Dominion Take it With a Grain of Sand [Galactic Alliance Dominion of Jakku]

[Auteme]

Jend-Ro Quill
​

"I- I don't know. I don't know anything about war, I just-" Did what she was told. She was told she could help cleanse the darkness, use her Light to push it back, to create lasting change. "I always assumed they'd do the right thing."

She stared at the stone, knowing what it could do. What would she see? What would it do to her? And if she pursued this, how might things change?

Some co-leader of the New Jedi Order she was. She felt as if she were always following, never able to get a step ahead.

The fear and hesitation were clear as day, but she placed her hand on the stone nonetheless.

 

[Romi Jade]

Romi's Quarters
Kyra Perl

She locked the door, turned and lingered on the silence a bit.

"Kyra..." and her voice sounded so defeated -- she felt like she failed her. They'd all be through so much...

She glided across the room and sat next to younger sister. Jade never knew emotions like this and found it hard to connect with her before but now, the budding maternal energy was seeping to the surface.

"First off," a beat. "I'm so sorry, for everything..."

She reached out, and cradled her hand.

It felt like ages since they'd seen each other, and felt even longer since they were able to connect on a familial level. Kyra was always a bright light, and now the Galaxy happened. Their roles, the war....it all happened.

And quite frankly, seeing her sister...made Romi look internally and wonder just what the kark had she been involved in this whole time.

 

[Jend-Ro Quill]

-and Quill pulled the stone back.

"Not yet. If you take these memories in this much emotional turmoil, there's real danger. Later. For now, let me just tell you some of the hard truths of the Jedi."

He scraped the last of the grainmash out of the camping pot and set it aside.

"Doing the right thing. Under that heading, the Jedi have...committed genocide half a dozen times over the millennia. The most recent was in my lifetime, an orbital bombardment-"

He cut himself off.

"Did you know the Jedi took over the Republic thirteen thousand years ago? Led it in ethnic-cleansing crusades for a thousand years? Or that we helped the Republic with the systematic genocides of the Sith species and the Stennes Shifters? We don't come from a legacy of doing the right thing. We come from a legacy where Jedi are just people, no better than anyone. I'm not trying to twist the knife - in fact I hope it helps to know that none of this is...new."

 

[Bastard]

"I walk a path charted only by the winds of change."

A distant clatter below them echoed throughout the massive hole Errant hadn't noticed until then. He placed a hand at the edge of the gap and leaned forward. Only darkness greeted him, blotting out anything that could exist beyond what little he could make out in the void. He pulled back slowly, careful not to upset the creaky metal floor in his desire to be away from the drop. When he noticed Raya's hand hovering nearby, he slipped his slender fingers around it and stood with her aid. Now back on his feet, he continued his probing look. Everything about this situation seemed off. What the hell was she doing here?

"Do not thank me," Errant stated. "It is my duty to protect those in need."

Her next statement served only to further confuse the Imperial. He searched their surroundings, seeking whatever presence she pointed out to him. It took longer than it should've, but he managed to eventually pinpoint the disturbance, at least, where it was the stranger gazed down upon them. He narrowed his eyes, attention locked on the invisible eye peering down at them through the force.

Then it winked out of existence completely. Odd.

Errant turned back to Auraya. "Whatever it was is gone. Perhaps one of the cultists deeper in the ship has learned of our presence... worrisome, I must admit. I would rather they not know what I have in store for them."

He watched her wave her flashlight about the room and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, this is worrisome. If you are unaware of the Sith's cult, I can only assume the rest of your Order is equally in the dark," Errant stroked his chin in thought, gaze drawn to the corridor he'd traversed to encounter the Jedi Padawan. "Rumors across Jakku speak of a Sith who has taken up residence within this ship. They say they have formed a cult dedicated to their worship and service, something of an issue to the planetary residents. I am here to wipe the scourge from the face of this world alongside any who would willingly follow them."

Another clink sounded, followed by a second. They came faster and faster, the echo of whatever it was bouncing throughout the sand-covered chamber. Errant's brow furrowed as he stepped towards the edge to look over the side.

The durasteel creaked beneath his weight before an ear-splitting screech tore the ground from beneath them both.

Errant lost his footing as the walkway gave way to open air. His body immediately slammed into an adjacent wall, which sent him further spinning out of control. He tucked his chin in hopes of avoiding fatal damage, though it didn't much help as his ribcage slammed into another ruined layer of the ship. The Albino cried out in pain. A burning sensation spread throughout his side, the pain enough to threaten yet another yelp. He bit down instead, hopeful this metallic storm descending through the abandoned ship wouldn't alert the residents of their presence—a pointless endeavor.

He saw a flash of white as Auraya descended not far behind him. A thrust of his hand saw the Imperial latch onto her through the force and pull her closer. Whispers of danger flickered through the back of his mind.

"Hold on tight," Errant forced out through pained gasps. He wrapped his arms around her, rotated in the air, and planted his armored form between her and the ground. He braced himself, eyes squeezed shut. The ground came faster than he thought. It welcomed him as he expected. Pain exploded outward from the center of his back. His breathe hastily vacated his lungs, leaving the Crestfallen Knight gasping for air like a fish out of water. Both arms fell to the floor, his head joining them a split-second later.

