Skirmish Rumors-- SJC/TSE

[Silver Rose]

Rumor has it Grandmaster Elise was captured by a bounty hunter on Onderon.

Rumor has it she was sold to The Sith Empire.

Rumor has it she will resurface for a hand off on Yavin's star port-- Today, at noon.
​

Lead by Coren Starchaser , operatives working hand in hand with Silver Jedi Concord arrived early and set up on scene. Their goal was simple-- blend in and extract the jedi before the hand off can be completed. Whether or not the precious Intel that had brought the order so deep into sith space was complete... Well.

Every mission had its risks.

Spoiler: OOC

We are dropping in hot. If you're working with SJO, you're already there and waiting. Use your creativity, blend in. With this being a high profile hand off in the middle of sith space-- any sith operatives could easily be there. Check in with your fo's if you have questions. Ending is already agreed upon-- the recon will be a failure. This time.

 

[Dorn Monteth]

Dorn's nose was currently attempting a rebellion, and he could understand why. The last crate he had loaded onboard the dirty freighter had been coated in some kind of gelatinous film that had immediately stuck to his hands. After only a moment of inattention, Dorn had mindlessly scratched his cheek and now had to contend with the smear of what smelled like mucous plastered to his face. Even this short break of reflection immediately earned a red-faced scream from his overbearing senior loader and he found himself snatching up another cripplingly large crate, this one full of gibbering creature he couldn't identify. His coveralls were heavy with a variety of substances, some of them courtesy of the now hissing creatures he was handling.

The uniform that came with this temporary gig, and his screaming senior was very quick to remind Dorn of just how temporary, came with a cap that seemed determined to trap every inch of heat his body produced. With a deep grunt, Dorn set the crate in its marked place and paused to wipe the sweat from his forehead, further smearing that strange goo closer to his nose. Wearing a placid expression, Dorn turned to watch his crimson coworker struggle to lift a crate, his eyes flickering just occasionally along his surroundings to mark anything of import. Rolling one shoulder to idly scratch at his ear, Dorn felt the brush of his comm unit and went back to work. Mid-lift through his next crate, he realized it was coated in that same mucous, his nose screamed.

 

[Tulan Kor]

Tulan Kor did a lot of things.

But one thing that he did more than anything- was kill people, and pull Jedi out of the fire. He did it before, he'd do it again, and he'd do it until the day he died.

To the Silver Jedi, blending in was hard. Goody-two-shoes Jedi had a hard time being scumbags. Tulan looked like one, all the time. All. Of. The. Time.

The secret was the choice of headwear. Jerks wore beanies. People avoided people in beanies, watch caps, whatever you wanted to call them. Tulan was at a local pub- bar, tavern, cantina. All meant the same thing. Dockhands drinking together. Tulan blended in well, joyously singing along to a popular song blaring over the speakers of the bar.

His earpiece was on mute for the moment, thankfully.

But he was listening, watching.

Anyone who wasn't supposed to be there- Tulan would see them.

He just hoped that the stinkin' Jedi didn't screw it up.

 

[Akulak Mantacor]

When he was informed that he would be assisting in the transfer of a high ranked prisoner, Akulak was hoping he would be allowed access to the prisoner to examine the fine points of a potential medical subject: Force Sensitivity, endurance, blood type, grey matter retention, unusual mutations, etc. Someone probably reported this to his superiors, because while he was given this post, he was not nearly as close to the prisoner as he wished. His senses reached out into the local vicinity, probing and searching for foreign minds, his third eye in particular sought out the delicious presence of the jedi, seeking the purity of their form, and wishing to take hold of one for his own desires; they had so much more potential than failed acolytes after all. He would only need one jedi, just one, and his greatest creation would be complete. It was the only thing he could take comfort in, the other was degrading into a psychotic rage for the conditions he was being placed it.

A small cargo pod labeled 'Deceased' with some poor tool's identification scrawled over the cover was his place of residence. Needless to say, he did not enjoy it one bit. His body hardly fit within the confines of the environment, and he had to recline into the pod with his arms crossed, letting his edged finger tips dig into his skin ever so slightly. He just tried not to think too much on it.

Whoever placed him here was going to die screaming once he found them. He could take comfort in that thought as well.

 

[Thirdas Heavenshield]

Construction site, across the water...

I am a rock. I am a stone.

Hours had gone by and nothing so far. These kind of Ops were heavily dependent on intel, so if the intel would turn out to be false, heads would roll. Sometimes literally. And for the guy doing the surveillance, such as himself, there was usually a lot of waiting involved. While all the other members of the rescue team had blended into the background, Thirdas was on perpetual guard duty.

A lone speeder was parked around the back of a large construction site, another skyscraper in the process of going up right across from the space port, separated by a river. Seemingly abandoned, either because of nobody currently assigned to its construction or due to a lack of funding, Thirdas chose it for his setup.

