Private PLANESHIFT: Rishi Labyrinth

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Choli didn't look at Trextan right away. She sat with one boot braced against the edge of the nav console, arms folded, gaze fixed out the viewport like she was trying to memorize the way the stars stretched and blurred. Hyperspace had a hum to it, deep and familiar, like the purr of an old speeder that still ran better than it should.

She exhaled, slow and even. Trextan's voice still had that scratch of half-awkwardness to it. They were doing their best to do their job and assist, but there seemed to be a lot of held breaths between the two of them.

"Wo'theth," she corrected, finally glancing over at him, one brow arched.

"It's... a planet. Technically." She shifted, unspooling a little from her seat. "Spacers believe it used to be buried in some subspace slip. Way off the galactic charts until the Planeshift pulled it up like a sunken wreck."

Her fingers drummed on the armrest absently, as if syncing with some internal cadence. "They say artifacts there mess with physics... so tech doesn't work right. Realspace's got fractures, time's thin in places. You might feel like your own shadow's watching you instead."

She turned back to the stars, and for a beat, the silence between them felt less like tension and more like... atmosphere. Not everything needed to be said. Not when the galaxy had just rearranged itself and left them both staring into the great unknown.

At Ren's arrival, Choli's expression relaxed to a faint smile. One that broadened when the girl took the reins to take them through their first jump. When they arrived, even Choli was stunned, breathless for a moment as she considered which path to take.

"I have not seen something like that before." she added finally, before turning towards Trextan, Choli, and Ren. After a moment, she added in her thoughts, "I am always for making sure we have some sort of fallback. Red would be my safe bet... but if the goal is to figure out what is going on..."

 

[Othin Kells]

Wo'theth, Larkarth Spaceport
Tags: Open

Epo-1 Interceptor
​

"Got a convoy of ships coming in, Kells!"

Othin looked up from his work, his gloves covered in lubricant from working under the hood of a speeder that had just been brought in for repairs. The other mechanics at the space port seemed to be frantically rushing about, and air traffic personnel were moving to get a nearby herd of floating jellyfish out of the general airspace to avoid any accidents that may result in a vessel passing through them. The young man frowned, glancing up to see his manager, a devaronian named Deckar.

"Convoy?" he mused as he took off his gloves. "How many ships?"

"A chit load of 'em, kid, stuff from places you ain't ever dreamed of no doubt," Deckar stated, "what with your shut-in lifestyle. Kids these days."

"Yeah..." Othin frowned. "Shut-in..."

Deckar wasn't exactly bright enough to figure out that Othin hadn't been a local for very long. Then again, his 'from another island' story seemed to fool most people in the area. It had been a while since he had left the Core. The Battle of Coruscant was probably a year ago now.

"Overhear what they're doing?" he asked.

"Traders or somethin'," the devaronian grumbled. "Said some hokey about exploration... something something collision with the galactic disc... I dunno. Sounds like a bunch of hogwash to me. Ain't nothin' ever goin' on around here. Anyways, get your station cleaned up and ready to go."

"Yes, sir..." Othin sighed.

Explorers. More interesting to Othin, however, was the mention of the Rishi Maze having collided with the primary galactic disc. He had heard... something that had sounded similar to that, but holonet signals were near impossible to get out here. He hadn't heard more than warbled text. How was that even possible, he wondered.

What effects had it had?

With nothing else to do, Othin shifted his focus, grabbing a rag before he began to wipe down his tools. Maybe he could snoop around and get some info from this convoy about what was going on out there that he couldn't see...

 

[Shade of Decay]

The Ebion had little trouble in the journey, kept in very good repair as it was. Being one of the faster vessels in the expedition, it had reached the Wo'thi system before most, though where they proceeded on to the planet that was their goal, the corvette remained at the edge of the system. A shuttle had been sent to obtain some supplies and information from the planetary surface, but it had seemed prudent not to bring entire ship into orbit. Given the competing influences that had shaped the planet in the past, from the tales that had reached Sith space in years past...

