Private The Bones of Wreckage

[Kaia Starchaser]

Probably the best and worst thing about the galaxy was the constant wars. They were not good for most planets, her own past life had been on Csillia, not as much as say Mirial or definitely Corellia, but she and her brother did live there while her father was locked and lost in carbonite. She had come a long way since that happened, and time was different for her father than it had been for her. Was it the wars and how she and Jared were typically out along the Rim and in the Outback, Kathol and otherwise? Time worked different?

It was what she was going with.

Now the why she had that thought cross her mind was not really known to her. What she was doing here was scouting the ruins of the battlefield. Sure, her father was on Kattada, the Starchasers were mostly residents of Corellia, and that made them all technical residents of the Alliance, but she was now calling Laekia home. She was definitely part of the Sanctum, and as a result?

It was probably piracy, not just stealing. But what was the Alliance going to do, come chase her and Iona? They'd have to catch her shuttle first. And with the probes on the edge of the system, she'd know if anyone was going to be coming in before they reverted to real space.

The navy blue Seeker shuttle was drifting in a low power mode as she and her cousin were floating not but a half a klick away. She had the Zenith mount up to the larger husk of a starship, and let her droid stay aboard, someone had to keep the ship ready to jump to lightspeed. Kaia did tell Iona that she was leaving the ship keyed in to head to Terminus, just in case they needed to run. Once they got there? They could make another jump to get back to the Dawn Chaser.

"Alright Iona?" Kaia called over the comms, her own music had to stop as she looked at the computer system that she was tearing apart. It was opening the door to the rest of the ship. She looked back at the hangar she had gotten herself into, a floating husk of a starship. What was she hoping to find in here? Targeting computers, the navigation system, things she could sell. To the highest bidder if need be. Maybe take the data and find a way to get through the Alliance in new and interesting ways.

Or, better yet, blockade schedules. Just what a Warden should have.

"Bingo…" She whispered as the door had opened and she bounded forward with one hop, then again. "Find anything interesting?"


Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

Iona was focused deep in her own work in the husk of the ship. It was eerily quiet, save for the music Kaia Starchaser was blasting down on her end of things. The horrors of war were giving them spoils to pick over and the picking was good. The teenage Mirilan was deep in the bowels of the engine compartment, pulling as valuable metals as possible. Most of the task involved opening the housing of components and going from there. If they had a larger vessel and time, she would just take the entire thing. The metal housing could then be salvaged as well.

Lost in her own world, her ears picked up on Kaia drawing closer, stating something to her. Muffled, Iona worked herself back out of the engine compartment. Head popped up of the decking, seeing Kaia's booted feet as she did so.

Head craned up, looking at her cousin.

"Didn't hear you - what did you say? Find anything interesting?"

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was more than happy to be out here again. Some honest salvage work was what the soul needed sometimes. And having a compatriot to teach the way of the Warden to? That made her feel even better. Continuing on in her father’s footsteps, she supposed. He did teach Aunt Lily, and their aunt taught her and Jared, and now the two of them were spreading the words down.

Well, maybe not Jared. He was busy doing the monster hunter thing. But Kaia? She was pure spacer.

While she was in charge of the company, after kind of taking it over from her father, because he was too busy doing the Jedi hero thing for a number of years, she turned Starchaser Enterprises from not only aftermarket parts and charter hyperspace travel, but into salvage and resource gathering as well. And lately, rescue.

But for now? It was all about the salvage. “Nothing yet," she looked down into the hole that Iona had crawled into. “But I think i’ve got access to at least part of the mainframe…” Kaia reached into hip satchel and pulled out her scomp-data spike. Typically a job of a well modified astromech, or other exploration droid, Kaia could do this by hand.

At least to open the system. “What do you think the Alliance has in the mainframe?”

Hopefully recent patrol schedules.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

At least to open the system. “What do you think the Alliance has in the mainframe?”

Iona listened, trying to get herself out of the maintenance hatch she had crawled down into. Foot hooked onto a lip and she pulled herself out, coming face-to-face with her cousin. Brows furrowed at the thought of a mainframe. Mainframe? What good would that do the pair of them? Could sell the information off there - Iona wasn't personally morally opposed. However, it was a wildly gray area in her opinion. Kaia Starchaser may not agree.

"Galactic Alliance?" A pause. "Hyperlane records. Their movements. Maybe some weapons specs? I would be surprised if there was anything juicy on there like war plans or secret ship movements."

