I Have Unfinished Byssness to Attend To [Mando / OS Infiltration]

[Lord Gaius]

[Theme]

It was dress-down Zhellday as far as Gaius Vel was concerned. His speeder blended into the workday traffic as it wound its way through the Imperial Control Sector. When he emerged from one of the speed tunnels, located at the mid-section of a cloudcutter, his speeder was bathed in a blue-green sunlight. The One Sith were not shy from hiring guns, least of all Mandalorians. After all, one of their Royal Guards had been Mandalorian. She was now dar'manda. An exile and outcast from her own culture. Gaius had posed as another young and keen gun-for-hire, with a bag full of beskar'gam and a one-way ticket onto Byss. He found security was tight on planet, but why wouldn't it be. The Sith were in the middle of a war, and this world was just as precious as any other. He checked his datapad, trying to find out where to pick Sigourney up. Perhaps a cantina or spaceport, he assumed.

 

[Sigourney Xanthius]

Sigourney sat at the bar of a dingy cantina, light dancing over her face as the screen above flashed with advertisements. Sigourney rarely wished to visit these locations but had seen herself doing so more than ever recently. She had more leisure time on her hands than she knew what to do with since she had stepped down from leading the Ravens. She had found herself preferring the quiet of her down-time, although from time to time a passing craving for her old action packed life had consumed her momentarily. A desire she found herself pursuing this time. A hired hand job would do the trick, something small to ease her back into the swing of things. The orange skinned Zeltron had only been at this cantina a moment or two, using it onlly as a meeting point rather than a destination. She glanced towards the patrons sat beside her, one looking to be almost asleep atop the sticky surface of the bar. She had never had any inclination to follow the lives that those around her lived, preferring instead to keep her mind and body sharp and only indulging in the occasional drink when business required it. Sigourney informed her business partner, and ride, of her location via the datapad located on her wrist. She sat and waited, ordering a tame drink and musing over what she could expect in the upcoming mission of hers.

 

[Lord Gaius]

Gaius Vel got the location. He gripped the yoke and floored the accelerator. The engine whined, then whistled as he dove. He weaved in and out of traffic, looking to dodge passing speeders with a keen and acute attention to his flying. He could see the cantina from his left flank viewport, and swung the yoke to the corresponding direction. Gaius' speeder was fashioned like a thick U with an attached thinner U to its rear. The canopy of the speeder was relatively domed, with each protrusion of the speeder coloured lime green and yellow. It looked good for impaling something, but not much else. He swung around, bringing on a heavy descent until it landed softly and thrummed on the street floor. He thumbed the hatch, raised a hand and scrambled out onto the pavement. He wore heavy brown boots with fitted jeans and an electricians jacket, a thick article of clothing that primarily sported a dark blue field with an oval red symbol on the upper right torso. He looked the part of a simple man, and for everyone else on Byss, he looked like no one in particular. Just another nameless face in a galaxy of centillions. He entered the cantina, and quickly spied the fellow Mandalorian, and orange-skinned woman. She was famous in Hutt Space, with some renown even this far from the Ravens capital. If you hadn't heard of the Red Ravens and their mistress, you had been living under a rock - or working the spice mines of Kessel. "Su'cuy vod," Gaius spoke in Mando'a, then in galactic basic, "For someone of your. . . 'reputation' this should be an easy run-of-the-mill operation."

 

[Sigourney Xanthius]

"Su'cuy vod." Sigourney replied with a nod to her employer, Lord Gaius. Being hired by somebody else was a weird concept for the Zeltron. A thought hard to comprehend after the success she had found herself encapsulated in. The Ravens had collected members faster than anticipated and Sigourney had been overcome by the sudden popularity of something she had formed and created. She had preferred to sit back and watch everything unfold, quietly and subtly pulling the strings of her business partner and the hierarchy of criminals that flowed down from them. Word had still spread of the puppeteer and she had not been able to remain nameless for long. This was a fact that simultaneously motivated and terrified her. Her companion voiced this, "For someone of your. . . 'reputation' this should be an easy run-of-the-mill operation." Sigourney replied with a chuckle, "My reputation proceeds me, I see. I hope not to disappoint those rumours you've heard." Sigourney extended her hand. A formality of course but one that made her feel more comfortable undertaking business with him. If he had heard of her then he would know how well she did not take betrayal. "I've yet to have been told the battle plan, care to fill me in?"

