Operation 01-1 "Search & Rescue"

[Tatsu]

- Quesh - ​

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| Operations Detail |​

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Quesh, a Hutt dominated planet with a heavy emphasis on criminal activity and potential slave trafficking. Rumor has it that an assassination occurred under unknown circumstances, leaving one Hutt of unknown alias dead. Due to this, security has been bolstered and a search is being conducted to seek out the individual(s) responsible. This investigation is to be low-profile with little to no casualties. Should something go awry, extraction is to be called for immediately. Use of lethal force should only be a last resort. Air quality on the surface is hazardous and should be regarded with the utmost caution. Use of rebreathers and anti-hazardous apparatus recommended.​

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| Dismissed |​

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Darkness enveloped the cabin of the shuttle, the faint red glow of electronics cast a silhouette of Tatsu as he stood near the departure ramp, right hand grasping a safety rail as his own breathing filled his ears within the confines of his helmet. A rather large, almost cumbersome looking coat draped over the CO's shoulders to conceal his equipment and last resort means of escape, should any trouble arise during the recon.

"We'll be touching down in five, Commander Tatsu." The pilot chimed in with a less than pleasant monotone voice.

The operative simply nodded lightly and readied his mind for the task at hand. Typically, these types of missions didn't function well as stealth ops. Either someone gets an attitude, someone starts becoming aggressive and acts on it poorly, or a firefight just simply happens. Tatsu didn't want to bet on the odds, but he would have to work as quietly and as cleanly as possible.

Slaves...

A personal gust of emotion knocked into Tatsu's torso as he remembered what that kind of life was like. But now was not the place nor time to become sentimental. There was work to be done.

For the Republic.

[member="Baruuk"]

 

[Baruuk]

Baruuk was untraceable by every meaning of the word. He had done his job efficient as always, and he had gotten his pay before anybody even knew the Hutt was dead. A Hutt's thick skin caused trouble for would-be assassins, and their resistance to most poisons more so. But when you were the target of Baruuk, there was no escape. While he didn't stay in one place for too long, he did have enough time between his jobs to perfect his art. Using the force, Baruuk had discovered ways to kill his foes without a trace: no wounds, no obvious cause of death, nothing. And that's exactly what he left on the Hutt, minus one detail he had decided to make as his calling card. For each of his victims, Baruuk would leave a small symbol carved into the flesh by his lightsabers: the crest of his clan.

The former leader of his clan didn't necessarily enjoy killing people, as he preferred to help those in need, but the scum he took on as targets had no sense of helping others. They were monsters. Baruuk would have gladly killed them for free, but he needed the money. His methods would have been considered too much, even evil, with the Jedi. But he had long since thrown off their restrictions. He was his own man, free-thinking but moral. As long as he remained in the shadows, unseen and without identity, he could survive forever. His life was already going to be long thanks to his species' natural longevity, but with the knowledge in the force discovered by the Sith and Jedi over the past millennia, Baruuk believed he would be able to live as long as he saw fit.

Even as he entered his hidden cave in the maze-like Quesh valleys, he got a feeling that his life would soon change forever. After a moment's hesitation, he shrugged and continued into his small dwelling, sitting in the center to meditate as the Jedi had taught him to better see the possibilities of the future through the force. "Anybody able to find me in the first place would be worthy of me at least hearing them out, I suppose," he thought to himself. "Besides, if they decide to cause trouble, I'll just kill them too."

[member="Tatsu"]

 

[Tatsu]

A bustling dystopia greeted Tatsu as he was dropped off just outside of a settlement. Dirty, masked individuals shouting over one another and arguing with dialects and languages unknown to Tatsu. A moderate haze blanketed the environment, giving a sort of surreal aesthetic to the worn down facilities peppering the sparse, toxic landscape. This land was that of thieves, two-bit criminals, and even worse individuals seeking something more than just credits or personal gain. What disturbed ideals flowed through their skulls would better be left unexplored, lest Tatsu's trigger finger started itching for a contrived sense of justice.

With his large, blackened coat billowing in the breeze otherwise more akin to a miasma, Tatsu slowly and cautiously paced himself towards the epicenter of the unidentified settlement. Eyes cast this way and that, whispers bickered among themselves in hushed tangents about the outsider. How they should kill him and strip him of his gear and clothing - how his flesh must be supple beneath his helmet, soft enough to carve away for a street vendor's cuisine. Yet they knew little of the man walking among them, and for that simple fact, the inhabitants left him alone. For the moment.

