of sharp, rolling explosions followed, their thunderous report splitting the sky, sending up plumes of rubble and flame-wreathed smoke. The mercenary was sure he could feel the ground quaking through his boots. Walking back to where the togruta still lay, Arturo squatted down, the ringing in his ears settling with him.

Though he could not see it, he knew that the gates on the South side had been blasted open, the credits spent reinforcing them done so in vain. He also knew that holes had been blasted into the walls to East and West, creating two more lines of approach from which the Ultranauts could attack, leaving only the North Side -where the remainder of his and Ingrid's men lurked- uncontested. Blasterfire rang loud and true, carrying through the streets and alleys, drowning out the alarmed shouts of pirates taken by surprise.

The blasterfire intensified as the minutes ticked on, fluctuating, the incessant drone somehow familiar, comforting. Now that the fight was underway, Arturo found himself on edge, the tingling sensation of adrenaline flooding his veins, making him wish he was down with the Ultranauts, taking the fight room to room, bearing fire and brimstone with the rest of the soldiers. Focused, he watched as the fighting spread from one building to the next, streaks of red-white line burning their image across his retinas as the two forces traded shots.

Five minutes. Ten. Arturo lost track of time as he waited, the thump-thump of concussion grenades being tossed dragging from one place to another, a smattering of blasterfire making the hairs on his neck stand on end. Then, motion. "Contact. North Gate. Looks like one of our targets has decided to cut and run." Sighting down with his KC-47, Arturo smiled as he recognized the figure in his crosshairs. "Yeah, that's the guy." Four thugs accompanied the man, looking terrified, skittish as their eyes darted from left to right, always searching. Arturo watched as the group vanished from sight behind some buildings.

"One of our targets is on the move, Lady." The mercenary said, opening a direct link to Ingrid. "He's yours, should you want hi-" A crackling in his earpiece snatched away any reply she might have made. "Bosmang, we've got movement in the tunnels two blocks down! Figures one of the underboss' be runnin'. Might need backup." Straightening, he twisted, a string of hand gestures sending his men -those stood nearby- scattering. The togruta clambered to her feet as he did.

"Seems our marks have taken to their heels. One's escaping through a tunnel that exits out a little further North of my position. The other's above ground, heading this way as we speak." Shaking his head, Arturo flicked his rifle's safety off. "Funny how their escape plans coincide. Guess your boys must really be putting the pressure on. You wanna chase down the first or intercept the second? Your call."

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

She stepped over what was left of the big human's body on her way towards the main entrance, breathing hard and wiping feverishly at her face. As the door opened, she felt for the comm at her ear and spoke, her voice only shaking a little.

<<B--Barracks secure. On the way towards the command center to clear comms. It opens into the landing pad, so if there's a risk I need to know it. Otherwise clear on my end.>>

The line clicked twice from Adelle's frequency; an acknowledgement. She deactivated her lightsaber and used her other hand to gently lay the body down to rest on the floor. In spite of everything they did, these slavers had once been children--were still someone's children. And their life had contributed to the vibrancy of the Force; she could still feel the voids where their lives had been even as the Force eddied to fill them in. She took a moment to breathe and let the adrenaline from the battle drain, just a bit, before she continued down the dim corridor.

It opened into a larger room, what had probably once been a security office. Currently, it housed a large bunk with a footlocker at the end and a few crates scattered around. What caught Adelle's gaze made her blood boil. Five girls of various species cowered near the bed. The oldest looked no older than maybe sixteen years old. A Firrerreon woman sat at the edge of the bed, securing the last strap on her gauntlet.

"So you're the one that's making all this fuss," she said. Her smirk was predatory. "How am I ever supposed to teach these urchins their manners with all this noise?"

Adelle didn't answer, mostly trying to think past the roaring blood in her head. Looks just like him. Fighting in the room would be tight quarters and there were five children in the mix too. Skin paling to silver. Anger? Fear?

The gold-skinned woman stood, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. "They should be obedient. Silent. Docile."

Just like Krayt. Adelle slid one foot back, widening her stance.

"Shall I teach you a lesson?"

Exactly like Krayt.

Adelle barely blocked the jab in time as the woman lunged forward. She used her unlit saber to clock the woman's jaw then slammed it into her stomach. The slaver staggered back a pace.

"Feisty," she said and spat out a gob of blood. "Good. I like that."

She seemed faster this time as she launched forward and Adelle could suddenly feel fire slicing through her skin. Adelle landed another punch and a front kick, creating some space for her to breathe. The slaver held a bloodied vibroblade in her hand and unsheathed another one with her free hand. The bruise on her face from earlier was already almost gone. Kriff. Adelle would never be able to outlast her and using her saber might hurt one of the girls. Still, it wasn't like she was about to let this one get off easy.

"What's the matter, Strong-Silent-type? Afraid of a little blood?" The blades tore through the gaps in her light combat armor as she fended off the Firrerreon's attacks, trying to draw her out into the hallway. Her fists connected with incredible force, but she couldn't be baited.

