Legacy

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

SOULSTINE

When she was young, her parents had staged a heist and then some. One of the galaxy's largest space stations, Saelari Medical Center had been a decommissioned derelict in the outer Coruscant system, forgotten by everyone. They'd linked a series of slave-rigged bulk freighter hyperdrives to its circumference and jumped the entire station from Coruscant to the Anaxes outsystem.

Then the Republic had paid for it, on the order of hundreds of millions of credits, and promptly done nothing.

Then Anaxes had fallen.

In the pilot's seat of her Tachyon light freighter, Mara slurped something cold and indescribable from a cup the size of her forearm. Through a curly straw.

"Merrill to Shepard." He was a spacer, the rough kind, and one of her candidates for Warden training. Like all her candidates, he didn't know what she was. "My slave rig's beeping like mad. We've got it inbound. Just keep anyone curious off my back while I retune the drives to make sure we can do the final jump."

Seven thousand metres of durasteel exited hyperspace in front of her, blotting out her viewscreen. She angled for the nearest hyperdrive, a low-profile chunk of machinery bolted to a perimeter spike the size of a Star Destroyer.

[member="Serock Hoath"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Copy that, Merrill.” was the lone reply she would receive, before the Privateer drifted away to give the freighter space to do what it needed to do.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]In a different time and world Hoath had commanded Star Destroyers, ordered the glassings of worlds and generally been not exactly the nicest guy around. Druckenwell… it hadn’t changed him, but it [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]had[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] changed him.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Ain’t nothing like trying to stop a slaughter and then being framed for it anyway. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Didn’t mean he wasn’t still a heartless bastard, just meant that this time around Hoath kinda knew how it felt to be on the other side of the stitch. Meant that he was more careful about the way he handled himself in things.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Meant that he didn’t like being the person he was.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So the Privateer would patrol a bit, make sure that nothing too curious would try and make Mara’s day any worse than it had to be.[/SIZE]

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Serock Hoath"]

Each of the hyperdrives had been carved from a big old bulk freighter, then mated to an independent power supply and slave-rigged to all the others. Obviously the drives were functioning -- the station was here -- but judging by Mom's records, they'd had an effective range of less than two thousand light-years. That meant, between the Anaxes jump and the Soulstine jump, the Saelari Medical Center was running on fumes. She only carried a limited amount of fuel in her own tanks, but she'd had her hold filled with fuel and linked to a protrusion rig, as if she was doing an in-flight refuelling in atmo.

She nestled up against the first drive, guiding the fuel line with maneuvering thrusters and the Force. "How're we looking, Sheperd?" she said absently. She tended to talk while she worked; it helped to steady her hands and calm her nerves, a trick she'd picked up from her father. And her mother too, for that matter.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Even for a man like Hoath the Saelari Medical Center was something [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]huge[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px], in his entire tenure as the Grand Admiral of the Confederacy and even before that as a Warlord… nothing came close to what he was seeing right here and now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Perhaps the Serenity comes close, a Battlecruiser though. Not a station to heal the sick and mend their wounds.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It was interesting to see that there had been a time where people had decided to invest so much capital in something that wasn’t made to simply kill their enemies in a more efficient way. Sobering thought really, that most of their time the Galaxy at large only cared about those things.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“All clear here, Merrill.” Hoath would reply over the comm, leaning back against his seat and pondering on the physics that must involve constructing a gargantuan station such as this one.[/SIZE]

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Shepard"]

She'd rigged a secondary fuel gauge for this. It kept her attention. Too fast a flow, and she might have sprung a leak -- hyperfuel snow flurries in vacuum. Too slow, and there might be an obstruction. But for the moment, the gauge dialed down pretty much as expected.

She also kept an eye on her own long-range sensors. Trust was a fool's game.

"First drive's loaded. Moving to the second one."

She closed off the valve and lifted the Tachyon away from the ugly protrusion. The bulk freighter hyperdrive shivered -- was that just her imagination? Leftover reverb from her thrusters? Her stomach twisted, maybe nervousness, maybe premonition, as she made her way around the station's circumference to the next drive in the set, and began fueling.

"Second drive locked. Fueling in progress. So tell me about yourself."

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Hoath leaned against the seat, his eyes closed and for a moment he simply managed to relax for a little while. The crew would probably make a lot of noises if there was anything in their vicinity that could give them a bad day, so no use in staring at the systems for the entirety of the time. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Whatcha wanna know?” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Wasn’t exactly the most interesting of people, at least… not if he wanted to keep most of his history to himself. Ain’t no stories for a twelve year old, probably ain’t stories for older people either, but that’s life for ya.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A scratch of the chin as he waited for her to clarify what exactly she wished to know. [/SIZE]

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Shepard"]

She'd have been very incensed at being thought of as twelve years old. Her official age was a shrug. "Just curious is all. You smell like Mando, you've obviously got Force sensitivity, you're just as obviously not a Jedi or a Sith. Not that I'm judging."

