Legends of the Hidden Temple [ORC Dominion of J-53, Askaj]

[Ria Misrani]

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Upon arrival on Taharaq several members of the Coalition are asked to help local priests. They require but a handful of skilled adventurers to wander into the tomb of the great Askajian King, Taharaq. Priests seek an artifact that will serve to unify their people. The artifact is said to radiate with the King's Light, thus those connected with the darkness will find that they may burn in its presence. [DM Story, Objective I]

Others belonging to the Coalition now work to help the people of Askaj, out in the desert lies the town of Napata. Napata serves as a trading hub and a source of water as it is situated near the Barkol Lake. The only source of water for anyone within several hundred kilometers. Reach out to the people and provide them with aid. [Semi-DM Stories, Objective II]

In the new Askajian capital of Kashta, the people here are preparing for the annual celebration of the Moon Lady. Or, Blessed Aniris the Goddess and perhaps patron diety for the Askajians. Help the people prepare for the festivities, shop, or relax within the many splendors of the luxourious city on the delta. [BYOO, Objective III]

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ALARAO CITY

Objective I

A Noghri and two Trandoshans await those who have arrived with the Coalition. High Priest Shebeku stood with these three, they were at the steps of the Alarao's Temple of Tamanti. Tamanti had been considered one of the great Gods, a son of Aniris herself. The Priest's head dressing bore a striking resemblance to the legless repetillian creatures that have been known to thrive out in the harsh deserts. No doubt many a-tomb raider, relic hunter or simply enthusiastic transgalactic scholar would arrive along with perhaps a force user or two. Shebeku had no doubt that the lawlessness of the Coalition coupled with what he needed would draw a rather interesting crowd.

Decorations in the crowded desert city were being hoisted up, banners in the air with ribbons flowing from wooden stalls. The Festival of the Moon, or the Great Aniris Moon Festivial was to be had later on in the day here and throughout all of Askaj. It was the day they would honor their great Goddess Aniris for it was she who blessed this world. The sounds of flutes and horns accompanied by drums could be eard from the plaza all the way up to the temple steps. "Ah, welcome Coalition and friends. I am High Priest Shebeku and I have a quest for you."

NAPATA

Objective II

While the more daring of the Coalition make their way to Alarao, Napata required less adventure and more hardiness. Napata was quieter than that of Alarao but held significance in that they were the only source of water. In fact Barkol Lake kept Alarao going. Traders, merchants, farmers and other denizens of the small town now looked to the arrival of the Coalition for help. Napata in need of supplies and good helping hands turned to their officials to be their voices. Peacekeeper Jabari and Gelena were the two officials chosen to give the Coalition the information they needed. The who, what, when and where of the problems that plagued the town from slavers, to pipes not running correctly and a few other problems that need solving. The two Peacekeepers looked at one another and both seemed to wonder if these Coalition members were going to be more harm than good for the people of Napata. Not only that, with the Festival to be held in the evening - they both turned to look out over the horizon as said members arrived via speeder.

KASHTA CITY

Objective III

A new capital, lavished in the finest stones and woods that Askaj could afford. Music played from every plaza, temples towered over one another in the hopes of pleasing the great Askajian pantheon. Open markets and food stalls welcomed everyone who came through its streets. The smells of freshly made goods wafted in the air, the sounds of wooden and animal drawn carts could be heard among the mix were the binary speak of droids. Aliens of one sort or the other crowded the streets, spaceports ran with the typical troubles but nothing the Coalition hadn't been used to. The Great Aniris Moon Festival, or the Festival of the Moon as it was more formally known as would be held tonight and everyone was busy getting ready.

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Ria Misrani"] - Objective I
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Veino shaded his eyes with his hand as he stepped off the transport and strode across the hot desert planetscape. It had been a long time since he had gone on one of these adventures, but exploring a temple was something that was always a good diversion from the logistics works of running the Jensaarai and aiding the galactic wide Resistance. He left the armor behind for this excursion, but kept the armored explorer's bodysuit underneath his traveling clothes.

He'd already memorized the directions and so he followed those to the temple. Upon hearing the introduction, he bowed.

"Honored to make your acquaintance, High Priest. I am Master-Defender Veino Garn." He rose. "Would be delighted to assist you in retrieving this artifact."

His eyes inspected the ones already there. Trandoshans and Noghri. They were good fighters, certainly, but they were unknown variables. Could make things better or worse, depending on what their true goals for this excursion really counted as.

 

[Amea Virou]

[member="Ria Misrani"]

The sun scorched on this planet. The heat brought Amea no small measure of discomfort, and for each sweat bead that ran down her forehead she felt the urge to take another sip of water from her canteen. Yet in this kind of heat it was all about conservation and minimizing waste. Comfort and survival rarely went hand in hand after all.