"Now you're boring me," the slaver said. "Keep things in the bedroom. Makes things more interesting, don't you think?"

Adelle blocked a thrust at her chest only to fall to a kick to her knees. The Firrerreon straddled her, driving a vibroknife towards her neck. Adelle tried to keep it at bay but the slaver was stronger.

"It's really too bad. I'd been hoping to show the girls how it's done."

::You talk too much.:: Adelle braced her shoulders and feet against the floor, and lifted the rest of her body, twisting. The slaver fell off, rolling to her feet as Adelle leapt back to hers. This time there was only a snarl before the slaver rushed her again. To Hells with it. Adelle tapped into the Force again and moved faster than the Firrerreon could react. The Firrerreon hit the wall above the bed's head as her vibroblades clanged on the floor. The slaver was up in a heartbeat and had pulled a third knife out, clutching one of the girls like a shield.

Adelle hissed through her teeth. This slaver was getting old.

"I'm leaving this place alive," she said. Blood trickled down from a split in her golden forehead. "Unless you want this'un dying too. And I'm going to guess you're here to save them all."

She hated using the Force this much so close to the Empire but the slaver had gone too far. Adelle raised a hand at the woman, extending two fingers and her thumb.

"So. You either kill this one and me, or she lives and I go--" The slaver stopped short, gasping for air. The silence felt blissful, although Adelle felt guilty for relying on so cruel a method. The vibroknife dropped as the slaver raised her hands to her throat, clawing at something that wasn't there. Adelle tightened the Force choke.

::Like I said. You talk too much.::

The silent gasps and wheezing unsettled her. Adelle dropped the choke, the slaver falling to her knees and drawing in ragged gasps of air. Adelle gently grabbed the hair on the slaver's head, pulling it back and placing her lightsaber against her forehead. The split from before had already healed.

::May the Force guide your soul hereafter.:: She ignited the lightsaber and turned it off once it had fully powered. The body fell forward with a dull thud. The children cowered from her as she turned to them.

::You are free but it's not safe yet. Hide here until I return.::

A large blastdoor stood at the end of the hallway, leading outside again. Adelle felt sick, thinking about how many lives she'd just taken. While justified, she didn't think she'd ever get used to it. She opened her comm up to Na'an and Leigh.

<<Interior clear. At the landing pad now. Waiting on your mark.>>



Vidalu Na'an | LE-03 (Leigh) | Will Westender | Karma Jayne

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

<<Roger. Assessing the situation now.>>

Leigh switched through functions rapidly, her hand skating over the transport's comm terminal with a practiced ease. The base's camera systems were old, their security out-of-date, which meant accessing them was child's play; it took only a few moments to get a bird's eye view from the landing pad cameras. Her attention skimmed over the red-clad woman hovering in the background and the man blasting his way through the room, to light on the callsign written on the side of the ship occupying the landing pad.

The Firebird. Well, that explained a few things. Fortunately, it and the man's--Will Westender's--actions meant that this new variable would be far easier to control than it could have been. Leigh patched into the main Eclipse comm, opening it up more widely than before.

<<Sar Vun, you should be clear to enter the comm center. My agent is clearing it now; approach quickly and with caution. Your main goal is their communications and trade routes. Miss Arenais, you and yours should be prepared to extract the slaves upon takeoff of the other ship. I would rather their relocation not be left to the Empire to decide on.>>

She paused, waiting for a question. When none arrived, she decided to explain anyway. <<I will handle ensuring their takeoff. All I need is for one of my agents to hand over their comm for a minute. Give it to the male. Addressing him as Mr. Westender should get his attention.>>

Vidalu Na'an | Adelle Bastiel | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin | Minna Balin |@Karma Jayne | Will Westender | Sakri | Shavara ​

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

​

These slavers weren't as dangerous as they made themselves out to be; those who preyed on the weakest of a given species never seemed to need the discipline of proper warriors. It took Na'an only two shots to clear out the pair of beings hunched over the comms systems, barely entering the room before chirping her comms to give the all-clear. When Leigh's new directive came in, she stopped to listen, her head cocked with the focus.

<<Westender? Weird name, but I'm on it. Sar Vun, sorry about leaving the bodies for you, I'll be back later for...cleanup.>>

She had to step over the bodies to reach the door feeding into the landing pad...and step over more carnage once she was inside.

The two strangers in the middle of the room had clearly done a chunk of her work for them. Na'an took a deep breath and put on a good face as she waved cheerily at the pair, signaling she wasn't there to fight. "Oi," she called brightly. "Hold on a second. Don't move, don't fire, I'll be right over."
As she made her way through the room, she stopped momentarily here and there to unload a shot into a still-moving slaver. The male had a lightsaber in one hand and a blaster in the other; Na'an eyed the saber almost enviously, knowing that that was what helped him make such quick, if incomplete, work of the group in here. That...and maybe the woman now behind her, eyeing him as if she was half-ready to jump his bones among all the gore--

NOPE. Don't think about it, she told herself. You've done okay with this so far. Just don't think about it.