To bring such a vessel so near may have unintended effects.

Tsisaar had little difficulty studying it from a distance, anyhow. Indeed, with the planet's prominence in the Force, he had no doubt he could easily project himself to its surface, joining the other spirits that were known to walk upon it. However, while the study of Wo'theth could be worthwhile, it was only as part of the overall expedition. Mapping out new hyperlanes, attempting to discover some of the secret behind just what fresh calamity had befallen the galaxy.

In that regard, the others would more than suffice for the more mundane side of things. Indeed, with a Starchaser in the fleet, there would be much that could be gleaned through the Force as well, assuming they would all hold fast to their agreements to share data and such with each other. In other aspects of that delving for information, however, he doubted that they could offer him much.

Comparative analysis would be a necessity, but it was time for him to gather some of his own data. Whether through plunging into the Netherworld, or seeing if a rare glimpse of things afar off or yet-to-come would come to him. Floating within his bacta tank, he shut his eyes against the healing fluid, his focus drifting away from the constant burning pain as even that solution was enough for his ravaged, degraded body to attempt to dissolve away into even as it was constantly rebuilt from the same; he seized the Force within his grasp, and reached out, sight-beyond-sight, seeking for whatever the empyrean energies that sustained the galaxy may show him...

Darth Empyrean you said tag you for a vision so I'm doing it whether you want to post it or send it to me in a DM and I'll post it

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Right then, so, we'e got three options now. Thoughts before we provide our feedback?"

"I have not seen something like that before." she added finally, before turning towards Trextan, Choli, and Ren. After a moment, she added in her thoughts, "I am always for making sure we have some sort of fallback. Red would be my safe bet... but if the goal is to figure out what is going on..."

Trextan had watched mini-Chloe at the controls, but he didn't understand exactly what she had done. He felt a brief flash of jealousy, not for her skill bit for the easygoing interaction between her and her mother.

Trextan set that aside. He knew, more objectively now, that his dark feelings that had stood between himself and Jacen in fostering a new relationship.

He didn't want to lose time like that again.

"Red seems the tactical choice to me," Trextan agreed firmly. "But..."

As they dropped out of hyperspace he was monitoring the open channel again.

"...It already sounds like people want to go and find a Leviathan."

He glanced at Choli. Perhaps they were both too pragmatic at times. Maybe they had been three years ago too.

"Should we head down or save the fuel if its a quick stop?"

 

[The King in Red]

Suspended in the bacta tank, Tsisaar’s broken flesh aches under the eternal struggle between dissolution and restoration. Yet his mind soars free through the currents of the Force, unbound by the pain and decay of physical existence. He drifts beyond the Ebion’s hull, beyond the Wo’thi system, and finds himself in a great void where collapsed hyperlanes flicker like dying embers. In their wake, gaping holes in realspace writhe with faint shapes—Starweirds—ravenous specters gnawing at the edges of reality. Even in this half-illusory state, Tsisaar senses their hungry malice beckoning him closer, as if testing a predator’s will to devour or be devoured.

In a sudden lurch, brilliant cogwheels of ancient machinery manifest in his vision—towering constructs reminiscent of a Celestial design. One gear cracks and strains under a diseased energy that seeps from the shadows, warping its intended function. Calladene. The name blazes through his awareness as if summoned from the darkest corners of Sith lore, an echo of power once pure, now distorted and set on a course to destabilize the galaxy. This is the calamity felt by so many—a cosmic device meant to preserve order, but turned into a catalyst for chaos.

