Public Tales from the Underworld - A Coruscant Story.

[Jerek Morrows]

The light stretched across the vast expanse that was Galactic City, bathing everything in the ruby light of late day. The former seat of power in the Galaxy exchanged hands time and again in a seemingly ill-fated game of rise and fall, but the people endured. Transports and speeders raced through the upper city. On the surface, everything appeared normal. A city planet ravaged by the Galaxy's wars had learned to turn their heads away from problems that came to their doorstep.

But where the light shone, shadows always loomed. Darkness seeped into cracks, and in the lower city of Coruscant, wretches and characters of dubious intent spread their influence and exacerbated the Cancer left in place by the Sith. This new Galactic Alliance promised to stem the spread, and they called for aid from the Jedi Order in that endeavor.

It fell to Jedi Morrows, one of the few Shadows still mobilized to spearhead the investigation.

"The report from Lieutenant Raith verified suspicious activity in the slums," Jerek mentioned to his small contingent. "We're to go in first, quietly, and verify. Once we have confirmation, we rendezvous with Alliance Forces and move."

The others nodded and muttered a few words of affirmation. Then, the Shadow added: "keep both eyes open. We don't know what we'll find down there."

Tag: Any Jedi or Judicial Force Personnel

 

[Xercuv]

Location: Coruscant Underworld, Level 1346 of Slum District D22.
Tags: Republic Engineering , Aalto Jien , Alejandro Bodua , Ruus

---

Twin missiles tore through the air and barreled toward the market. Even for a Gen'dai that was a lot of fire power and would take quite some time to regenerate from. Xercuv fired up his shield system and broke into a sprint, beaming for the nearby cantina. The missiles were clearly faster than the beast, but he was closer to his target than they were to him.

Five meters out. Three. Two. The Gen'dai leapt into the cantina as the two explosives smacked into the ground behind him. The chemical energy and concussive force depleted the dual layers of his shield system and charred his armor while shrapnel tore a few holes into the his abdomen, shoulders and legs. The mass of armor clad monster crashed against the far wall of the establishment. His vision had been deprived of all color until the Gen'dai could only see white. Living nearly five thousand years desensitized one to much of what the galaxy could dish out, but being caught in a gunship's rocket fire was not something you shrugged off.

Even with the explosives setting off a few meters behind the attack was devastating, luckily his shielding and armor took the brunt of the damage. Xercuv shook off the worst of the damage as ruptured tissue pulled itself back together beneath his amor. As color poured back into Xercuv's vision he saw the first casualty he'd have avoided if possible, the elderly bartender was riddled with shrapnel from the blast. A pity, he thought to himself.

The giant came to and removed his grenade launcher from the harness on his back. A shimmer in the air signaled the restoration of the Vishnu system's primary shield. Xercuv was good to go.

"Ready for round two?" He spoke under breath.

The Gen'dai marched out from the cantina and took in the situation. The Unnamed still held the numbers and continued to stream in from the other blocks. In the time he'd been on Coruscant his unintentional band had grown tremendously, still the gunship was tearing through their numbers fast. No longer. Xercuv took aim and let four thermite rounds loose on the gunship's cockpit. The first two melted away at the exterior, allowing the following two to consume the pilots and control systems. The last of the LAATs swayed out of control then crashed into the building across from the market.

Xercuv grinned ear to ear as the anarchy spread across the market once again. All that was left now was the officer and a few lousy droids. Xercuv replaced the four missing rounds in the grenade launcher.

"All alone now lawman!" He shouted.

The Unnamed who had foolishly charged the cordon with naught but their shivs had mostly been gunned down but plenty were still firing into the droid line with their many blasters. Xercuv raised his grenade launcher again and squeezed the trigger thrice. Three thermite explosives were now beaming toward the ranger.

 

[Doroko Bral]

Equipment: See Bio
Forces: LAAT/Ie "Edee"
Location: Enroute to Coruscant level 1346-D24, Ruus Xercuv
Allies: Ruus , Coruscant security forces
Enemies: Xercuv , "Unnamed" NPCs, and other criminals

Doroko watched Head of Security for the datacenter, the local sector enforcement representative, and Director of the datacenter speak among themselves, almost as if he wasn’t there. In reality, this wasn’t his field of expertise and these three must have some working relationship, while Doroko was a complete outsider granted access to this meeting based on his position within the broader Alliance.

A loud transmission roared to life in his helmet, “Shots fired! Assistance required, D24 Market. Anti-vehicular weaponry in use.” Doroko shot to his feet, the repulsor chair launching itself into the wall behind him with a loud clatter as it spun against the wall. “I need to go.” He spoke through his helmet’s external speakers. He then switched the external communication off and now spoke within the helmet over the commlink, “Sector Ranger Doroko Bral responding. On my way to D24 Market.” His voice was loud, assuming that Ruus would be distracted with his current predicament.

