Private The Looming Descent

[Veshok Rook]

The Looming Descent​

MightyHorus

Mandalorians who found themselves on Nar Shaddaa were rarely at the top of their career. More often than not, they worked as mercenaries, competing against the likes of former Concord troopers, Gamorrean war chiefs and cartel muscle. While they may often have a good hand in bargaining situations, it was hardly a good reflection on the honourable and proud culture they claimed to be part of. While making a living doing battle for creds wasn't really frowned upon in broader circles, it was also not something to truly be proud of.

Veshok did not display any shame. Standing in an office high above the speeder lanes and pleasure barges with two muscled arms crossed over his chest, he peered down at the planet below. Any contempt was well hidden, both by his rather well-practiced poker face and a dark t-visor. A deep red cape of fine fabric hung from his broad shoulders - it was clearly designed with purpose and expertise, for it did not cover the jetpack. The beskar, primarily the shoulder pauldrons, wrist guards, helmet and chest plate, carried beautiful and detailed engravings. Few words could be seen, instead, they resembled floral patterns with royal flairs. While his equipment and demeanour may have fit any stereotypes of what a Mandalorian should be rather well, his sense of fashion certainly did not.

Eventually, he drew his gaze from the distant speeder lanes below and turned around. He stood at the far end of a massive office, behind an elegantly simplistic desk and opposite to what appeared to be the only entrance. A cart with a good range of beverages stood right to its left. On the far left was a stale looking low table with accompanying couches and armchairs. On the far right: A carbonite statue of a long-eared woman - her expression serene but with an underlying sense of horror and dread. His gaze lingered on her face before he finally managed to tear it away whilst muttering a low "Freak" - The office was not his. It belonged to the fixer whom had contacted him. A Nikto known as "The Grandmaster".

With a simple sweeping motion, Vesh picked up the datapad he had left on the table. It contained the Grandmaster's briefing, detailing his objective and necessary information. This time, however, there was a caveat. This was no solo mission: In fact, he did not have enough information to identify the target's location.

Presuming that the next person to enter the office wasn't identified as staff, Vesh would offer a low and reserved introduction "Welcome. I am Vesh of Clan Rook."

 

[Cyndane]

The fifth and final light above the turbolift turned on. With it, the glass sliding door of the turbolift opened to admit the two darkly clad figures inside. The shorter of the two, if only by a small margin, was Falleen. A human-like reptilian species with green, scaled, kin and almost irresistible pheromones. He wore a black dressing gown decorated with gold threadwork. Whereas the Falleen screamed wealth and high society, the figure next to him seemed to symbolize decline and poverty. She - one would guess they were a she - wore an old fleet technician helmet, covered in scratch marks and of which the red had dulled, that made it difficult to tell her species. A stout but ragged, dark woolen cloak besmudged with dirt shielded her clothes and weaponry from prying eyes.

"Ah, I hadn't expected you here so soon." The Falleen glided toward the desk. "No matter." He placed a hand over his heart. "I am Iscorion. Archduke of the moon of Ansion." He made a sweeping but dismissive gesture to the woman who stood to the side of the turbolift, silent like a statue. "This is Cyndane." He glanced at her. "My... attendant." He decided with a self-satisfied smile.

"Will The Grandmaster be joining us?" Iscorion turned toward the carbonite statue, sending a ripple down the black silk gown as he moved. "I do hope so. His style is-" slowly and gently, he stroked the statue's left arm "infatuating." Suddenly, he jerked his head toward his attendant. "Cyndane you will find me a similar work of art." He paused to study the statue again. "Preferably male." In the background, Cyndane nodded. She then slightly shifted in a way that made clear she was staring at Vesh.

Again, Iscorion spoke up. "Do tell, Vesh. Are you the one who has been hired by the Grandmaster to fulfill my request?"

 

[Veshok Rook]

The Looming Descent​

As soon as the glass doored turbolift arrived, Vesh' eyes darted to the people inside. Although he may have appeared still as ever from the outside, behind the t-visor, his eyes shifted from point to point with considerable speed as he analyzed them. Weapons, build, apparel and expressions were the primary point of interest. With a not-so-subtle move, the warrior reached activated his helmet controls from the wrist panel and increased the filtration levels. Only then, did his pace slow to study accessories, symbols, mannerisms and conduct.

For some time, Vesh' visor pointed towards the Falleen but his gaze mostly lingered by the woman in the - apparently battle tested - helmet. A polite and sufficiently deep nod would be offered when the Archduke introduced himself. When he continued to introduce the attendant, Vesh allowed his head to turn towards the woman before offering a more subdued nod.

At first, Vesh' mouth opened to answer the question on the Grandmaster's presence. But then, the alien turned to admire the carbonite. To this, the Mandalorian had no other reaction than holding his tongue and closing his mouth, patiently waiting for the reptilian to finish. He managed to prevent himself from frowning upon hearing the man mention his desire for a carbonite frozen being of his own. The attendant's shift in attention to Vesh upon hearing of the desire for a male didn't provoke any immediate verbal or facial reactions either. The mandalorian did, however, clasp his hands behind his back, placing them comfortably close to the beskad and blaster that hung by his belt.