With the Force still in his grasp, Tsisaar peers deeper into the swirling nether, searching for further answers—perhaps from remnants of other spirits also drawn to Wo’theth’s energies. He sees fleeting impressions of unknown star-charts and newly twisted lanes, heavy with risk yet rich in potential for one who masters them. Before his sight can fully unravel these mysteries, a roiling wave of black ichor—an echo of the corruption strangling Calladene—threatens to ensnare him. He snaps back to consciousness, his body lurching in the bacta fluid. Though the vision is over, its lingering power remains. Something beyond mortal comprehension is at work in the galaxy, and Tsisaar’s search for knowledge—whether for salvation or dominion—has only just begun.

Shade of Decay

 

[Shade of Decay]

As he returned to himself, Tsisaar's black eyes opened once more.

The pain was back. It was a nothing.

He willed his flesh to cease its dissolution. At another unseen, unheard command, the filters and other mechanisms of the bacta tank kicked into overdrive, clearing away the polluted, murky liquid faster than before. Fresh bacta was suddenly all that was within the tank, this time blissfully free of impurities from the body it was trying to preserve. More; the ship's engines flared to life, carrying it towards the inner system. A display of the locations of the others in the convoy came into his mind's eye, carried by the droid brains through his own constructed mechanisms that allowed him to control the ship so fully when he deigned to do so.

The open comm channel crackled to life again, the same false voice as before.

"Calladene."

The vision was still firm in his mind; with his focus devoted to it, it would never leave his memory. The great machinery still stood clear in his vision if he wanted it so, reminiscent of The-Gears-Of, yet this engine worked on a far different task from what he gathered...yet had similar, far-reaching effects. Space and time itself becoming warped by its failing, just as the other great construct could open rifts to other times, other places, other realities.

And always—Starweirds. Just as they had been following him since those early days on Gravlex Med, so many decades ago.

If Wo'theth was so split between the now and then, between the real and the possible, then there was indeed a chance that they could glean some information from it that may help answer the questions plaguing the galaxy. Lest it fall to the newest calamity to reach it. After standing against his fellow Sith to prevent them from reshaping reality to their whims, after his efforts to preserve the grand experiment against any such meddling, making sure that even as they withdrew to their shadows there would be others to ensure the Jedi and their allies did not grow complacent and risk allowing such a victory to be snatched out from under them—

I will not allow it.

"Starchaser. Dainlei. Drake. Quill." The names he knew, whether by their own reputation or that of their forebears. They were the ones he was most assured he could reach out to for such work—though, going over the open comms as he was, he had no objections if any of their fellows elected to join the search. The more hands gathering it, the more data he would have to piece through; that some of it might be junk would be a small risk to take. "Get me anything you can find about Calladene. The spirits may have information. The Rakatan ruins as well. Something behind this smells of the Celestials...or one of their contemporaries. We will meet after we arrive at the next system."

Jared Starchaser Okkeus Dainlei Atlas Drake Tilon Quill

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

Ren's giddy cheer at the clean jump filled the cockpit, her voice ringing with that kind of bright joy only a kid could hold onto after threading a ship through the unknown. Chloe chuckled, low and fond, as the girl barely finished the sentence before diving nose-first into the planetary readouts on Wo'theth. Stars help her, give that girl a mystery and she'd chase it like a kath pup with a stimball.

With a soft tap of her boot against the deck, Chloe spun her pilot seat around, the chair swiveling smoothly as she turned to face the others. The dim console lights behind her glowed soft blue and green, throwing a quiet halo around her tousled blonde hair. It caught the edges of her features, reflecting the older seasoned, calm, but curious notes etched upon it with the kind of experience you earned running the hyperlanes longer than most spacers were alive.

"I'd pick blue," she said easily, the slight Corellian lilt wrapping around the words, "solely because if we can locate one of those Leviathans, maybe they'll have answers the stars ain't willin' to give us yet."

Choli gave a small nod, her gaze dropping for a moment as her irises shifted subtly, darkening, cooling into a shade that hinted at deeper thought. Not quite doubt. More like she was indexing possibilities, measuring odds.

"If that's the case," she murmured, voice even but focused, "and blue's our pick… then we need to know if we're setting down for a while or just taking a peek before punching out."

