Past & Future[TRE Dominion of Yavin IV & Gromas]

[Yidhra]

3
Location: YAVIN IV > Jungles
[member="Vraukt"] | [member="Neesa"]


Her lips twitched with the shadow of a smile. “I’ll do my very best,” she crooned. Tendrils curling inwards with excitement and pleasure, the sorceress continued. “If we manage to find the temple, of course.”

At that, her expression fell. “I’ve scoured our archives, but the references to the Temple of Sacrifice are vague and ambiguous in the best of sources. Yavin has had so many Sith pay it homage throughout the centuries that it's more likely we'll find the wrong temple, rather than none at all.” Not that another nexus of the Force would be a discovery to scoff at, not in the least… but Vitiate was Vitiate nonetheless.

That, and Yidhra wasn’t at all thrilled at the prospect of having to explain their lack of success to [member="Vrak Nashar"]. Too quick to anger, that man. Not atypical of a Pureblood, but inconvenient to the sorceress. It was in her best interests to stay in his good graces.

For now.

“Regardless,” she spoke up and summoned her personal guard. “The Dark Side waits for no Sith. Let us proceed.”

 

[Placeholder 06]

"I expected as much." Dilbert mused, his guard dropping for but a moment.

"A man must be curious about such things," he added as he turned to face the stars. "Now that I know, however," the Bothan's face relaxed, "I can confirm the Dominion shares similar sentiments for your people. We have no interest in Sith space."

That much was a partial lie. There were those within the Dominion that wished to reclaim the throneworlds of the Sith, though they were the minority. Dilbert was rather confident they would be able to content themselves with the rewards heaped upon them by the Archlord in due time. No doubt that such rewards would be in abundance given the crusades that were being prepared for at this very moment.

His lips parted to speak further, but the other Sith stole his attentions. Dilbert quirked a brow at the young man.

"Our people know little of you. The worry was only in our administration," he waved a hand about. "I'm sure you understand that a war with a nation so very close to our own would be exhaustive in resources for both sides. I can see your counselor is wise, however," the Bothan nodded. "I am willing to take him at his word."

Brown eyes drifted back to Vrak. "If he is willing to take me at mine?"

[member="Antherion"], [member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

Gromas
The Tyrant [5/20]
[member="Dilbert Zambino"] | [member="Antherion"]


In truth this whole situation was more than a little bit amusing to Vrak.

His people had never really been known for their diplomatic capabilities. The Ancient Sith had been of a mind to conquer all and everything around them. They had fought the Republic, they had fought Zakuul, they had fought the Mandalorians and everyone else that stood in their way. Yet some Sith had also been smart enough to ally with those very same entities. They knew that sometimes, a war not fought was the best war of all. Vrak highly doubted that the Dominion would ever be an ally.

Yet right now, if they could be one less problem to deal with then he would accept it. "I am, Senator."

He glanced to Antherion.

"Though, you should be made aware that like you, I am not a supreme authority." He was only the head of Intelligence after all. That made him deal with foreign entity more than most, but the Councilor of War had enough authority to invade anything he saw fit, as long as the Council approved. "I highly doubt the rest of the Council will turn to the Dominion any time soon however."

Not when other things were more important. "Antherion?"

He motioned towards the Knight, knowing that he likely had more to say.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Tai Fa"]


"Its not so much a risk, its going to take the right type of company and buyer to make it work. Its going to be a fine balance between both power-hungry Force using groups."


Judah wasn't so sure he had the patience to stroke both egos at once, and he thought he was a fairly patient man. In his mind, much of the principles of the Jedi and Sith intermingled, he just preferred to not support either one overly. Sith were a bit more of a concern, especially considering the issues his ex-wife had with them in their marriage. Didn't need unwanted attention towards his family or his company.



"Not every piece of Yavin comes with this purchase. If you're looking for the ancient Jedi Temple, Mando ports and the like I don't own them. I can roughly say I own eighty percent of the planet or so however."


He was a bit worried about [member="Chloe Blake"] and the children at the Temple. Most had been evacuated ages prior, but he also knew some remained. After the meeting he would have to message her, make sure the wanderer knew the severity of the situation for her Academy.


"A sale will be dependent on many factors. Nothing stopping me from moving these assets to a liability holding, letting a group of lawyers defend my interest until the dust settles..."

 

[Ras'kala'han]

Location: Gromas (Orbit), The Tyrant
Post: 2 / 20
Nearby: [member="Vrak Nashar"], [member="Corin Zanith"], [member="Dilbert Zambino"]
Objective: Forging Alliances

"The truth of the matter is, councilor, I plan to be formally involving myself in the governance of the Dominion world of Lorrd, as it was the residence of my former Sith Master. It was an auspicious coincidence that it lies so close to their capitol, as I will be able to represent the interests of the Empire to the Dominion... and when necessary, vice versa.