Amea grabbed the red scarf around her neck and brought it up to pat at the sweat before she lowered it again with an uneasy sigh. She came to a stop by the entrance to the tomb to glance up at the once-intricate engravings that had now become little more than a worn down reminder of something that once were. Her hand patted against the belt on her hip to ensure that her equipment was still there. While she wouldn’t expect it to have fallen off just yet there was something nagging at the back of her mind as if she was well-aware that this was the dumbest mistake of her life. A quick expedition to Gree was not enough to get her a good grasp on this whole archaeology thing but it was certainly enough to whet her appetite.

The winds howled and Amea threw a quick look over her shoulder at the rest of the people who had gathered. Another glance shot off into the sky to make sure that there wouldn’t be a repeat of what had happened to the last dig, but given how remote this place was it felt quite unlikely. The base camp was a small construct for the time being, but that was going to change if the reports were to be believed. Amea had decided to go ahead and get to the tomb and help with preparations instead of waiting around to get picked up. The idea of sitting around doing nothing for this didn’t roll well with her. She needed to act.

So, here she was with a newly erected tent that offered her and some of the other workers with a measure of shade. Not that it mattered a lot, but the illusion that the breezes cooled them down helped even if just a little.

“That’s the tent.” She exhaled and continued to wipe at her forehead. “Any approximates on that other group?”

The squibs began to talk of the dig. It was interesting enough perhaps, it certainly didn’t hurt to have an idea of what you were about to disturb when it came to these things.

After all, when was it tomb raiding, or grave robbing, and when was it archaeology?

Like, when did that line blur?

Amea didn’t know. Probably didn’t really care, but she had to consider it somewhat at least. Right?

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Objective I
[member="Ria Misrani"] | [member="Veino Garn"] | [member="Amea Virou"]

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Jaya was glad she had left her gauntlets at home. The heat was difficult enough to manage without having to carry two large hunks of metal on one's hands. Still, soon enough she would have some shade to work with once she had found her way into the tomb she was going to traverse. It wasn't much further now and the prospect of finally being out of the sun was one that enticed her. The tomb itself would more than likely have its own set of less-than-welcoming aspects, but the woman would deal with those as they came.

When it came to what to expect, however, Jaya really didn't have much of a clue. She had quite the resume of out-there jobs she had done, but exploring a tomb was not on it. That was also one of the major reasons she had come down to Alarao City. Although she was a bit allergic to formalities, the woman was quite amused by the festivities that could be seen all around her. Still, little time was wasted making her way to the temple steps, where the high priest awaited the rather... diverse group that would be gathering here. Looking around, she noticed only one other person had arrived so far. She looked him over while he interacted with the high priest, seemingly around his early thirties, brown hair that went down to his neck, and a few scars to show he had seen his fair share of battle.

Jaya herself didn't bow, however. She simply stood there, giving Shebeku a half-nod in greeting. "Of that I had been informed, yes. It should be an interesting one, by the looks of it."

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

The Warden of the Sky had entered the subspace of the local system. Putting up the beacons and programming it, Kaia looked around her ship. She was parked in dark space a bit away from the planet. What she was looking for was just what was going on, where the safe places were, and if there were safe houses. Her droid was downloading all of that data that she could. Where was the place to sell, where was the place to buy, and where was the place to go for safety.

That meant sending out a bit of coded messages on a few frequencies, some lifted straight from the Alliance, others from the Coalition and even more from unsavory types. It was a matter of setting up safe houses. Places the Wardens could go, hell, places Jedi could find solace.

With the collapse of the Alliance and restructuring of the Republic, she had been told by the Shattered Order that they needed assistance, and as Kaia had claimed herself a Jedi, she was doing all that she could. She looked at her droid and sighed.

“Do I really have to go down there?” She was hoping not.

 

[Griet van Vliet]

Objective 3
Location: Kashta

Starfighter piloting was a harrowing experience for Griet, but it was good to be attempting performing forensic auditing once again. Prior to the FO invasion, the Squibs tipped her off about a possible ring of counterfeiters that were using their own counterfeits to perpetrate fiscal fraud. The lead led Griet to Askaj, but at this stage of the game, she would rather just use the cover of just being an art collector, while knowing that free flow of cultural goods, counterfeit or not, was virtually guaranteed throughout ORC space. Now, an art gallery that was primarily an art market was not, in itself, a problem; she could always pretend to be buying sculptures and/or paintings for the accounting office on Akarui; the others didn't mind reproductions, counterfeits even. She thus made the trek towards Kashta's art gallery that the Squib streetear indicated as a clue to help root out the counterfeiters. And she realized that the art being sold in there is mostly... low-value, inexpensive reproductions but that was catering to those who wanted artwork and yet couldn't afford the real things.

"Welcome to the Kollick Gallery. Maxwell, at your service"

 

[Malok]

Objective: III
Location: Kashta City
Tag: [member="Darth Ivum"], [member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"], [member="Runi Verin"], [member="Amaya Cardei"]

The chill was refreshing.