Before anyone could answer, Ren piped up, her head popping up between the seats.

"I wanna go down and look!" she chirped, practically bouncing, all spark and eager energy, like adventure had already grabbed her by the sleeve and was tugging.

Chloe didn't scold the girl, just gave a knowing smile, half amused, half resigned. She remembered that hunger for the unknown. Still had it herself, if she was being honest.

Meanwhile, Choli's gaze slid sidelong toward Trextan. The way his brow creased, just so told her something was off in his silence, something not quite settled.

She arched one brow at him. Subtle. A quiet ask: You okay?

No need to speak it aloud. Not yet. The galaxy had changed shape outside the viewport, but in here, sometimes it was enough to just notice.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Dells was at a loss of what to do. She wasn't a pilot. Could navigate a bit but that was best left to pilots who were smarter than herself. She had really come aboard as hired muscle. If something went awry she could shoot at it. In the event something shot at at them, she was a fairly decent mechanic who could at least keep them from dying in the vacuum of space.

Seeing they weren't in any real danger yet meant she was to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Opening her bag of nerf jerky, she watched the others before extending the bag to the blonde nerd as a peace offering.

Jared Starchaser | Spark Finn | Tilon Quill​

 

[Okkeus Dainlei]

Ship: Blue Lightning
Crew: Apollo and Navi
Tilon Quill | Jared Starchaser | Kaia Starchaser | Spark Finn | Mercy | "Cobalt" | Delila Castillon | Atlas Drake | Shade of Decay
​

The swirl of stars soon disappeared as the Blue Lightning gently drifted out of hyperspace.

He arrived towards the middle of the pack of ships. Peering out of the viewport, the lush world of Wo'theth sat idly in space, one of its nearby moons slowly rotating around the planet. Following the path of others, Okkeus decided to touchdown on the surface for a little bit. He knew they would not stay here long, but it did not hurt to go and explore. Lifting up on the control yokes and slowly engaging the thrusters, the ship began its descent. His crew decided to remain near the ship but not join him into the spaceport. Their loss, he chuckled to himself.

In a matter of minutes, the vessel's landing gear made contact with a quiet hiss. The spacer elected to power down the ship but still utilize the solar charging panels to collect a small amount of energy while they were resting. The panels were a somewhat new addition to the ship, but they proved to be very useful, especially when Okkeus was back at his home on Tatooine. Walking down the cargo ramp, he made sure to stretch his legs good, as he did not know the next time he would be on solid ground. A message had been sent through the comms about where the convoy should travel to next. In his opinion, the Blue route was going to be the most interesting. The chance to see some spaceborn lifeforms was one that he could not pass up, especially with his love for Purrgils.

Wandering his way over to the market, Okkeus found a few stalls set up selling various amenities. It was a blessing that Duggots were accepted out here, otherwise he would have had to barter his way to some deals. A small bundle of local fish was the first item on his shopping list - they would serve up nicely for dinner. Next was taking his backup Nava card to the local spaceport directory. He would add this planet in his navigational storage on this databank. Once he returned to his ship, he would process all of the information onto the Blue Lightning's current drive. After paying a few credits and thanking the worker, Okkeus took one final lap through the stalls.

A message was sent out earlier on the comms by Shade of Decay , asking him and a few other members of the convoy for any information they had on "Calladene." Now supposedly, that name had some sort of connection to all the astronomical phenomenon that have been occurring. The name was one that the spacer had not heard of before, or at least one that he did not recall. Locating and hiring a Querm Rybet, he asked to be taken to the Sinking Temple of Urr - an observatory that now sat sinking in a nearby lake. After making small talk for a few minutes about life on Wo'theth, the two of them arrived on the structure. Immediately its connection to the Force could be felt. His guide talked about how the temple was Rakatan in origin, built eons ago. Overall, it was very fascinating, but with the clock ticking on when the group had to take off, he unfortunately did not have time to explore it in depth like he would have hoped. Maybe on their return trip he could spend more time here.