 

[Lord Gaius]

The chair screeched in protest as he pulled it out. Sitting himself down, he raised a finger and ordered a non-alcoholic beverage, in fact, it was just simple and plain water. "Keep the body hydrated," he said with an off-hand glance to Sigourney. The barman, a Rodian in his middle ages, served up the vase-like glass with the clear liquid, and Gaius took a mouthful. The barman ambled off to serve other customers after the credit had been transferred to the venue. Gaius dragged his legs around on the chair and partially faced his comrade for this operation, "Not much of a battle plan, as it were. I'm looking to document local naval and ground defences, High Value Targets such as locations of heavy industrial areas military and civil. Communication array locations, military bases, operations, force size for navy and ground, planetary shield generators and their own defences. And of course whatever weaknesses that can be found with any of these." He stood up from his barstool, "I don't have the clearance to tell you why, but I think you know why. You're a smart girl, from what I hear."

 

[Sven Talith]

The King of Byss sat upon his throne.

It was an old throne. One that his father had erected within the Citadel nearly eight hundred years ago. When Byss had last been wiped out, when it's population had been turned to ash and its people obliterated before even the Gulag Plague could strike, when Moridin had ruled. That was when the Throne had been built, that was when it had first been constructed.

He shared this throne.

He shared it with his wife, Silva Talith, though he knew her as Sable.

They ruled together from this seat, having held Byss for nigh on a decade now. Having controlled it through the rise of the Republic, the fall of Coruscant to the One Sith, and even now. Neither of them cared for global politics, and neither of them cared for the Sith. They simply did what was best for their people.

Byss was theirs.

It had always been theirs and it would always be theirs.

Byss belonged to the Taliths, that was a fact bred into the galaxy as coldly as life and death. Slowly Sven stood from his throne. He didn't know about the Mandalorians traipsing about his world, he didn't know about their scheming and their plotting, nor would he care.

This was a fortress world, it was his fortress world.

The planet was an installation meant to last through any war. Buildings were reinforced, cities were garrisoned, and military installations were constantly at the ready. The fleet surrounding Byss was ready, the installations orbiting it were prepared, and it all belonged to him. Sven would defend this world to his death, and those who came for it would find out.

He frowned slightly as he walked out of the throne room.

Perhaps it was time for an inspection.

 

[Sigourney Xanthius]

Lord Gaius sat beside her and ordered the same drink as the one that sat upon the bar in front of Sigourney, "Keep the body hydrated." Sigourney chuckled at that comment. The sight of the two sitting at the bar ordering water would be a peculiar one. Sigourney wore tight pants, tucked into durable boots at the ankle. Her torso was clothed by a simple grey t-shirt, it wasn't really a colour that complimented her skin but who was she to care? She was here to do a job and so she dressed for the occasion. Her attire was practical. She was prepared for heat with the clothes she wore underneath a large cloak. The cloak served as much purpose to protect her from cold as it did in protecting her from being noticed to any other than the one that sat beside her. Sigourney sipped at her water as the Mando she was working with filled her in. "Not much of a battle plan, as it were. I'm looking to document local naval and ground defences, High Value Targets such as locations of heavy industrial areas military and civil. Communication array locations, military bases, operations, force size for navy and ground, planetary shield generators and their own defences. And of course whatever weaknesses that can be found with any of these." "A relatively simple scouting mission, by all means." Sigourney replied. "I don't have the clearance to tell you why, but I think you know why. You're a smart girl, from what I hear." "You flatter me, Vod. I do understand what you're getting at though, shall we get down to business?"
Sigourney stood to leave just as Lord Gaius did. She grabbed her small over-the-shoulder messenger bag from the floor beside her stool. It contained few weapons. A precaution that would most likely prove unnecessary but it made Sigourney feel more secure to know she had them incase.

 

[Lord Gaius]

Gaius Vel strode from the cantina, hand out to slap the door to open. His speeder was parked adjacent to the structure, he crossed the avenue where a string of countless merchants looked to sell their wares. The crowd was thick, and for all appearances, they looked no different. They didn't stand out, except for the Zeltron's orange skin. Then again, there were plenty of more interesting aliens floating about. Some quite literally floating. He climbed into the drivers seat with only a meagre amount of room for his passenger. She would have to sit with her bag on her knees, it wasn't comfortable but he didn't live in luxury either - unlike her. When you founded one of the galaxies largest criminal organisations in the past century, you tended to have an extra coin or two in hand. On his hand, he was just a simple Beskarsmith, not that was simple. Beskar was rare. He ignited the engines, waited for her to enter before gripping the yoke and directing the speeder back towards his temporary residence.