Doroko jogged out of the room, his left arm raising to a datapad on his gauntlet while the fingers on his right arm typed in a series of Aurbesh-numberics. “Edee, sublight engines and repulsorlift standby.” Meanwhile out on the landing deck his custom LAAT/Ie roared to life. The ion engines in the rear of the LAAT/Ie known as Edee gave off a faint blue glow while it hovered from the repuslorlift engines. Doroko was now sprinting in his medium-beskar armor, pushing past datacenter employees as he did so. “MOVE!” He shouted through his speaker to those who were in his way. Soon the Mandalorian ran up the flight dock up to his LAAT/Ie, the right blastdoor sliding apart to reveal the interior. “Edee: Coruscant, Sector 1346-D24. Full speed. Maglock engage in 5 seconds. Close blastdoor, engage ray shields. SLAM activation in 15.” Doroko quickly moved to a spot between the cockpit and the modified troopbay where a blaster-locker was located. He punched in another series of codes and the door popped open to reveal the M-45 Blaster and a pintel-mount. He grabbed both of these before standing near the blastdoor he had entered from as it shut. Just as he set the pintel mount down and took a stance with his feet at shoulder width apart, the maglocks engaged. His beskar boots locked into the ground and so did the pintel-mount.

The Edee’s blastdoor closed as it lifted off and span around to face the cavernous descent towards the lower level. Doroko finished installing the M-45 on the mount and then lifted one hand to the ceiling while the other held the grip of the blaster, locking himself in place for what was about to happen. The Edee located the straight line point towards the D24 Market, engaged the ray shields, and accelerated with a boom as the SLAM on the sublight engines activated. Even with the strong magenetic locks and the inertial compensation within the starship, Doroko felt like he was going to be ripped in half by the acceleration. Had the ray shields not been activated the speed would not have nearly been as quick. However, with all of the proper moves in play, Doroko would be speeding along at several hundred kilometers an hour.

The worst part of this trip was the constant rolling and dipping that the Edee had to do in order to miss traffic lanes while it’s predetermined course. “ETA Two minutes, hang in there!” He shouted into his commlink. The sounds of the SLAM active ion engines bleeding into his helmet as a passive roar.

It would take a little over two minutes since he gave his last transmission, but then the sounds of roaring engines could easily be heard by Xercuv and Ruus , as well as anyone else near by that area. There would likely be a large consequence for exceeding speed limitations by as much as Doroko was, but all he cared about was getting to the scene. The transparisteel and crystasteel windows of the buildings he surely blew out on his way here could be replaced. Whatever happened in his travel time was unknown to him, but he'd soon be able to see for himself. Xercuv , being a sentient being, would easily know that on the planet of Coruscant bringing in heavy artillery and firing it upon Coruscant & Alliance security forces would not be let go, the veritable hornets nest had been kicked a few too many times.

Spoiler

 

[Alejandro Bodua]

Location: Market
Friends: None
Enemies: Anyone that gets in his way
Objective: Escape
Ruus Xercuv

Some moments ago----

The robot examined Alejandro, no doubt determining if he was a threat. Alejandro returned the glare, his own steely blue eyes trying to stare down the machine as if it were a biological being, his right hand hovering over the polished wooden grip of his newly bought blaster pistol. There was a moment, fleeting, but a moment. Am i faster than it? He gave the droid a cocky side smile that breached handsomely from under his mustachio. The temptation was there, but the gunslinger knew that the chances of him out drawing a combat droid was little to none. Especially one that was designed for law enforcement. Like those that worked int he jail, their were programmed to read and react to sentient beings at a far more in-tuned rate than an actual being.

So with that, Alejandro moved his hand away from his pistol and turned to keep moving out of the warzone of a market. The droid itself instantly refocused back on its task analyzing that the gunslinger was not a threat at that moment.

Now...........

Alejandro had hastened his pace, he need to get the hell out of there as the heat had been dialed up. Not exactly how he expected his first day of freedom to be and certainly didn't realize that Coruscant's lower levels could get any-worse. With the reality check in hand, his next task was to ascend out form this pit of hell and find a way off this planet. He had no plans on dying here. As attempted to flee from the market, he could hear and feel the explosions happening above and behind him. He could also see swarms of armed being flocking out from surrounding buildings and store fronts.

"Kark!" The gunslinger hissed under his breath. The local law enforcement agents would hesitate and double think about gunning down bystanders. Gangland militias and thugs would not. Alejandro knew from experience, a lifetime under the employ of the Hutt Cartel saw to that. He quickly sidestepped diving to take cover behind a kiosk, just as few of the thugs began lighting up his current location with blaster fire.

 

[Ruus]

Location: Coruscant, Underworld, Level 1346, Sector 1346-D24 "Slum District"
Tags: Aalto Jien Alejandro Bodua Republic Engineering Xercuv
Gear

Spoiler

DC-17 Hand Blaster w/ integrated Ascension Cable attachment
Vibroblade (Knife)
Handcuffs (x2)
Padded Armor w/ Chromium Plates
HUD & Comlink Equipped Chromium Helmet

Forces

Spoiler

LAAT/le Gunship (0/3)
Spaceport Police Droid (6/15)

Ruus saw the Gen'dai point the weapon at him from across the market and did not wait for it to fire it at him. Ruus rushed across the market place , through the crossfire of blaster bolts, and dove into a booth. The explosives trailed behind leaving molten craters, splashing oceans of sparks around his shelter. The market was now ablaze due to the pyrotechnics being used. The booth's walls collapsed away from the explosive pressure wave and pinned the Ranger inside of the wreckage. His visor cracked and the internal HUD disappearing, the metal plates on his torso dented in as the padding below softened the physical impact.