Conducting scans of the area, Tatsu sighed as he had essentially nothing to go on. He could find the area where the Hutt was slain, but then what? It was as good an effort as any, so he figured to start his search based on that shred of evidence. Analyzing biological signatures, Tatsu found himself walking into what appeared to be a trading station. Empty with terrible lighting, save for a few lamps scattered about. The Hutt's body must have been removed already, but there were still trace amounts of skin cells - faint signatures of DNA stuck to the floor where something died.

From what could be found in local records, the Hutt in question was detained on more than one occasion before having a bounty placed on his head. Multiple accounts of slave trafficking, among other... disgusting indulgences.

"Kark... this is gonna take a while." Tatsu's modulated voice whispered.

But just outside, more and more eyes and voices came together and began planning. Their whispers breaking the threshold of secrecy, breaching into the open air with borderline yelling as disagreement and inconsistent planning clashed and wrestled. Tatsu turned to regard the doorway at his back, drawing his RR Tempest from beneath his coat. A sudden silence created an intense unease as nothing seemed to happen. Tatsu remained silent and ever watchful of the entrance to the building.

[member="Baruuk"]

 

[Baruuk]

After a few hours of meditation, Barruk stood and entered the next room over. After changing from his usual outfit into a slightly more casual -- but just as secretive -- cloak. The heavy cloth served multiple purposes. Not only did it serve as a protection from the elements, it also hid his two lightsabers he kept strapped to his belt, along with the backpack he kept various items in depending on where he was going. In this case, he carried a wallet with a few high value credit chips, a small medallion he had used to create a field to hide his force sensitivity through dark side magic, and a rebreather, just in case he hit a pocket of gas too toxic for even him to handle.

As he walked out of the stone that served as a front door, Baruuk pulled the hood of his cloak over his head to block his identity. He closed up the doorway to his makeshift sanctum and began heading back towards town. He had business to attend to and shops to visit. The man hopped on his personal speeder and flew off towards the nearest city, the very same in which he had just killed the Hutt the day before. He didn't fear being recognized though. His assassin outfit was far from allowing his face or even species to be seen, and his common wear avoided attention as much as possible, his robe imbued with a dark side spell that came in handy against prying eyes: he was nearly unnoticeable unless someone was looking for him. The only restriction on the spell was that he was able to be picked up by electronic recording devices without a problem, but as long as he avoided illegal activity in plain view, he was safe from being sought out.

The ex-Jedi landed outside the city a ways, not afraid to walk a little to keep his speeder safe, and began walking towards the market. When he arrived, he smiled slightly as the hustle and bustle met his ears. Chaos kept him safe, as with silence came people being curious and trying to identify everyone nearby. Baruuk passed casually by the trading station he had been in the day before. It was likely empty by now, the body discarded and any hint of the Hutt removed.

But just as he passed, a hush fell over the crowd surrounding the area. Baruuk turned to see what was happening, and noticed a man standing in the doorway holding a blaster. He seemed official, and likely wasn't somebody to be robbed hands raised. Though the man wasn't the largest or most threatening physically, something about him gave an air of warning, and the people that had fallen silent were clearly conspiring before he had turned to them. It didn't take a force sensitive to sense the danger surrounding the man. But Baruuk wasn't so much scared as he was intrigued. One of that presence was definitely worth keeping an eye on, even if for nothing else besides keeping his own back covered.

[member="Tatsu"]

 

[Tatsu]

Like insects, they swarmed the trading station. Out of each and every nook and cranny, they revealed themselves and cautiously began to converge on Tatsu. Each of them armed with blasters of their own, some with blunt instruments or vibroblades. They stopped and regarded their target with a hint of uncertainty, their eyes never leaving the operative as his hands tightened around his gun's grip. From somewhere among the dozens of criminals, a questioned was raised: "What do you want?" But pronounced in such a way that made it sound like broken basic.