 

[Sigourney Xanthius]

Sigourney followed the stocky and dark-skinned man outside the cantina. Thankfully her ride hadn't been parked too far off. Sigourney pulled her cloak over her head, leaving only a small portion of her face to be seen. Sigourney peered out from under her cover and eyed the few merchants bartering their wares to those who were not smart enough to know the items were worth less than they were sold for. Who was she to comment on practises like this, she had run a crime syndicate, after all. She was used to a particular method of... finding 'loopholes' in wrong and right. The speeder in front of her was nothing to boast about. From first appearances, it seemed barely large enough to fit them both in comfortably. Sigourney climbed up and hopped into the passenger seat. There was only enough room at her feet to sit with her knees high. She placing her bag on her lap. She wasn't about to place it on the floor, even if there had been enough room. It did contain a number of weapons, after all. Being a crime lord had given her and her partner, Lysle a certain amount of luxury. Their offices had been spacious and more than accommodating. Especially for the one or two that mainly inhabited them. Sigourney wasn't bothered by the basic nature of her partner nor his transport, she found it refreshing. The level of luxury given to the crime-lord had become tiresome over time. She had longed for the quiet comforts of her childhood home. The feelings she remembered in that quiet space were more than money could buy. Sigourney settled into her small seat with ease as Lord Gaius kickstarted the engine. The ship lifted off the ground as Sigourney asked, "Where to now, boss?"

 

[Lord Gaius]

The speeder flew through laneways and access tunnels. Gaius said, "We're heading back to my hotel room, I need to grab my beskar'gam and weapons." He pulled on the yoke and took a hard right, ascended by one-hundred and twenty floors and kept chugging along. "What do you got in the bag?" he asked off-handedly, giving a quick glance to the bag resting on her lap. A large cloud clutter loomed before them and a oval disc of a landing port greeted them. He spun the yoke, decelerated and cut the engines. The speeder came down with a smooth landing, and as quickly as they had gotten in the speeder, Gaius was once again climbing out. He moved for a large set of double doors, entered his access pin and moved into the building. He took the first door on the right, his room he had booked. He wanted to be close to the exit. He swiped a clearance card and once inside, they would both be greeted with a mighty sight. An armoury's worth of weapons, equipment and gadgets were sprawled over the room.

 

[Sigourney Xanthius]

Lord Gaius' speeder buzzed through the winding pathways towards their destination. Gaius spoke, "We're heading back to my hotel room, I need to grab my beskar'gam and weapons." The mention of an armour pickup was enough to spark the excitement of the fight in Sigourney. The weapons part, Sigourney was even happier about. She had been itching to get back into action and this seemed like the perfect stepping stone. Gaius broke Sigourney's thought, "What do you got in the bag?" "A few weapons, not too much. Just a few thermal detonators here and there and maybe a blaster or two, you know the drill." The ship shuttered to a halt in a large cemented clearing. in front of Sigourney stood a hotel. Sigourney followed Lord Gaius as he entered his pin and moved to a room upon the first floor. No luxury at all had been afforded for his accommodation it seemed. The Zeltron allowed for her eyes to adjust to the state of the room they'd entered. It wasn't so much a room for relaxing as it was a military grade armoury. There had clearly been no shortage of supplies for their mission and Sigourney was glad to see it. Maybe she could convince Gaius' to lend a weapon or two to her. After all, Mandalorians were supposed to care for their own. After taking in the sight of the weaponry, Sigourney glanced to her side where Lord Gaius stood. There was no denying he was an attractive man. He stood tall, dark-skinned and of a sturdy frame. She moved her line of sight to find somewhere suitable to sit. Shuffling assorted blasters pistols out of the way she found a small couch that was surprisingly comfortable. Glancing around the room, she silenced any thought of how bold the armour would make him look. Sigourney had aways liked the strong, silent types.

 

[Lord Gaius]

Gaius began to undress. When he stood in nothing but his underwear, he brought over an armorweave body glove and began to pull himself in, before piecing his beskar'gam on top of it. His beskar'gam was solid, with nexu fur coating his shoulders and neck and a terentatek hide as a gorget with its tusks serving as his horns. It was thick plating, but it too had multiple openings that could be capitalised upon by the enemy. Half his beskar'gam was coated in a sunrise orange with the other being a stark-white-turned-grey from the deserts of Aargonar, with slug scratches from Esfandia. He made himself look bigger, harder to take down, it was all to do with psychological warfare. If you saw a massive brute charging you with a set of horns from a terentatek and using fur of a nexu for mere decoration, you second-guessed whether or not you should be fighting that man. A combat shotgun rested in a sling, sonic carbine at his side alongside a machine pistol. A nutrient frame was slung onto the top of his jetpack, making any Force-based abilities nullified, and the ability to detect him in the Force mute. He looked to Sigourney, "What did you bring?"

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