Move Swift and Sure, For Speed is our only Hope (Rebels)

[Corruck Kazen]

Location, planetary: Halm​

Locations: Ships, City, Mines​

Intent(s): Collection of Adegan Crystals, Set up relations with inhabitants to allow future return, Defend against any enemies that may appear​

​

Here it was, Halm. After about a week in hyperspace jumps and maneuvering, they at last had reached the planet. From his studies, Corruck had learned the planet was mostly inhabited by Gran, a three eyed species of alien. They were not naturally from here, but they had carved out a considerable livelihood for themselves. Corruck had no intention of messing with that, but he did intend on working alongside them to hopefully come to a beneficial agreement. If they could not, then it would have to be a hit and run.

He turned from the large viewport at the front of the bridge on the Recalcitrant and turned on the comm terminal. He sent a message across the broad band of Rebel ships and the intercomm system aboard his ship. "Good morning everyone! We have arrived at Halm. One of the only planets outside of the Adegan system to have naturally occurring Adegan Crystals. I need not tell you of the importance of this discovery, and its possible uses. We will be taking a landing approach, keep it non-aggressive. We don't want the natives to get the wrong ideas."

He took a moment to recollect his thoughts. If he remembered correctly, most of the people that were coming along were aboard his ship, however he forgot if some had decided to take their own fighters. He doubted it, as it was much easier to travel in his ship with a fully functional refresher and comfortable bunks. But he wasn't certain if anyone had taken their own ships, so he had taken the precaution of sending the message broadly over Rebel frequencies.

He continued, "There will be two main groups in this run. One will head directly to the city and work with the native leaders to come to a possible agreement where we may return to collect more in the future. The other group will lead a team of ReCal workers who will begin mining crystals from one of the local mines. I have already prepared a small payment to be given to the overseer of the mine so that we have access this once. The leader of the second team will pay the overseer. Now who wants to be part of which group? I won't force anyone into a role, but we do need people to volunteer. If it is possible I would also suggest that we grab some of the crystals that have already been mined. Both teams will act as attack groups if an enemy appears. I don't expect any enemies, but there are pirates known to be the area, so keep alert."


[member="Dyn Hela"]
[member="Juliette Molière"]
[member="Juwiela Melec"]
[member="Nagate Hei"]
[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Corruck Kazen"]

Due to Halm's position within the much-violated Neutral Zone, and its proximity to the capital of the Fringe Confederation, a certain amount of local monitoring was in effect. A couple of basic monitoring satellites on the edge of the system detected the corvette, as they detected all capital-grade traffic; the nearest Ranger transceiver, close to Chalcedon, picked up the transmission. Halm, though, was a low-priority world, and the nearest reaction forces had nothing to react to. So far, it was just a corvette like any other corvette, and a transmission like any other transmission. The Rebels had chosen their ingress vessel well. If the Rebels kept to this kind of operational quietude, they could expect no interference from the Lords of the Fringe. Even violence would need to reach a certain threshold before the nearest Fringe patrols dropped by: the Neutral Zone was a lawless place, with pirate engagements common. In other words, if the Rebels kept to the straightforward elements of their plan, or even got the kind of opposition they expected, the Fringe would take no interest for the time being.

 

[Dyn Hela]

[member="Corruck Kazen"]

Dyn sat in the crew lounge going through his ruck sack to make sure he had everything he needed for the operation. They wanted non-violent, which suited him just fine. He was a bounty hunter by trade and he preferred staying off the radar.

His basic gear and a few flash bangs were set, his blaster pistols were concealed and his flask was full. Satisfied with his check he took a small tool kit from his bag and began calibrating his cybernetics and headjack firewalls.

 

[Nagate Hei]

[member="Corruck Kazen"]

Nagate stood with the volunteers as Corruck gave his speech. He felt compelled to step forwards. The call was to help the miners or aid the Officials to an agreement.

I will help in the mines, lead or not, I do not mind, I feel that that is where I'll be best needed.

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

[member="Corruck Kazen"]

Intangible stood by in near space, lingering outside standard visual detection range and waiting for the go-ahead. The Benefactor herself was aboard, and she wished to wait for confirmation of friendly reception before jumping too soon for touchdown. She sat on the bridge, smirking at her senior intelligence officer's tour guide abilities. It was certainly good to know her spymaster was well-informed.