"So," she said when she was only a few feet away. "Westender, isn't it? Don't know what you think you're doing here, but you'll want to put one of those down for a second."

She took one hand off her blaster cannon to wipe again at her face, sliding a thumb under her eyepatch. When her hand reached her ear, she untwisted the comm from inside it and held it out at arm's length.

"The Voice of Abbaji wants to talk to you."

Will Westender | Karma Jayne | LE-03 (Leigh) | Adelle Bastiel | Sakri | Shavara ​

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Objective: 1

Lori couldn't help but smile to herself as Curtis Learchin and Minna Balin took to their tasks with such finesse and gusto. It made her proud to have assembled such a well-oiled team. She laughed and wanted to be down with them. Arla almost seemed to read her mind as she gave her one of those looks of warning. "I know, Arla, I know. I'm staying here."

"Good."

Just then the message from LE-03 (Leigh) came through. Lori grinned and flicked the switch to respond. "We're on it.. Hawke, Minna; you two up for some extraction? We'll land the Sparrow nearby. I'll cover you and those you save, alright?"

She then got up from her chair and was about to head down to fetch her weapons when Arla's hand gripped her arm. "No. You pilot the Sparrow. I'll cover them."

"But Arla, it's not like I'll be alone. Curtis and Minna will be there. I've done more dangerous stuff than this."

"Doesn't mean that you must do so all the time. I know that you're jealous of Caedyn, but this isn't the time for competition. Save that for another day."

Lori slumped back down in her chair with a sigh. Arla was right. She was jealous over Caedyn Arenais . He was a big hero and had done some amazing things for a decade now. And what did Lori accomplish? Not a whole lot.

But that was changing. If only Arla would give her some leeway and allow her to do it.

Bodyguards...Sometimes they were a pain in her backside.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Ingrid L’lerim
The Red Witch; Emperor's right hand; Director of Blackwatch; Baroness of Vengard​

Objective: The Rats of Annaj
Location: Annaj
Equipment: Assassin armor with this look | sniper rifle | Black blade lightsaber | Red blade lightsaber shoto | 2x vibroblades | Stealth field generator
Tag: Arturo Braga | Open

”Good!” she replied to Braga.

This and everything else meant they were really ready to start the action. She just nodded at Braga before the man activated the detonator. As soon as the smoke began to spread, the Ultranauts did not have to be given the command either, because they set out inwards immediately according to the previous commands. Ingrid wasn't the kind to pull herself out of field work, so she kept up with her people too. As discussed earlier, they went to the main entrance. Because she didn’t want to kill anyone this time – cause the making sample thing – she uses her sniper.

With her men, first of all, they tried to jump everyone out of their hiding places and direct her to Braga's team to get under fire. Of course, if she or her man has a clear target they shot the scums themselves. She basically really wanted to work together to deepen the alliance in this way with Black Sun. Time lost its significance, as it used to be in fights, Ingrid couldn't tell how many minutes had passed since they all started. Only shouting, the sound of shots, or the sound of shocking grenades could be heard.

Braga and his man fought well, she didn’t regret working with them. They may later too be useful to the empire. New information, someone tried to escape from them. Ingrid smiled under her helmet, an idiot. No one can escape today. Two targets, she thought quickly, one of them tried to move away, the other coming here. Maybe it was the hunt that the other party would have been happier with, Ingrid can see better what they are capable of. Yes, that was good to her.

”We will wait here and will greet the newcomer. You and your man can go after the fugitive.” she gave an answer to Braga.

​

 

[Will Westender]

Interacting With: Karma Jayne || Vidalu Na'an || LE-03 (Leigh) Attn: Curtis Learchin || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun || Sakri || Shavara || Adelle Bastiel​

"The Voice of Abbaji wants to talk to you."

Well, that came out of nowhere. It was about time, he'd been working hard for months to finally get noticed by the rebels, to find a way in amongst their ranks. But for his mission to be successful, he couldn't show too much enthusiasm. It was interesting, though, that they knew his name. His fake one, at least. There was no way they could know who he really was, the inner workings of the Wardens of the Shroud were a secret even to the vast majority of the Empire, with only those who counted themselves amongst the highest-ranking members of that secret society knowing the full picture.

Slipping into the bored curiosity that was so typical a mask which every smuggler worth his colors wore, he holstered his blaster and slipped the already extinguished lightsaber into the holster hidden up his sleeve. "The Voice of Abbaji, you say?" he replied, putting on an 'I better get paid for this' face. "You're rebels, aren't you? Well, all right," he said as he extended his hand. "I'll hear what this Voice of yours has to say, but I'll need you guys to help out with getting these people off world and back to their homes," the 'smuggler' spoke in reference to the former slaves. "My ship ain't equipped for passenger transport and it doesn't have the life support capacity, either."