A trail of blood leaked down from a nasty gash over his left eye. It pooled within his socket, but he didn't seem to care.

Auraya Irath-Ur | Cotan Sar'andor | Samatharis ​

 

[Mishel Kryze]

The Leia touched down on Jakku, Mishel felt compelled to return here after Dantooine. A run-in with a beast, and a Force Light later here she was carefully attuning a new crystal. She also needed to track down Romi Jade and a few old friends, the Tygarran sat aboard her ship and looked at the components she had gathered thus far for her lightsaber. She sighed out of frustration no matter how she tried the lightsaber wasn't going to come together today. The wanderer Jedi disembarked her ship leaving it in the good hands of the Selonian pilot Lav. ​

​

The sands of Jakku were just as they had been the last time when she went spelunking in the graveyard. Admittedly Mishel would say she lost a bit of herself on Dantooine, and she'd admit to gaining something too. As she stepped out further away from the ship she shifted her head. Cotan, too? One short of a reunion she thought with a smile. Romi, I'm here. The soft thought placed into the Force like a feather on top of a pond. Ripples moving forward. ​

 

[Kyra Perl]

Romi's Quarters
Romi Jade
​

Kyra sat stiff in the seat, not needing her empathy to sense Romi's heavy looks behind her back. Any sibling worth their salt knew when they were due in for a talking to. Her fingers gripped at her knees, biting back the slight tingle the spices left over her skin.

Her senses might be dulled, but she was sharp enough to feel stress. Her throat bobbed as Romi cradled her hand, her dilated gaze remaining intentionally ahead. "There's nothing to be sorry for, you can't control a coma."

But she was glad that Romi had pulled through. Not that she could find the words to say it. Her time in sith space had made a lot of words harder to find. Was that how Romi felt? It must be. Kyra had always sensed the disconnect the eldest adoptee had with the family. Duty before emotions.

Duty before self.

Kyra had taken up Romi's mantel when she had fallen ill all those months ago. Kyra would like to think she knew all about how Romi felt in life. She had always been her biggest hero.

She pulled her hand away, rejecting the touch in favor of rooting through her pockets. The leather bomber jacket would be familiar, though it had long since lost Romi's scent.

"I didn't come about that, anyway. I have something on Nida-- I thought it might be useful."

A flashdrive was produced, held out purposely between them.

 

[Romi Jade]

Romi's Quarters
Kyra Perl

She hadn't looked at her

Romi picked up the quiet cue and glared at Kyra from the side...allowing her to retrieve her hand. This felt off.

Okay.

That coma made her realize so much, and it was almost as if she ran away from it all. She'd always committed herself to her duty, and it normally took precedence over any need she may have had; she always put others first, and dealt with her own chit in silence. But, now that she was looking at Kyra, someone who'd looked up to her... was this really the type of role model she wanted to be?

"What is it?" She trailed her hand as it went to pull something. "A flashdrive?"

"What's on it?" she followed up, "Where'd you find this stuff?"

She took a moment to try and figure it out but -- "Kyra."

She stood up, "Look at me." She commanded. She closed in and leaned forward "Look. At. Me."

Her eyes -- "What did you do!"

 

[Kyra Perl]

Romi's Quarters
Romi Jade​

Kyra winced, Romi's response reverberating through the thickened confines of her skull. Ouch. She trailed her gaze unwillingly up, meeting Romi's with a deafening silence. She tightened her fingers around the flash drive and raised her chin.


"I'm a Zeltron, I could do worse."

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

She hauled him to his feet with more strength than her outward appearance would have suggested her having, letting go as soon as he was righted and firmly on his feet. She listened as he spoke, words blunt and unemotive, a small pit forming in her stomach.​

​

Those in need?​

​

Auraya brushed away any stray thoughts of offense she might have had in response to that and turned full circle in search of the strange thing on the edge of her senses. Her strange companion seemed to take note of it also, though it wasn't until the sensation was over that he spoke again. Unintentionally, she had made that same decision herself.​

​

Talk of cultists drew her attention sharply back to the matter at hand, and as though finally understanding the potential severity of the situation she relocated the beam of her flashlight to instead reside at her feet, still casting light but no longer permitting it to simply bounce and refract around the ship so brazenly.​

​

Colour rose within her cheeks, too, flushed with embarrassment now that she faced with her own folly. "Cultists?" she whispered, even quieter than she had been before. Her senses pricked up in the immediate moments which followed, as though something deep within had taken over to ensure her survival. She strained to listen, to feel...​

​

Something echoed through the ship, and though she tried to listen more intently to what the man was saying it was becoming increasingly more difficult to do so as the clanking was suddenly upon them. Before she could do or say anything to remedy the situation she was weightless, her feet no longer on solid ground. Her stomach twisted and turned in response, head swimming.​

​

This was it, she reasoned, even before she fully comprehended what was happening, this was how she met her end.​

​

She tumbled down through the ship without any real sense of up or down, her mind could make no sense of which way she faced either. All that she knew was that the ship was long, and there was no way of telling how far they would fall before reaching another surface. What felt like minutes passed in seconds, or was it milliseconds? She closed her eyes, trying to focus amidst panic.​