Thanking his guide, the two of them returned to the market. But before Okkeus departed, the guide reached into his stall and pulled out a small book that contained more details about the structure. Reaching into his pocket, the man tried to give a few more Duggots for the item, but the guide refused with a wave of his hand, simply offering the book to the man as a gift.

"Thank you, truly. But I would feel bad if I could not give you something in return."

Reaching into his bag, Okkeus pulled out a small starmap with the Lehon Zigzag hyperlane on it, a route that he charted himself. Though outside of the Rishi Maze, it was a path that would provide safer access into the main galaxy. And with the Brotherhood of the Maw fleeing from the territory, it was now much easy to travel on. The two of them shook hands before parting ways. A message was sent to him from Navi, letting the man know that the fleet was preparing to take off. Making his way back to his vessel, the spacer loaded up and secured his purchases, soon preparing for takeoff.

 

[Atlas Drake]

Othin Kells Tilon Quill Mercy et al.​

---

The Quasar Ghost tumbled out of hyperspace in a blur of pseudomotion trailing clouds of engine debris. Cabin lights flickered on and off while the freighter drifted like a blinking satellite.

"Turn it off!" Drake was shouting, "Turn it off!"

His cockpit quickly filled up with smoke. Alarm klaxons rang in the captain's ears. Once they cut power to the damaged sublight thrusters and hyperdrive Atlas took a few seconds to realize the last screech was BD-7 still wailing in terrified binary. A furious looking anzellan covered in soot and grease entered the cockpit holding up a twisted hyperdrive component in silent accusation.

"Next time you tell me to wait we'll wait," he conceded before sending another open transmission, "Need to set the Ghost down for some quick repairs, North Ridge. I like the odds of this forest world you mentioned. If there's local hyperspace traffic must be for a reason that could be worthwhile."

Atlas coaxed the Ghost down into the planet's atmosphere honing in on the closest signs of civilization. His ship left an angry trail of black smoke in its wake. Glancing back to make sure Rama was strapped in, Drake prepared for his final approach.

"Larkarth Spaceport, I am declaring an emergency. Clear your nearest landing bay."

She came down hard on her landing struts skidding a few meters. Smoke leaked out of her like blood from a wound. Instead of descending slowly the Ghost's boarding ramp dropped with a heavy thud. Captain Drake stumbled onto another alien world with BD-7 on his heels. He needed to find a parts trader or scavenger with something compatible.

Maybe after one or two drinks at the cantina. He could ask around about 'Calladene'. Not much to go on. It could be treasure or a world or something even more valuable.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"I wanna go down and look!" she chirped,

Trextan actually smiled at her enthusiasm. It was a pleasant change of pace from travelling alone or dealing with outlaws.

She arched one brow at him. Subtle. A quiet ask: You okay?

Surprised passed across his face. He hadn't expected to be caught looking and thinking at the same time.

It was hard for Trextan to convey: Yes, but we can talk later, in a single look. He had never been able to reach out to her mind properly. He offered a small nod, a half-smile and glanced away.

"Larkarth Spaceport, I am declaring an emergency. Clear your nearest landing bay."

"Hold up, sounds like the Quasar Ghost is going down for repairs," Trextan said. "Why don't we head down, Choli and I can see if they need hands and you can take Ren to look around?"

Trextan brought up a blue trail on the holo display.

"They're heading for Larkarth Spaceport."

 

[Jared Starchaser]

His ship was fast, he knew it. It was designed to be a haulcraft but it was re-engineered to be a blockade runner and scout ship. It was probably half the reason Dells flew with him. It wasn’t just smuggling, but it was blockade running, and getting weapons into the hands of those that would them properly, and getting the innocents out and away. To somewhere like the Oasis or Dawn Chaser. But now?