"Ari, my wish is to take advantage of my unique position to help clarify relations with the Dominion." The lean-limbed figure inclined in a slight bow, a painful and unsteady shake in his back as he held it before righting himself. He turned to the senator, offering a soft smile and a respectful nod. Dusting off his set of crisp, white robes, he motioned to the hallway.

"Senator, shall we continue this discussion in one of the conference rooms off to the side?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Tai inclined his beak in acknowledgement of the facts stated.

In truth the Thirriken did not truly care about Yavin IV - in his earlier musings he had simply assumed he could convince Judah to establish a partnership with him. Keep operating and doing with the moon as he pleased, as long as... certain other plans of his would be allowed to proceed without interruption. Of course, then he got wind of the Dashiell humanoid contemplating selling off the moon entirely and that shifted his plans. It did not matter to him what was on the planet, as much as it mattered to him to have it as a beachhead.

A crucial part within the framework of his plan to assist in the rise of the Thirriken Empire.

Pipedream for the better part of the century, but now with the fall of the Mandalorian Clans, the retreat of Clan Rekali into the Hard Roil and the Gordian Reach being funneled by Sith elements?

There was a chance here - and again... it did not mean that Tai needed Yavin, but it would make things far easier if he did have it one way or another.

"I have no interest in fancy ancient temples and abandoned space ports, mister Dashiell. Eighty percent of an entire moon? That seems enough of an headache to deal with already." Now the Thirriken chuckled at Judah's assumption. The assumption that this new Sith Empire gave a crap about rights and jurisdiction and laws, if they weren't given their due.

No, Tai knew for a fact that the moment the tariffs and such weren't being paid for? Everything on the planet would burn alongside with everyone living on it.

"I am aware that you have been looking to expand your business in mining once again." His sources told him that once Judah had mining operations, before selling them off. It had taken him quite some time and a lot of headaches, but after months of digging through shell corporations and fake pseudonyms, he had been able to make an offer for the ownership shares of Sedna Mining Corporation.

A flick of his wing and the holoprojector flashed the logo of the company.

"Among other things, I am prepared to transfer the ownership of this company."

 

[Ao Xian]

Fire? Kuraii wrinkled her nose, ears subconsciously lying flat against the top of her head.

"That is not particularly comforting," she grumbled before following the girl up the stairs.

She could have cleared the way up in half the time it took [member="Kala Maedrin"]. But the Trianii stayed relatively close, ranging up and down, back and forth around her as the pair ascended. One of the things that had bonded the pair so early was that thirst for the new- for things, if not never before seen, at least not seen by the eyes of anyone now living.

The edges of the stone stairs crumbled ever so slightly beneath their feet. The closer they came to the entrance, the farther away the sounds of the forest around them seemed to be. Kuraii's ears flickered back and forth, swiveling slightly to pick up each sound, all too keenly aware that the jungle was falling eerily silent as they progressed. That in and of itself, was always a warning of things to come.

Kuraii grinned, that aggressive smile that was all teeth and no joy.

There were no doors to open when they reached the top. Simply a yawning mouth in the stonework that shed shadow as surely as Kuraii shed, well..... anyway.

Her nostrils flared as she paused in the opening.

"Musty and damp," she declared. "Something has been living in there though."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Color me skeptical."



He didn't quite believe [member="Tai Fa"] 's answer of not being interested in the Jedi Temple. Most were interested, Judah would have to suspect Fa was as well. In some ways it represented a bit of power, controlling such a thing. Most big-time company owners were hard-up on powertrips - controlling access to an ancient monument of source was a power play.



"I could be interested."


Judah thought it would be nice to get his underwater mining technology back. It had been a bit of a mistake in the past but he was a younger man at the time. Not that the technology couldn't be developed once again, the work could be put in. Yet having it back would save time and money.


"I doubt anyone has expanded the company in these years, afraid its not worth quite the same as a planet."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

~
Post: 1
Objective: Quell the Dissent
Location: Gromas 16
Nearby: N/A
~

Spoiler: Theme Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itt1nn9aWz0

The lights flickered in the cargo hold of the Darvro-Class light freighter as it broke into the atmosphere of Gromas 16. Everything shook with a foreboding test of the crew’s will, The Slave simply sitting crossed legged before the cargo door with both arms wrapped around the cortisis weaved vibroblade he often carried. His eyes were closed, his thoughts traversing innumerable paths of thought, before returning to where he was.