Tatsu's bottom lip rolled back and was met with his tongue as he took in the audience gathered before him. A soft chuckle escaped his helmet, and then a sigh. "That's confidential, can't tell you." With the brief exchange of words laced with the promise of violence, Tatsu used that momentary chance to look over the room he stood in for potential exits. A window to his right elevated off the ground, the entry way he came in from - now guarded by thugs. Virtually every possible point of interest was going to involve a bit of dirty work to get to, thus resulting in a mission failure. But at this point, that wasn't up to Tatsu.

He would either die or fight.

"Listen... I'm here on the behalf of the Republic, I mean you no harm nor do I wish to be here any longer than I need to be. Let's all take it easy."

Snarls and snickering emanated from the crowd. Even still, they wished to do the man harm and think only of themselves and the very moment they lived in. There was no regard for the future, or even for an individual that could potentially show them the better things in life. Perhaps in an ideal situation, everyone present would lay down their weapons and await Tatsu's word for a carrier vessel to escort them to a safe area to be treated and fed, possibly even be offered a job or serve in the military.

But alas, that was wishful thinking.

Tatsu kept his weapon lowered, eyeing all before him with a quickly diminishing facade. He could only uphold the peace for so long.

His time was running out.

[member="Baruuk"]

 

[Baruuk]

Baruuk watched the spectacle, the thugs moving in on the lone soldier. He could likely take any one of them on, even probably three or four at a time, but in a large crowd like this, even Baruuk would have taken a moment's hesitation. Just a moment, though. It was ironic, if Baruuk was completely honest. His entire life revolved around taking advantage of a person's weakness, allowing no chance for escape or survival, but here he was upset that an entire crowd was ganging up on one man. The near-human couldn't help but laugh to himself, albeit silently, as he watched, and thought. Finally, he had decided.

Almost on cue, just as the crowd began to move in to attack the armored man, a large group of them fell to the ground, unconscious. They landed on and around each other, creating a pile of bodies that looked more like a mass grave than a group of sleeping thugs. When they fell, the rest of the crowd looked around, panicked. "What happened?" "What's wrong with them?" Just as the questions began to swirl, another third of the crowd dropped unconscious, and the remaining members began to scatter in fear of being next. For all they knew, they had just watched a couple dozen people drop dead for no reason.

When at last the chaos had dissipated and the dust had settled, two men remained standing around the trading post: one, a soldier that was moments from surviving a death sentence, and the other, a man covered from head to toe in a heavy cloak, including a mask to conceal his face. The only distinct feature about him was the yellow glow coming from the eyes of his mask. To everyone around, Baruuk was a complete mystery. As far as they were concerned, he didn't even exist unless he wanted them to know he did.

In an instant, the man had closed the distance between him and the soldier, almost 20 meters. There was something strange about the cloaked being, as if he was made of raw power, but restrained himself until he needed it. Baruuk stared at the man for a few seconds before speaking, though it was as if he wasn't speaking. It's like Tatsu was hearing him in his mind, as he would his own thoughts. "You're lucky I don't have an obsession with seeing people die needlessly. The next time I doubt you'll be so lucky." Baruuk turned quickly and took a couple long strides away, but the voice didn't seem to change at all in Tatsu's mind, as it the cloak had never moved from right in front of Tatsu. "What business does the Republic have on a slime pit like Quesh? You clearly aren't your everyday run-of-the-mill soldier. I can see it in your demeanor. So why send you to a planet full of pirates, murderers, and thieves just to get you killed?"

Something about the air seemed heavier around the mystery that was speaking. There was unease, threat, even fear that seemed to surround the man. Any sensible sentient would be able to determine that crossing him was a bad idea. Sensible being the key word, one that applied to very few on any Hutt controlled planet. Quesh was no exception.

Baruuk turned back to look at the man intensely, his hood and covered face giving no indication to his species, let alone his mood. "I suggest you tread carefully in your answer. I'll know if you lie, and I don't like liars."

[member="Tatsu"]

 

[Tatsu]

To say this assignment was uneventful would be a lie. In an instant, Tatsu witnessed his would-be assailants fall to the floor with no discernible wounds. It was almost as if they had all suffered cardiac arrest and dropped dead; however, they appeared to simply be unconscious. Perplexed, the operative watched as the rest of the hardened criminals fled with their tails between their legs. Now even more cautious as to what exactly was happening, Tatsu raised his blaster as more of a reflex than actually meaning to open fire.