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

“You may not be wrong. I don’t know what they prep for when they are in a battle. But this is one way to see. I know that a captain or two should have ship passage information, and maybe access to what else was in the local fleet.” If they were bringing bigger warships, or technology for planetary landing? Perhaps they could sell this to someone who could use it for something better than the Alliance.

And yes, Kaia and other Starchasers definitely had their beef with the core-centric Alliance. “Probably not anything too secret, but I think we can maybe get hyperlane records at a minimum.” Kaia was hopeful for that. If she and Iona could find anything about weapons though, any thing that the Alliance was currently working on? That could be some big credits.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

Kaia Starchaser
​

"Do you think this ship was just a sector ship? Or longer range? Galactic Alliance has their grubby little hands everywhere..."

Iona wasn't pleased by Galactic Alliance overreach, especially when it came to their Jedi. Not quite an absolute pacifist ; she did believe that fighting sometimes had to occur, but Force users shouldn't go looking for trouble. Especially Jedi. They were supposed to guard peace, not disrupt it. Uplift the weak. It was something she and Balun Dashiell didn't see eye-to-eye on. She liked the other young Jedi, they just had different ideologies.

"If the information is good, we could make a good profit. Especially if it has uncharted planets or a different routes that save time. So let's plug it in and see what is on there."

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia remembered that this was a bit of a bigger ship. Something had happened here. “I think a skirmisher, out here trying to ‘keep the peace’ as it were.” She shrugged in her suit, not that it was going to give a big demonstration of just how much she didn’t know. Her brother and her were based aboard the Dawn Chaser, an old Venator, and she was working on setting up another wandering vessel like that, but of Mon Calamari making. The larger ships did tend to be more fleet centric, and smaller ones, frigates, cruisers, were the skirmishers. And this one scanned as a cruiser length.

“They keep getting everywhere. This one feels like a skirmisher. Longer range patrol? Probably trying to get out to the Outer RIm.” Where they honestly didn’t belong. She supported her Father’s run of the Alliance, but they were there to defeat the Sith, nothing more. Now they were trying to remove the ability of any world to go their own way.

“We can sell it to the right people. Don’t want to unleash the Sith on the Alliance, but…” Hooking her datapad into the scomp link she looked at Iona before plugging in. Running the program it took a few minutes before the datapad gave anything of need.

Alliance Naval Vessel Deep Hope. Exploration and SAR cruiser…”Looks like its doing search and rescue. Resource gathering? On my turf, oh no you don’t…” Kaia shook her head as she downloaded the data. “Oh, but pirates…” That was interesting. She showed the screen over to Iona. Seemed a group was trying to revive the Nihil.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

Iona listened to her cousin carefully. She had grown up on a hidden Sanctum world, quite isolated and without much knowledge of the outside universe. She had been educated, naturally, but one could only learn so much from books and holocrons and ancient instructors. As such, she had quite the different view on things.

"Wait, you're saying this entire Galactic Alliance ship, the one we're standing on, was attacked and taken down my pirates? I know the Galactic Alliance doesn't fund much beyond their cultish Jedi Order but....this seems particularly egregious."

She paused. Galactic Alliance wouldnt send the military to do something off the books. They would send a Jedi, knowing they relied on their force users too much.

"So this ship was basically sent to slaughter without enough resources?"

Kaia Starchaser

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia didn't know how the Alliance thought. She knew how her father thought but that was a different time, a different Alliance. Having larger ships moving to secure worlds, and provide security for the Outer Rim was not unheard of in that time. But then again, the Alliance was run by a Jedi Crusader and a Military Supreme Commander who was more than ready to get their hands, or in the case of Nemo Vhem, his fins, dirty. And now? Kaia was getting used to the familiar quiet of the Levantine Sanctum worlds, she did come of age out there, but not in the same way that Iona was.

Kaia remembered some life on Corellia and Csilla before moving out there in her adolescent years.

As Iona spoke again, Kaia looked to her cousin. "I mean, it’s not unheard of. I'm not sure it was only pirates. The Sith and others have been having patrols out this way, and I hear tale of those from the Moross Crusade still hit the space lanes. Part of the trick of being a Warden, learn the history of where you're going." She took a second to try to go through the closed circuit recordings.

She could hear lightsabers.

"Well, that sounds like it might've been more. I think it may have been on a mission. Maybe a courier? Transport?" She bit her lip.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"The Moross Crusade still has followers?"

Iona shouldn't be surprised. After all, she was from the small enclave of the Levantines. There were plenty of religions, groups, and cults that remained across the universe well after their power and influence had faded. The Jedi and Sith currently overshadowed so much it was easy to get lost in the weeds, to not see the life that lay about.