Hyperspace trips. To the Rishi Maze. He and his sister were doing the jobs that his father had hoped they’d be able to after his war. As he was going through the flight check list, he looked over at Spark. He’d know the woman for a few years, through his father, obviously.

“The ships have what?” He was already in hyperspace, when he finally responded. He may have had the first destination, but he was a Starchaser and was going to check the navs, and trim what he could. Chloe Blake was out there and he couldn’t let her beat him to the next stop. “A brain in a tank?” that could not be safe.

“Anti-flying jelly… uh… no?” He gave Spark a puzzled look as he looked over to Dells. The redhead he could get, guns and knives.

The flight was fairly quick, and he was not surprised that his ship and the Hawk arrived around the same time. He turned towards the planet, and read the comms that came through.

“Anyone fancy a trip planetside? Spark, can you reach…. All tech?” Looking at the word that burned out the most of the request Calladene he looked to her and then his droid. “Think you can find anything about this?” He and Dells could probably turn the world over for it, but with a limited time on this world?

Or with the Ghost going down, Jared nodded. “Pathfinders, why don’t you stay with the Roost, we’ll call if we need anything.” He directed the Crosscurrent after Atlas Drake’s ship.

Spark Finn Delila Castillon Tilon Quill Atlas Drake

 

[Othin Kells]

Wo'theth
Tags: Atlas Drake , Tilon Quill , Jared Starchaser , Spark Finn , Others...

Epo-1 Interceptor
​

"Larkarth Spaceport, I am declaring an emergency. Clear your nearest landing bay."

"OI! GET YOUR ASSES OUT THERE AND CLEAR BAY SEVEN! WE'VE GOT AN EMERGENCY LANDING COMIN' IN!"

At the order of the Devaronian, a band of mechanics scrambled to clear the landing bay for the incoming vessel. Othin watched as the Quasar Ghost came smoking down through Wo'theth's atmosphere and landed hard. He winced as it did, hearing the flexing and screetching of the joints in the landing gear. It was not the most appealing way to touch down, but it could surely be worse. The man who emerged, however, was one Othin recognized. Atlas Drake was well known, especially to a boy like him who had fallen in love with piloting. After all, he was all but the face of Outbound Flight. This was a different kind of man, one from an era that he only seemed to get to hear about in stories.

It was unfortunate the whimsy had left Othin behind for a while now. He was not as extatic as his child self would have been. Only mildly curious.

"Afternoon," Othin called out with a lazy wave, the other hand tucked in his pocket. "You 'bout came down as a ball of fire. Had the boss in a tizzy tryin' to clear space for you to touch down. Name's Othin Kells, senior mechanic."

He'd at the very least offer a handshake before continuing.

"Any clear idea what the problem is?" he asked. "I might be able to assist ya..."

 

[Chloe Blake]

Outfit: x | Equipment: x x x x x x | Tag: Trextan Voidstalker Atlas Drake​

Chloe leaned forward in her seat, eyes narrowing as the static-heavy transmission from Quasar Ghost crackled through the comms. Smoke and emergency landings, she'd seen it before, but that didn't mean she liked it. The tone in Drake's voice was rough-edged, laced with desperation and just enough control to keep the panic in check. Classic spacer move. Stay calm 'til you hit atmosphere, then fix it with fire and a hydrospanner later.

She gave a low whistle through her teeth, the kind that carried more amusement than surprise.

"Well," she drawled, adjusting the wide cuff of her jacket sleeve and tapping a few keys to zoom in on the trail their new neighbors had scorched through the sky, "either they're cursed or they ticked off a navicomputer with a mean streak."

Ren was already pressed up against the viewport, trying to catch a glimpse of the other ship's descent.

"They're smokin'!" she shouted, like it was the most exciting thing in the galaxy. Chloe reached out and gently tugged the girl back into her seat.

"I'm sure they are, sweetheart, but let's not treat it like a fireworks show. Ship like that goes belly-up, it can cook off a fuel cell real quick."