He'd grabbed the highest floor he could that was in such a state as to be utilised reliably, without the chance of the floor suddenly caving in underneath his feet. Above him was naught but metal beams and a few sheets of preliminary walls tossed up here and there.

Because of the nature of the Op, stealth was deemed the key to victory. He was decked out in full camo gear, no armour. His face was painted a dark colour, and he was wearing high-powered optics capable of area scans, night and thermal vision, zoom-ins, the works.

I am a rock. I am a stone.

"Overwatch here. Still no movement," he spoke softly into his comms to anyone on the rescue team with the time to listen.

The barrel of his mother's rifle followed his own gaze perfectly, as he observed the outside of the space port as well as anyone walking by the windows. Still nothing.

He stuck his left hand into his pocket, right hand ever on the pistol grip, and pulled out a small cracker to take a bite out of. Slowly he chewed so as to not interrupt his aim in case he'd have to take a shot right this second.

I am a rock. I am a stone.

Dorn Monteth | Tulan Kor | Akulak Mantacor ​

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Location: Construction Site.
Objective: Provide Overwatch for strike force.
Company: Thirdas Heavenshield .

Caedyn Arenais sat crouched, huddled behind cover on the same floor as Thirdas as he watched the far side of the river through a pair of tactical bino's. From a distance, Thirdas job was to provide covering fire if and when all things turned to chit. Caedyn had come to support him in this, but also in the case that the Sith were to pick up on his position and bring an entourage to greet him.

The Jedi Knight himself wasn't packing light; alongside his Lightsaber, he also had his Side-Arm holstered against his hip. Say what you want about a Jedi using a slugthrower, when it came to fighting the Sith, one needed to be prepared for anything.

"Overwatch here. Still no movement" Thirdas spoke into his mic. Caedyn's line of sight shifting to the others in position and seeking to gauge their surroundings for any sign of things going south. Their objective here was to rescue Elise.

It seemed like not so long ago since the Grandmaster pulled Caedyn back from the Outer-Rim for the sake of his Padawan today. How she had wound up here, and whatever had gone down between then and now...-Force only knew. Where she would be headed? Back to the Silver Rest if they had anything to say about it.

..Back home.

Thirdas Heavenshield | Dorn Monteth | Tulan Kor | Akulak Mantacor​

 

[Coren Starchaser]

A Jedi’s work was never complete. Coren Starchaser, Jedi Master, was finding out news from a few of his agents in the Underground that there were issues going on. Big ones. Issues of the ‘Grandmaster was captured and delivered to the Sith Empire’ type of rumors. The issues here for him, he was doing his best to keep his promise to his wife Celeste Rigel that his crusading days were behind him. He was doing that for those he lost during the Alliance as well. But this…

He had news, news she would be handed over on Yavin. That was going to make it interesting.

And that was why he was here, dressed as a spacer, side arm obvious, lightsaber less so, and chit chatting with Cuan Kunn , one of the Sullsutan Home Guard operatives who insisted on escorting the General. They were carrying on about some made up trip or another, as Porter, Coren’s astromech was moving around the docks, repainted from his orange and white to a navy and forest. He was observing the different ships, and seeking for the bounty hunter’s ship, or Sith pick up vessel.

Even for this, Coren was flying some run down Nubian ship, the silver hull chipped, and definitely a vessel Coren would never choose on his own. As the droid was tweeting along, the Jedi Master understood he hadn’t found what he was looking for you.

“Nova team to Overwatch. No news.”

Mid day was close though.

Thirdas Heavenshield
Caedyn Arenais
Dorn Monteth
Tulan Kor

 

[AMCO]

Location: Starport, generic cafe.
Objective: Charm offensive.
Writing With: Nida Perl (Planned)
---

Given his position within the Sith Empire, Adrian was, of course, aware of the plans to discreetly transport the Silver Jedi's Grandmaster - that was not, however, the true reason for his presence on the Saaraishash's humid little moon; the true reason was sitting on the other end of the table, her laughter proof that his efforts were not in vain.

The Lord Inquisitor herself was indebted to him, but the organisation was more than its head - the more "well-positioned friends", the better.

"Oh, I laughed too - I laughed until I realized yours truly was expected to reverse it." Flashing a dazzling smile in Inquisitor Honn's direction, the Sith Lord leaned closer, lowering his voice. "... and, as it turns out, it was not just skin deep - I've never seen such a luminescent throat. It was like a rainbowy flashlight pointed in my direction every time he coughed... and the damn glitter, by the Force was that hard to clean off!"

 

[Centin Tillo]

Near: Tulan Kor
Location: Tavern

Centin’s hood billowed against the wind, indicating to him an indoor location might prove more ideal for maintaining a low profile. He turned off the street, making his way towards the door of some local tavern that seemed to be serving a modest amount of customers.