What was Lasedri doing out here, on mission? She would be distributing goodwill, of course. It was time to work with all the 'neutral' systems and arrange for a stronger Rebellion. War was not free, especially for a faction that could not bully the downtrodden worlds of this galaxy into submission. In fact, they would be doing the opposite--equipping worlds with the weapons and organization to resist takeover, even after a nationalist/imperialist presence might make itself at home. War was no longer simple. They would be the perpetual pain in the rump to those who would take by force and make such powers wish they had not taken on such a bothersome challenge.

Adegan crystals--Gen had paid little attention to this resource prior, but with a strengthening Alliance, they could now focus on the 'small' things. Not only that, but they would be doing a favor for their greatest ally, and allies were not to be neglected, especially at this stage.

"Good morning, comrades," the leader called over a direct, encrypted infrared beam communications line. "This is Matchbox, on standby. I'll be keeping an eye out for any hostile movement coming your way. Alert me when you have made contact with the locals."

 

[Corruck Kazen]

Corruck smiled to himself as the first volunteer spoke up. He had not expected this man to be the first to speak up, but he was certainly not disappointed by the man. [member="Nagate Hei"] obviously was here to better the common goal, rather than personal gain. That was an admirable trait and one that Corruck was truly gladdened to see. He spoke over the intercom saying, "Good, leader of Group Adegan go ahead and pick up some gear near the loading ramp and wait there. The team of miners will be there awaiting your command. Once we land you and the team will jump off and begin work. Now anyone want to join Group Adegan, before I start giving out commands?"

His smile disappeared as he thought about the possibilities. He had to make sure that there was little to know fighting, that was incredibly important. He didn't know if this sector was protected by other factions, but he wasn't willing to test it. If another faction was protecting this area, fighting would most certainly call a combat force to their position. Corruck was not keen on the idea of fighting in his less than standard ship. It was weaker than most other ships of its type, but it had much more room than most others. That was a good thing in this case. It meant that there could be a larger collection of Adegan Crystals to be loaded.

As Matchbox gave her command Corruck sent a quick acknowledgement and the coordinates of the landing area that he was going to use when they reached the city. His plan was to drop off the miners, and then head to the city. That way, while he and his group, Group Gran, not very original but he wasn't trying to win a prize, were working with the natives, his men would have a lot of time to work on mining. His only hope was that there would be no trouble and that everything would go through smoothly.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]
[member="Nagate Hei"]
[member="Dyn Hela"]
[member="Juwiela Melec"]
[member="Juliette Molière"]

 

[Coci Heavenshield]

[member="Corruck Kazen"] / [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] / [member="Nagate Hei"] / [member="Dyn Hela"] /​

​

She stood at the back of the bridge on the Intangible watching the main crew at work. Juliette is there to assist the Rebels and provide support in the air if required. The leader of the Rebels strolled around the bridge very much in charge to oversee the operation.

Juliette will accompany Rebel Lasedri on ground if required aid the talks with the local populace. She will also lead security to her, as a Antarian Ranger which serves and protects the Jedi she extend this oath to the Rebels and their leadership.

After the communication ended, Juliette moved forward to speak to Genevieve, "Maam when you are ready I am prepared for duty".

 

[Juwiela Melec]

Being one accustomed to being in the pilot's chair whenever the Rebels were on a mission, it was a bit of an oddity, for Juwiela, to simply be standing by. But it was a welcome one, because it meant the stress of command wouldn't be on her head, or on anyone's, really. This was a diplomatic mission, if all went well, instead of the usual escorts or strikes that had made up her retinue in the Alliance thus far. So she was happy to be standing on the bridge of the Intangible, awaiting orders instead of being the one to give them out. It was a change from the usual aerial combat, but a change she could appreciate.

There were to be two teams on this particular mission: one to the mines, to gather any crystals there and mine new ones, and one to the city, to come to an agreement with the locals in regards to their presence here. If all went according to plan, they wouldn't have any cause to turn this to violence. But that would remain an 'if', as the Rebels had gained a bit of notoriety in the galaxy, not all of it good. They hadn't been attacked en route just yet, but as [member="Corruck Kazen"] had said, it was best to stay on alert.