It took him months of preparation to get here. Now it was time to get to work, the real work. The only thing he was concerned about, was Karma. She didn't deserve to get dragged into this risky business with the rebels and the Empire.

Snatching the commlink unit with a casual laziness, he put it on and pressed the little activation button on the earpiece. "This is Will Westender speaking, of Westender Freight and Shipping. What can I do for you, Voice of Abbaji?" he said in his best salesman voice.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

​

Curtis smiled at Minna Balin as she teased him, it showed she had a sense of humour if nothing else. Taking a brief scan of his surroundings, he removed the saberstaff from his belt. They'd landed just outside of the complex, near the rear. A good position to get inside really.

"I'm being thematic" He replied with a smirk, before tapping back into his comms and connecting to Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . "<<Understood Sparrow, moving for extraction>>" With a flick, he switched the comms off, before moving towards the nearest entrance to the complex. Neither of the two had asserted themselves as the one in charge, but for now he'd take point. One slaver stood in the way, but he'd be taken care of.

As soon as Curtis was close enough, he raised his hand, gripping the slaver's throat with The Force. Immediately the man began clutching his throat, dropping to his knees. Curtis kept the pressure on, until the slaver dropped to the ground, lifeless.

"The way's clear"

LE-03 (Leigh) / Vidalu Na'an / Sakri / Shavara / Adelle Bastiel / Will Westender / Karma Jayne​

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

​

Snatching the commlink unit with a casual laziness, he put it on and pressed the little activation button on the earpiece. "This is Will Westender speaking, of Westender Freight and Shipping. What can I do for you, Voice of Abbaji?" he said in his best salesman voice.

<<In all honesty, Mr. Westender of Westender Freight and Shipping, there is absolutely nothing you can do for me.>>

Leigh had added a secondary layer of vocal modulation the minute Na'an removed her earpiece. To Mr. Westender, the Voice of Abbaji would sound deeper than the voice the other agents in the base knew, and considerably more masculine. She leaned back in the cockpit seat, weighing each word carefully in her processor before transmission. Fortunately, the message she had in mind would have more impact without her bothering to fake emotional inflection.

<<For whatever reason,>> she said, << you have inserted yourself into the center of a delicate Imperial operation. Due to your actions, I believe you were completely unaware of the nature of this base on arrival, and merely reacted violently to the surprise of being presented with slaves for trade. While your capacity for said violence is impressive, I am afraid that these circumstances have not cast you in an overall favorable light.>>

She checked the comms. From the look of it, the base has been fully emptied of slavers several minutes ago, and the other teams were well on their way to completing their work. If they were as on-time as they seemed to be, there would be no benefit to wasting time playing games with this smuggler. <<If anything, your name and callsign being in my records from prior trading is the only thing that is saving you and your woman from considerable trouble. With that in mind, I would like to offer you a deal.>>

Will Westender | Karma Jayne | Vidalu Na'an | Adelle Bastiel | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Curtis Learchin | Minna Balin | Sakri | Shavara ​

 

[Minna Balin]

Minna stepped behind Curtis, letting him take the lead for now. It was for the young bounty hunter's education. She wanted to see, not just what Mr. Learchin could do, but how he did it. It would be important, for if they worked together in the future, for her to know exactly how he conducted himself.

She was surprised when he used the Force, of course.

Minna watched on in amazement as Curtis choked the slaver, maybe feeling a bit of sympathy before choking it down. She doubted the guard had any sympathy for the people they stole from their homes. Minna was quick to step up to the door, jamming a security blade into the door's console, and activating the device. It whirred for a moment, before the console flickered green, and the door opened.

Minna's blasters were raised before she saw the slavers, and the two stun bolts slamming into each of their necks hit them before they even saw her. The door opened fully, to two incapacitated guards, and the threat of more coming to investigate the breach.

"I appreciate a consistent brand. Maybe, for future missions with you all, I should go by Osprey. Or Pelican. Or Seagull, I guess? Not a lot of cool seabirds."

Minna inclined her head inside, as if to beckon the warrior forward.

"Door's open. Let's save some people."

- Loreena Arenais-Valhoun - Curtis Learchin - LE-03 (Leigh) - Vidalu Na'an - Sakri - Shavara - Adelle Bastiel - Will Westender - Karma Jayne -​

 

[Sakri]

The woman came back confirming they were good to go, she smiled and quickly followed. They were on their way to the computers and would get there sooner or later where there were others waiting. The challenges on the way were things that could be met with it would seem. Shavara knew that she really wasn't a fighter, she had the power to be, but she had neither the personality nor the true experience as someone who had legitimately done this before. She took too much of her time doing...well mostly anything else.

She would be getting to the location soon she knew, "I need to know something. And I would like to ask something else." she said before they'd get there, "Important one is: Do these people prefer space travel or mostly just land based transport. That should help speed up how fast I can recognize resource shifts."