As the sun glared down upon the city, beads of sweat would form upon any brow. For this reason, most of the denizens within the Sith's periphery lingered in the shade. Or, they dove inside the shops surrounding him for a blast of conditioned air. One would think that, as a man with a mess of dreadlocks upon his head, he would follow suit. After all, the longer the hair, the hotter the skull and all that joy. Typically speaking, this would indeed be the case. Even though he was a native of the near-desolate Mandalore, the full brunt of summer was not something he particularly enjoyed melting in. But this time, he had something peculiar to stave off the sweltering heat.

Clutched within his fingers was the strangest confection he had ever eaten. A literal orb of ice. Or so it seemed. But, no matter how long he held it, there were no drips running down his fingers. No matter how much he licked it or rested it upon his lips, nothing melted down his chin. Even the glare of the sun did nothing to its pristine form. Yet, as he indulged in the confection, he was greeted to a cool, sweet taste that ran all the way through his being. It was the wildest thing.

And frankly, it was something that he needed. Not in the sense of evading the heat, mind - but in the overall sense of doing something different. For months now, all Darth Metus had done was bounce from battlefield to diplomatic venture, and vice versa. And, when he wasn't bouncing, he was tutoring his Apprentices or beating hot metal into shape. There wasn't much time in his days for doing anything...normal. But, [member="Darth Ivum"] was the unexpected arrival that shuffled the Sith's schedule. When his firstborn finally returned home, it was...finally time to just do something with him. With them. It was time to just be a family, for even a second.

Thus, he dragged his son, kicking and screaming to Kashta City while the princess of the house - miss [member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] - followed behind giggling all the way. He then reached out to their siblings, asking [member="Runi Verin"] and [member="Amaya Cardei"] for just a single afternoon. He told them where they'd be: downtown, browsing all the city had to offer - and he hoped that they'd join them. If not...well, at least he tried.

In the meantime, the Sith looked over his shoulder where the "Derriphan Siblings" walked close behind. They had already raided the local sweet shop and procured the icy orbs, but where to next? Clothes? Food? Gadgets? Food? Jewelry? Food?

"Where to next?" he inquired between licks...praying that maybe, just maybe, they had inherited his monstrous appetite.

Because seriously. Food.

 

[Darth Ivum]

Objective 3​

Kashta City​

[member="Darth Metus"] | [member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] | [member="Runi Verin"] | [member="Amaya Cardei"]​

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Why in the everloving krif was he out in the sun, walking around a forum that resembled a bustling, crowded marketplace? Why the heck was he even away from the comfort of the Well? He was perfectly fine there. He could relax and actually sit down for more than twenty minutes before getting back on his feet yet again. Suffice it to say that he wasn’t too jolly about having to leave the house when he just got there. So, why, of all the places in the entirety of this Galaxy, did Father pick this specific downtown area of the city? And on a day of celebration, no less.

And why, for the love of Ragnos, why was it So. Karking. Hot? It made absolutely no sense. The ginger-dyed dreadlocks that covered his head and stretched down to the small of his back certainly did not help his predicament. The various stone managed to absorb as much heat as they could from the sun’s harsh rays, only to reflect it back onto him.

But, he had to admit, spending time with Father and Dia had been quite fun so far. Near the beginning of their little outing, the two siblings stopped their Father and asked him to wait while they went into a store that almost exclusively sold various sweets. When they finally emerged from the store nearly half an hour later, they carried in their hands bags full of candy, chips, and all sorts of junk food that likely wouldn’t last them very long. They also nabbed three ice cubes that seemed to never melt or run out.

Of course, Dia had been right and the junk food didn’t last long. In fact, it was gone within the hour and they were still hungry. Or, at least, he was still hungry. He couldn’t exactly speak for his younger sister.

So, with a ice cube on his lips and a pep in his step, he followed behind Father and stepped beside Dianah. Now that he’d done more than his full share of groaning and complaining, which fell on deaf ears by the by, he took a moment to look around at the newly anointed capital city.

It was quite the spectacle in its own right. There were rising structures made of sand and wood and portions even made from various metals. There were temples on nearly every block that they’d walked down. However, in their immediate area, there were all manner of aliens roaming through the scattered vendors. The shopkeepers themselves shouting over each other in an attempt to present the best deal to the passing buyers.

But, then, he heard Father ask where they’d go next. For him it was a very simple decisions.

“I’m hungry, some food would be nice. What do you think, Dia?”

 

[Srina Talon]

Location: Meeting Place for Napata Peacekeepers
Objective: The Sands of Napata [Objective II]
Wearing: Olive Tent
With: [member="BNI-Bella and BNI-Leo"]

Srina Talon moved silently along the waterfront of Barkol Lake near to the little city of Napata. The Ferocity had landed nearby at a rundown, inestimably small spaceport, and the wintry Exarch of the Confederacy was prepared to meet with a pair of Peacekeepers to find out exactly what sort of assistance they needed. Handling aspects of their nation that demanded humanitarian efforts, and maintaining alliances, had become a large part of her day-to-day routine. Even though the Alliance had fallen their ties had remained strong throughout. It was for this reason, despite her taciturn and shrewd mannerisms, that she had been elected to join the Coalition in this venture.