She swiveled slightly as Trextan spoke, nodding along with his plan. The way he glanced between Choli and the holo-map told her plenty, even if he wasn't the kind to spell it out. Trying, that one. And quietly enough not to spook things.

"Sounds like a decent enough reason to stretch our legs," Chloe said, already queuing a new flight vector. "I'll take Ren and poke around a bit. Maybe see if Larkarth's got any spicebread worth braggin' about. You two check on our hotshot friend and see if he needs mesh tape or divine intervention."

The Aurora Hawk banked smoothly into descent, angling toward the tree-choked sprawl of the North Ridge and the haze-wreathed towers of Larkarth Spaceport.

Chloe glanced back once more, her expression settling into that easy, wry curve, half-smile, half-challenge. "Let's try not to bring back more shipwrecks, yeah?"

 

[Atlas Drake]

Othin Kells Tilon Quill Trextan Voidstalker Chloe Blake Jared Starchaser et al.​

---

"Atlas Drake," he took the local tech's hand in a firm grip, "Captain of the Quasar Ghost, or what's left of her."

Since the peak of his galactic fame the intrepid explorer appeared to have fallen upon more desperate times. He wore a faded military jacket and there was a Glie-44 model blaster holstered against Drake's belt. His ship was an actual antique if the mechanic even recognized its frame from historical records.

"My meknek tells me it's a bad hyperdrive motivator. Power spike during our last jump must have caused a blowout in one of the aft starboard thrusters."

His anzellan engineer was already crawling onto the Ghost's hull. Rama grumbled the foulest curses in their native babble. A few more ships from the convoy briefly drowned everything out when Larkarth Spaceport directed them to nearby bays or pads.

"We can limp along at sublight," Drake grimaced, "But I need a compatible motivator, Mister Kells. I can pay you fair market price or work out a trade for some of our cargo."

 

[Tilon Quill]

-

CONVOY UPDATE - FIRST LEG

11/14 ships reached Wo'theth safely. (Roz'lyn and Braze unable to join, Quasar Ghost put down at Larkarth for repairs.) Blue Lightning, Aurora Hawk, and Crosscurrent putting down too. Local food and art appreciated.

Kite's Roost and North Ridge taking geosynchronous orbit for sensor overwatch and nav data compiling.

Winning vote is option BLUE once all ready to move on. Will brush up on leviathan dialects.

Ebion has put out an urgent call for any information on the term CALLADENE. Wish I had Dad's library here. Bounced a query back through Kamino relay.

"Elsie" Eldritch Mercy Okkeus Dainlei Jared Starchaser Delila Castillon Spark Finn Shade of Decay Atlas Drake Chloe Blake "Cobalt" Trextan Voidstalker Othin Kells

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Chloe glanced back once more, her expression settling into that easy, wry curve, half-smile, half-challenge. "Let's try not to bring back more shipwrecks, yeah?"

It took Trextan a moment to realise what she was referencing.

"Hey!"

His mild protest was lost in concentration as he stayed on the comm to negotiate landing. It wasn't difficult to see where the Ghost had put down.

As soon as they were descending slowly towards a landing pad, Trextan rose from his station. He gave Choli a quick nod and made his way to leave the ship.

The ramp was being lowered before they had even settled down.

"We can limp along at sublight," Drake grimaced, "But I need a compatible motivator, Mister Kells. I can pay you fair market price or work out a trade for some of our cargo."

Othin Kells

Trextan approached slowly. He always felt awkward approaching a conversation that had already started.

"Hey, er, can spare some hands if you need," Trextan said. He glanced over his shoulder at Choli.

"Everyone on board alright?" he asked Atlas. He looked to the ship and then the local tech crew. Hopefully no one thought he and Choli were trying to steal work.

"We're from another ship in the convoy," he explained to the devaronian, for the avoidance of doubt.