"The lightsaber sounds...we clearly don't know what alignment. Could have been one of their Jedi on assignment or a regular patrol ambushed by a Force user...I think we should pause and try to dig up a crew manifest. I doubt anyone high profile would have their real name but we can find a list and see if there are unusual nicknames or code names."

She thought a moment.

"Cargo manifest too - if we know what kind of weapons or transports were on board..."

Kaia Starchaser

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Did the Crusade still have followers? “I mean, I think with everything, there will be the true believers. I doubt its the stories you’ve heard. Or that I’ve heard of what it used to be. Dad had us not too far from the Moross space when we were near Sullust, but that was why I went to the Levantine space, a bit safer, more quiet.” She was thankful for that. Kaia really wasn’t one to be in the big fight. Being a sneak and more of the one actually doing the space trailblazing, made it a lot easier.

The space that she and her cousin called home was a lot more calm. Sure, there were Jedi, and even Sith, that were all looking to get away from somewhere else. It made it less of a battleground and more a place people could relax and recuperate. It was known as the “Free Space” in the past for a reason!

“Yeah, if we can get some of the manifests up, then we can find whats going on with this ship. Black market dealings? A clandestine research facility?” Kaia was working on trying to work the datapad to pull up the manifest.

“Seems that this computer has only the navigation. Manifests are elsewhere…” She looked around. Part of her wanted to see what Iona could do.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

“Seems that this computer has only the navigation. Manifests are elsewhere…” She looked around. Part of her wanted to see what Iona could do.

"Right. Time to poke around then."

Iona took the cue from Kaia Starchaser that she should do something to assist and get out of her cousins proverbial hair. Not that they were pressed for time, but searching for the manifest would also speed up the process of finding answers and moving onto the next chapter.

Picking up her hydro spanner and a pry bar, Iona left her cousin to deal with the holo terminal. She already had a good idea where to find a manifest ; the cargo bay or quartermasters cabin.

The cargo bay was a much easier spot to hunt down than a cabin, so she carefully picked her way through the disabled ship, curious to see if there was anything of use on board. Still in the cargo hold. Yet if pirates had shown up.

Picking her way down to the corridor and prying open the door, Iona was immediately greeted with her answer ; cargo crates open and strewn everywhere.

First step first ; try to find the manifest then pick through the mess.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

Kaia was always willing to poke around. Starchasers were a very unique in the way they handled things. They always called themselves Sentinels, Watchmen, they found that middle ground the easiest to walk through. Not the front line warriors, well not exclusively, even if Coren did try his damnedest during the crusade against the One Sith, nor were they the great Sages, though finding ways to explore with the Force was something… no, they were the sentinels, the middle ground, the rogue operatives of the Force and, historically, the Jedi Order.

And going and stealing more information from a ship’s computer? Definitely in line for the Starchaser. Kaia was contacting her droid, but it seemed like there were no major hiccups. “Looks like we’re still alone here, so thats good.” She called to Iona.

The hack was not going great with the computer she had. “See if you can find the manifest… I’m going to see where they were going…” Or coming from.

The holomap lit up and she started piecing together where they were, the ship was coming from the Core, and jumping out towards the Rim. Former Outer Rim Coalition space… Where were they going…

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"On it."

Iona walked out of the space, headed towards the cargo bay. Or did her best to head to the cargo bay - the young Jedi got turned around twice trying to find the cargo hold in the expansive ship. Once she got there, nothing but crates tossed around. Some contents had spilled out, most were still locked just upside down or on their side. A result of evasive actions and possible power loss for repulsor systems that were meant to hold the largest of cargo in place. Personally, one couldn't go wrong with a good old fashioned rachet strap, but that may be a result of growing up in poorer areas in the Levantine. Folks couldn't afford to burn the extra fuel for fancy nonsense.

Picking her way to the quartermasters office, Iona picked the plush chair of its side. Rolling closer, she got to work digging through the computer systems that held the manifest and cargo information. Much was 'classified' or blurred, requiring a security clearance. Something this quartermaster didn't have.

No matter, she could work her way around their systems. After digging and more digging and more backtracking, Iona finally found what had been redacted.

Path engines. As in plural. So advanced they had been placed under the strictest security clearance. Maybe Kaia Starchaser would know what types of vessels the Alliance needed them for.