A soldier tapped on his shoulder, his throat mic erupting over the comms, “ETA One Minute, Sir.”

The Slave simply stared, his face blank of any emotion. He felt nothing. As more words were exchanged over the groups head sets, the sith acolyte slowly stood and prepared himself. He donned the sealed suit, and the slow glow of his life support systems kept themselves content to the corner of his vision.

They came to disrupt the enemy’s position. Not all the companies were so interested in being under Sith control, and that simply wouldn’t stand. There was no room for dissent, and he was tasked with quelling just such opposition. What he did with the groups was up to him, and he didn’t wish to kill them.

No, he had plans.

“1 Kilometer.”

His grip tightened.

“10 seconds to drop point.”

A grin formed on his lips.

“Now!”

And the door opened for their arrival. There wasn’t many in the group, and this was hardly a ship meant for HALO jumps, let alone assaults, but they’d make it work. They’d rush the enemy, take them by surprise, round them up, and steal what they could. The place would be left empty, a ghost town with little more than questions to never be filled.

And so they jumped, plan in mind, and a tactile pressure in their hearts. Air rushed past the helmet as he held the blade and the ground came closer.

“Wait for it…” he told himself… Wait for it.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

A little shrug of the shoulders followed Judah's skepticism.

The truth would stay the truth regardless of disbelief in Tai's experience. Perhaps in the future he would change his mind and decide that the temple was an attractive prospect, but right now there was no need for it. If this purchase went through they would have to move quickly, of course - the last thing that the Thirriken wanted was for the Remnant Empire to think he was harboring Jedi on 'his' planet. That would probably pull out the star destroyers glassing the entire moonlet, just to ensure that there wasn't anyone left at all.

Sith could be quite prone to overreactions.

So, a dialogue would have to start about evacuations, but right now that wasn't the issue for the Thirriken. It wasn't his moon yet after all, so it wasn't his headache to worry about yet.

"Eighty percent of the world." Tai reminded him with a little smile and the gesture of a wing. It was just a joke, of course. Clearly one mining company wasn't worth the same thing as Yavin IV. It had simply been an appetizer, a way for the Sith to show his business associate that he was quite serious about Yavin itself. "I assume you have certain specific things that you would like."

Money wasn't a question here, of course.

Credits were all nice and good, but in a Galaxy such as this one? There were more interesting things in his experience.

"I am listening intently."

 

[Arage Bao]

It didn't inspire any confidence in herself either.

What could 'Fire' mean? Was it some kind of ancient warning of the trials ahead? Was it symbolism? Maybe some kind of archaic designation of purpose? It was very difficult to find that out, because of how old the writing was. The Massassi had been considered extinct for generations, only recently did they emerge again from obscurity, but that still made it complicated to try and recognize writing that was several centuries old. Nobody had spoken it in ages and the context was long gone, especially when there was only one word to work with here.

Very frustrating.

"It will be fine." She mumbled as they took the long track up, a number of times Kala managed to smile, because of [member="Kuraii"]'s display of energy. They had been captives for such a long time that it was still new to see her friend shining bright, radiant and active.

Eventually they reached the end of the stairs, before stepping through the open maw that led into the place.

Shadows curled in the corners of the room. Every once in a while the rays of the sun shone through and illuminated parts of its contents - what Kala had noticed immediately was the sense of power once they stepped over the threshold. It reminded her of the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban, a place they had been quite a few times during their slavery.

"Question is... is whoever still here?" There was only one set of doors at the far-end. The rest of the room was remarkably empty, clean even and without any of the wear and tear that there was supposed to be for a place this old.

Almost as if someone had been renovating it?

There were scratches on the floor though. Like someone with sharp claws had gashed across it, this did not bode well at all.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

~
Post: 2
Objective: Quell the Dissent
Location: Gromas 16
Nearby: N/A
~

He hit with a thud, his feet nearly collapsing from the drop. To say he was experienced would be a lie, but it mattered not so long as he wasn’t injured. He tucked himself and rolled forward, pressing the thought into the back of his mind as he came to focus on what he was to do now that they were groundside.

They had five minutes before the ship came back, and in that time they had to get the crew who were here rounded up without a shot fired, no blood spilt, nothing disturbed, and take them off planet. It was a task that’d be tough for anyone, but one that was entrusted to him.

One that he wouldn’t fail.

His grin broke free as he let his dance begin. The squad he was with opened the door, but he was the first one through. They were in the mess hall, and the surprise on the miners face was obvious; after all it's not everyday you’re faced with heavily armed combatants in an otherwise regular existence in the boonies of space.