The remaining droids, who were not push overs, continued to take causalities though they were not B1's of old and did not simply stand erect in a fire fight. The security droids took cover and returned fire when it was calculated to be advantageous to them, thus minimizing their risk. It was then a droid broke away from the fight and began to pull a large durasteel table off the Ranger who was struggling to do the same alone. It was at this time he heard the response from Doroko Bral over the comm channel.

Finally being free of the debris and able to stand he did so. Ruus was a considerable distance from the Gen'dai at this point as the droid who had helped the ranger took a bolt to the right side of the chassis and fell face first to the street. Ruus bent down and scooped up the blaster then hopped atop bench as bolts whizzed recklessly around him "Olar ni motir, par te tsad droten!" he challenged in response to Xercuv as he began to fire a flurry of blaster bolts in tandem at the Gen'dai.

 

[Xercuv]

Location: Coruscant Underworld, Level 1346 of Slum District D22.
Tags: Republic Engineering , Aalto Jien , Alejandro Bodua , Ruus, Doroko Bral

---

Pillars of smoke dotted the forum and slipped between the buildings above into the "sky" of the lower levels. The Unnamed wrestled control of the market though their continued assault only served to char the dug in droids' cover. Still, the security force was surrounded. Xercuv allowed himself a moment to take in the anarchic visage. The ranger had met his fate to some collapsed wreckage. Not the way Xercuv had hoped to end things, but it would have to do. Red and green blaster bolts were traded between the Unnamed and the remaining droids but that was but a distraction. Half a dozen thugs scurried about the outer perimeter of the marketplace, taking up positions behind their quarry.

"Bossman X," his Nikto lieutenant, lack of a better word, called out, "we just got word from the boys a few levels up. We got another gunship heading our way. What's the move?"

"Good. Good. More bantha to the slaughter. The sooner we send them upper level boys the message that they aren't welcome down here. The sooner they'll bugger off. Send word out, bring in the blitz," the Gen'dai ordered before looking to the rest of his men as they began closing the pincer around the security droids, "scrounge up some heavies. We're going to move fast and hit hard!"

"Olar ni motir, par te tsad droten!"

Xercuv turned to the challenge. So the Ranger as one of the warrior people. A stubborn lot they were, it'd explain how he was still standing.

"Won't be standing much longer mutt," Xercuv chuckled as he approached Ruus, "yours have always been a proud people. Ornery, but proud. And I'll tell you something. It makes me sick, to see such weakness paraded around as strength. I've likely ended more of your kind than you've known your entire life. It will bring me much pleasure to add another to the body count," he sneered.

The ranger unleashed a flurry of blaster fire. Some veered off but a small series of bolts slapped against his shield. Droplets against the inferno. Xercuv lifted swung his rotary cannon about. It was near impossible for most to handle the weapon's recoil for long periods of time, but to the Gen'dai it was child's play. A split second later the a stream of crimson blaster fire spat toward Ruus.

 

[Daiya]

Location: Meandering about the Financial District, Coruscant
Objective: Disconnect and Isolate the Datacenter (Darkwire Team One)
Equipment: C1 Comlink, Holojournal, 434 Blaster Pistol, DL-13 Holdout Blaster, MP-SE Grenade
Allies: Chloe Santhe @Darkwire

[Post Soundtrack: Let's Take Our Time by Ryan Cabrera]​

"Why hello there cutie."

Daiya was jostled out of her reverie, the sweet words lapping at her ears in a way she rarely heard. Tawrro was gruff but kind, Shenn was jovial but genuine, and even her mother had usually been firm but caring. Almost no one she'd met was so adoring, and it felt unnatural to the girl. Her hackles rose as she spun to face the speaker, a girl about her age with sparkly pair of headphones and sunglasses leaned in toward Daiya, with a face so straight that she was taken aback. Then the other girl said the codephrase established from her contact, and the blonde-haired girl immediately relaxed.

"Yeah, I'm Daiya" she said, relieved once the girl named Chloe broke into a grin and confessed to the ploy. She giggled at the dissapating tension in her body, happy that this was the right person after all. "I didn't expect you to be so..." Daiya gestured to the plaid-attired girl before her while she searched for the right word, before giving up and settling on a vague, "you."

Well, that was awkward.

"Anyway, you got the info packet I forwarded, right?" Daiya asked, trying to stick to business. It's what Tawrro would have insisted on, after all. If the teen was going to prove she could be on her own, she had to make this work better than if the Wookie was even there with her. "One of the hardwire points is nearby, just around the block."

The Darkwire agent beckoned to Chloe to follow as she moved forward, heading in a roundabout manner toward the alley of their destination. Childhood instinct came rushing back, playing it safe on the underworld streets meant never being direct or in a rush for where she was going. Especially without a Wookiee-sized shadow following behind her. The city's byzantine layout of blocks and alleys felt familiar as they were strange, and Daiya felt at home following the flow of the crowd when it chose one street over the other.

"What are you listening to?" she suddenly burst out, unable to contain her curiosity any longer. The uncomfortable silence hadn't lasted too long, the girl hoped. Daiya rarely had many friends her age, and talking with them about...well, what did people her age even talk about? Grown-ups just wanted to know things about their business or stick their nose into the business of others. That only made it easier for Daiya to get information from them. Yet the sly persona of Chloe next to her made the girl feel like that would be a waste of time. "I usually only listen to whatever someone else has playing over the radio," she explained, and made a face, "and it usually sucks."