To answer the second question, there was no need to consult the datapad once more - the warrior seemed sure of what information it contained "I was not informed that the buyer would come here themselves. I was hired to take care of an infestation in what used to be a power coupling manufacturer. Usually means that Ugnaughts or Jawas are up to something but the Grandmaster was not generous on the details. Is this your request?" The question was mostly rhetorical, for Vesh would then hand the Falleen the datapad with a field for the input of a verification code.

 

[Cyndane]

Iscorion made a face. "Infestation." He scoffed. "Is that what the grandmaster called them? An infestation?" The Archduke had something dangerously unpredictable about him as he contemplated what to say next. "They are Kheilwar from the planet Af'El" he let out slowly as if that said it all, "and I paid a fortune to have them delivered to my manor here, on Nar Shaddaa." He made a swift gesture. Cyndane strode toward the middle of the room and produced a holoprojector. Her cloak shifted, revealing the dented black breastplate that she wore underneath. Equally scratched as her helmet, and with a poorly done paintjob to obscure the old insignia.

The holoimage of a bipedal, winged insectoid sprang to life. "Kheilwar, better known as the Homunculus-wasps are dangerous creatures with the ability to turn invisible or perfectly mimic other creatures due to the reflective properties of their wings. Adults stand about one and a half meter tall and weigh just over twenty kilograms, making them capable of flight." The Archduke had his back turned to them, studying the statue again. Yet he nodded along as Cyndane spoke. "More importantly, their wings are razorsharp and their stings are fatal. This makes them some of the most deadly predators in the known-universe."

Iscorion turned. "I want them alive. All nine of them." He raised a finger toward the Mandalorian. "So no disintegrations."

"There is more." Cyndane continued matter-of-factly. "The wasps were smuggled off of Af'El with a shipment of Meelenium. However, the mistake made by the hired smuggler- his last mistake, resulted in the wasps being delivered with the shipment. That is how they ended up at a power coupling manufacturer." With underlying frustration, she added "I was unable to discover which one before he died."

"The Borhek. Cyndane." The Archduke remarked sharply.

Cyndane pressed a button on her holoprojector, and a second image appeared. A bipedal, bulky insectoid with six arms and a hard carapace with studded spikes. "This is a Borhek. Powerful temperamental creatures with an exoskeleton strong enough to absorb blaster bolts. They're used in pit fights, and one was part of the smuggled cargo as well. If possible, we are to capture it too."

Iscorion clapped his hands. "It does seem like the Grandmaster has located them. You have this information, yes?" He asked Vesh. "If so then there is no need for the two of you to wait here for him too, now is there?" With a satisfied smile, he began ushering Cyndane and Vesh toward the exit. "So go on! Go get them for me, and you will get your credits!"

 

[Veshok Rook]

The Looming Descent​

For some time, Vesh' hand remained extended with the datapad. It soon became abundantly clear that Iscorion had no intentions of entering the code. Finally, the Mandalorian retracted his arm and hung the pad by his belt before returning his arms to the clasped position behind his back.

A simple and subdued nod was offered: Infestation was indeed what the contract described it as. A curious eyebrow rose behind the t-visor upon hearing of the fortune but for now, Vesh remained silent. Eventually, Cyndane produced a holoprojector and begun explaining the nature of the beasts whom he had been contracted to remove. He allowed his arms to appear from behind his back before crossing them over his chest whilst pacing slowly to study the projections from a couple different angles.

With a simple and reserved motion, Vesh turned his vocaliser off and contacted his second in command aboard the Dxun Eclipse. From the outside, the muffled noise of his voice could be heard - words, however, would be hard to decipher "Togran, cross reference the hub data we acquired with the underworld reports the Grandmaster gave us. We're looking for Kheilwar or Homunculus-wasps and a shipment of Meeleniuium at one of the manufacturing sites. Send me your conclusions ASAP." With the same dull motion as before, Vesh turned his vocaliser back on.

"His last mistake?" an objective analysis would tell that the warrior asked a question. The judgmental tone of his voice told a story of disappointment. Further showing that it was no true question, Vesh barely paused before asking "So how do you spot what can't be seen and how do you tell if it's a factory worker or just a masked bug?"

Vesh had yet to receive whatever Togran could come up with when Iscorion spoke up once more. "No." the word, blunt and unfeeling, was followed by a pause. Vesh' arms fell from their crossed position. His right arm, the one carrying the flame thrower fell to his side. The left arm once more found its perch behind his back by the blaster. "You are not the contact. They were supposed to know the location of the manufacturer but you do not. My assessment is that there are two buyers. One wants the removal of the infestation - no stipulations on how - you want the same beasts recaptured."

The Warrior's eyes scanned the both of them for sudden or subtle movements. If there was to be violence, he would be ready. If not, he would continue "The deal between you and the Grandmaster is none of my business, but I can offer you this: My people are locating the facility as we speak. If you divert some funds my way, I'll both share the location with you and help your attendant with their capture" Soon after the words were uttered, a beep came from his personal datapad. Togran. Vesh looked to Iscorion, leaning his head to the side as if to open up for a response.

Cyndane