​

Do something, she begged herself, Remember something... anything!​

​

She drew upon the Force with a certain clarity she had not experienced in any classroom or training hall. Without anything else to draw upon, exhausted of her options, and with only the Force around her, grasping at it felt more plausible. Like a tangible entity it folded upon her, and though she did not know precisely what she willed of it a vague desire to do anything except splatter upon the quickly ascending ground was primary among her thoughts.​

​

Then something else caught her in its grasp; it felt similar to that which she was conjuring, but impersonal. Disconnected from her. And with it she was pulled through the air, toward the stranger who too was plummeting. She found herself in the safety of his armoured embrace, and she hid her face against him and tried to push out with the Force to encompass him in her own attempts at protection.​

​

When they struck the ground she came to realize it had not gone entirely as she had hoped it would. His cries of pain were indicative of such.​

​

She found herself flung from his grasp, impacting with the ground a few feet away. Though the air was knocked from her lungs, and the areas which first struck steel felt thoroughly tenderized, the worst of the damage had been mitigated, absorbed by the armour, and the man, and the Force.​

​

Had she used the Force?​

​

As she lay on the ground, staring up at the way they had come from, she couldn't say for sure.​

​

"Are you..." she coughed, rolling onto her side to better breathe in the missing air her lungs craved. Onto her knees, before she tried and failed to stand. Another moment, as she gathered her strength, and she crawled toward him. "Are you -- awake?"​

​

She hadn't wanted to say alive. That thought was too much in the moment. Awake... That worked too, right? She brought a hand up, reaching out toward him to feel for his breathing, the rising and falling of his chest, something... anything. In the non-light she did not yet see the blood.​

​

Bastard​

 

[Barr Vexos]

Objective 3

“Sand…” Started Barr as he and his comrade-in-arms were trekking through the desert toward the starship graveyard in line- formation. “Sand on my boots, on my hands, on my gun, up the crack of my a*&…” Barr moves his pants around to see some sand coming off him. “We couldn’t go straight to the graveyard from a ship. No….” He complained “We had to walk there on top of worthless useless crappy sand…” he groaned in annoyance “Forgive me if I were to walk there in the cool air and not the hot heat, no I have to walk to the ship with the temperature nearing a hundred!!!” He screams in the last part of the sentence because of the heat getting to him. Going into a pouch he took out a bottle of water and began to drink from it. Afterward, Barr showed a disgruntled look on his face “Water is getting warm, lovely.”

“Vexos!!! You mind!?…” Barr turned to his side to see another trooper annoyed looked seen on his face. “You’re not the only one dealing with the desert man.”

“You’re right,” Barr admitted, “You know what you’re right. Clearly, I’m in the wrong here, Cleary I’m wrong for complaining about the heat like I’m some living human being with limits that fear death from heat exhaustion. Clearly, I’m wrong for having the ability to use my mind to ask questions like why were walking toward the graveyard instead of going into it from another ship."

“Look!!” The trooper said, interrupting Barr. “We’re all in this together man, were trooper of the GA army sent to investigate the attacks that have been happening in the Starship and locate any info on any Palpatine’s secrets that the GA could use for the future. So, cut it out or I’ll…

“Ok!! Ok!!” Barr relented “I apologize then, it’s just I didn’t think I would be one of the troopers selected for this mission.”

“Well, you are, so let’s just finish this and be done with it.”

Barr sighed in defeat, taking another sip of his bottle of water, Barr, in hopes of distracting himself from the heat wondered what was going on in ship, he knew that the cultist had to be dealt with and that the Jakku area had to be investigated as orders by the higher-ups in the army. They had hoped that some of the inhabitants would know the information of the ship graveyard or any of the cultists that have been causing trouble hence why Barr and the why of the troopers went to the other known locations on Jakku. If, not then make sure peace was in place since Jakku was to become apart of the GA. A few minutes later the troopers had made It outside the starship graveyard and began to check their equipment. The commanding trooper then stood in front of the rest. “ We take a few minutes to break then well go in.” He said, “Everyone remember, we stick together.”

 

[Thalia Senn]

BYOO: Defend the Caravan
Kaska Arden
​

The heavy, constant thud of the AT-TE caravan train had rocked Thalia to sleep hours ago. The sunlight peeking through the makeshift porthole told her that it was probably already mid-day. They'd passed through Niima Outpost overnight she knew but other than that she had little idea of where along the journey they were. She yawned and stood from her the corner she'd be using to sleep and shrugged off her heavy traveling robe. They made nice blankets and helped keep the sand out of her face along with a nice chiech she'd gotten off a group of Teedo traders.

Something else stirred in the junk, a large Jedi Squire droid. Its photoreceptors flashed to life as it stood to its full height. Kujo cocked its head at Thalia questioningly.

"You slept a long time Padawan Senn," it said. "We have traveled approximately 645 Kilometers since-"

"SIX HUNDRED AND-" Panic fell over Thalia. That means they'd gone past the Enclave, or at least far enough from a point where she could feasibly make it home in a day. They were well on their way to Steadfast by now. She cursed loudly and ran into the main corridor and nearly ran into someone.

"Watch where you're going you kriffing-" She stopped when she noticed the lightsaber hanging from her belt and looked up. She wasn't wearing robes, but a lot of New Jedi Order people didn't wear robes either. But this was Jakku and there were only a handful of Jedi active here and they were all Enclave Jedi. She should know this person if they were really a Jedi. She backed up.