Her eyes never left the fuel gauge. With a satisfied nod, she closed it off and lifted away, skimming around the station's circumference toward the third drive. The station was seven thousand metres across and twenty-two thousand metres around. Even with the fuel tanks losing mass and the Tachyon's engines at full burn, this would take a while. And conversation would give her the chance to evaluate him as a potential Warden.

It occurred to her that maybe he was already one.

"I mean, I'm hardly a Jedi or Sith either. More or less. Mostly less."

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Hoath grunted noncommittally, while pondering over what to share with her and what to definitely keep to himself. Years of history was trying to flash before his eyes and failing, memories lost, blurred and repressed through alcohol and neglect, might be better that way.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“I like to move around.” a shrug after that, he realized it wasn’t really a lot to go one. But ya gotta start somewhere. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Saw me fair share of war, decided it was time for a change, been traveling here and there ever since.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A snort.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Monroe [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]liberated[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] the bar I was hauled up in a few years back, pulled me into the Mandalorian space. Haven’t really looked back since. You?”[/SIZE]

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Shepard"]

The account more or less fit her impression of him. The mention of Mia Monroe... "So you got hooked by the Liberator herself, eh? Before she went dar'manda?" Monroe still worked for, and with, the Underground's leaders, one of whom was Mara's father. Jorus and Monroe went way back, in a totally platonic sense. At least, she hoped it was totally platonic. Ew.

"Third drive fuelled-"

The next hour went much like the last while. No close-by sensor contacts, a bit of talk, just shooting the breeze with a reticent but fairly personable spacer. By the end, she was fairly sure he wasn't a Warden. Lapsed Jedi, maybe -- there were plenty of those running around, if the instructors at the Yavin Academy were to be believed. Her father claimed that a quarter of Jedi answered to the Republic's Council, a quarter to the Silvers, a quarter to the Sanctum and the rest were rogue. At a guess, the numbers were weighted more toward the Republic than that, but not by much. Two or three schisms in ten years left a lot of room for people to chart their own course, whether they liked it or not.

"Drives full. Setting course."

The slave rig beeped companionably. The Saelari Medical Center jumped for deep space near Ord Mantell. Mara's ship followed.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]At the end of the day Hoath felt more relaxed.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He had always been a bit on edge around kids, not because of any hatred or dislike, but for some reason they all reminded him of his own family. Reminded him of things that he had lost, because of the wars fought and waged, weren’t any good reminders.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But this kid seemed alright, a little bit rough around the edges - much like himself. Not exactly acting like her age, more adult and grown-up, might be the Galaxy pacing her or might be something else. Point was that he didn’t feel all too awkward talking to her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Maybe not twelve after all.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]When the station jumped the Privateer followed after it, jumping for Deep Space.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

She took her YT-2400 into a slow roll. It wasn’t every day she was doing supply runs, but it seemed to be more so lately. She was working with her father, believe that or not. Running gear for the Underground. He wasn’t going to let her take many other missions, but the fact that they were in a sort of reconnection phase? That was good for her. She still wasn’t taking a spot aboard his new vessel, not one to replace the Dawn Treader, but to work beside her. Apparently it was used for exploration, which if her father was involved meant it was also smuggling and teaching. The man was doing so much more now that he was… back? Was that the word?

Anyway, she had some supplies and workers to drop off at the station. The girl, well, young woman, even if Kaia was still going to refer to herself as a girl, was comfortable here. She had started receiving a few lessons from Mara, who apparently was a Warden of the Sky, not that Kaia would mention it to anyone beyond Lia, and that made Kaia one as well? She was always at home aboard a vessel, and really, Kaia did love herself a good space-walk sometimes. Anything that kept her moving and in between worlds.

Her home was a ship, after all. And this whole situation, helping with an intergalactic shadowport? It just made sense to her, what a Warden should do. Clear up a lane, make it so that they could build it, drop off workers, and connect with others from the Underground… Sounded like a fun day.

Of course, her father was out doing his Frontiers Corp thing… but he had a new ship to break in. Was she even in the right spot? She leaned back in her seat and checked her instruments. Yes, of course she was. She was a Starchaser.

[member="Shepard"] [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Kaia Starchaser"] [member="Shepard"] [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"]

The slicer scratched the side of the spacesuit's helmet with ineffectual results as her speckled-face behind the protective glass looked around. She took out her trusty companion datapad and scanned the makeshift map. That one space was supposed to be a cantina on her left. The main terminal of the station was her targeted goal. Her small shuttle was back....somewhere....