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

The navigation system of most things were fairly easy to get into, and at least access controls, for a minute. Sometimes the computer would lock out, or the proposed trip wasn’t provided, or deleted. What she had was a dataspike that allowed most of the navigation computers to open up their history that hadn’t been scrubbed, and the programmed paths.

“Drifter, gonna be sending you something, run it through the Wandering’s maps, please.” She called on the open comms to her little probot that was aboard her exploration shuttle. The spike got to work and she watched the program running.

The droid beeped a few times, the ship seemed to be heading out towards the Kathol Outback. That was… a place. Depending what they were having aboard, it could be all manner of testing.

“Anything, Iona? Looks like they’re heading out to Kathol. You been there?” Nonchalant as always.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"Kathol Outback? Once or twice. More or less just passing through, can't say I was stopping to look around."

Iona didn't know what her cousin was getting at. Kathol? Perhaps something had been found in fleet movements that was of use to what they were trying to dig through. A few ideas sprung to mind, especially now that she had found the path engines. Iona was figuring something to do with otherspace, the Tingel Arm Collation, or a threat like the Bryn. Many options, and it sounded like to her they wouldn't get information today. It was going to take some investigation.

"Kathol is cool and all but I found path engines down here. Plural, in case you didn't hear."

Kaia Starchaser

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

“Its an interesting place. Merrill mapped a lot of it. Some weird Force groups, and space anomalies. Definitely a place to check out.” She was thinking that she could set Iona up with her own ship should she want to take the jump out there and poke around. Maybe she’d be wanting to do it again.

Well, definitely. She had an idea, and hoped she’d find a market for the information.

Kaia was looking through the navigation, taking what she could out of the locked system. It wasn’t much, but what she was able to get were a few ports of call, even if it wasn’t where the ship was heading. That was something to haeb in her back pocket.

“Wait… engines? More than one?” The Mirialan’s eyes went wide. “Thats not… not great at all. I’ll be right over.” She pushed away from the screen and made her way to her cousin.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"Maybe we should poke around soon then. I want to see more of this Kathol Outback and its people. Check the old maps."

Of course the mention of 'path engines' would bring Kaia Starchaser down and to the cargo area. Iona had already poked around and brought out a crowbar, opening up the protective crate for one of the path engines. It was unmarked beyond the number she had seen on the hacked manifest, anyone looking over the cargo hold would find the box unremarkable.

"So when I hacked into the manifest, I saw it mentioned on a log....looks like it really is a path engine. I forgot to look before calling you but looks like I lucked out. We going to put these on a repulsor lift and take em with us? I can't see why we wouldn't."

 

[Kaia Starchaser]

“I mean, between the Levant space and the Kathol Outback? The latter is more exciting? I think the Wild Space you grew up in is a bit more calm and less… weird, than the Outback.” Besides, no Aing-Tii for Iona to get to know. And Kaia really didn’t have much to talk on, she did her teens in the Kathol, but when it was time to come of age, in the way her ‘aunt’ had wanted to, it meant taking a Cutlass-10 and heading to the Levant space, knowing only that she should be out there and the Dawn Chaser would be around should she need it.

“Jared knows the Kathol in a planetary way. He may be interested too, but I think its a fun navigation challenge.” Kaia preferred her ships, what could she say?

As she entered the cargo area with Iona, the elder of the two Starchaser girls stepped up. “Yeah, path engines. I know my Dad and Jorus were working on some before Jorus vanished… again.” She shrugged that away. “I don’t think this is one of ours, no Levant would be selling to the Core Worlds. And yes, we’re going to be taking these. Does it say when it was created? Or found?” They’d have to see if there was any record of a lost Pathfinder Team of the Levants.

Hopefully not, but even if there were, the records of the Sanctum were spotty, at best.

Iona Starchaser

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"Growing up things were quiet. I think most of the governmental powers had died, leaving just the enclave I grew up in. Lawlessness of course, but I think the area has beefed up Sector Rangers and the local governments have done more to make it marginally safer. Plus....with TAC dying out I feel a lot of their soldiers have switched to protecting this area..."

Iona knelt down, needing to try to bring the repulsors online to try to move the engines. They could lift the boxes with the Force but she wasn't powerful enough personally to drag them back to their ship. Best to lift and then use technology to bring it to them. While the engines were an excellent find, it now also put them in the position of having a target on their back.

"No. Much of the document was classified. I was barely able to unlock this. I was going to grab as many data sticks as I could and work on it while we are in hyperspace. Just didn't want to spend too much time fiddling with something I can do in my free time."

Kaia Starchaser