"The other." She got much quieter, "Does this scare you? You do not have to answer that." she wouldn't try and search her mind anymore. She didn't feel that need to after she'd already confirmed who she was. And Shavara was at least somewhat more aware than she was before about intrusion. She asked not just because she wondered about Sakri specifically. But more, if her own fear would be normal if compared to outsiders. Or if they had less reason to be afraid than she felt she did.

With her mind's eye ever watchful on the current's flow, the handful of humanoids they did encounter hardly posed a threat. The foresight gave Sakri the edge she needed to dispatch them with efficiency, just as she had done outside. Their eddies dispersed with each swipe of the crimson blade; as they fell, she felt others following suit en masse elsewhere nearby. So many lives ending, so quickly.. it gave her pause as she looked down at a fallen Twi'lek.

They made their choices.

Though she had spoken outside, she found herself with fewer and fewer words for the fallen as they moved forward. How many of those distant dissipating eddies had been innocents? Caught up in this chaos, tossed aside, their choices taken-..

No undoing what is done. Focus.

Sar Vun's first question elicited a sidelong glance. "The landing pad seemed key. I'm not certain," she said with a reluctant shrug, "but I would guess space." The silence after that stretched on, almost as if Sakri hadn't heard, or had chosen the option to not answer her second question altogether. It wasn't until they were coming up to outside the computer room that she changed her pace, stopping out of earshot of the doorway and looking back at her charge.

"I have known fear. I do not feel it here," she said finally. "I will not be joining the current today."

The gold-skinned woman readjusted her saber hilt in her right hand, raising the palm of her left towards the door.

"Neither will you."

With that, she gestured and strode forward, her blade igniting once more as she stepped through the opening doorway and into a room soon to be empty..

Shavara | Vidalu Na'an | LE-03 (Leigh) | Adelle Bastiel | Will Westender | Karma Jayne

 

[Will Westender]

Interacting With: Karma Jayne || Vidalu Na'an || LE-03 (Leigh) Attn: Curtis Learchin || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun || Sakri || Shavara || Adelle Bastiel​

Well, well. Of all the things, he was certainly not expecting these guys to pull this mynock out of the hat. An Imperial operation? Well, this was interesting. Whoever these people were, they sure didn't look like Imperials, he would know, though he wouldn't be too surprised if Blackwatch would pull off something like this, or maybe these guys were with the Contractors' Guild.

Well, he had Imperial credentials, which he could leverage if the situation degenerated and he found himself in an Imperial holding cell, though not knowing who these guys were, he certainly couldn't just reveal who he was, especially not with Karma Jayne here, not if he could help it. So the best course of action for now, was to carry on with the smuggler disguise and hear this Voice of Abbaji person out.

"Well, yeah. I don't like slavers. Had I known who the clients were, I wouldn't have taken this job in the first place," he said, pausing for a moment. "Or, maybe I might have, because I really don't like slavers. Anyway, I'll stop wasting your time with idle banter, I'm sure you're a very busy individual. So, what's this deal you have for me?"

Whoever these people were, things just got interesting. And, despite the rather questionable circumstances, he was quite curious to see where things would go. And if there was some money to be made at the end of this? Even better. Afterall, he wasn't really someone who asked a lot of questions when presented with a job. Discretion was one of the services that he offered as part of the default package, as they say.

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

​

<<You misunderstand me, Mr. Westender. This is not banter.>>
Leigh leaned over the camera feed, watching the human she was speaking to intently. If she had had two articulated hands, she would have steepled her fingers in front of her dome as she spoke. Mr. Will Westender stood amidst the damage he caused with the air of utter unconcern, speaking casually of his actions as if they did not involve the death of others.

Unfortunately, his moral state could not be this droid's current concern.
<<You say that you were completely unaware that your clients were slavers. Well, in my experience, the life of a smuggler rises and falls on his reputation. In that case, a smuggler who agrees to meet a client without knowing the terms of their payment is a smuggler who is ripe to be taken advantage of by every petty thug smart enough to arrange a con. And a smuggler who only avoids being swindled by murdering every client they disapprove of, will soon find himself short of having any clients at all.

In short, Mr. Westender, you do not want your actions here known publicly, not if you want to continue finding work. My deal is simple: Once you leave, you and the Zeltron you brought with you were never here. And neither was I. >>

Will Westender | Adelle Bastiel | Karma Jayne | Vidalu Na'an ​

 

[Shavara]

The more they went the more it was clear the woman's skills were plenty to get her where she needed to be. That was definitely a nice sign for the Eclipse rebellion that they had people like them with them. Shavara hadn't gotten too see that much of the rebellion since her joining, this was really the first big thing she'd ever done.

Shavara nodded gratefully as she answered the question with space, "Thank you. That makes things somewhat more difficult. But I believe I can still make it work." she said. There was a delay between her question and the next answer. She said she had no fear, at first that was a bit frustrating. She didn't understand the use of the term current, but when she said that Shavara also wouldn't be joining it, that was at least somewhat relieving. At least, it seemed like it was supposed to be.