They were still two turns away from their target, anyway, so it was worth making conversation.

 

[Chloe Santhe]

Location: Coruscant
Equipment: CS-9001 Slicer System
Tags: Daiya
Outfit
Current Song

Chloe grinned brightly at Daiya and gave her a sly wink. “Don’t worry. I rarely expect to be me either, especially when I look in a mirror. But I am most certainly glad you are you! Otherwise, this would get WEIRD fast. I had to deal with something like that once. It still hurts my brain trying to think about it!” She chose to not ask, and instead, reached out and attempted to grab Daiya’s hand as they walked. It would make separation far harder, as well as establish a cover story. “Yup. Totally got what you need all set up. It was a good amount of time I was able to get what we needed.”

Chloe’s tongue licked her lips as they passed a small Corellian food cart. “Gaaah, I forgot to eat earlier!” Her glasses registered a security checkpoint up ahead, and with a gentle elbow in the girl’s side, and a slight squeeze of her hand, Chloe took her down a side street. “This way! I know this great little cart, quick and cheap. Delicious too. Always important.” This little smile settled on her lips. This was fun, so much better than having to come up with a cover on the spot. Little socialite picked up one of the lower level residents for some fun on the town, it happened all the time, no one even battered an eye at it. “Ah! You have to listen to that stuff?! I would die! No no no! Music is life Daiya. LIFE! One does not live by listening to poodoo!”

As she dominantly led Daiya down the side street, she attempted to spin the girl around in one circle, and rest her against a duracrete wall for a moment. Her body would come close, and would block Daiya from being easily seen. She would take the headphones off her head and place them on Daiya’s head. The song played as a group of well dressed individuals rushed past them on the sidewalk. Chloe confidently placed her right hand on the wall to the side of Daiya’s head. “Let me illuminate your world. Don’t worry, I won’t bite….” The words dripped with flirtation, loud enough that the people who ran passed could hear it. So close to the target but for some reason...the heat was intense. Rerouting. As the song played in Daiya’s ear, even though Chloe couldn’t hear it, she swayed in time to the beat.

“Sorry about that Daiya, it seems someone is making a lot of noise on the planet, security has been upped because of it. It’s going to break our time table a bit, but there is a mall nearby, let's go shopping. From there, we are nearly on top of it. We just need to look at the windows and pretty outfits. As we make our way to the west. Though, I am sure there is plenty there that would look cute on you. If you want to try them on.” Her voice was quiet, apologetic, but carried weight. They needed to be careful. “Shall we get going? Oh! And like the song?!"

 

[Maou]

Friend. He grimaced behind his helmet but took the seat anyways.

"I have a proposition for you," he said before reaching in and pulling a holopad from his black jacket and sliding it onto the table. The tablet lit up and displayed a photo of Corellia's Diktat, Lisza Starseeker, and the Alliance's current Head of State shaking hands.

"This hasn't become official news yet, but my source in the Corellian Diktat's office has given me information saying Diktat Starseeker will be making a trip to Coruscant to help finalize the Alliance and Republic joining forces. Her policies have been causing us much trouble and if my sources are correct she will be coming for your group as well." He lowered his voice for this, "She is poised to take take the seat second to Tage soon. If we can end her at this meeting we will end two problems with one blaster bolt."

Yijun Tung

 

[Daiya]

Location: Sneaking about the Financial District, Coruscant
Objective: Disconnect and Isolate the Datacenter (Darkwire Team One)
Equipment: C1 Comlink, Holojournal, 434 Blaster Pistol, DL-13 Holdout Blaster, MP-SE Grenade
Allies: Chloe Santhe @Darkwire

[Post Soundtrack: Too Close by Alex Clare]​

Throughout their trek, Chloe made it very clear that she was no stranger to the underlevels of a city world like Coruscant. The Darkwire girl was beginning to suspect that her new friend might have even grown up here, her familiarity with the area and a particular food cart making a strong case. Daiya was used to following the lead of someone else, but she often had faith that Tawrro knew what he was doing. She had only just met this Chloe girl!

"But if you need to eat, why are we walking past aaaa—," Daiya cried as the other girl spun her and pinned the teen against a wall. Chloe moved close enough that she could feel the slicer girl's breath on her cheek and the rising heat from their bodies between them. She pressed into the wall, as if it would give way for her to recover from the dizzyingly sudden lack of space. "Chloe, what are you..."

“Let me illuminate your world. Don’t worry, I won’t bite….”

Then the beat sounded in her ears, and the instruments swelled as a vocalist started singing about dancing. In front of her, Chloe began to sway to the beat. It was all confusing to her. This close to her, the girl could see the look of joy on Chloe's face, and the innocence of her words. Daiya wanted to believe her, but there was something about this slicer girl that felt like...something more. The feeling was paralyzing for a moment, keeping her close in its grip like a vision would, overwhelming her and unwilling to let her do anything but acknowledge its incessant existence.