Perfect. A location with just the right amount of people. Too many and it’d be hard to observe. Too few and I’d stand out even more than I already do.

Centin tried to keep track of all the things he had been taught throughout his training, though it was hard to recall most of what he had learned. That’s probably the way it always goes. Can’t remember your training until you actually need it. He smiled wryly to himself at the thought.

He strode through the door, heading immediately in the direction of the bar itself, not yet surveying his surroundings. He leaned against the bar, both elbows resting against the edge. Waiting silently, eyes fixed on the wall in front of him, he ordered a whiskey when the bartender finally approached. Taking the drink in hand, he noticed a faint sound of clinking which set him on alert. A few moments passed before the realization dawned that he was the source, his shaking hand causing the ice to rattle. Raising the drink to his lips he tried to calm his rapidly increasing nerves.

Calm down you fool. If you blow this now, on your first actual field mission, you’ll never hear the end of it. Especially from Amani.

He took a sip, noticing the bartender eying him. “Looks like the cold outside must’ve gotten to me,” he joked half-heartedly, gesturing to his shaking hand. He turned his back to the bar, finally giving the rest of the room’s occupants his attention. He approached an empty table, keeping an eye out for any suspicious figures. As he sat down, a thought crossed his mind, one he had forgotten up until now.

Wait, isn’t there supposed to be a Concord operative here?

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Location: Sith Space, Surface
Tags: Coren Starchaser , Caedyn Arenais, Kyra Perl , Thirdas Heavenshield , Dorn Monteth , Tulan Kor , AMCO , Centin Tillo

A R R I V A L​

It was by all appearances a quiet and orderly world in the Sith Empire.

A dedicated citizenry moved about their tasks at the high point of the day the angular hulls of imperial ships crossed the skies while other differently designed hulls of freighters, supply haulers, and other civilian vessels moved lazily through the skies. It was a calm, a silence that was peaceful to some, and tense to others and the mood droned on in the spaceport for what seemed like an eternity. Ships were brought in their manifests reviewed and inspected by imperial authorities while uniformed imperial security moved about maintaining order by their sheer presence alone being enough to cow even the most disorderly arriving long haul supply captain into compliance with the official he was dealing with. It was just another day...​

​

Until it wasn't.​

​

Even before anything could be seen there was a scramble by docking officials who moved with a sense of urgency, a stark change from the pattern of status quo that had been seen since. Security rushed back and forth to the orders of shouting docking officers, who gathered them together and used their presence as a reminder of their authority and as a tool of intimidation. One such official moved to a pair of large landing pads on the far left of the platform, where a civilian freighter had just landed it's engines still burning. The officer stood with a pair of security behind him right in front of the vessel and waved him off. Whatever he said to the pilot was enough to cause it to take off. Anyone who was tapping into communications would hear that two landing pads had been cleared for some reason. They were speaking in coded phrases deeply rooted into the Sith-Imperial policy.​

​

A short time later it came.​

​

Through the sky unlike all the other ships was an angular dropship bristling with guns, trails of fire from its afterburners streaked the skies as the ship slowed on its descent. It was accompanied by an escort of fighters that trailed behind it. The heavy dropship landed on one of the two now exposed landing pads the whir of its hydralics were accompanied by a hiss as the ramp extended. Before the ship had even touched down a head docking official, a raven haired woman stood alongside a tall, broad shouldered blond haired, fair skinned man. The muscled that rippled beneath his uniform clearly painted him as athletic and strong. The uniform denoted him as a distinguished official likely a head security official. Their eyes bulged in a mixture of awe and fear as the figures emerged. It was a wall of black iron. A highly organized formation of soldiers clad in black armor emerged and to all witnesses they were positively gigantic. Each one of these warriors around seven and a half feet in height and their powerfully built forms caused them to stand out like terrifying demigods when compared to the measly human forms arrayed before them. ​

​

The Blackblade Guard.​

​

If it weren't for the subtle variations in his armor that denoted him from the guardsmen who marched behind him it would've been impossible to tell the large warrior apart from the others. The speech between these warriors as orders were snapped was not only in another language, but it was also highly encrypted. Words came out as demonic growls without the appropriate helmet tech to translate. There was something to be admired at how these Angels of Death moved with such certainty, such discipline. Their company commander spoke briefly with the officials who struggled to get words out with the giant, who quickly took control and snapped orders. It was well known throughout the galaxy that the Blackblade Guard were some of the most feared warriors out there. They were the sworn swords of the Sith Emperor and the Shadow Hand, the cybernetic and biologically enhanced soldiers who waged war, brought death to worlds and extinguished cultures and consigned entire species to extinction on behalf of their undying sovereigns. The commander issued orders for their security while the guardsman took control establishing strong tactical position. The company wasn't numerically large but there was a fair amount of them, including several shocktroopers that took positions. There were two teams of marksmen that quickly moved to establish vantage points upon which to scan the area as the soldiers moved to lock down the area, commands issued where the small security force could contribute.​