LE-03 (Leigh) said the room was clear to enter and so Shavara did. She was further greeted by Vidalu Na'an 's comment about the bodies. Shavara looked at them, so many people had died today. Death was not a foriegn thing to her. But she was so used to, when seeing people fight, them being healed so soon after. Death was...painful. She took in a breath, answering, again in that over-pronunciated voice, "Thank you."

She immediately went to find the computers, carefully making her way past the bodies. But not wasting any time. She took in a deep breath, focusing herself through the force, even if that wasn't what she called it. She could feel it in some of the others, it was an unusual feeling. Being around these foreigners. Different species, different language, different culture. The thing that tied most together was that they didn't follow the Eternal Empire.

And then she started getting to work. The computers were the only actual hard part, remembering how to interpret between the languages that outsiders used and to something she understood. Pausing more at words or buttons than at the data itself. She was searching for information on resources primarily. Transportation of things that would be used for slaves. She ralized Vran slaves were often treated better than others, which meant it was likely food was something that was going to be used at less noticeable levels. But that things like chains, ropes, stun weapons, and blunt weapons, would all be likely in plenty at the locations they were sent to. The easy part was identifying some of the locations, "These, seem to be heading here." she said aloud, pulling a datapad and starting to write down each important value. Giving approximates of how many people that would feed, and comparisons of guards or slave type foods or amounts. As well as considering the number of items used on slaves. "This one is big. This one I am not sure this one is a slave location but they do appear to have moved something to or from here. They did not clarify. This is another but I believe the numbers of slaves have been reduced from the original count."

Each location and estimates of guards to slaves ratio, as well as equipment listed, were all being added to the datapad. She also listed the purpose of some of the less clear items, things like stims or forms of drugs. Things that would either be used to subdue or threaten a slave, or which might have been used for entertainment, or which might be used for survival. She pressed a finger against the mask, frustrated by having to wear the thing. She glanced at the others momentarily. Unsure about what to do. She pulled the cloak further up her shoulders and over her, momentarily huddling down as she pulled the mask off and took in a good breath of air while massaging the skin with one hand. Wearing a mask still felt wrong. She put it back on and continued as best she could. She was definitely going to have to study this language more. And computers.

"Um. Someone else will have to figure this one out. I do not understand this language as well as I would like." she said as she simply directly put the data from the computer to the datapad. She looked at the others in the room, "I can do more. But it will take more time. I have located a few which have been jotted down and the information I could gather on them based on shipment or ship choices listed. There are more however that are more...complicated for me to understand. I can continue. But if we do not have time. I need warning so I know how I am to escape."

She went back to trying to figure out what she was reading, she didn't know these people. Any of them. It was...stressful. Putting so much trust in these people while trying to figure out a language she wasn't born to and turn the data into useful estimates. It was more than just telling the locations, it was the information about them that had extra value. Scouting was well and good, but the more you knew before having to try that the more prepared you were. Sometimes scouting and supplies didn't match.

Tags: (that I know of): LE-03 (Leigh) Vidalu Na'an Adelle Bastiel Sakri Minna Balin

'Appearance changes:
Height: +2 inches
Eyes: Brown
Skin: Made lighter
Hair: Thinner strands and made lighter

Equipment:
shavaras-kestralis-ring
shavaras-robes
Akrash
Some basic medical equipment brought on board ship

 

[Will Westender]

Interacting With: Karma Jayne || Vidalu Na'an || LE-03 (Leigh) Attn: Curtis Learchin || Loreena Arenais-Valhoun || Sakri || Shavara || Adelle Bastiel​

Wait, what? Zeltron? But... how? This couldn't be true, right? Zeltrons had a very distinctive skin color which made them easy to tell apart and Karma's skin was definitely not the right tone. Yet, even as this Voice said it, deep down Will knew it had to be true. It all made sense, now, how she always managed to get under his skin, why he found it so hard to refuse her anything, why he always lost control whenever she was around and wanted something... No, this was not the moment to dwell on this, that would have to wait until later, when he and Karma were back on the ship, alone. Then, he would have a serious conversation with her.

Thus, he forced himself to focus back on the present. So, this Voice of Abbaji individual wanted him to keep his silence about the presence of these... operatives, here on Endor. That actually managed to surprise him. He expected these people to want more than that and the simplicity of this request deepened his suspicions even more. This was definitely not an Imperial operation. Neither was it a Black Suns one, these people were far too professional and well-informed for that.

Which left only one possible option. But he wasn't going to voice it out loud. Instead, he did what any good smuggler did, when negotiating a deal. He pretended to take his time to consider the offer. Truthfully, he didn't have much of a choice. But if what he had heard about these rebels was true, he needed their cooperation. Or rather, the freed slaves needed it. "Very well," he responded. "I'll take your deal. On one condition, though."