A group of people walked by, looking like they had better things to do than pay attention to the fringes of the crowd. Daiya noticed others passing by, even passing right by them without a glance. Suddenly the feeling made sense to her, as did Chloe's advances. She felt silly for not seeing it before, particularly as such a veteran of the undercities. Of course it was just a ploy, nothing more. The girl relaxed, taking the advice of the song as she began to move with the beat, her dance complementing Chloe's. Daiya flung her hands around Chloe's shoulders, letting the other girl guide her in their musical ruse.

She laughed playfully as the other girl whispered an explanation in her ear, not breaking character yet, until Chloe was finished. Daiya nodded her agreement, pulling the girl back a few steps until they were secluded from view. "Okay, that was weird," the girl began in her own quiet voice. She gaped a moment later, realizing that she sounded a little too admonishing. "I mean, thanks. I've never tried that one before, the close embrace." Daiya winked and then giggled, loud enough to cover up the seriousness of their conversation to anyone nearby. She knew deep down why she'd never tried a ploy like that, it would never have made sense with Tawrro, and she'd never had anyone else before. The girl considered it, feeling she could get used to working with someone more...compatible like her. She raised her voice now to conversation levels, "And I loved the song, but it needed more oomph, you know? I don't know how to describe it."

Daiya chattered away, trying to keep up the facade of two teenage girls on a normal day out as she led Chloe back out into the main crowd. But there was something nagging at her. A loss of foresight on her part, that the crowd might have led her to a street far too well-monitored, too secure for their purposes. A lack of vision, Daiya wondered, but she knew it was more likely that she was just too unfamiliar as an offworlder. Coruscant's similarities were lulling her into a false sense of confidence, something even Tawrro would have seen. The girl nodded resolutely to herself, she needed to think more like her Wookiee companion.

"If we're going shopping, then let's ditch the mall. That's for normies," the girl proposed, putting an emphasis on the activity name to give Chloe a hint as to her real meaning. They were already shopping, of a sort, just not for something ever found in a store. "There's a special little place around here I found scouring the Holonet. Don't worry about the workers, they can be a little rude but I'm good at handling that." Daiya grabbed the other girl's hand, putting it on her concealed blaster holster and patting it a few times before letting go. " You just look out for good deals."

 

[Republic Engineering]

​

Corusca Sector // Coruscant System // Coruscant Overworld.
Galactic Alliance Ministry of Commerce // Financial District Starscraper.
[Mark -1:00:00] from Operation Commencement.​

When the Confusion first began, there was a moment that the Clerk couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Their records of monetary transfer had shown that a vast majority of crypto-credits were being forced into re-verification. While there was nothing inherently wrong with handfuls of Credits being shunted back into the system, as it was one of the various security methods that the Banking Clan devised to keep their currency from falling into thieving hands. What gave the Clerk a momentary scare was the amount, and designated location that their credits were being shunted too. Supposedly, the entirety of the Alliance’s Credits were being transferred into an antiquated facility in the depths of the Financial District. Whom-so-ever believed that such an act would go unnoticed - or wouldn’t be a cause for alarm was terribly mistaken. There were dozens, if not hundreds of worlds within the Alliance’s sphere of influence that relied on the supposed security of the Galactic Credit, and that was quite the considerable sum that suddenly vanished from secured accounts or the reserve treasury.

It had to be a mistake. There was no way that the servers at such an antiquated facility could handle, let alone hold or process the vast amount of credits that were currently being funnelled there. Without wasting another moment processing the gravity of the situation, the Clerk roused themselves from their desk and rushed towards their Supervisor. As they explained the case, there was a look of dread that overcame their superior’s face. Whilst the Clerk hurriedly spoke of this newfound crisis, the Supervisor checked their secured account to see if they were affected by this turn of events. As the man was on the Alliance’s payroll - his look of dread deepened even further when his eyes saw that he had nothing in any of his accounts. Even his life’s savings that were supposedly housed in a secure facility off-planet were taken from him. He, effectively, had nothing. All of his life’s work - even the inheritance that his Family had left him - was gone. “No, no, no. This has to be a mistake.” He babbled, with his voice on the edge of hysteria.

The man needed to get a grip and to regain control of his senses. Some proper channels and protocols needed to be followed, as there was a possibility that all of this… Chaos, for lack of a better word, could be remedied.

The man let out a heavy sigh of frustration as he sought to calm his nerves and collect his thoughts. When his hands stopped shaking, the Supervisor tossed his personal datapad aside and activated his terminal, swiftly connecting his Manager. As the connection was established, the Supervisor relayed the information as best as he could - using the Clerk to fill in whatever information he missed. The Manager nodded and thanked the two individuals for their due diligence. If they hadn’t caught wind of this massive fault in their flow of currency, then not only would Coruscant be affected, but the entirety of the Alliance as well. Who knows what would’ve happened then? Dozens, if not hundreds of Star Systems, would’ve been forcibly thrown back into the Dark Ages, as their collective economies crashed. Riots would’ve broken out across every affected sector, and the Federation would’ve torn itself apart soon after it was reconstituted.