"Where'd you get that lightsaber!" She asked accusingly, her own hand fingering one of the lightsabers strapped to her chest.

 

[Bastard]

"I walk a path charted only by the winds of change."

If not for the adrenaline coursing through his veins, Errant would've closed his eyes for a nap. His body ached. He felt a warm liquid pooling within his breastplate. It flowed out in rivulets, falling aimlessly through the dilapidated floor. A metallic scent hung on the air around him, only growing stronger the closer one came to him. He lifted his left hand and pressed down on the wound against his better judgment. The armor made it difficult to apply pressure, though not impossible.

Unsure of how to proceed, the Imperial allowed himself a moment to rest while he considered how dangerous their position had become.

It wasn't enough Auraya had trampled through the upper floors of the ship. He had to go and make matters worse. Only a fool wouldn't consider the passage of time on a half-buried ship. It was all around them. The scent of rust, normally smooth durasteel made uneven, eroded over the centuries as the desert sands rained ever downward. Of course, something had to be loose. The signs were there. Arrogance, mixed with a hint of indifference, proved to be his downfall—both literally and metaphorically.

Auraya's crawling approach stole his attention from silently berating himself. Her question tickled him, resulting in a laugh that quickly turned into a coughing fit. Unwilling to fight his body's response to pain, he rode out the wave and eventually fell still once again.

"I live, aye," Errant declared. "I'm afraid that might not be the case much longer. Anything aboard this ship within a mile of us must've heard that racket. We must be away from here. Immediately."

He winced as he rolled onto his right side, his left hand moving to support his weight. Shakily, he managed to find his footing and climb back to his feet. What remained of his cloak could no longer cover the runic blade. Errant rested his hand at his side; the other found a wall to keep him aloft.

Moving towards an adjacent doorway, he stopped in his tracks and gripped the hilt of his blade. The sound of heavy breathing just ahead of him announced the arrival of three individuals adorned in black cloaks of their own. Each clutched scuffed blaster rifles to their chests. Clubs forged from stained metals hung at their sides. One trained their weapon on the Albino while the other two flanked out to either side of him, switching out their blasters for the more brutal option. Each of them smiled at the pair, an unnerving hunger set deep within bloodshot eyes.

"Stay behind me," Errant said to Auraya as he pushed off the wall. He retreated, careful not to allow the cultists to take up a position behind him or the Jedi. In a fit of fancy, he tugged the blade a few inches from its sheath. Metal scraped against metal, revealing a dull crimson glow across the sword's black surface. "Surrender your weapons and depart. I seek a Sith Lord, not the filthy whelps nipping at his heels."

"Funny you say that," the cultist furthest from Errant said. "He's looking for you. Said that blade of yours is something really nice, powerful enough even for our Lord to take into battle."

"What's a punk kid like you doing with a weapon like that anyway?" the cultist to Errant's left asked.

"Is that a Jedi?" the third and final inquired. "Look at that, we've got ourselves a Jedi, too. I think we lucked out on today's haul."

"That we did," their leader agreed. "Let's go ahead and make this quick."

In an explosion of motion, everything fell into chaos. The two cultists closest to Errant charged him from both sides, weapons raised high. One arrived slightly ahead of the other and swung down towards the Imperial's left pauldron. Errant pulled the dark blade from its sheath and turned aside the strike in a mighty swing that sent his assailant's weapon across the room. The other aimed low with a brutal blow that cracked against the Albino's knee. Errant fell away, tumbling over nearby wreckage. They fell upon him immediately, savagely beating the injured man.

Bolts of red-hot plasma screeched across the room as the leader of the terrible trio loosed several shots Auraya's way.

Cotan Sar'andor | Auraya Irath-Ur ​

 

[Seto Du Couteau]

Seto Du Coutaeu
Senator of Empress Teta
Location: Coruscant, Senate Building, Committee Room J-31
Action: Speaking, Negotiating
Attire

​

Committees were never his favorite happenings in the Senate building, not so the subject matter being present within them, but where they took place specifically. Seto had often lamented to himself about the state of cushions of the many meeting rooms that plagued the Senate Building, and at least the seats in the Senate Pods within the chambers were rather comfortable. Unfortunately the ones in this meeting hall were not among the most comfortable. Though Seto figured it was for the best, if the chairs and seats were any more comfortable he’d probably nodded and fallen asleep. ​

​

The embarrassment would have killed him. ​

​

A small part of him though wished tacitly that something could force him to leave this room. The young Du Couteau heir had been somewhat successful in reigning in the more avaricious part of his constituents back on Empress Teta. So with Jakku asking to become a full member of the Alliance, dumping large amounts of the Alliance’s credits into what would be considered quicksand, Seto was of the opinion that it would give the Alliance some better public perception. Desert planets were awful places in Seto’s mind, little worth in anything except those stubborn enough to call it home and force something livable to even thrive. Though there is a savage beauty to it all. . . an aspect of strength. ​

​

Seto’s expression turned thoughtful as he heard the representatives of Jakku make their case to the rest of the Committee. ​