[member="Darth Metus"] was also on the planet, some distance away, and from what she could tell through their bond seemed to be enjoying himself. Family time. Silver orbs rolled heavenward and she thanked every deity there was that her mother seemed to have postponed her imminent arrival. If there was one thing she couldn’t deal with, while trying to settle an old score, and maintain appearances—it was handling Aeris Talon. She was the force of nature that Srina only wished she would one day be.

In the meantime, she remained mindful, but kept her distance and feigned cold indifference. The young Echani tended to avoid her Master’s family gatherings for the simple fact that most of his bloodline grew to loathe her after a time. She wasn’t entirely sure why, but with the exception of [member="Amaya Cardei"], she always earned their ire. The little warrior had long since ceased to care but she didn’t have a habit of placing herself somewhere that would prove deliberately taxing unless Darth Metus asked for it. He had not. Ergo, she would not.

The pale-skinned woman did not find the weather unpleasant. It was arid and warm, however, so was Geonosis. And Ryloth. And Tatooine. And about a half dozen other planets she’d recently visited for a variety of reasons. She’d grown used to it and thankfully didn’t seem to burn. With that in mind as well as the professional nature of her visit she was dressed accordingly. An olive colored dress swept over her form from head to toe. A dark hood hid platinum blonde hair and left the curves of slender shoulders entirely exposed. The material was light, but durable, and gave her plenty of space to hide any manner of weaponry. She didn’t have much—but after the Fall she remained ever prepared.

A collection of small silver rings decorated her fingers that seemed innocuous. They were not. One provided additional power when needed. The other was a weapon like none other. She kept them both on at all times, as she had sworn to her Master that she would, in order to try and remain undamaged. He preferred it when she returned home skewered and with all of her pale-blood on the inside.

Sooner than later the small town got closer and closer. She had left her standard complement of Magnaguard on her ship. If she needed them for any reason all it took was a brief activation through her Holo-Comm and they would be there with plenty of time to spare. Two droids that did accompany her, however, danced around her feet playing little games. [member="BNI-Bella and BNI-Leo"] were often her companions on missions where she suspected they might be able to gain a little bit of experience. The tricky thing was, they only seemed to learn together, or not at all. Separating them was…

Inadvisable.

Srina followed the coordinates on her Holo-Comm where they were to meet with the two officials and settled in to wait while watching the little rabbit-droids debate about whether or not they would fry if they jumped in the lake. The answer was no. She could have set their minds at ease, however, it was far more entertaining to watch them bicker.

 

[Darth Miseria]

Objective 3​

Kashta city​

[member=Darth Metus] | [member=Darth Ivum] | [member=Runi Verin] | [member=Amaya Cardei]​

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Since his return a few weeks ago, Dianah had been reluctant to let her eldest brother Ivum out of her sight. Since their emotional reunion in the throne room of Sinner's Well some parts of her still flinched and wondered if he was going to come back every time he left a room. So, when her Father had suggested a day out, Dianah nearly bubbled over with excitement. As per usual, her ori'vod was difficult to convince. But Dianah and Metus were impossible to argue with. Especially when they teamed up.

Dianah was in her element. It showed plainly on her face in the form of a bright smile. The sun was beating down on her caramel coloured skin, warming her from the inside out. It felt like she was the only one in her entire family who adored the hot weather. Fortunately, she had the option of tying her thick, dark curls up into a neat little bun. It kept the worst of the heat off, which was more than good enough for her.

The sights, the sounds, the smells. Everything in the market place was beautiful. Dianah bounced around like a hyper puppy, barely able to stand still enough for anyone to browse. It wasn't long before she had dragged Ivum into the nearest sweet shop. A good portion of an hour was spent in the colourful, sugary smelling store. By the time they were finished it was a wonder they could carry anything else. The ice cube she sucked on gently sent a chill of ice down her spine. It was a welcome relief from the bright rays of sunshine.

Food. It was always all about food. It seemed like this aliit was never full. Luckily for Dianah she had inherited this trait too. She could eat with the best of them.

'I think food sounds good. Buuuuut. Daadddy...' She came up to her Father's side with a charming smile on her face and the biggest puppy dog eyes she could manage. Dianah fluttered her eyelashes at him and lent close, with all the sweetness a daughter could muster. 'Can we go clothes shopping after?'

 

[Griet van Vliet]

Objective 3
Location: Kashta

"I'm interested in this painting" Griet told Maxwell, while pointing at an abstract painting.

"I'm afraid it's a little outside of a Jedi's budget" Maxwell answered Griet.