But whatever look of surprise on their face disappeared as The Slave threw the first of the men to the ground from his chair. The others cried out commands, demanding they get down as others rushed past them to check the other rooms. Weapons were confiscated, limbs bound with stun cuffs, and they were sent outside to lay in a line.

Rinse and repeat.

Room after room was swept for men and women, a thorough inspection to make sure nobody could report what had happened. Perhaps dead men tell no tales, but neither did an empty room. One of the men finished formatting the security and its backups before coming back in, and so they were done.

Three minutes and thirty six seconds.
Too slow is all The Slave heard. He simply snorted at his competitiveness, turning on heel back towards the LZ. The ship could be seen closing in, and that's all that mattered. They’d be stripped and laid into tightly packed cots once aboard, and from there it was anyones guess what was to happen.

But he knew. He knew the horrors they’d face, becoming his test subjects. Their bodies manipulated and twisted, broken and reformed in the image he chose. He’d become their god, one of pain and debilitation, but one that freed them through strength.

Or so he hoped.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Yidhra"]

Neesa heard a loud whooping from above them. Her blade was drawn in a flash. One moment her hands were empty and the next they were holding her sith-forged scimitars. She narrowed her eyes and watched carefully as several blue and yellow shapes swung through the vines. They gathered on a branch and sat there whooping at the Sith. Neesa watched for a moment and decided they weren't a threat yet. Thirst was sheathed once more, but she kept one blade out for hacking at the undergrowth. It seemed wasteful, but it took a great deal to dull these blades.

"Might be unnecessary," she said to the sorceress, holding up the blade. "Your massassi are going to trample down half the jungle it seems. Hopefully they annoy nothing more dangerous that some howling monkeys."

Unbeknown to the Hand an Underlurker was nested in the shadow of the temple they were heading for.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

~
Post: 3
Objective: Quell the Dissent
Location: Gromas 16
Nearby: N/A
~

And so they lifted off, the entire durasteel framework of the ship shuttering as they speed through the atmosphere. They had a number of stations to still hit, and a few hundred more men to gather before they could depart, but all was in a day's work for the casual acolyte.

He crossed his legs and leaned back, his mind wandering in the relaxing atmosphere of the rumbling cargo hold. The screams didn’t bother him, their displeasure was simply passing him like his breath, something that wouldn’t last and would come again; in time. So he exhaled, and his mind wandered through the chasms of his mind.

Bestia spoke of something during one of their training sessions, of what it meant to be a Dread Lord. To be a god in the mortal plane. To control life at its fundamental elements, to express yourself artistically through the easel that was mortality. It inspired him… for the first time in his life, he felt a passion for something more than freedom.

Not to survive, but to thrive.

These men, these people captured from the mining colonies he’d take to a dungeon and they’d become his first test subjects. He contemplated what he’d make of them… perhaps he’d just form them together. Who knew?

The thought tickled him, but he wouldn’t have long to relax as the next location came up. His headset roared to life as the pilot spread their ETA over the crew, forcing out a small sigh from The Slave. He stood with a hesitance, walking with the rest of the ground team towards the rear exit. Hopefully this drop went better than the last...

 

[Ao Xian]

Bushy eyebrows rose in surprise as they stepped inside. Based on the nature of the scent, Kuraii had assumed it was just an animal- a big, mean one, sure- but an animal nonetheless. All sentients were animals of course, but there was a line between the unfettered musk and.... other scents... of something unable to reach a certain level of thought.

Seeing the space cleaned however, gave her pause.

"Smells like an animal, acts, well....." The growling voice trailed off as she moved around the space. Nostrils flared.

"Reptillian," she murmured a moment later. It had been awhile since she'd scented that particular hair raising staleness. It clung to the back of the throat, a different unpleasant compared to the unpleasant scent of more ubiquitous humans. But equally unpleasant. At least humans were fellow mammals.

"And it has been here recently," she added. One clawed foot gently turned over a pile of what looked, at first, like some sort of shredded fabric. Wet, glistening bone jutted out of what was now clearly wet fur. The remains of dinner from perhaps two days ago, she estimated.

Glancing up at [member="Kala Maedrin"], she arched an eyebrow.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

[member="Tai Fa"]



Fa was correct to assume money wasn't everything. Judah had money and plenty of it. More of it wasn't going to prove anything, wasn't going to do anything for him. He had some ideas in mind of what he wanted, nothing incredibly major in his mind. Foot tapped lightly on the floor as he thought for a moment, debating exactly what his terms would be.


"Control of all six oceans, including mining rights and the shoreline. Four hundred acres along one of the ocean coastlines for the building of a port and mining facility. Unrestricted atmospheric access, by which I mean allowing our vessels in without fee or hassle."