​

But the spending increase from the last military bill would put a damper of a mood on the Alliance’s Finance Officials. Seto drummed his fingers on his forearm, his eyes narrowing on the delegation from Jakku with much consideration. Thoughts spun around, attempting to rattle together countless numbers and speeches he would need to give if he agreed to this idea he had just thought up. ​

​

“I shall begin by stating I am in favor of adding Jakku into the Alliance as a full member.” Seto began, his eyes danced across the table before landing the representatives of Jakku, “-My two questions would be if Jakku would allow Empress Teta to assist them with the transition of becoming a Member of the Alliance. A guide so to speak, a steady hand would no doubt be comforting during these rather chaotic times.” Seto explained before turning his head to his Vice Chancellor. ​

​

Seto raised an eyebrow in question, “-And if it pleases the Alliance, I believe Empress Teta can afford the lion’s share of the effort to bring Jakku the luxuries afforded to them by joining the Alliance. A task a Core System of Empress Teta can easily undertake.” ​

​

Perhaps I can find the desert flower blooming within the sand dunes. ​

​

|| Aerarii Tithe ||

 

[Auraya Irath-Ur]

With bated breath the young girl waited for a response from the man.​

​

At first it came in wheezes and splutters as laughter devolved into coughing, and relief was already washing over her before he spoke his humoured response. Alive. He was alive. She could work with alive...​

​

She said nothing in response, finally understanding the urgency of the situation and putting that knowledge into practice. Instead she reached out to support him as he pushed himself up to his feet, and therein took note of the ruddy ichor escaping him. He wasn't in a great state, but given how far they had fallen she had honestly expected worse.​

​

Thank the Force... she wasn't sure she could be of very much use at all alone.​

​

The pair did not make it particularly far before the presence of others was felt by even she, and at his orders she hung back just enough that she was relatively out of sight, without putting any real ground between them. She knew that being split up while out-numbered would likely spell the end. It made it easier for them to be picked off individually.​

​

With the full revelation of the blade she realized at long last why the darkness had seemed so permeating even upon the surface. Not a Sith, but carrying a Sith blade? She didn't really have the time to think on it, she had to squash such thoughts lest they distract her further. So she shook her head, and peered past him to the trio.​

​

Their words had her breath catch within her throat, a lump forming and staving off any words she might have seen fit to speak. Though in truth, there were none she wished to utter. Like a deer in headlights she simply stared on as their chances at survival seemed to dwindle before their very eyes.​

​

She knew how easy it would have been to succumb to it, that despair which gripped her core and threatened to drag her down beneath the figurative waters. Perhaps it was the easiest way to go out, to close ones eyes and let it be. Instead she reached for her lightsaber, and as Errant fell under the might of the two she illuminated the room in a snap-hiss of blue light.​

​

It seemed like chance alone which led her blade into the path of the first two shots. One deflected back toward the one who had loosed them, the other dissipated into the contained plasma. The third, however, dipped below the arc of her blade as she flourished it into ignition, striking her in the right of her abdomen and pulling from her lips a howl of pain.​

​

From the corner of her eye she could make out the brutal pounding of fists and clubs on her prone companion.​

​

"Make them stop," she demanded, bringing her lightsaber across her body in a defensive position with one hand while the other clutched over the singed shirt and flesh. Her voice was forceful at first, though it cracked toward the end as the hopelessness of the situation weighed down upon her. She didn't know what she was supposed to do in situations such as this, how to proceed. But she wasn't going to back down, wasn't going to turn heel and leave the armoured stranger to whatever fate they had planned.​

​

She could only hope that the sight of her ignited lightsaber gave them pause, however momentary. From there? ... Who knew.​

​

Bastard Cotan Sar'andor ​

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

"Yeah, yeah, grappling hook and liquid cable launcher are in the third locker," Cotan called back, at the Auraya's query, before turning back to the computer screen he was monitoring. For the last week, every time he'd powered the ship down, the shield generator started letting loose some worrisome static discharge, so he had to carefully watch and discharge the capacitors every time. And he couldn't just ask his droid to do it, because Kiss almost always had something else to work on. Off to one side, he also had a datapad, with an unfinished message—

Hey, Zaavik, it's Cotan. Auraya did really well over the weekend; I think you're gonna make good progress with her, but you just need to be good and patient. She'll get where she's gotta go no matter what, just gotta make sure she keeps her head, doesn't let the frustration or anything start getting to her, I'm sure that'll help.

Anyways, I know I was supposed to drop her off with you at Romi's enclave, but I noticed the big Star Destroyer, sensed something in it, thought I should check it out and that it'd be a good learning experience for her. I'll make sure to get her back to you in one piece, no need to worry.

Also, if they've got the Nuna Gumbo again, make sure to save me a bo

Cotan breathed a sigh of relief as the shield generators managed to properly discharge their capacitors; he stood back up straight, turning towards where the boarding ramp of the ship was. "Alright, Auraya, make sure you've got everything, we're leaving in just a min..."

He stopped. Something didn't...feel right. Like a presence that had been around him for the last three days just wasn't. "Auraya?"

He left the datapad, with its unfinished message, going to the ready room by the boarding ramp. "Auraya!" Sure enough, she was missing. "Kiss! Close the ramp when I'm out, and if I'm not back by nightfall, call Romi to come and help!" He stretched out a hand, calling one of the lightsabers he had lying out to him, not noticing the slightly curved shape of it before hooking it to his belt and sprinting out of the ship, towards the Star Destroyer, following the footsteps that the young Padawan he'd been watching had left; in his haste, as the boarding ramp of his ship closed, he didn't even notice the woman who'd just been calling at him from outside it.