​

That was when the second ship approached.​

​

Rather it simply appeared in the skies above. The angular ship was clad in a reflective black metal and bristling with firepower. It landed right next to the heavy dropship that was noticeably graceful compared to the bulky dropship. The ramp of this ship descended. But before it even did his presence was howling. It could only be described as something that shouldn't exist. A living maelstrom of dark side power. A single blackened soul engorged with such power it almost burned those who could feel its touch, the fury within like a rumbling volcano. The figure who came into sight was positively titanic. Even among the large guardsmen he towered head and shoulders above them, clad in a set of impossibly large plate and a billowing cloak this figure was turned from a titan into the visage reminiscent of some god of war both magnificent and terrifying. A black cloak billowed behind him with the pelt of some ferocious animal crossing his shoulder blades. The armor of black and gold was dominated by the presence of three burning eyes that glowed with a malignant light. There were a pair of skulls firmly mounted above his shoulders while one was firmly secured around the lower area of his waist. They looked unassuming but every single one of them was a powerful enemy of the Sith Order. Perhaps powerful Jedi Masters, Grandmasters, or insolent Sith Lords and even aggressive Mandalorians it was entirely unknown. A war helm fixed on his head retracted to reveal the pale skin of the figure within as he walked, his footfalls boomed. ​

​

It was undeniably the Shadow Hand himself. The Supreme Commander of Sith-Imperial Forces and a driving force behind the war machine of the Sith Empire that crushed nations, shattering liberty and drowning enemies in blood and fire.​

​

He was here. ​

 

[Vesta Zambrano]

"You know what I am, consider it a gift - but if you speak a lick of it to anyone, I will know."

"Everyone you have ever known, ever cared about or that they cared for, will be brutally tortured and killed."
She paused, blowing hot air out from her lips.

"And I will make you watch."​

The small, unassuming craft descended down into the airstrip. The arrival of the blackblade guards and the Emperor's Shadow Hand likely overshadowed their arrival, which was a double edged sword from the perspective of the Shi'ido threatening her captive. The Jedi Master in her custody, Elise, was the grand master of the Silver Jedi Order - there was doubtlessly going to be many complications in getting her to where it was they needed to be, particularly in handing her off to Adriana Fortemps , and there was no need to complicate things further with a surprise inspection by the man who was also the shapeshifter's father.

The captor and captive had acquainted themselves with each other, though perhaps not in any fashion the Jedi would have preferred - Vesta hadn't divulged any important information, at least in the eyes of the Shi'ido, aside from the manner in which ve was willing to impersonate a dead Sith Lord with eerily perfect details, right down to the snakes for hair, and the subsequent shift once they had departed from Metalorn and had headed toward Yavin to a much taller, much more intimidating, brunette who changed into armor that was reminiscent of the penchant for pain and death that the Yuuzhan Vong cared for - only with a skull carved into the face of the helmet.

A landing ramp descended and the Shi'ido gestured the Jedi to follow, tugging on the end of a chain that attached to the cuffs that bound her. "I would suggest staying silent while we walk, I would hate to have to pluck out that tongue of yours if you offend someone with thinner skin than mine." Ve said, with a nod toward vis father's cabal, though the familial connection certainly hadn't yet been disclosed to either the Jedi or indeed anyone in the Empire. As far is the Empire was concerned, Braxus Zambrano had a daughter with fiery red hair and fair skin who was most certainly a mixed breed of her parents rather than some strange genetic experiment of Shi'ido stock. Even that information, regarding the child of the late Alekto with Prazutis, was rather restricted information privy to those at the upper realms of the government, not the average Sith or bureaucrat.

The main difficulty, Vesta felt, would be making sure that vis father didn't out them to the public - certain plans already set in motion relied on this kind of disjointed anonymity, and Braxus had still not yet been made aware of their involvement in them. Nor did Vesta desire to make that connection known to the man, at least not yet. Today Vesta would simply be another faceless guard employed by the Yuuzhan Vong with some connection to the late Alekto.

Darth Prazutis Centin Tillo Coren Starchaser AMCO Caedyn Arenais Nida Perl Thirdas Heavenshield Tulan Kor Dorn Monteth

 

[Nida Perl]

Location | Starport Generic Café

Objective | Blend In

Writing With | AMCO (nerd)

After returning from her mission to locate and recover Thal, Nida had determined that she simply could not pass for a spacer. Even with her recent facial injuries, the grunge look did not sit well on her delicate, doe-eyed features. She lacked the crucial confidence and swagger she’d need to pull that off; something her sister Yula Perl had in spades. Force, even Kyra Perl could have managed better than her!