58,000 credits for a painting that bore the gallery owner's signature? That was overpriced to Griet's taste. But among that display of artwork - perhaps, for what she knew about art, those paintings, those sculptures that were displayed on the cheap might be of some taste to other species, just not necessarily to her, and Maxwell seemed to be banking on it for his business. While she was looking around, for some painting that might adorn the office and that Kitsune clients, as well as non-Kitsune, will like, there was another client that actually was well on its way to close out a transaction. Another painting sold for 8,000? That was a bit high, and it was signed by someone else, someone local apparently. She was no art appraiser, so she couldn't help but feel that something is off when it came to the price these items commanded. Probably some unscrupulous realtor looking to stage houses for artificial inflation of prices, she thought, while realizing that paintings and other artwork that expensive may prove to be a hard sell to clients given who VPN served.

 

[Ria Misrani]

Askaj​

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Kashta City, Market​

Objective III: Blessed Aniris of the Moon​

[member="Darth Metus"] | [member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] | [member="Runi Verin"] | [member="Darth Ivum"]​

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Amaya had to restrain herself, the incessant whine of Dianah's voice in the words, 'but daddy.' Made the woman want to crawl out of her skin, but then she had only just met this sibling so she supposed she could give the woman the beneift of a doubt, or two. Teyn, Amaya's husband was along for the family trip and on his back he carried Artemis, one of their three children who was tucked in nicely against his back. Amaya carried Artemis's twin brother Lorsimo who was tucked in close to mom's back. Amaya's oldest child, Isley the Younger was now four years old and his siblings had finally reached the age of one. The Nabooian woman turned a moment to look over her shoulder. "C'mon Runi." She bade, realizing that much like Amaya this may not have been the most well planned 'family' vacation as it were. Askaj was hot, and Kashta City seemed hotter still, and yet here they were.

"I think we're all in agreement for food and then we can split off for our own endeavors?" She suggested, just as Isley the Younger approached his grandfather.

"Papaw up! Lift me up!" Young Isley said rather than asked, the boy's hair was as tame as it could be braided down into rows along his head. He wore a light tunic and trousers so that he would not feel the heat nearly as much. He was very excited about this day, he found his aunt Dianah to be one of the best, but then Runi was more fun to listen to. She said some of the weirdest stuff if you asked the four year old. The other one, his funny lookin' uncle with the bright fiery hair well he was still a mystery to the young lad. Meanwhile Teyn just minded himself doing well to keep pace with the group, his daughter babbled on and on, her brother seemed to respond in kind. Whatever it was the twins were talking about, they seemed to be having quite the commentary.

 

[Ria Misrani]

ALARAO CITY, ASKAJ
[member="Veino Garn"] | [member="Jaya Tandris"]

"I thought there would be more of you," the High Priest stated, and then proceeded, "welcome one and all. I greet you in the name of her Holiness the Blessed Aniris and of the late King Taharaq." The Priest was tall, arms slender and fingers seemed to jut out in the air stabbing as he motioned along with his speech. "I have asked for travelers and adventurers such as yourself to head out into the depths of King Taharaq's tomb to find the King's Light. It is an artifiact that we need, an artifact that will help our people, but be warned those who have been touched by darkness will find that our great King's Light will burn."

The priest gestured toward the speeder point not too far from the temple. "We have established a base camp at the foot of the tombs. Go there and speak with our Expedition Leader Nalessk, our friends Haxrek and Arraks will accompany you to ensure your safety. And take this, this is the Seal of Aniris. Show this to the Expedition Leader and he will know that I have sent you." The priest then turned back into the temple with the Noghri closing the temple's grand doors behind them both. Leaving Veino and Jaya with a small piece of bronzium cut out into a neat circle with the temple seal. Oddly enough, when moved the seal revealed three smaller 'tokens' with them each one held a symbol of some Askajian god.

Expedition Guide Haxrek motioned for the two present to head for the speeders, as Arraks led them and he brought up the rear. The speeder ride was paid for by Haxrek as the droid brought out two, two-man speeders. Haxrek motioned for Veino to sit behind his seat, and Arraks took control for the ride that Jaya would be in. From there the speeders would travel a great distance until arriving at the base camp Kyrmah.

BASE CAMP KYRMAH
[member="Amea Virou"]

While awaiting the others, Expedition Leader Nalessk halted Amea. "You will not go further."

A group of Noghri rose from where they had been sitting within the tent. Nalessk looked at Amea and studied her, the eyes of the Trandoshan did not waver. "Where is the seal from the priest?" He asked, no demanded to know. Not many people could brave the desert of Askaj and simply arrive here at the tent. Still, here she was a lost human from the deserts. She reeked of the Force. Just as he moved to ask for her identification tags, the sounds of the speeders could be heard.

"Khrizan, Akhmarim see to our guests."

The two Noghri headed out from the cool of the tent and greeted the rest of the expedition team, Veino and Jaya would be brought along with their guides to the tent where Nalessk stood with Amea. "Do either of you have the seals from the priest?" He suspected they would, after all, they had arrived with members of the expedition team.