But, just catching wind of the scenario occurring wasn’t enough. Typically, these credits would’ve been shunted into their processing facilities in the Overworld, where they would’ve been able to swiftly reverify the currency with little issue. However, for some reason beyond logical reasoning, they were transferred to a facility marked for overhaul due to the vast number of antiquated systems housed within. Not only was the facility not connected to the HoloNet, which was an extreme rarity in the modern era, but the only access it had were through several hardpoint connections - that for some reason weren’t wholly located in the most secure of locations. It would be incredibly easy to isolate the facility from the grid and access the information on the servers located there without drawing anyone’s notice. That meant, if someone was capable of infiltrating the facility, they’d be able to walk away with the wealth of entire Star Systems with relative ease.

The currency would’ve been fresh from the re-verification process, and usually would’ve been transferred back into the account(s) in question - should they be uncompromised and such. However, if the hardlines of that antiquated were cut? They’d be technically stuck until the connection was re-established. That wasn’t ideal. Their only option was to beseech the Defence Force to intervene and provide escort to their Technicians, as they removed the servers and brought them to the Surface. There was no other way. If they left those antiquated machines alone to process the countless trillions that were being funnelled through the data centre, who knows how long it would take for the process to be completed. Adding in the fact it was the Underworld? They couldn’t risk it. So, after the connection to his subordinates was severed, the Manager dialled up the Ministry’s Security Bureau, as well as a Representative of the Galactic Alliance’s Defence Force.

“Gentlemen,” the Manager began. “We have a massive problem…”

Corusca Sector // Coruscant System // Coruscant Overworld.
Galactic Alliance Ministry of Commerce // Financial District Data Centre #12.
[Mark -0:14:00] from Operation Commencement.​

His armoured fingers tightened around one of the overhead handles that were affixed to the ceiling of the Gunship’s troop cabin. The Commando wasn’t overly fond of being deployed for recovery operations in the Underworld of Coruscant, as the man believed that he could’ve been of use to the Navy elsewhere. He had heard of a recent upswing in unrest near the Silver Jedi Border along with several of their significant hyper-routes, as entire shipments were being turned away from Confederate-held space at gunpoint. Sure, they had the choice of paying gouged prices for the proper forms of verification that would allow them access to the Violet Curtain, but that would take time. Time that many worlds in the Core Regions didn’t have, as their goods needed to get to their designated markets in the Outer Rim Territories. In response, there were protests on several star systems that turned into acts of civil unrest and outrage.

Not only that, but there were reports of a Sith Civil War that was on the verge of consuming the entirety of the Sith Empire. War was undoubtedly on the horizon, and men like him and the rest of Sigma Squad would be needed on the front lines - pushing back the ever-encroaching shadow of Imperialism and Tyranny.

Yet, he was here on Coruscant instead, the Capital World of the reconstituted Galactic Alliance. For this Operation, Gideon wouldn’t be leading Sigma Squad into combat against insurgents, nor hostile forces on the fields of battle. Instead? He would be escorting Several Agents of the Ministry of Commerce as they collected the valuable data that was housed within the servers of the Twelfth Data Centre. Some believed it would be better to collect the data on several external - and more advanced data banks - rather than removing the entire throng of computerized storage facilities. Not only would it save them time in the long run, but it would be more secure than forcibly ripping the servers from their housings and lugging them into a transport.

So, while the man didn’t enjoy the concept of being employed as an escort, at least this time around, the mission would supposedly and mercifully be quick. This meant that Gideon would return to the comfort and familiarities of the front lines - where his talents for justified murder would be more acceptable, rather than the civilized restraints placed upon him and his Unit for this Operation. There was a moment that he almost laughed when his Commanding Officer told him that his service weapon would be stripped of its attachments and would be given a small handful of plasma cartridges to share amongst his Squadmates. It wasn’t ideal, but eventually, Gideon understood the reasoning. Stun blasts wouldn’t burn through his Unit’s shared pool of munitions, nor would they leave a massive mess if they connected with organic tissue - like their particle rifles did during combat.

Should they encounter any trouble, they would be forced to engage with blunted spears in the hopes of incapacitating their opposition. Which, he supposed, wouldn’t be a bad thing. The man wasn’t overly fond of Court Martials, let alone the guilt that would weigh heavily upon his brow should he gun down armed civilians. Sure, the man could justify the encounter as self-defence and likely be acquitted, but that wouldn’t stop their echoes from haunting him whenever he tried to get some sleep.

His moments of internal reflection ended as the Gunship began its descent, flooding the interior troop compartment with a crimson wash of light. He went through the motions of last-minute preparation, making sure that he had everything on hand before they were forced to disembark from the transport. His service rifle was slung over his shoulder and readily accessible, as well as two pistols that were clamped to the exterior of his armoured thighs. With practiced ease, the Commando ensured that the trio of weapons was primed correctly and ready for action. He felt a small smile creep across his lips as he heard his primary weapon thrum with activation. The rifle purred as if it was freshly manufactured. After filtering through much of his other equipment and suit’s systems, Gideon’s hands finally fell onto his bandolier. The assortment and collection of grenades that generally adorned his combat armour were sadly absent, replaced instead by a couple of flashbangs and a few non-lethal sonic concussion detonators, as well as a pair of non-lethal gas grenades.

There was a part of the Commando that felt severely under-equipped; however, this was the Capital World of the Galactic Alliance. It was unlikely that he’d be drawn into the middle of a war on his Government’s home turf.