"The former slaves. They need passage offworld, shelter, food, medical assistance," he said. "And my ship doesn't have the life support capacity for this many people. So here's my condition. You get these people to safety, get them fed and see to it that they get looked at by a doctor. And if anything happens to them, if any harm comes to them, then I will make sure the whole galaxy finds out everything I know about what happened here," Will said with a firm tone that made it clear he would not budge.

"That is my condition. Take it, or leave it."

 

[LE-03 (Leigh)]

<<Do not insult me, Mr. Westender. If you look up, you will see that that has already been accounted for.>> For the first time, Leigh allowed a modicum of warmth to infuse her transmission. Even if he were a fool, it was good to see that the smuggler who had thrown a momentary wrench into her plans had some level of decency in him. Depending, of course on whether he honored their bargain once they left Endor.

That being said, it was a good thing he had no clue what else was happening outside of this landing bay.

<<It has been a pleasure. If you would return this comm to the female with the shotgun? She has quite a lot of cleaning up to do.>>

Will Westender | Vidalu Na'an | Karma Jayne | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun | Adelle Bastiel | Curtis Learchin | Sakri | Shavara | Minna Balin ​

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

​

"Too damn right. Lot of loose ends before the Emperor shows up, and this place is...well..."

Na'an shrugged to indicate the mess the smuggler had made in the landing bay. Even with her eyepatch on, it wasn't particularly hard for her implant to pick up on Leigh's side of the conversation with this stranger, especially not after years of familiarity. She took back the proffered comm and twisted it back into her ear, listening and nodding as Leigh briefed her on the details. As she did so, she cast another sidelong look at the smuggler--at Will Westender, of Westender Freight and Shipping.

Leigh's negotiations seemed to have done their work getting him in agreement, and knowing that, he seemed to be the amiable sort: the devil-may-care rogue type, hiding a heart of gold that cared about the fates of these slaves. But the lightsaber...that lightsaber, held in a tight-fisted grip so casually in the open, sent an unwelcome tingle down the lines of Na'an's back. It wasn't hard to recognize the marks left on some of these bodies, and from them get an idea of the kind of combat that lightsaber had just seen. The strokes were irregular, yes, and clumsy, but the broad shallow cuts also showed the kind of brutality that didn't care whether or not the strike that landed was clean. Was that due to desperation? A lack of training?

Or...

She murmured a brief assent into the comm before it finally went silent, shaking the thoughts of the smuggler's lightsaber from her head for the moment. As Leigh had said, their timeline was limited at this point. With the confirmation being beamed to the Empire soon, cleanup had to happen before the dropships came to ensure her victory. Everyone besides her, Doc, and Leigh had to be gone by then. She started picking her way to the door leading out into the main yard, pausing to nod briefly at the Healer.
"We've got cleanup. Mind joining me in the barracks? I've got...something that needs handling real quick."

On a sudden impulse, she turned back towards the smuggler and tilted her head. "You can come too, if you'd like. Might be helpful. But only if you keep that thing sheathed."

Adelle Bastiel | LE-03 (Leigh) | Will Westender | Karma Jayne ​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

When Na'an had entered, she had entered, gripping her nondescript black hilt. And when Leigh spoke, she stood down, discreetly clipping the hilt to her hip again. Best to keep the bloodshed to the necessary limits. There had been a lot already. Adelle leaned against the wall by the blast doors, letting Leigh handle the situation through Na'an. Na'an had a fairly easy manner about her when it came to action, but Adelle liked to think she knew the petite woman better. The recently dead strewn about the landing pad had to bother her as much as it bothered Adelle. This was no Jedi action: a clean cut, a precise strike, a quick death. It looked like someone had thrashed about with both saber and blaster, and never mind who got in the way.

But at least the smuggler's demands were more humanitarian. Most of the slaves in stuncuffs huddled near the woman in a red . . . dress? jumper? Adelle wasn't sure but that hardly mattered. Was she a slave forced to groom others? Or a slave they had prettied up as part of the smuggler's payment? Or was she not a slave at all and just wore flimsy things everywhere?

"We've got cleanup. Mind joining me in the barracks? I've got...something that needs handling real quick."

On a sudden impulse, she turned back towards the smuggler and tilted her head. "You can come too, if you'd like. Might be helpful. But only if you keep that thing sheathed."

Adelle stood up straight at Na'an's approach. ::Of course.::



Vidalu Na'an | Will Westender | Karma Jayne

 

[Vidalu Na'an]

​

Na'an gave Doc a tight-lipped smile as they passed through the door together. "Thank you. It won't be long, I promise. It just...might be better to have a third party involved, is all. And I want someone I trust telling me if I'm following the wrong instinct here."

They crossed the courtyard quickly. The comms center was blessedly quiet, meaning that Sar Vun and her escort weren't having any trouble coming through the building's connection to the barracks. The barracks door was still closed too; Na'an placed a palm on it and pushed it open.

"Get away!"