Instead of being a part of the main rescue team, Nida was positioned at a café in Yavin’s main spaceport. Her role here was to serve as a lookout and feed information to Coren Starchaser 's team, should anything rouse her suspicion about Elise or the transport allegedly carrying her.

Seated on one end of a small two-person table, Nida sipped daintily from her tea, lips lingering on the rim of the cup before placing it carefully back down onto its saucer. Everything she did, every small movement was done with the greatest of patience in a conscious effort to keep herself from appearing too anxious or fidgety. Which she was, given that this mission had taken her into Sith territory. Yavin had appeared unassuming so far, not unlike the worlds under Silver protection.

Looking around, she noticed that the café was not particularly busy—at the far end, there was a woman with her small child, still young enough to be in a stroller. The pair were enjoying lunch, the woman carefully removing bits from her own meal to hand to her child. A few tables away, a polished young man conversed with a woman, laughter and smiles bubbling between them. Her eyes lingered on the man and his charming smile for a few curious moments. Something about him made her stomach quiver with butterflies but it was not a heat of attraction she felt, despite his good looks and apparently charismatic nature. No, Thirdas Heavenshield was the only person she’d ever looked at in that way.

Still uneasy, Nida’s gaze fell to the petite plate on the table. She’d ordered a pastry but now she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stomach it. Spinning the ring on her finger, the Zeltron took a few moments to try and relax the spasms of anxiety in her stomach. Her appearance was altered slightly by the HH Eclipse, eyepatch replaced with a hologram of her lost right eye. She wore a simple outfit of a loose fitting sweater that dipped from her shoulders, the hem of which was tucked into a long patterned skirt. Her vibrant hair had been pulled back into a loose braid, and she was devoid of the usual Jedi accoutrements. A few stun pearls and a small holdout blaster in her bag were all she’d been allowed.

Carefully, she worked a piece from the edge of the pastry with her fingers and passed it to her lips. It would look strange if she’d left it untouched, she reasoned. Chewing took forever, and the nerves had tightened her throat that the morsel had to be forced down with her drink.

 

[Darth Daiara]

Location: Space pad, other end.
Objective: Receive Elise with Allyson Locke

When Kaalia Pavanos told her she was being sent out for war, she had an image in her head what that would look like. Fire, screaming, blaster shoots, blood... you know that kinda thing. She had barely 24 hours to brace herself for it, but she had done so all the same. There wasn't much experience in her few years under the Sith Lord's tutelage that could prepare her for such chaos.

Perhaps that was the point of shoving her into the deep end. Still, what she hadn't pictured about war was the waiting, the uncertainty, or the large flood of menial tasks until it actually arrived. Receiving a prisoner felt so below her level. Aradia didn't realized her change in attitude. Just three years ago she was a slave herself and she had done exactly what was demanded, when it was demanded.

But escorting? Really? Wasn't that what they had soldiers for?

She was beginning to question the point to her training when she stepped off the shuttle besides Allyson Locke . She had once paid the woman no heed-- they both worked under Adriana Fortemps and they both functioned rather separately in their own tasks. Until the day the woman saved her life. Now she just made Aradia uneasy. Like she had to stand a little straighter and do a little better every time the woman looked her way.

Aradia had dressed down into a simple tunic. Low key were the words used to describe how they should conduct themselves. Aradia knew all too well how to avoid attracting attention. Life before recruitment had prepared her, where Avacyn's lessons had not yet had a chance to.

When you return... if you return, we will resume your training. And you will be stronger for it.

Aradia felt a pang for the woman she had left behind, but pushed it aside and made herself focus on the space pad before her. The sun shone brightly down, reflecting off the ground and lighting up her strawberry blond hair like a halo. She squinted and stepped into the shadow of the ship.

"How do we know who we are looking for?" She murmured to her peer besides her. Allyson Locke

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Amber eyes gazed out the viewport, hands clasped behind her back as she waited. It was not everyday that the Sith captured one of the Jedi Grandmasters, especially the leader of the Silver Jedi Elise and the exchange into custody was bringing many to the world made famous by the destruction of the Death Star. Today, it housed the headquarters of the Saaraishash, although she was growing of the mind to shift the location to a new world. Something that would eventually be discussed with Adriana Fortemps .

For now she simply waited...

The currents of the Force whispered, moving around her and the crew overseeing the spaceport's control. The greenlight for the ship carrying the prisoner had been granted, along with the clearance codes for the Shadow Hand's ship. Darth Prazutis 's arrival brought the raw darkness into the Force of this place, even more so than the ambient darkness of the moon. She could feel something else in his presence, a frown blooming into existence for a moment. It was stronger now... that corruption from beyond...