As the Gunship touched down outside of their destination, the blast shutters withdrew, and the overhead crimson light blinked green - signalling that it was time for his Unit to disembark. Without hesitation, Gideon stepped off the troop deck and felt the rippling crunch of duracrete beneath his feet. He was thankful to be unleashed from the cramped vessel. Per his training, the Commando unslung his rifle and began scouring their surroundings - searching for possible targets in the shadows. The rest of his Unit did the same until they were satisfied that their immediate surroundings were secure, or at least secure as they could be in the depths of Coruscant’s Underworld.

It seemed their journey had taken them into the double-digit levels, which were far closer to the surface than he expected. However, despite their proximity to the surface, none of Coruscant Prime’s light managed to shine down here. All of it was blocked out by the orbiting skyhooks, stations, and the various starscrapers that studded the planet’s surface. Whatever light was readily available down here was wholly artificial. But, thanks to the modern practices that were employed by the Republic Engineering Corporation, the overhanging artificial light didn’t bother the Commando - nor impede his duties. In fact? He barely noticed. It was a detail that was interesting to note, but it ultimately played very little importance in the grand scheme of things.

After their landing zone was secured, Gideon ordered the transport to relay a transmission to their escorted transport - informing them that it was safe to touch down on the platform. Whilst the rest of Sigma Squad waited for their escort’s arrival, the Lieutenant moved towards the edge of the platform and took in the sight of the antiquated facility. Several uniformed officers patrolled the outskirts with their sidearms holstered, and their eyes scanning their surroundings. That naturally included the active laser fence that surrounded their duracrete platform and the facility thereafter. It would be difficult for folks to saunter in without being zapped by the massive amount of energy coursing between the powered pylons, but it wasn’t impossible.

From there, individuals would be forced to contend with the roving patrols of uniformed Ministry Security Officers that regularly paced the facility’s exterior. Several notable spaces could be used by would-be infiltrators as cover, whilst they advanced, but they’d likely encounter further security measures as they reached the facility proper. According to the mission briefing that occurred during their transit into the Underworld’s upper levels, the antiquated facility had an adequately impressive internal security grid. It was comprised of ray-shielded doors, code cylinder access terminals, rotating camera sensors at critical junctures - both internally and externally - and additional patrols of uniformed officers. It seemed like a proverbial fortress, and in many respects, it was - however it was the furthest thing from impregnable.

There were plenty of possible access routes in various sectors, but that was to be expected from a civilian installation.

While it was the furthest thing from secure, at least in Gideon’s mind, it would be enough to slow any visible progress - should someone try and infiltrate the facility. As his eyes drifted back towards their Gunship, and the newly arrived transport that touched down beside it - the Commando felt a measure of relief flush through his veins. Not only were the Commandos of Sigma Squad dispatched to escort the Agents of the Ministry, but an entire Squad of Marines as well. They would’ve sent more - but as they doubted anyone would be stupid enough to try a smash and grab in the heart of the Coruscant system - two Squads would be more than enough to see the job through to the end. When they disembarked, the Marine Sergeant moved to stand before Gideon and snapped a crisp salute to his superior officer.

“Sir, the Brass believed that your Unit could use a hand in this Op.”

The Commando nodded. “Anything to help these Ministry-men to move faster is appreciated in my book, Sergeant. I want you to take a fireteam and escort the Technicians to the server room. Get them set up and start the transfer as soon as possible. The other team will secure this landing zone and make sure that our rides out of here are secure.”

The Alliance Marine nodded. “What about your Unit, Sir?”

“We’ll be walking the Technicians out once they’re finished, and likely assisting the Fireteam in purging the data banks. The Ministry needed to update this facility anyway, so we’re helping them along.”

“Understood, Sir,” the Sergeant nodded once more. “Should I be aware of anything else?”

“Supposedly, the facility was a holdover from the One Sith during their occupation of Coruscant and was hardened to external communications. I suppose the last iteration of the Galactic Alliance thought it was a good idea to turn this proverbial bunker into a financial data centre - so internal long-range comms aren’t an option. It plays havoc with short-range comms as well. So stay frosty, Sergeant and let’s get this Op over with.”

The Sergeant offered yet another crisp salute, before returning to his Squad to relay Gideon’s orders.

When the Technicians finally clambered out of the transport with their gear in tow, the Commandos of Sigma Squad and a Fireteam of Alliance Marines began making their way towards the server room - where they’d start their Operation in earnest.

| Daiya | Chloe Santhe | Hacks | The Fool |​

 

[Saga of Valour]

Corusca Sector // Coruscant System // Coruscant Overworld.
Republic Engineering Corporation // The Works District - Surface.
[Mark 18:53:07 - Galactic Standard Time.]​

It was just another day on Coruscant. Ever since the first iteration of the Galactic Alliance liberated the system from the clutches of the One Sith, the Republic Engineering Corporation sought to make a name for themselves. They were intent on reclaiming their place amongst the stars and tried to return Coruscant to its once beautiful roots. However, that task was a daunting one, as with every Government that sought to wrest control over Coruscant, their operations were impeded by the change-over. Every single governing body wanted to make sure they were getting a cut from the Corporation’s profits. And why wouldn’t they? Republic Engineering had been able to take scrapped buildings and piles of rubble, and convert them into usable materials that were capable of being processed into various goods. Hell, they even restored some of the ancient construction droids that assisted in rebuilding entire neighbourhoods across the Planet.