 

[Choli Vyn]

Interacting with: Trextan Voidstalker Atlas Drake Othin Kells
Armor- x x x x x | Gear x x x x x x x | Weapons x x x x x

"From the Aurora," Choli clarified on which ship being Chloe Blake 's, adding to what Trextan relayed, hanging back a few paces as Trextan made his approach, her boots thudding softly against the duracrete as the wind from their descent kicked up bits of dust and pollen. She squinted against the midday glare, the kind of gold-drenched light that made everything look hotter and older than it was. Larkarth had that dry-forest scent clinging to it with sunbaked pine and engine grease, like someone had tried to plant a starport in the middle of a forgotten shrine.

She didn't know Atlas Drake , not really. The name tickled something in the back of her mind. Not recent newsfeeds -- older. Explorer-type, she thought, the kind they used to holovid for kids dreaming about stars beyond the Rim. But standing here now, he looked more like a man who'd been chewed up by the galaxy and was still spitting back smoke. His jacket was military cut but sun-bleached and fraying at the cuffs. A Glie-44 hung off his hip, scuffed from use but still loaded. Probably slept with it. Probably had to.

Choli let her gaze drift up toward the dark line of damage stitched across the hull like a scar. Rama's curses filtered down, all fire and fury in a language Choli didn't know but understood perfectly anyway. The poor Ghost was bleeding smoke and attitude in equal measure.

A pair of freighters from the convoy thundered overhead, their engines roaring as Larkarth's traffic control diverted them to the far pads. The noise washed out the conversation for a second, but Choli stood steady, arms crossed, watching Drake, Othin Kells , and the anzellan with a wary sort of interest.

When Trextan glanced back at her, she gave a nod, as if indicating, well time to help out, adding wryly to him, "Hope you've retained some of what I taught you on turning a wrench."

She finally stepped forward, voice easy, like they weren't all half a twitch from a reactor burst.

"Alright, Captain," she said finally, stepping closer and letting her voice carry just enough, as she nodded to Atlas, Othin, and then to the tech crew. "But you got hands here if you want them. If your flux coils are as fried as they smell, I have done a field bypass or two in my time. Long as your Meknek doesn't try to bite."

Rama shouted something colorful in response.

Choli cracked the barest grin. "Fair enough."

 

[Othin Kells]

Wo'theth
Tags: Atlas Drake , Trextan Voidstalker , Choli Vyn

Epo-1 Interceptor
​

"My meknek tells me it's a bad hyperdrive motivator. Power spike during our last jump must have caused a blowout in one of the aft starboard thrusters."

"We can limp along at sublight," Drake grimaced, "But I need a compatible motivator, Mister Kells. I can pay you fair market price or work out a trade for some of our cargo."

"Motivator..." Othin muttered, rubbing at his chin. "I figure we got a spare one lying around here, older model too. High-tech modern vessels are few and far between coming through these parts, so the odds of compatibility are increased. I'd lean more towards a trade. Credits ain't worth much out here. Not many folks use 'em. Makes no sense when the brass tax minting them are so far away."

"Everyone on board alright?"

"We're from another ship in the convoy,"

"Hope you've retained some of what I taught you on turning a wrench."

"Guess you got some willing hands too," he noted. "Suppose that makes the process a little smoother."

Othin glanced back to Deckar, the Devaronian manager overseeing the port mechanics finally going on break. That was nice. One less idiot hovering over his shoulder. The young man let out a sigh before continuing to speak.

"Folks have been sayin' that the routes into the Maze have shifted," the man continued. "Said we're touchin' the galactic disc now. I didn't get confirmation till your convoy rolled up. Signal ain't good out here, so news from below is choppy at best... static at worse. That somethin' you folks are gonna be lookin' into?"

They did mention exploration, after all. No doubt charting new hyperlanes for trade. It was probably good to get in the know. After all, anything could come barreling down those lanes.

He didn't want trouble coming here.