The human she had left alive had at least listened enough to not risk that life leaving the barracks. Rather, he had taken the time he'd been left alone to barricade himself in the far corner of the room by dragging several bunks together, flipping them onto their side to make a low wall to crouch behind. He'd also taken the opportunity to grab the dead Rodian's blaster. "Get away," he yelled again in a cracking voice, pointing it as best he could at Na'an. "I'm warning you!"

The sight of the human--white-faced, smaller than she remembered, quaking so badly he could barely retain his grip on his weapon--seemed to settle in Na'an's stomach like a stone. "Please--" The word stuck in her throat; she shot a pleading look at Adelle before taking a step into the barracks and trying again. "Please don't shout, kid. I'm not going to hurt you."

"You killed them! You--you shot Garlo so bad he's in pieces--"

"But I'm not going to hurt you." Na'an was suddenly, abruptly aware she was still cradling the blaster cannon in one arm. She let it drop to the floor with a clatter, then made to sit in the closest chair out of arm's reach of where it fell. "See?" she said, holding her hands up where the human could see. "No gun. You can keep yours. We won't even come any closer if that helps."

While it was impossible to know if the gesture did help at all, the human at least stopped shouting. Na'an waited for a few minutes, watching the barrel of his blaster wobble uneasily from behind the barricade, before trying again. "I'm Na'an, and this is Adelle," she said, keeping her voice carefully gentle. "What's your name?"

It took another minute to get a response. "Ka-" The human's voice cracked again on the vowel. "Kamlen."

"How old are you, Kamlen?"

"Seventeen."

Na'an blinked at that. The human was certainly big enough for seventeen to be reasonable. But something about the response--the tone, maybe? Or something intangible she couldn't identify?--prickled uneasily at the back of her brain. That couldn't be right. "Come on, you don't need to lie about that right now," she said before she could think. "You can't be much older than fourteen. Right?"

After a long moment, the boy nodded shakily.

Between that nod and the thick coppery smell filling the room, the sick feeling in her stomach was suddenly unbearable. Na'an bent over in the chair, swiping once at her mouth, then her hand moved up to pinch at the bridge of her nose, but the sensation of being near vomiting remained.

Fourteen. Fourteen. Fourteen karking years old.

Karre's boy had only been sixteen when they had fled Dantooine.

Not even old enough t've seen a war.

"Star's End, Kamlen, what are you even doing with these people?"

Adelle Bastiel | Will Westender | LE-03 (Leigh) | Loreena Arenais-Valhoun ​

 

[Adelle Bastiel]

Inside her helmet, Adelle blinked when the barracks opened and a child waved a blaster at them. He held it with some amount of practice, but still he was a child. Frightened and alone. She could feel his panic at the sudden turn of events, his old network of mentors and models gone, replaced by deadly new faces--and lack of a face, in her case. Na'an's gentler approach--although the clatter of her friend's weapon did make her jump nervously--yielded some results. The kid, Kamlen, responded albeit with his hands still gripping the weapon, pointing the barrel at Na'an. But beneath all that child's fear, panic, and loneliness was a dangerous stubborn, headstrong streak--typical of a teenager.

Someone had to play the bad cop to Na'an's good cop.

"Star's End, Kamlen, what are you even doing with these people?"

:: Does it matter?:: Adelle unhooked her saber hilt and pointed it damningly at the boy. ::He's here with the slavers. He's one of them.::

"So what? What're you gonna do, robo-schutta?" Kamlen sneered at her, trying to keep his voice steady. "Throw that dumb piece of scrap at me?"

The kid still kept the blaster trained on Na'an. That could work in Adelle's favor, but put Na'an in danger. He wouldn't fire only as long as he didn't see Na'an as threatening. Adelle wasn't willing to bet on that. ::This "scrap" emits a blade of super-heated plasma that cuts through anything. Wood. Metal. Bone. You are the last slaver alive within this complex.::

She took a step forward, leaning towards him. ::And you . . . You have no idea how much trouble you are in.::

Kamlen whipped his blaster to aim at her. Adelle could feel his finger tighten on the trigger. Uninterrupted, the first shot would go wide but he would eventually hit someone. She pulled on the Force again and sprinted to him in the blink of an eye. She caught the barrel, crushing it with the Force as the bolt entered. The heat of the plasma burned through her bodysuit's energy-dispersing layer, through her skin. Adelle grit her teeth, forcing herself to breathe at a normal pace, to remain silent. The next moment, she flung the blaster away and held the end of her saber against the boy's forehead. His eyes widened, and she could see green and gold flecks within the brown of his irises.

::This is how I served justice today.::

Shock turned to terror and tears welled up in his eyes, spilling down his face. She could feel the self-righteous streak break and the fight leave him. He was just a kid, alone and afraid of dying. He screwed his eyes shut, clenched his teeth and his fists, snot beginning to run down his face. Adelle flipped her saber around and thumped the top of his head, just enough to bruise. She turned off the voice modulator.

"Idiot," she said softly. "You almost got yourself killed today."



Vidalu Na'an | Will Westender