One inside the ship, not so much squirming through the opening Auraya had made as much as tearing it open wider, his calls could be heard echoing through. "Auraya? Auraya, where'd you go? C'mon, kid, you're not supposed to go running off alone!" He followed the corridor, carefully probing out with the Force, homing in on the presence he'd become familiar with over the last few days. Sure enough, he started to hear a voice...no, voices talking up ahead, one of which sounded like the girl he was hunting down. With a growl set somewhere between worry and annoyance, he picked up the pace, coming up to the corner that he knew would bring him to his quarry—

Only to hear a pair of yells, and the creaking groan of breaking durasteel. "Auraya!" he yelled, coming around just to see two shocks of white hair disappear below his view. Cursing, he stepped forwards, watching as sand started to fill in the hole that was made. "Well, only one way down," he muttered; a chunk of durasteel was ripped off the wall, and Cotan jumped on it as it flew towards the falling sand-flow, taking a very short, very fast, near-vertical sled ride down into the depths. Moments before impacting the bottom, he leaped; the sled went one direction, slamming against a wall, while Cotan landed near where Auraya and the albino man had made their stand, as Auraya issued a command to stop.

Cotan didn't even bother with the commands. "Hands off my kid," he growled, thrusting a hand forward. The leader of the cultists, who was prepared to send out another salvo of bolts, didn't even have a moment to yelp before he was sent flying backwards through the air, the full force of Cotan's anger and worry brought to bear on him. He collided hard with the metal wall hard, before Cotan increased the pressure ten fold—and blood began pouring from the body, where even with the pressure withdrawn it remained stuck, nearly vacuum-sealed to the durasteel.

Then Cotan turned, hand still outstretched; one of the men beating the albino warrior he'd seen found himself flung back, while another blade caught the arm of the last, throwing a strike from the club the man wielded wide. Cotan blinked in momentary surprise; he hadn't noticed the curved hilt, so accustomed he'd grown to using various blades, but the blue light of his own blade made obvious his mistake. Damn. Stuck in a ship with Sith cultists, no proper weapon, and two wounded.

Still, the blade—and the sting of its connection—had given the cultist pause. Cotan stepped forward, placing himself in a position between the cultists and his now-two charges.

Off to the side, with a sucking pop, the body of the leader of the trio detached from the wall, falling to the floor in an unrecognizable clump. "Drop your weapons," he commanded, his voice rougher than usual from his earlier yelling and calling. Hopefully it would add to the intimidating effect. "Unless you want to end up like your friend."

Auraya Irath-Ur Bastard

 

[Julius Loghain]

Objective 1 - Decide the fate of Jakku

The muted holographic image of the Lord-Regent of Kuat stuttered wildly before he ordered the darn repairmen at the hall beneath his office to cease their work. After a mute shouting match between him and his aides, and the threatening flail of his walking stick, Julius Loghain was finally free to unmute his microphone.

"--and close the darn door behind you!"

A bit too prematurely.

He cleared his throat and leaned back on his comfortable chair, then to the representative of Jakku, "Madame Speaker, if I am to understand right, Jakku has suffered setbacks after setbacks due to the...lawlessness in that area. It is, and I am sure I can speak for the rest of the Committee, in the interest of the Alliance to provide stability in the area." Julius steepled his fingers and added, "However, a strong relationship can only be built on the foundation where such a bond is not one-sided."

He paused for a moment, balancing the subtle politicking and direct militaristic attitudes within vying for power.

The latter came on top, "As for Kuat - we are certain we can find an agreement regarding the starship graveyards."

The dirty greens were pushing for a radiation-free agenda back home, he had to appease lest the eco terrorist ( Takui ) from Xa Fel decided to strike at Kuat's interests once more.

Aerarii Tithe Adhira Chandra

 

[Adhira Chandra]

Adhira had a personal affinity for underdogs, so when she heard that a group of scrappy... scrappers from the sand planet of Jakku had come to Coruscant to beseech the Alliance for their assistance she knew she wanted to be present. She arrived rather early to the committee meeting, dressed in some of her finest silks. The aquamarine gown with gold trim billowed around her ankles as the Chancellor gracefully walked into the committee room and took her seat in the chair at the head of the table. Fortunately for Adhira, her role as leader of the Galactic Alliance afforded her an ad hoc position on all committees and a de facto role as Chairwoman of a few. The Committee on the Admission of New Members was one of them.​

As Aerarii Tithe opened the meeting, she watched carefully as the leader of the rag tag band from Jakku made their case to the dozens of Senators who had gathered in the massive committee room. The word committee would have normally denoted a limited group of members, but in a galactic government that spanned hundreds of planets, Senate committee members tended to be quite numerous. When the woman had concluded her speech, she allowed a few other members to speak, notably Julius Loghain who, for once, seemed to be in perfect agreement with her own position on the matter.​