She knew a few things: the almost-station she was working in had jumped, she was no longer alone, and she was undeniably lost inside.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Spark Finn"] | [member="Kaia Starchaser"] | [member="Shepard"]​

​

[SIZE=12pt]Moving things from point A to get to point B Rekha could do with her eyes blindfolded. The Midnight Star slipped through regions of space like a knife slicing hot butter she was quick and it was usually painless.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]As part of the Undergound today she was helping to bring them some help, live cargo so to speak. Behind her she could hear the murmurings of workers ready to begin renovations, and upgrades to the comendeered vessel Saelari Medical Center. From the story she heard it was something that was permanently borrowed from the Republic.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“OK Boys, we are getting ready to drop from hyperspace into normal space. Should be at our destination within the hour…so…what you boys going to do to pass the hours?” She smiled broadly staring out the view port waiting for the Star to give the signal she was dropping.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]“If you stick around sweetie I’m sure some of us be more than happy to show you around”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha nodded, “I might, how about I do this. I”ll bring some casks of ale, and bar finger foods to keep you on your toes, but you got to keep on schedule and get this baby the way we need it..deal?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She was good at making deals like this, there was some ale she could get for a song. She had not been playing music the men did not want to hear the love songs she liked. They played cards, slept, and prepared for work while Rekha piloted them in.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]"Deal" came responses from a few [/SIZE]

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

Deep space was beautiful, it was a wonder how more people didn't just live in translucent floating domes out here. A wistful sigh escaped his lips as he swung around the corner on the outside of the giant shadowport to-be. Connected somewhere to the station was a long, and hopefully secure, rope of some synthetic material. Regardless it kept him from flying off into space and tethered so he could work with little interruption.

But who could work with a view like this?

"Hey! Quit yer sightseein' and get ta work! I ain't payin' ya to look at the stars!"

And then there was him. Once again [member="Ezekiel Dashiell"] had sold him into basic slavery, though these people weren't as bad as others when it came to the odd jobs he'd done in the past. Besides, maybe the stars would prove to be enough payment for the young spacer.

Or maybe he would steal the hydrospanner and give his older brother a whirl.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"] [member="Spark Finn"] [member="Kaia Starchaser"] @Shepard @Mara D'Lessio Merrill​

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Spark Finn"] | [member="Kaia Starchaser"] | [member="Shepard"] | [member="Isaiah Dashiell"]​

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha was nearing her destination. Her green eyes could not help but stare at where she was taking her cargo.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Damn” Rekha had not seen anything like this before, “I wonder if they will let me wander around a bit” she was whispering but it was out loud anyone could hear her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“If you’re a good girl I bet they will let you do anything”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha turned slowly, and laughed as she shoved the man. He had crystal clue blue eyes, his skin looked tanned like hide, his voice was calm, and he sounded almost as taken in as she was by the ship that lay ahead of them.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]He paid her no mind and slipped into the co-pilot seat, “Now what will you all be doing with that there little girl?” He questioned her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“No idea really, I’m just bringing in you guys” If she knew anything she wasn’t going to tell, not until she was sure of who was asking.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Let’s give her a fly by before we get permission to dock” Rekha turned the Star taking her around.[/SIZE]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A call had been placed down the grapevine.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]One of the [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]secure[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] lines, which only minimized the amount of people that could get a hold of him in that kind of capacity. Turned out that there had been a secretive mission, gigantic station liberated right from under the Sith’s noses. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Now they were pitching on refitting the thing and turn it into a base.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Ain’t that something that brings tears to the eyes.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Over the years fortune had decided to give Khal a good turn, when he had first stepped into the Galaxy he had to basically sell his life away for a year just to get something [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]interesting[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] (and food). But that was then and this was now.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A small flotilla of ships broke hyperspace and arrived in the system, it would have been preceded by the correct transponder codes- last thing Khal wanted was to send everyone scattering. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Walker here with some cavalry.” Khal wasn’t a fan of using his real name these days, at least not when doing operations such as this one. Wasn’t all that kosher in his opinion. But the transmission would be sent to the people in the system, better make intentions clear immediately. "Figured y'all might need some extra few hands, or maybe a few dozen."[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The flotilla was filled with engineers and resources that would go a long way towards the refitting of the station into a real shadowport.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Spark Finn"] | [member="Kaia Starchaser"] | [member="Rekha Kaarde"] | [member="Isaiah Dashiell"] |[/SIZE]​

 

[Noah Corek]

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] [member="Shepard"] [member="Kaia Starchaser"] [member="Spark Finn"] [member="Rekha Kaarde"] [member="Isaiah Dashiell"] [member="Khaleel Malvern"]

Noah sighed as he sat on the bridge of the Solomon Noah's personal flagship, an old Hammerhead-class refitted by the person who had called him here's father. Though Noah did pay for the refit in full he still felt like he owed Jorus, not only for the Solomon but also for pulling his ass outta the fire multiple time over the last three or four years. Well Noah had already helped Jorus out with weapons for the Underground but I guess its always good to have the Lord of the Hyperlanes owe you one.