She waited for she knew that today... the age old battle would continue... With a swish of her cloak, and making sure her lightsaber was secure, she went to meet the Shadow Hand personally.

Darth Daiara Allyson Locke Coren Starchaser Nida Perl Vesta Zambrano Centin Tillo AMCO Caedyn Arenais Tulan Kor Dorn Monteth

 

[Amani Serys]

The Mirialan kept herself at a distance from the main landing docks. She didn’t want to risk catching the attention of any wandering eyes, and being somewhat inexperienced in undercover ops herself, it was her best bet. If anything went down, she’d still have time to jump onto the scene, at least. Doing her best to blend in as an unassuming traveler, the padawan pulled her hood up and diminished her Force signature. She let out a long breath and clenched her fist, the servos in her mechanical limb quietly whirring as fingers coiled tight. Normally such a mission was beyond her scope, and truth be told this one almost certainly was as well. So why was she here now?

Amani had to be on this mission. She never stopped believing that she was the sole reason Grandmaster Elise was captured by bounty hunters that day on Onderon. If it hadn’t been for her own mistakes, then perhaps they would have all gotten out safely. But she was different now. Today the padawan intended to fix those mistakes. Her mind was singularly focused, her determination absolute. This was about more than just a rescue.

This was about redemption.

 

[Elise]

"You know what I am, consider it a gift - but if you speak a lick of it to anyone, I will know."

"Everyone you have ever known, ever cared about or that they cared for, will be brutally tortured and killed."
She paused, blowing hot air out from her lips.

"And I will make you watch."​

The small, unassuming craft descended down into the airstrip. The arrival of the blackblade guards and the Emperor's Shadow Hand likely overshadowed their arrival, which was a double edged sword from the perspective of the Shi'ido threatening her captive. The Jedi Master in her custody, Elise, was the grand master of the Silver Jedi Order - there was doubtlessly going to be many complications in getting her to where it was they needed to be, particularly in handing her off to Adriana Fortemps , and there was no need to complicate things further with a surprise inspection by the man who was also the shapeshifter's father.

The captor and captive had acquainted themselves with each other, though perhaps not in any fashion the Jedi would have preferred - Vesta hadn't divulged any important information, at least in the eyes of the Shi'ido, aside from the manner in which ve was willing to impersonate a dead Sith Lord with eerily perfect details, right down to the snakes for hair, and the subsequent shift once they had departed from Metalorn and had headed toward Yavin to a much taller, much more intimidating, brunette who changed into armor that was reminiscent of the penchant for pain and death that the Yuuzhan Vong cared for - only with a skull carved into the face of the helmet.

A landing ramp descended and the Shi'ido gestured the Jedi to follow, tugging on the end of a chain that attached to the cuffs that bound her. "I would suggest staying silent while we walk, I would hate to have to pluck out that tongue of yours if you offend someone with thinner skin than mine." Ve said, with a nod toward vis father's cabal, though the familial connection certainly hadn't yet been disclosed to either the Jedi or indeed anyone in the Empire. As far is the Empire was concerned, Braxus Zambrano had a daughter with fiery red hair and fair skin who was most certainly a mixed breed of her parents rather than some strange genetic experiment of Shi'ido stock. Even that information, regarding the child of the late Alekto with Prazutis, was rather restricted information privy to those at the upper realms of the government, not the average Sith or bureaucrat.

The main difficulty, Vesta felt, would be making sure that vis father didn't out them to the public - certain plans already set in motion relied on this kind of disjointed anonymity, and Braxus had still not yet been made aware of their involvement in them. Nor did Vesta desire to make that connection known to the man, at least not yet. Today Vesta would simply be another faceless guard employed by the Yuuzhan Vong with some connection to the late Alekto.

Darth Prazutis Centin Tillo Coren Starchaser AMCO Caedyn Arenais Nida Perl Thirdas Heavenshield Tulan Kor Dorn Monteth

It was all beginning to feel surreal.

Up until this point Elise had had a reason to stand down. The terms of her capture had been simple-- she would surrender and the bounty hunters would allow padawans Ura Iolar and Amani Serys to leave the scene and fly home unmolested. It had been three jedi against four bounty hunters. Elise knew at once there would have been no winners in that shoot out. Her bounty had eclipsed them all. She used herself as leverage.

But her sacrifice had not ended there. Bounty hunter Cassus Akovin had proven to be but a boy in metal armor. She could have overpowered him and made her escape once the padawans had hit neutral territory.

She did not.

On their long trip over, he had revealed he had a sick mother. Elise knew that neither parent nor child would survive the fall out of losing a captor such as her. The choice to place your survival above all might have been easy for many, but after her actions on Yurb... Elise could not bring herself to put the family at risk to save herself. Her head skipped over the thought every time it came to mind-- her chest squeezed and forbade it from even being considered. She just couldn't do it.