"I must say, I concur with the member for Kuat's assessment. The Alliance is obliged to help those planets who come to us in need and it would be quite out of character for us to dismiss your claims simply because Jakku has yet to form a nominal government of its own," she began with a warm smile, "we have programs for that sort of thing. I am certain the Minister of State would be more than happy to facilitate an election and we can provide resources to that effect."​

"And... in return, the Alliance could utilize the vast resources found in the ship graveyards of Jakku," she nodded in the direction of her Kuati colleague.​

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[Annasari]

R E P E N T A N C E
Sub-Committee Room
Speak for Jakku
Aerarii Tithe | Seto Du Couteau | Julius Loghain | Adhira Chandra ​

The white shirt that hung loosely around her small frame had been stained yellow by the sands of the dreadful planet that was Jakku. Annasari had ventured there after leaving Ketaris, seeking seclusion. The location was less than pleasant, but it provided the solace she sought. No one on the backwater world knew her name or affiliations, let alone the crimes that had come with them. She was simply another stranger.

The peace only lasted so long before she had been dragged into something else entirely. Deyla, the woman who ran her favorite stall in the marketplace of the small village, had been the first to tell her of the delegation. Anna had become close with the mother over the weeks. She often found herself lingering far longer than she intended when out shopping, listening to Deyla’s stories, and her troubles. The family had suffered far more than any should have- as was many a case on Jakku. Two of their children had been lost due to “unknown causes”. It didn’t take a genius to figure out it was likely lack of proper nutrition and hydration, especially considering the state of their living child.

Thus, when the woman made her plea to Anna, a desperate parent seeking a chance at a better life for her baby, she couldn’t refuse. Her gaze remained firmly planet on each Senator who came forth to speak. The fact that the people beside her had to come and beg such a power for help infuriated her. A benevolent force, they seemed not, unless they got something out of it.

Rising, her electric blue eyes scanned the room.

“I must detest.” She started, voice sharp. “These are not my people, but I have spent enough time with them to know their sorrows. I can’t tell you how many I have watched die in the few weeks I have been planet-side. From lack of water, lack of food, rampant illness caused by poor living conditions because they are unable to clean… The list goes on.”

Looking to the first who spoke, Anna’s brow furrowed.

“I have heard of your planet. One of its major exports is spice, is it not? Strange you seem willing to spare the cost of implementing infrastructure. Perhaps it’s because you know profits will be returned at the expense of our people?”

Her head cocked to the side, looking at the senator who had holoprojected in.

“The graveyards are not on the table.” She stated plainly. “Jakku, long forgotten, has had to struggle to forge any economy. Though salvaging is not the most desirable of trades, it is one that puts food on the table for many. You vultures would dare take away the livelihood of those already struggling?”

Glancing around the room, this time she addressed all who gathered.

“I am of the opinion you are already making gains in this process- that of territory. Though you may say Jakku offers little, any fool with a map can see it is a stepping stone. Without it, you won’t be able to meet whatever goal is in mind. Otherwise, you simply wouldn’t bother.” Raising her hand to gesture to the other representatives, Annasari pressed on. “If the Alliance is to stake claim to space in the sector, it is my belief you have a moral obligation to help. However, I understand how hard running a government is, what must be considered. So, I will raise you a counter-offer. We keep the graveyards to do with as we see fit. The alliance helps Jakku, and gains mining rights to our resources. We have older mines for bezorite, magnite, and kesium gas. Said facilities will need work to be restored, but it’s better than building from the ground up.”

She bit her lip, debating. Anyone who had done their research knew that those resources were limited, likely to run out in the next five years. She only had one more card to play. With it, all would be on the table. Without it, they would likely laugh at her offer before subsequently rejecting it.

“We also have unexploited Osmiridium.” Her voice had lowered a notch, the only sign of her uncertainty. “It can be used to help craft parts for ship components and lightsabers alike- something the Alliance and your Jedi friends can make use of."

 

[Kaska Arden]

Thalia Senn | Viers Connory

Her shoulder made an ugly popping sound as Kaska stretched and rolled the joint, attempting to free it of some of the stiffness that had settled in over the last few hours, although only really accomplishing banging her elbow on the crude replifoam bunk beside her and earning herself a reproving look from the occupant. She would feel guilty if the man hadn't spent the better part of the night snoring like a Gammorean with sinus problems. Instead she just blankly stared him down until he muttered another curse and rolled over, pulling the roughspun blanket they had all been provided over his head.

Creature comforts were few and far between on a convoy like this. But while there were plenty of faster ways to cross the desert than by taking up a birth on a ramshackle, rundown and borderline hazardous AT-TE caravan, this was the most reasonably priced, however. Even better when she'd bartered it down a few more credits.

Besides, travelling in a caravan like this, passengers and cargo practically on top of each other, reminded her a lot of her childhood. Of course, the convoys she had been apart of back then had been spacebound, and the steady rhythmic footfalls of the AT-TE replaced by the constant thrum of the ship's engines. In fact, when she thought about it, there were more differences than similarities really. Chief among them the fact she could stick her head out of the door without the need for a pressurized suit.

Stretching like a loth-cat, she had just stepped outside of her cabin to do just that when a dark robed figure intercepted her less than a foot from the doorway. Crashing into her side with such a force that Kaska almost retaliated on pure instinct, barely managing to catch herself just as she had begun to shift her weight, fingers curling for a counter blow to ward off her assailant's next attack. An attack that would never arrive.