But then it appeared right before his eyes, the very reason he had likely been searching for. A strange thing of fabrics and energy, now materialized into that of flesh and blood. Or was it? Many questions were in need of answers, but those answers would have to come at a later time - preferably in a place that wasn't toxic and teeming with the scum of society. As the figure began to speak, Tatsu felt a strange sensation at the base of his skull. Suddenly his thoughts were replaced with a male voice.

Uneasy, Tatsu straightened his posture and slowly lowered his gun back into its holster within his coat. "I suppose I should thank you for the assist. Quite the spectacle you've demonstrated. My business here is simple: I'm on an assignment to seek out potential aid for the Republic. It was my call to investigate the assassination of a Hutt. It may not make much sense to come out here on a hunch, but based on the reports, nobody knew how the said Hutt was killed. And seeing how this planet operates, I'd say it takes some kind of tenacity to succeed in that regard."

Tatsu kept his eyes trained on the individual.

"But now that I can plainly see your handy work, it's a safe bet to deduce that you're what I'm looking for."

Reaching out his right hand as a gesture of peace, Tatsu gave the robbed figure a slight nod. "Commander Tatsu of the Republic Armed Forces. It would be an honor, if you would come back with me to discuss an offer that I believe will benefit you, as well as the Republic itself."

[member="Baruuk"]

 

[Baruuk]

Baruuk looked hard at the soldier as he spoke, the glow of his eyes seeming to burn through the man. Even without seeing his face, one could tell the stare was not a kind one. His intense aura became stronger as the man spoke. Baruuk looked into the man's mind without breaking eye contact, and grinned slightly behind his mask. When the soldier reached out a hand, the Padj (what I'm calling the species because I'm lazy) stared at it for a moment. Baruuk spoke once again, but yet didn't actually speak. "I hope you understand who you are inviting into your folds. I enjoy efficiency. I show no mercy and do not toy with my hits. Any that stand in my way meet the same fate as my quarry. The Republic must be desperate to come in search of someone of my expertise."

With a slight wave of the hand, the mass of robes dissipated into thin air like smoke. He was nowhere to be seen for several moments until Tatsu felt a strong grip on his hand, the creature suddenly re-appearing in front of him. He speaks now for the first time in his own voice, that of a human male, where the previous voice from within his head seemed warped, alien. "Very well. I will hear you out. But if I for any reason feel threatened, I will not hesitate to destroy your entire organization, starting from the top." The masked figure released his hand and turned away, starting to walk off. Tatsu would hear the voice in his head once again as the distance increased. "Don't worry about waiting up for me. I'll come to you when I'm ready. Just have some business to finish on Quesh, and I'll be on your doorstep."

As soon as the man rounded a corner, the piles of scum began to wake up, dazed and terrified. Many woke screaming, as if waking from a nightmare. They didn't even seem to take notice of their previous target as they began to scatter and flee in fear of whatever surrounded the man they were about to kill. Then, the streets were empty apart from the occasional droid and Tatsu.

As Baruuk walked towards his destination, he pulled out a datapad that had several blinking lights and coordinates. The force-using assassin was an expert at nearly everything he used commonly, and Force Illusions was one of them, along with Mechu-deru. He could alter the memories of any recording software on Tatsu's person to show exactly what he had seen, and all without being noticed. While Tatsu's eyes had seen Baruuk simply standing and staring, the sentient had actually planted a tracker on him, virtually undetectable, and was ready to seek him out when the time was right. Baruuk assumed that Tatsu would go straight back to the Republic leaders, and even used force persuasion to plant the suggestion just in case. Whether he actually did it or not was somewhat of a gamble, but a gamble that was in Baruuk's favor. He was ready for his next set of jobs, and he doubted they would be too easy for his taste. He had fun when something was a challenge, hence why he took on the most vile and well-protected crime lords as targets. He was a warrior that looked for a fight from the shadows, cunning but aggressive, an animal of impeccable instinct and prowess, and one that had the potential to rival even the Maladian cult of old, an organization that dedicated their lives to assassination and that were said to be able to kill even Jedi Knights.

Baruuk would find Tatsu one way or another, and he didn't intend to lose this opportunity.

[member="Tatsu"]