NAPATA, ASKAJ
[member="Srina Talon"]

Jabari and Gelena stood in the middle of a dispute between Farmer McKeigh and Farmer Benteestu, the human-chiss hybrid and the kaleeshi were not exactly going about their little dilemma in the most prime fashion. In the end they were told to alternate days, and a junior peacekeeper would be sent to monitor the situation. Misuse of water here could carry some serious consequences but that was why the peacekeepers did their best to ensure everyone stayed safe. It was as the argument came to a close that Jabari spotted the most unusual sight, "must be our help from the Coalition."

"Well met traveler!" Jabari said excusing himself from the trivial work of well, convincing both parties to return to their homes. "I am Peacekeeper Jabari and this." He gestured toward his companion, Gelena who turned and nodded in kind to the Echani. Gelena herself was a fellow Echani and Jabari was a strange Kiffar-mix of what she wasn't quite sure.

Gelena greeted the woman, "well met, I am as my colleague stated Peacekeeper Gelena. We're glad you're here."

"Our first task for you requires you to get your feet wet, head out toward the edges of town where Barkol Lake and Napata meet. There you'll find several pipes running from the lake up toward the water treatment center. Now, our engineers haven't been able to figure out what's holding up the pipes. Systems check find it to be in the clear, and there isn't any rust that our divers could spot. If you could clear up the three pipes there, we'd be much obliged."

Jabari then took center stage, "and while you're there... there is a camp of Gamorrean and Nitko slavers working on behalf of a hutt. And well, they're taking our people, we don't have enough officers to barge in, but if you could. Well... clear them out in one way or another and find out the name of the hutt that's behind this. We'd much appreciate it!"

 

[Amea Virou]

[member="Ria Misrani"] // [member="Veino Garn"] // [member="Jaya Tandris"]

“I wasn’t exactly planning to either.” Amea offered the Expedition Leader back while holding back a rather deadpan stare from spreading across her face. “Did you not see me sitting in the tent over th- just, never mind. Here they are.”

The woman must have snuck up on them, or caught what would be for him the wrong guard. She had her papers at hand of course, but the badge was certainly not on her. At least this explained why the guides had told her earlier that going alone was ‘inadvisable’ without giving a solid explanation of why. Amea had been met with kinder hellos before, but she could hardly blame the man for being cautious of a stranger.

She felt her hand move once more towards the equipment on her belt and sure enough they still remained where they were supposed to be.

She glanced over at the tomb entrance, not really listening in on the conversation of the others for the moment. It was a big place to get lost in. Dangerous no doubt. All that remained to do was see about getting there.

Her attention shifted back to the others.

 

[Jaya Tandris]

Objective I
[member="Amea Virou"] | [member="Ria Misrani"] | [member="Veino Garn"]

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Jaya listened to the high priest's words in amusement, but knew well enough to keep that to herself. Never in her life had she seen anything that even remotely pointed towards the existence of things such as gods or even the Force, despite so many being convinced of the latter truly being all around them. It was very much a 'believe it when I see it' thing, but the least she could do was keep an open mind. She had to admit she was a bit blunt at times, but she would admit it when she was wrong. Whatever this 'darkness' was, though, probably didn't apply to her. She would've known what it was if that had been the case.

When the coin-like object was given to the woman, she fidgeted with it for a moment as she appraised it. It looked quite nice and wondered if she would get to keep it when the job had been completed, but figured she would find that out then. "Thank you," she said before pocketing it. "And it is a pleasure to meet you, Haxrek. Arraks." Her hand slipped back out of her pocket and one after the other she shook their hands. "Name's Jaya."

Without asking questions Jaya followed the two before taking her place in the speeder that Arraks was piloting. She got as comfortable as possible and off they went, their destination quite some distance away.

---

---

Some time later the two speeders arrived at base camp Kyrmah, where the first thing Jaya did after disembarking was stretch out. "That was quite the trip," she exclaimed, "but the tomb explorin' is almost upon us." Afterwards, she and the other man who had introduced himself as Veino back in the city were greeted by two guards. "Right here," Jaya replied to the one who asked about the seal, "I assume that's all you need? If we could discuss the details inside the tent, though, that would be appreciated. I feel like I'm melting right now."

 

[Griet van Vliet]

Objective 3
Location: Kashta

"At these prices I hope you're upfront that these are reproductions"

"I... I mean, to an extent"

"What do you mean, to an extent?"

After showing Griet some more pieces in the artwork inventory, Maxwell was a little confused by Griet's early statement; yes, the prices were low, but Griet started to suspect that Maxwell could be, in fact, dishonest. That perhaps he had something to hide from her. But she didn't think the time was ripe to look for irregularities in the artwork itself, since it's possible they could become ORC property down the road, or otherwise disposed of intact. Even forgeries or reproductions could still sell but they typically need to be in at least good condition, if not very good, or even excellent, condition, to be sellable; appraisals of forgeries or reproductions typically rely on the condition, and only salvagers would want artwork in poor condition, and then the selling price is typically anywhere between the salvage value and the costs of producing the piece; one would be lucky then if one was to buy such art for the cost incurred to make it. Then Griet seemed to have a burning desire to dig deeper but she feels that he would not allow it without some application of the mind trick.