Instead she found herself looking down into the irate face of a young girl, all bluff and bluster, clearly set to curse up a storm before she noticed the saber hanging from Kaska's hip.

"Had to collect whole boxes of Admiral Ackbar cereal tops and send away for it," the Nyriaan replied flippantly to the accusation, eyes sliding towards the saber's strapped to the younger girl's body. She had heard Jakku was home to a small, yet growing contingent of Jedi, but she hadn't expected to find them this far out. Hadn't really expected to run into anyone this far out. Literally or otherwise. "You set on reaching for those?"

Kaska let the question hang in the air for a few beats before making a pointed display of looking at their surroundings, nodding her head to the exceedingly narrow enclosed durasteel walls that flanked them on either side. A lightsaber would have no difficulty cleaving through the dirt and grime stained panels, but the collateral damage would be immense, especially when the AT-TE's were so tightly packed with cargo and pilgrims. "Might want to rethink that, yeah?"

She took an almost predatorial step forward, closing the distance in a single stride, tapping her knuckles firmly against the younger woman's chest, right beneath the sternum. "No, this close, your best bet is to go for the solar plexus. Knock the wind out and put them down, maybe buy yourself some time to think or gain a little space in the process."

Then she shrugged and shifted, pivoting on one foot to move around the girl entirely, resuming her path towards the walker's exit and the rear observatory platform. Her tone turning mockingly as she called back over her shoulder, "Or you could, you know, just ask them to move out of the way politely next time. "

 

[Marlon Sularen]

Location || Sub-Committee Room
Objective || Legitimize my Presence on Jakku by any means necessary
Tags || Adhira Chandra | Aerarii Tithe | Annasari | Seto Du Couteau | Julius Loghain

​

Jakku. Famous for it's Graveyards of Giants. The Planet had been somewhat of importance to Sularen's Organization in the past with Sularen having formerly established a Shipyard and Alloy Facility on the Planet to utilize salvaged parts from the Graveyard of Giants to further expand his earliest naval Fleets. Having abandoned these facilities upon joining the New Imperial Order , Sularen did not have any sort of interest for Jakku until his proper resurgence at Xa Fel in which saw SularenCo emerge from 5 Years of stagnation and slowly rise towards it's rightful place in the sun.

Just a few days prior to this meeting right before the Talks at Tiss'sharl , Sularen had ordered Tantamount Interstellar to secure his former Alloy Facility on Jakku and the wrecked portions of the old Shipyards located in proximity to the Facility. His Goal : to utilize his former Facility as a Ground-based Shipyard to salvage and recycle portions of the vast amount of warships littered around Jakku and utilize it as a means to produce more warships for Byss , his allies or even any clients.

But as usual there was always complications. When the Lord-Imperator of Byss discovered that Jakku was joining the Galactic Alliance he had immediately headed for Coruscant to partake in the talks as Sularen knew that this could compromise his plans for the area , especially given at how he had sent a Private Military Force to secure his former facilities in which would obviously be met with opposition just like how the ordeal at Xa Fel had met such issues a while back. This time , Marlon Sularen was determined to stomp on all opposition and ensure that his Corporation's Presence on Jakku was acknowledged whether they liked it or not.

Just as Annasari began speaking , Marlon Sularen entered the room and took their seats proceeding to listing to the woman who insisted that the people of Jakku retain the Graveyard while the Alliance would only gain mining permits and be obliged to aid Jakku and off course Sularen could not stand that. He was ready to stand his ground as always and as soon as Annasari was done , he took the opportunity to step up.

"And exactly how is that an alternative solution to getting access to the Graveyard? You are essentially demanding that we help you and in return you'll give us access to limited resources that will run out within 5 Years , and yes we aren't stupid or atleast i'm not. Something that isn't really that profitable for us. As for this Osmiridium while it could be somewhat beneficial it remains nevertheless insignificant compared to the Graveyards."

"I should also point out the fact that Jakku doesn't really have a say in this matter. The only reason we even bothered to accept your pleas to help your little backwater world is due to our Democratic Ideals in addition to it's importance as being along the Starbird Trade Spine. I should also point out that Jakku is a full of lawlessness and has no legitimate government or enough people to claim autonomy. So i'd like to ask you one question Mrs. Annasari , why should we listen to you."

As Sularen spoke he spoke without emotion and with a cold tone. He wasn't going to show any Mercy today and was going to ensure that Jakku was annexed by the Alliance whether the people of Jakku liked it or not. They were only somewhere around 25 to 75 thousand individuals and if Jakku was to be annexed and partitioned between various Corporations , Sularen they couldn't really do anything. After all they were just filthy scavengers , they had no laws , no government so why even bother recognize them.

Plus even if Jakku gained recognition , the Hand of Purification was nearing completion and once complete Jakku would be a nice choice for target practice for Sularen's Future Army of Brainwashed Fanatics. Sularen was going to make sure Jakku got annexed by the Alliance one way or another and ensure that his interests on Jakku were properly defended. If Tithe and Adhira thought they could oppose his plans , he'd deal with them accordingly , by waging a Ruthless War of Words against them with no mercy. Today the Alliance would learn what kind of a Politician Sularen truly was.

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