So now Noah sat in space with a hold filled with all sorts of materials to help build or retro-fit a massive space station. Well not enough to do it for the entire station, it would take maybe a half dozen trips but it would be easy enough.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] | [member="Spark Finn"] | [member="Kaia Starchaser"] | [member="Shepard"] | [member="Isaiah Dashiell"] |[/SIZE] [member="Khaleel Malvern"] | [member="Noah Corek"]​

[SIZE=12pt]Flying casual that’s what she was doing she had slowed the ship considerably any less throttle and they might stall right there, wouldn’t that be a hoot. Rekha arched a brow damn this puppy was huge.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]As the Star made the trip around the out edge looking in Rekha wondered about food and drinks…was there an opportunity here to be had. She did not know she did not really know if she could handle two, and she knew she wasn’t ready to leave Bespin. The place had grown on her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“You’re far away Lassie” That soft voice whispered from her right she looked over, “Yeah lots of thoughts, by the way who are you?”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]The old man laughed, “I am called Kyrian”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha smiled, “Well Kyrian, everyone calls me Rekha.” She didn’t say much her mind had wandered far away she had made a promise to a few people to take on a mission. After this she had plans to pick up another load, she looked at Kyrian.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“I know you probably can’t wait to get over there and begin remodeling, but…” Rekha never asked for a thing in her life not from those she cared for, and most definitely not from a stranger. “Eh never mind”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha made the request for a docking station, her illusions of grandeur and awe having passed with reality.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Kyrian looked at her, “Well if you think of it, you know where I’ll be” He seemed disappointed that she hadn’t gone through with the thought, but Rekha just couldn’t do it. As much as she wanted company she still couldn’t bring herself to invite.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]What was wrong with her?? [/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]The all clear came in, and directions to where she could land. She throttled up some and made her way in watchful of the other ships that by now had grown exponentially in numbers who knew the Underground knew so many.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]In through the shields, into a hangar, and touchdown![/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Ok kiddies end of the line” Rekha got up and came back through, “Been wonderful, let’s go check in and see what’s next”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Atmosphere was established on the station that was great and the moment the door opened the noises of a space station filled her ears.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha walked off the ship waiting as the crew passed her ready to report to their boss , find quarters and begin work. Rekha looked around. This felt familiar.[/SIZE]

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was… working. On a few things. Her ship, the Wandering Star had arrived at the location to meet the station. Or whatever. And she was starting to see a good number of vessels show up. That was nice. People were here to get this project moving. And once the station arrived, she put out her call as a friendly and lead the other freighters to their new, yet temporary home. She was enjoying her tasks lately, and that was a good sign.

She took her vessel and landed it. Lots of hangar space. That was nice. Still, hers was parked near the door. “I know it’s a walk, btu I ain’t stayin’ too long.” The girl picked up a few lessons from her father’s datacrons, as much as she hated to admit it. She knew to disguise her accent. Sometimes. [member="Khaleel Malvern"] would tell her to change her name, and sometimes she did go by Leia Topol, but today? She just didn’t really give her name.

With her ship shutting down, she got her flight jacket, one of her Aunt Lily’s old ones, and slipped it on. The Jedi Padawan was really doing her best to be more Warden of the Sky, and that meant helping wherever she could on matters in space.

A station? Well, that was tons better than walking on a planet.

Dirt and all that.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]
[member="Noah Corek"]
[member="Isaiah Dashiell"]
[member="Spark Finn"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Kaia Starchaser"]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Khal raised an eyebrow at the accent, before rolling his eyes and sighing softly. Sometimes he really wondered if Kaia took life seriously enough, because for a girl her age she really got herself caught up in the most crazy of things and rolled about it… like a rollercoaster ride or something.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Roger, Topol.” the Underlord would reply with a smirk, before sending the signals to his own little flotilla to dock.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He had brought a lot of things from Salvatrucha this time around.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Engineers, resources and all the other things one might expect from a simple refitting and restoration project. The details had been sketchy when it had come in, but once could expect that there were only a few things that the Underground would want with a Space Station like this one.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Shadowport.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]His ships docked, men filling out and Khal stepped out himself, looking around.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Fething huge.[/SIZE]