"I would like to be shown around in the back office"

"You would like to be shown around the back office"

 

[Runi Verin]

[SIZE=9pt]Kashta City Marketplace[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Objective III[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt][member="Amaya Cardei"] | [member="Dianah Vi'Dreya"] | [member="Darth Ivum"] | [member="Darth Metus"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Family[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt].[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]An interesting and novel concept to be sure, one Runi Verin was still trying to wrap her head around as she begrudgingly stalked through the bustling market stalls and arid, dusty packed streets. Lingering on the edges of the assorted gaggle whose blood she shared. Close enough to [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]almost [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]be counted amongst their collective ranks, while still being far enough that she could slip away at a moment’s notice without drawing attention to the fact. Only the perceived debt she owed Isley, if the man even answered to that name anymore, had kept from doing so her thus far.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Well, that and the nagging voice she had recently become afflicted with. As clear and painfully loud now as when they’d first formed their bond, [member="Amea Virou"] was a constant fixture in the back of her mind. Even now she could sense the other woman off in the far distance. A spiraling knot of emotion that was no doubt working on getting herself into yet another narrow scrape and near death experience. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]The spacer snorted, shaking her head. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]They count Tomuon as a delicacy in these parts. Kinda like nerf, only leaner and tougher. They like to marinade it for two days before skewering it an’ slow roastin’ it over a fire for a few cycles.[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]” Her voice was as hard as it was clipped as she spoke, marked by the distinctive Mandalorian accent of her presumed native Kol Atorn. Another backwater planet much like this one, sharing the same climate and disposition that it only made her feel even more out of place walking its surface with her supposed family. Her scarred and tattooed features creased as she cast a critical eye across the stalls, nose wrinkling at the scents both familiar and foreign emanating from every direction. “[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]But ain’t nothin’ but [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]chakaaryc lyatilyr[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] here. Peddlers and shysters. Doubt any of them have [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]seen [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]a real Tomoun, let alone prepared one. If they have, it ain’t gonna be from a part you wanna be eatin’, [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]‘lek[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]?[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]”[/SIZE]

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

She sighed and rolled her eyes. She was going to have to go to the planet. Looking at her work room, she decided there had to be a way to get the information without her going to the planet. And lo and behold, she was right. The youngest Starchaser was doing a lot of work and learning to jury rig anything she needed. And now? The Pulsar, had a place to launch Drifter into space, and with a small mass accelerator to send the droid down to the planet.

Sure, it would need to be picked up physically, but Drifter had a number of upgrades to assist with collection of data and hacking into systems, and that was what was going to be the call. “Drif, your turn. I’m going to stay up here an’ finish this. But you can hop down to the planet. Find me names from police records, I’ll see if I can get… down there and y’know. Meet people?”

She shrugged as the droid beeped and loaded itself into the launcher. Stepping up, the dark haired Starchaser hit the switch and launched the droid down to the planet. She was going to have to get landing permissions, but first? Getting the information downloaded into her droid. Sitting at the pilot’s seat, she asked for clearance to land.

Maybe other Wardens were around, but she wasn’t really sure how to contact most.

Coalition space was weird.

 

[Malok]

Objective: III
Location: Kashta City
Tag: [member="Darth Ivum"], @Dianah Vi’dreya, [member="Amaya Cardei"], [member="Runi Verin"]

There were few things that the Sith would openly admit to not being “good” at.

Sure, there were areas of expertise that he had never touched - so he would gladly concede that he had no clue how to build a Hyperdrive from scratch. But when it came to more mundane affairs or matters of combat, there were but a handful of things that he would throw his hands up and say yes, I am terrible at this. Chief among those was the day’s current affair. It wasn’t that Darth Metus went out of his way to be a poor father, mind, far from it. But upon reflection, a part of the problem was that he simply did not know how to be a decent one. In his own experience, being a “father” meant hurling half-empty bottles of tihaar at one’s offspring for breathing. Or striking one’s spouse with a boot for questioning his whereabouts.

But while that was the world he grew up in, it wasn’t the world his children was born into. And for that reason, he at least tried to learn about what to do. His ignorance was...something he was not proud of; so while he would admit to those closest that he didn’t know what the krif he was doing, he would never publicize it. Rather, he did what any man with HoloNet access would: he read. And his perception had been…skewed because of his efforts. It was suggested that, when the opportunity present itself, he should try to make himself “present” in the lives of his offspring. To, at the very least, let them know that he’d always be in their corner if needed.

And, for days like today, give them whatever they desired.