Elise had stood down, allowing the child bounty hunter to hand her off and flee into the depth of the universe with a fortune that could save anyone. Well, anyone but her.

Part of her feared this was justice for the countless lives she had taken that day on Yurb. What she had done had been necessary. Logically, she knew that. But there was a balance to the world around you... and such actions demanded restitution.

But she was not ready to think like that.

A spark of hope grew in her chest as the ship doors pried open and light spilled across the ramp. The space pad before her was surprisingly bare. Almost as if... it was not meant to receive any of particular importance. Almost as if their arrival was meant to be hush. Elise new at once that this meant there was a chance for friendly eyes in the distance. Friendly to Elise, not the sith shapeshifter that leveled threats at her. The demands that she be compliant hinted at a weakness the Master was keen to press.

Who was Vesta, for one, and why was she impersonating the belated empress. There was something for Elise here. She just needed to know where to look. She did not react to the yank of cuffs, the shapeshift encouraging her down the ramp. Elise walked on her own accord, her eyes darting across the pad to take in its set up.

They no longer had anything on her. A bout of confidence drove a response from the Master, her usual quite demeanor shattered by a single line of sass.

"If you take out my tongue, how will you get the answers to your questions?”

 

[AMCO]

Location: Starport, generic cafe.
Objective: Charm offensive.
Writing With: Nida Perl
---

Ever since he had been recruited into the Order, Adrian had been all too aware that his mystical senses were nothing to write home about - not bad, not good, simply mediocre. With his transformation into something more than human, however, had come a new sense of awareness. Of his body, of his surroundings, of the very minds of those who drew near.

It was no surprise, then, that he sensed a twinge of nervousness at the same time as felt someone's attention lingering on him. Feigning ignorance on the assumption that his dashing looks (alright, so he wasn't exactly humble) had attracted another admired, he nonetheless stole a glance at...

.... a rather cute-looking Zeltron, but not just any Zeltron. Having maybe-possibly looked up Farah in various Sith-Imperial databases, he was familiar with the Perls, the mother of which had served as the unwilling donor of the good doctor's genetic material. The Perl before him?

Oh, this was bound to get interesting.

Leaning towards Inquisitor Honn as if to tell a private joke, he angled himself so that his amused features would conceal hers, for a few moments. "Keep looking lively, there's a Jedi here. Zeltron Padawan, it's doubtful she's alone. Might want to make sure the package is delivered safely."

Chuckling as if to a private joke the Inquisitor rose and a moment later so did he. "It's been lovely, my Lo... Adrian, but I really must be going."

Smiling softly at the informality, he bid her adieu, paid his bill... then suddenly slid across the room and into the seat across from his Jedi observer, a sly grin on his refined features. "Why hello there, Little Perl." Tearing off a piece of her pastry through telekinesis, he chewed it thoughtfully before humming with appreciation. "Nice consistency, subtle mixture of tastes... oh, how rude of me - Darth Prospero."

 

[Caedyn Arenais]

Location: Construction Site
Objective: Confront the Lord of Lies
Company: Thirdas Heavenshield
Opposition: Darth Prazutis

A great shadow loomed overhead of Thirdas and Caedyn as they sat in position atop the upper floor of the Construction Site, across the river from the main facility and locale for the rumored exchange. Darkness shrouded their line of sight, and as the Jedi Knight turned his attention skyward, he found himself looking up at a hastily descending Sith Dropship, in-bound for the port's docking bay landing pads.

"Eyes up people, we've got activity" he spoke into his mic, while still peering across the distance through his binoculars. As the drop-ship's loading ramp dropped to the ground, the armored troops marched out into open view, heavily equipped and standing out from the Empire's typical personnel. Caedyn suddenly had a very sickening feeling within his stomach, noting the Guard's battle-wear and firearms appearing to be what he assumed was among the elite of the Empire's forces, not your average Stormtroopers.

There was a scramble of activity across the facilities grounds as orders were clearly being given and it seemed that something was going on. Had one of their own given away their position? Nothing had come through the Comm's to suggest such a thing. A sense of alarm came over him as he watched from afar, trying not to imagine the worst.

The presence that hit him soon afterwards was so much worse than what he'd been thinking...

"He's here..." Caedyn's voice ran cold, this time not speaking through the active comm's channel but rather voicing the revelation aloud. A second transport, this one superior to the first in size and firepower came in to descend for the landing zone, taking the primary docking bay and powering down. Caedyn didn't need to see it to believe however, he knew this feeling from his brief exchange on Wayland.

Darth Prazutis had arrived...-The Sith Lord who had killed corrupted his Mother, indirectly forcing an end to the reign of House Arenais on Commenor and killed Caedyn's Father, Veiere. Prazutis was considered to be one of the main hands of the Emperor, directly related through House Zambrano and a Goliath among Force Users, even compared to the Sith.