Judah wasn't sure he was going to get control all six oceans. He would settle for four at this point. Yavin's oceans were interconnected but if the agreement came to less than all six he would respect the decision. Point was to start high and move down to a middle area if the other party didn't agree with his terms.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

~
Post: 4
Objective: Quell the Dissent
Location: Gromas 16
Nearby: N/A
~

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

There was only one left to raid. A large rig near the southern pole, with a crew averaging about thirty six on average this time of year. They’d taken larger ones already, so the ground crew began to relax, The Slave included. The rear door to the ship lay open, his hair whipping free as he waited, his thoughts as erratic as the wind that blew past him.

Something felt off… The smell perhaps? The miner they had so far weren’t known for their hygiene in the first place, and at this point he was sure some soiled themselves. No… It was something else, something less than sight or taste, but so much more. A foreboding presence he couldn’t place.

He shrugged the thought off, his hand tightening around the hilt of the sheathed vibroblade as the pilot gave word of their drop. This time, they’d land on the top floor and work their way down with a rear guard to take the prisoners with. With everyone rearmed and prepared, they began their last drop.

The Slave neared the edge of the open cargo hold, glancing down. The moon was crimson, and seemed so distant considering their distance. Clouds rushed beneath them, a pseudo barrier to their goal, but beyond that there was more… And the feeling became stronger.

Ignoring it, he lept into the hellscape for the hopeful last time. The roar of wind crescendoed in his ears, the ground coming to meet him at the same speed. Terminal velocity came quickly, breaching the clouds and falling farther; only for everything to go black.

His heart skipped a beat… The visuals he had were electronically based and something went wrong. A glitch? Did his power source ground out? Adrenaline kicked in as he began to rapidly search his body for his emergency chute, and when it was finally pulled he jerked free of it. Cords went taught, then limp as it snapped and shot back at his armor, scraping it painfully before he went into free fall once more.

He tensed tighter than he ever had before.

Was he about to die?

And what he thought was blackness only became all the more consuming, his body slipping into unconsciousness as he hit the ground with a sickening thud.

 

[Kratacos]

Post three.
[member="Yidhra"], [member="Neesa"]
Yavin Jungles.

So they were searching for the Temple of Sacrifice?

Vraukt didn't know much about the history behind the Temple beyond the fact that Vitiate had secured it as a stronghold once upon a time. The ancient Sith Emperor had done much for his own selfish reasons, though as to why? The young Pureblood didn't know, but perhaps that's what they were here to find out.

Yidhra spoke to some new being, one that he didn't know, though he didn't pay much attention to the conversation. Even if he did, he'd likely find himself becoming confused. So he remained silent, and continued to remain vigilant.

He followed, or would follow those that led the Vanguard.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Judah Dashiell"]

Tai was immediately amused by the negotiation tactic.

Of course, it always made sense to start off high and then work off to a reasonable middle ground, but Judah was taking to a fairly large extreme in his mind. Complete control over all the oceans and substantial ground on the shores was a non-starter and both of them knew it was they sat there and haggled.

But the Thirriken did not mind playing the game.

"First pick for underwater mining sites at an affordable leasing rate." Tai countered without missing a beat. "Payment of taxes and tariffs for the traffic and preferential treatment for its transports, which will shield us from the Remnant Empire burning everything down when you refuse to pay them their due."

Because with Tai acting as the middle man and house lord it would be his diplomacy that would save Judah.

"Special economical zones where you will be allowed to build compounds across the coast with little oversight."

Then the Thirriken leaned back and let his wings curl into each other.

 

[Arage Bao]

Kala followed [member="Kuraii"] further into the room and noticed the decaying remnants of a meal.

She wrinkled her nose when the smell touched her nostrils, but otherwise didn't react to it. Things like these had never truly bothered her at all. In fact, usually it would have made her more curious, but the fact that there was a wild predator roaming around somewhere nearby made her far less... interested than she usually would have been. There would always be another day to poke and prod at the corpse, but today was a day to explore and survive.

"Reptilian?" That did not sound all too good, but at the end of the day? "We aren't here for that though, so let's hope whatever it is will keep away while we are exploring the temple."

Sure, they could start hunting it, but what was the purpose of it?

There were more important things to do.

She brushed past Kuraii and studied the large doors that secluded the inner sanctum of the temple from the outside world. There were scratches here too, deep gashes in recently refurbished metal. There was a situation forming itself in her head, thoughts on what might have happened specifically.

But it mattered little for now.

There didn't seem to be any handles or buttons that opened this door though. But there was a strange feeling radiating from the door, strong with the Force.

"How do we open this?" Kala mused to herself.