But man, the Sith was way out of his element. So much so that his eyebrows hit the ceiling when @Dianah Vi’dreya hit him with the puppy-dog-pout. He quickly tamed his expression though, nodding with a smile at her request. Yet inside? He was screaming. Loudly. He wasn’t cute. He didn’t do cute. Amaya, Runi, and all the rest weren’t...cute. Where the actual kark did Dianah get it from? Oh yeeaahh, the ex-monster. Well, fortunately, it seemed as though [member="Darth Ivum"] ‘s fruit fell close to the tree, for his concern was aligned with his sire’s. Food was on the itinerary.

”I don’t see why not. Could use a few new threads myself.” he commented. ”But first, Food. Don’t care what. Preferably something dead.”

Only a moment later, the next generation scampered up to his side and demanded to be picked up. It had been far too long since the Sith had seen his eldest grandchild: Isley the Younger. And the boy had grown faster than a weed! Beaming, Darth Metus gladly hoisted the little tyke into the air. ”Like this?!” he exclaimed, before setting his grandson upon his shoulders. Of course, the little one immediately seized a pair of his dreadlocks and tugged at them; as if the Sith had been demoted to a literal horse and he were a cowboy. But for the grandkid? Kark it, he would neigh.

[member="Amaya Cardei"] ‘s comment had not fallen on deaf ears of course. After setting his little rider into place, he carefully turned to face his daughter. The motion caused Isley to giggle and tug his dreads all the more - so as an act of self-preservation, the Sith offered his ice orb. At that point, the sting of hair being ended and the din of slurping began. ”Sounds like a plan to me.” he agreed. After all, Amaya had even littler ones in her care - a new pair of twins who were having the time of their lives chatting about bla-bubba-ba-bah. The heat certainly wasn’t doing them any favors (and the last thing anyone needed was an angsty descendant of Darth Metus running around).

”Do you...mind if I hang onto Isley for a bit when we go?” If ever there was a moment where his voice was sincere, it was right then.

Fortunately, from the back, [member="Runi Verin"] kicked the sappiness square in the chest with her remarks about what to eat. A local delicacy - Tomoun - was critiqued in that distinct accent of hers. The prospect of meat that was marinaded, slow roasted, and cut from the skewer was one that checked all of the Sith’s boxes. Especially his criteria of it being something dead. Darth Metus was a carnivore at heart, after all. He only ate greens when absolutely necessary, such as when [member="Srina Talon"] glared at him during social gatherings or at the Well.

”Since you’re infinitely more familiar with what’s good around these parts Runi,” he began. ”Mind showing us a spot that’s worth the credits? Truth be told, that delicacy sounds…really kriffing good.” Skeevers be damned, meat was meat.

 

[BNI-Bella and BNI-Leo]

Location: Meeting Place for Napata Peacekeepers
Objective: The Sands of Napata [Objective II]
With: [member="Srina Talon"] | Peacekeepers Gelena & Jabari

“I can test if first if it would make you feel better.”, BNI-9001 spoke to his female companion nonchalantly, slightly distracted, as he used the end of his glow rod to draw a tic-tac-toe board in the sand. The red-hued rabbit droid didn’t realize that his words upset BNI-9000 until he heard the garbled sound of a robotic sniffle coming through her speakers. BNI-9001, or Leo, looked up—red photoreceptors wide. “Ninety. Bella. I—“

“You could die!”

Black tipped ears twitched at the shrill wounds that echoed in the air. He walked forward, careful not to step on the toes of Mistress Talon, and wrapped stubby arms around Bella. They had the exact same programming for the most part, but her personality matrices seemed designed to emulate empathy, and a little bit of fear. She was concerned for others. He was really only concerned about her. Well, Bella, and the Mistress. “I will not. Remember. If we get destroyed it’s all right. We’re backed up on Geonosis.”

“There are backups of our backups.”

Bella raised her arms and the durasteel of their chassis clicked together audibly. The blue lights that hummed quietly from her orbital sockets reflected dimly. She knew that logically he was correct. Leo did not lie, even, when she wished he would. “I know. But what if we are not the same?”

“We will be.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

Bella relented. Leo was her best friend. Her confidante. Her partner—everything. They were two separate units that could only really function together. Two parts of a whole. It was a design flaw, to be certain, but the Creator must have done it deliberately. The small rabbit-droid could not fathom to know why. But, there were many things in the galaxy she did not understand, such as the snoring that came from [member="Darth Metus"]. It was a masterful cry of war.

Carefully, Bella moved, and drew an ‘X’ in the sand in the middle spot of the game board. She could not be seen to be smiling, but she was, and Leo could feel it through the data stream. “Cheat.”

“Slow poke.”

They would have bickered more but organics they had traveled so far to meet finally arrived. The automatons shored up their games and jokes and came to stand beside [member=[/FONT]"Srina Talon"] without complaint. They were protective, however, non-threatening. They gave two tasks. Already, they knew which would be their problem to solve. Mistress Talon liked hitting things with her fists. She would not want to want around in squishy shoes. “We’ll check the—“

“—pipes. Yes. We’ll go swimming and we won’t fry. Isn't that right Mistress?”