Saying nothing, Caedyn pulled himself away from the vantage point leaving Thirdas and moving to head for the ground floor. When the fighting broke out, he had every intention of being there to run the Sith Lord through; However he was determined not to break silence and reveal their position until they were good to intervene in the exchange and free their Grandmaster.

Reaching the ground floor, Caedyn stopped at the sight of Kyra Perl . Apprehension setting in as he didn't want her to follow him into a fight with the Sith Lord, one that he himself was not at all confident in his ability to take down. "Padawan, I'd like you to head topside and assist Thirdas. I'm having to reposition myself on the other side" he spoke quickly, his exterior a mental wall in order to keep his feelings on the situation away from her Empath abilities.

Time wasn't on his side, and so he had to move quickly.

 

[Nida Perl]

Location | Starport Generic Café

Objective | Uh Oh

Writing With | AMCO

Before she knew it, the couple a few tables over had risen to bid each other good day, still all smiles and presumably good conversation. No sooner had the woman departed and Nida choked down the tiniest bit of pastry, did she find herself suddenly with company.

The man who had caught her attention was suddenly sitting in the previously unoccupied chair across from her. Her gaze lifted from the cup of tea to his face, and on instinct she’d given him a polite smile. She’d taken note of his attractive features from afar, but up close there seemed to be something almost sinister lingering about him and that wry grin.

I’m waiting here for my mother. She’d planned to tell anyone who asked. She works as a shipping clerk. We were going to get lunch here together, but she’s late. I don’t mind though, the tea is lovely.

His words came like a bullet, well-timed, precise, and shattered her cover in an instant.

"Why hello there, Little Perl."​

His smooth voice buzzed inside of her head as alarm bells went off, blaring inside her mind and drowning out everything not contained by their little table in the corner of the starport café. Nida sat still as stone, heart pumping into overdrive and skin growing clammy as adrenaline flooded her system. If she noticed him partake in her pastry, she either didn’t care or was too preoccupied. Her throat had tightened to the point where she wouldn’t have been able to take a simple sip of tea without gasping and choking. Faintly, she wondered if that’s exactly how her this mission would end for her. A single thought dominated her mind while he commented on the flavor of the confection. He knows. He knows. He knows.

Nida lacked the confidence and poise of her mother, who would have undoubtedly handled this situation much better than she was about to. She had neither the mental nor physical fortitude to best someone of his strength.

Running now would be stupid, trying to threaten him would be even dumber. He didn’t seem the brutish type at first glance, but she was not confident in judging him on appearance alone. Her best bet, she reasoned, was to prolong this exchange until the recon team caused enough of a ruckus for her to hopefully disappear in.

“Darth Prospero,” Trying her best to sound thoughtful, Nida was surprised at how bitter with fear his name tasted on her lips. “You are a Sith Lord.” Her mind strained. “A scientist.”

Instantly she regretted saying that, but she’d recognized his name on a dossier of high-profile Sith. Not only was he a Sith Lord, this man was a Dark Councilor. He could crush her in an instant if he so wished. Or worse, he could protract her demise.

Her hands tightened around the teacup, pink fingers overlapping and trembling slightly.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Nova Team was not necessarily the leader of this operation. Coren was a bit out of practice when it came to operations such as this, especially with it coming to fighting the Sith. He had a new approach to combat, these beings. Watching his Sullustan Honor Guard, the Jedi Master was waiting for any sort of news from Overwatch or Porter. The droid was moving around and he was scanning ships, watching for incoming vessels and beings. “Any news, Overwatch?” He said plainly as he sipped his caf.

It wasn’t every day he couldn’t use the Force, and he was doing what he could to mask himself. Yavin was a world that was alive with the Force. He was wanting to reach out but if Coren looked around in the Force, to see what Sith were present? Then they’d have more targets than just Elise. It could get the Silver Jedi their leader back, and maybe that was enough to sacrifice himself. But then that would be admitting defeat. As a Jed, he didn’t do that.

“Keep an eye out. If you see them, do not speak to them, but follow. I will be there, but we want to focus on the leader.” He said, making it as matter of factly. Waiting for them, he was about to get up, there was something in the Force that was telling him he needed to be ready. Looking to Cuan, he nodded. “Need you to go for a walk, ole buddy. Keep an eye on the action and me.” He said as he downed his café before getting up himself.

Ashla knew he wanted the Force, but who was going to run the meld. It'd just be nice to keep an eye. But Kyra nor Kaia were here. He was wishing Jared or Veino were around, but this was Silver Jedi business, he didn't need to rope in the Underground yet.

Nida Perl Thirdas Heavenshield Caedyn Arenais Amani Serys Dorn Monteth Tulan Kor
Taeli Raaf Darth Prazutis AMCO Vesta Zambrano Darth Daiara