When [member="Juliette Molière"] spoke she still remained silent, not one to speak up unless she was spoken to first or felt it was necessary. And with the other woman and fellow Rogue having already put a voice to what she was thinking, she didn't deem it necessary. So she consented to awaiting orders, in the hopes that everything would go smoothly.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"], [member="Nagate Hei"], [member="Dyn Hela"]

 

[Corruck Kazen]

Corruck took a moment to think. He needed to divide the team between the two groups. Fortunately it seemed that there was a perfect split. He replied over the comm, "Matchbox, I hope you don't mind me being a little bossy. The Recalcitrant will land at the mines. Due to the fact that half of the team is on the Intangible could you take the city? If need be you and I may switch ships, not sure if you would like to speak to the natives or if you would prefer myself to do so."

He could hear a slight hum in the air as outside the ship the atmosphere was burning thanks to reentry. It would be easy to change directions even in atmosphere for his ship. It was small enough and plenty maneuverable. His hope was still that the mining would go without a hitch. His two greatest concerns were that either there would be trouble while mining or the natives in the city would be hostile for whatever reason. Hence his precaution of keeping the shields up, but powering down all weapons. At the flick of a switch the weaponry shut down and the shield strength bolstered.

[member="Juwiela Melec"]
[member="Juliette Molière"]
[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]
[member="Nagate Hei"]
[member="Dyn Hela"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

"Affirmative, Gryphon." Lasedri ordered her captain to move the corvette into an entry path and proceed for the world. Intangible, an Antilles-class blockade runner, propelled itself to the event horizon of Halm's gravitational influence and crept towards the atmosphere of the planet, its retractable weapons batteries hidden to signal peaceful entry. "We'll head for the targeted landing zone as soon as we confirm absence of hostiles."

The Benefactor switched off the comm and turned about to address the Rogues present. [member="Juwiela Melec"] was her premier starfighter and had shown great leadership skills as the Rogues' commander, and [member="Juliette Molière"]'s presence was by no means undervalued, savvy and having ties with their allies, the Silver Jedi. "No matter what happens here, your primary objective does not supersede your personal protection. If we have to, we will do whatever we must to keep ourselves alive." Gen smirked, her asymmetrical eyes brightening a bit. "Naturally, I wouldn't expect us to be forced into such a situation."

[member="Corruck Kazen"], [member="Nagate Hei"], [member="Dyn Hela"]

 

[Nagate Hei]

Nagate moved to the loading bay to pick up some gear. He grabbed a pistol with some ammo and a shoulder holster. Tucked under his tench coat, Nagate then gathered with the mining crew and awaited further instruction.

The crew had gathered and were waiting for deployment, but they seemed anxious. It was known that they were to be lead by a newcomer, and their faith was lacking. He figured that he should at least say something to set them at ease. He pulled his mask, revealing the pale skin and black eyes. It wasn't often that he was seen with it off, but if he was to make an impression it seemed appropriate.

Alright...Um, I will be taking the lead on the mining....the mining op. We should, i think, have a smooth day as long as the uppers get along with the locals. As soon as we touch down, I will make contact with the miners' foreman and you will receive your stations at that time...hmmhmm..I look forward to accomplishing our goals and furthering the growth of the Alliance.


[member="Geneviève Lasedri"] [member="Corruck Kazen"]

 

[Corruck Kazen]

Corruck turned and looked out the ship's viewport. They were in landing position, setting down near the mine, the ship wasn't quite on the ground, but would be fairly soon. He expected the two others to be in position at the loading deck, hopefully they will have spoken with the miners there. Further Corruck hoped that one of the two had set a good impression. He was hoping to have [member="Nagate Hei"] take lead of the expedition while he took care of some last minute alterations.

He stepped into the loading area, looking at each of the faces that came into view. Corruck was not too disappointed with the apparent looks of slight trust in the new kid. They obviously were unsure of the situation, but the fact that Nagate had taken charge was encouraging. He said, "Men, Nagate here will be leading your mining operation. I do not expect any complications, however it anything does crop up, contact me immediately. Understood?" Corruck noted that he didn't see [member="Dyn Hela"] in the area. He would have to make a quick search for the man if he didn't show up soon.