However, it was never enough. There would always be more that needed to be done. Whenever the Corporation restored one City block to its rightful glory, another district fell into disgrace. Waste and radiation leaks were prevalent amongst the upper levels, and it only got worse as one went further towards the Planet’s mechanized core. Those problems would be further amplified by the countless mutants and aliens stalking the darkness below, preying on those running away from the authorities, or seeking to make a life for themselves. It was unfortunate, but at least the various Republic Engineering Security Detachments were able to locate some of their remains - giving whatever registered family they had a measure of peace and closure. There were even times when these Detachments ran afoul of mutant nests and found themselves woefully under-equipped to deal with ousting them from their home. So, more often than not, small teams of Thyrsian Sun Guard were sent in to terminate them with extreme prejudice. As their weapons left no evidence, there was nothing that could be done to slap sanctions on the Corporation for their mistreatment of the unregistered locals.

In fact, Republic Engineering Corporation was lucky that their victims were barely sapient, as the survivors would’ve likely reported the forcible eviction. However, the Corporation justified this selective purge by stating that they were avenging the lives of those lost to the monsters that dwelled beneath the Planet’s metallic crust. In addition to that, their sweeps of the lover levels helped re-establish the letter of the law, as the Coruscant Security Force found itself partially returning to these reclaimed sections of the Planet. While this made things difficult, as their Officers now had more territory to cover - the Republic Engineering Corporation ensured that their Security Details would be at the CSF’s disposal whenever they were required. There was even an agreement in the making that would see newly machined Police Automatons taking to the streets alongside their organic Counterparts. All in all, it was a profitable endeavour for all parties that were involved, so long as specific individuals were happy to line their pockets with Silver as they looked away.

 

[Yijun Tung]

Akachōchin - the Red Lantern
Maou
​

Tung's face straightens as Maou's proposition is delivered. The choice to assassinate a politician was never one made easily, but to consider taking down the Vice Chair candidate of the Galactic Alliance shortly after it's reconstitution? Were the Yokai completely mad?

He runs his tongue along the backs of his teeth, staring absently at the table infront of him as he considers his rivals words.

"Do you even understand what you are suggesting?" he asks outright, choosing not to beat around the question with unneeded pleasantries. He straightens himself and leans back into the padded cushion of his booth, taking his drink into his right hand, "If the blame for such an act were to fall upon us, their wrath would be one hundred times greater. This government is young and has much to prove to earn the respect of it's people. If we strike the Vice Chair we will make them look weak, and they will be forced to strike back with fury."

He extends his left arm to pull his sleeve back, revealing an ornate watch around his wrist with a flashing light; a notification of some sort. His eyes glance over a message being displayed on the device's screen. A short huff of air escapes his nose at the timing of the news he'd received.

"It would appear that as we sit and speak, Maou, the Defense Force has been dispatched to aid law enforcement against a developing incident," he draws a short sip of the whiskey he had poured, then exhales from his mouth with the burning sensation that follows "Things are volatile right now for such a dramatic action. This solution you speak of ends one problem, perhaps, but starts many more."

 

[Chloe Santhe]

Location: Coruscant
Equipment: CS-9001 Slicer System
Tags: Daiya | @Darkwire
Outfit
Current Song

Chloe blushed a bit, her cheeks turned a nice rosey color as Daiya’s arms wrapped around her, and they danced and sang a bit. When the girl called it weird, she rolled her eyes, before she gave a sheepish look at the wink and giggle. “It works. It really does. Most cultures find it rude to stare.” To tell the truth, it was just as odd and embarrassing for Chloe, but...sometimes things were necessary. She pushed away and grinned at Daiya. “Here then, try this one.” Chloe’s eyes moved across the street and it would be easy to tell she had done this many times before. But she was clearly cautious, she moved when all the pieces were in place. The girl didn’t take chances.

As Daiya spoke about ditching the mall, Chloe’s heart sank for a moment. Daiya clearly didn’t understand, there was A GAP in security. If they did this, they would blend in, bust through it, and be in the perfect place….but, Daiya had chosen to trust her a moment ago, and that meant something. She nodded and grinned at Daiya. “Fine, show me!” As her hand was held and felt the bulge of the blaster she smirked a bit. Chloe’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Oooh? Well, if the shopkeepers get too aggressive in their sales, let’s just talk about it, kay?”

Sky blue eyes locked with Daiya’s meaningfully for a moment. Her eyes said it all, she would trust her, but to be careful. Chloe was not a fighter, and it would be hard for her to offer solid backup. While it was true, she had tricks up her sleeves, most of them revolved around heavy planning, leading people where she could do the work needed, or days of prep work. She reached out, and took Daiya’s hand so they wouldn’t get separated and followed the other.

As her eyes scanned for any suspicious activity, and her sensors continued to provide her with an overwhelming amount of information, she continued the ruse of talking. “So, if you had to choose between Wookiee throat singing, or Rodian Crooning, what would you choose?”

She kept up her guard, but tried her best to enjoy the moment as well. To be honest, it wasn’t often she had another girl her own age to work with. It was rare that Chloe got to be with anyone close to her age as it was. Her line of work made it...difficult. Part of her wanted to just enjoy the moment. But, work was work, she had to finish the contract. Always.