[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]
[member="Juwiela Melec"]
[member="Juliette Molière"]

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

All seemed perfectly clear so far. No hostile activity had been detected from above or below, indicating a squeaky clean landing was likely in store for them. Now, if she could just get in touch with the administer of the local people...

"Unidentified vessel, please state your intent and proceed no further until permission is granted," one of the flight control officers hailed as Intangible approached civilization. So they had finally been acknowledged. That sort of delay in response would not do if an enemy were to attack this world. This needed to be remedied, if they would allow the Alliance to do so.

"Flight control," Gen's captain began. "This is Rune-Ackbar-Vader Two-Oh-Mothma, herald of the Rebel Alliance. We are here for diplomacy."

A static-filled pause lasted for several ominous seconds, the Gran on the other end obviously hesitant. "Rebel Alliance, please stand by or depart immediately, or we will open fire." Whether that was a void threat or not was inconsequential to Lasedri. She had no desire to test their defenses. They really were here for peace.

She flicked on her own comm speaker. "This is Viola Tave, high representative of the Rebel Alliance. I promise to you and the esteemed, independent people of Halm that we have no backup forces within the system. My only purpose here is to converse with your people's presiding leader to forge what I hope will be a mutually beneficial bond."

"I said, please stand by." Rude.

Moments passed as the Rebel crew assumed the defense officials might be scanning the skies for more foreign vessels. Then three blips on the scopes betrayed the intercepting ships en route to the Rebel corvette. Great... Geneviève groaned as her captain prudently ordered the crewmen to be prepared to dispatch the hidden gun batteries. But it was soon apparent that there was no need to worry--yet.

"Please follow the designated landing vector, Rune-Ackbar-Vader Two-Oh-Mothma, and do not deviate. Our escorts will take you in to dock." Good.

Several minutes later, the sleek, black blockade runner touched down on a lonely desert pad, about a kilometer away from any buildings of note. The sandscape looked eternal as it stretched off unto the horizon, sparse foliage the only feature to be noted. As Geneviève strode down the boarding ramp in her typical black shroud, a landspeeder approached the ship with a cloud of dust following. Hopefully, it was whoever pretended to be in charge of this deceptively useless world.

[member="Corruck Kazen"], [member="Dyn Hela"], [member="Nagate Hei"], [member="Juliette Molière"], [member="Juwiela Melec"]

 

[Nagate Hei]

[member="Corruck Kazen"] [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]


Nagate shifted as Corruck spoke to the men. Then when the commander came over the comms, Nagate shifted to his game face. The time was now to get in gear and start the mining for the Alliance resources.

"Alright, drop your jocks and grab your socks. We are loading up and heading out as soon as we get down there."

Nagate slipped his mask on and slung a bag over his shoulder. He and the others got ready to head out to the mines. After loading up in the shuttles, they waited for clearance to take off.

 

[Corruck Kazen]

The Recalcitrant set down in front of the large mine. Corruck had planned ahead and had set up a temporary license to land on planet, as long as his ship did not attempt any type of violence. The large cargo door opened into the sunlight, there stood the mine's overseer and a few idlers. Corruck ushered the miners out of the cargo bay, when that was done he turned to [member="Nagate Hei"] saying, "You'll need to speak to the overseer, pay him the money that was promised, and make sure to try and set up good relations with him. I may want to come back at some point. Any questions?"

Corruck pulled a small briefcase like object out from under a panel, it was black with a secure lock on it. He held it our Negate, along with a key. It was the compensation for the overseer's time and to allow the miners access to the mines.

He hoped that [member="Geneviève Lasedri"] was having as much luck with the locals as he had had so far. His considered luck was due to t he fact that no weapons had been used and there was no fighting yet. That was a good start, he just hoped that it would hold.

 

[Geneviève Lasedri]

She met them alone--though Rebel Marines were stationed at the top of the boarding ramp, should anything bad occur--and with what might be the friendliest greeting smile she could conjure up. Gen had been told to lighten up a bit by several acquaintances throughout her adult life, but she hardly felt like there was much to be happy about these days. So this was the best she could do right now.

"You are 'Viola Tave'?" the Gran representative demanded. "Why do you come unannounced?"

"No one needs to know we're here," she replied, placing a finger against her lips. "Completely straightforward with you: I would like to offer the services of the Alliance to your people."

"You mean the killing kind?" the Gran sought to clarify, obviously rather skeptical.

The Benefactor smirked, finding that to not be entirely inaccurate, though not entirely accurate, either. "Only if someone is trying to kill you.

"Are you the governing head of this world?" she asked. There had been images of the local officials that she had reviewed, but--to be honest--they all looked quite alike to her human eyes. She doubted the chief would meet her directly under these circumstances.

The man grumbled something in their guttural language that sounded unfriendly, but it was impossible to say for one who had never actually spoken with these people. "No. And why do you think you should have his time? We don't even have your name on file."

The Rebel leader procured a bottle of bacta from inside her coat and handed it to the three-eyed alien. "I have more of this. But that's if you're interested."

[member="Corruck Kazen"], [member="Nagate Hei"]

 

[Nagate Hei]

[member="Corruck Kazen"] [member="Geneviève Lasedri"]


Nagate took the case, and placed the key into his jacket. He nodded and walked with the crew into the dropship and took off.


The ship landed near the mining facility and dropped the hatch. Nagate and his crew walked towards the foreman, briefcase in hand. The foreman mat the group and shook hands with Nagate.

"Mr Foreman, we are here in a motive of good faith and gifts", Nagate held out the briefcase in a gesture of affirmation to the deal they'd set up before,"we will begin as soon as allowed."

 

[Corruck Kazen]

The foremen would give his permission to [member="Nagate Hei"] and his people, taking the case and giving a gesture of thanks before moving out of the way. He would then speak, "We thank you for your sign of peace and I personally look forward to your return in the future. If your signs are always as profitable as this then you will surely be welcome here always. Will you require anything else of me?"

--------------------------------------

Corruck in the mean time took the time to set up a holo communication with the ground miners and Gen's cruiser. He wanted to try and keep this run as much as possible coordinated. He checked the comms, they seemed in function fine and there appeared to be no interference. He sent a simple message letting both parties know that there may be future contact and that if anything came up they would simply need to call.

[member="Nagate Hei"]
[member="Geneviève Lasedri"]

 

[Nagate Hei]

Nagate and the mining crew entered the mines with the foreman and were dispatched to sections of the mine that were newer.

Nagate stayed with the foreman a moment to answer his question, "Actually, yes. Might I join the miners. I hear through the vine, that these mines house the best crystal for lightsabers. I wish to mine for some. Now I'm aware they are known as Adegan crystals. Rare to find and powerful to boot. What more can you tell me about them?"


[member="Corruck Kazen"]

 

[Corruck Kazen]

"That's a good question. The Adegan crystals are connected to the Force, which is why they are so useful in lightsaber construction. There are some rarer varieties that are more powerful. There are the most common forms of crystal, Kathracite, which is also the weakest. The Jedi normally use those crystals for training sabers. The next two are almost as weak as the first, Relacite and Danite." The gran lifted an example of the three crystals from a front pocket on his jacket. Because they were crystals they appeared very pretty, but there was something lacking in their glow and luster.

"A less common crystal is the Mephite. Those crystals are not as easy to find, though they are quite common. They are traditionally used by Jedi as a normal lightsaber crystal. Their connection to the Force is much stronger than the first three and much more useful in a lightsaber." As he slipped the first three crystals back into his pocket, his other hand lifted a more beautiful crystal from a different pocket. This one seemed full and more vibrant than the others.

"The last type is the most rare and almost impossible to find. It is called the Pontite crystal. They are said to be the greatest of crystals for Force sensitives. Especially Jedi. I've been told that they cool both tempers and bodies, making one more calm and centered. Though I've never seen one so I can't verify those rumors. If you want to go join your men that is fine by me. Just don't damage any of the equipment that is in there." The Gran made a close approximation of a smile as he looked around a bit inside the mine.

Meanwhile the miners had already begun working, chipping away at the crystal veins, being careful not to damage the larger formations. They had small grav sleds behind them which they would tip the crystals they found into.

[member="Nagate Hei"]