Private This Took a Turn...

[Konor]

Opportunity
Several Thousand Feet Above Korriban
Outer Rim Territories

Konor had been hired to serve as extra muscle by a band of pirates hoping to make it big, in their line of work making a name for yourself was helpful when it came to securing high paying jobs. Normally the outlaw wouldn't have thrown his lot in with a no-name group like this, but he had debts to pay, things to buy - all that stuff. Konor sat in the main hold, mask rolled up to his forehead, checking over his blasters and other equipment, making sure that he had everything he needed and it was all up to standard.

When he'd checked everything over, Konor reached the bottom of his rolled up mask and pulled it down over his head "Cool." The outlaw stood up from his seat and made his way over to the cockpit where the pirate's captain would be located. Inside the cockpit were two co-pilots, focusing heavily on making it to their destination while the captain stood over them overlooking the viewport. Konor leaned against the doorway and cleared his throat "So, we're really hitting an IMP convoy? You must be hungry." he asked, almost in disbelief.

Physically, the captain didn't react to his question, but Konor knew he was nervous - he'd be an idiot not to be. The Nautolan captain looked to Konor over his shoulder "Yeah, that's right. It's time we put our crew on the map." a confident, maybe overconfident tone was in his voice. "Well, ya sure don't lack the balls." he snickered, waltzing up to stop beside the man who'd be paying him "'Sides, if this goes right. It'll be a fat payday too." Konor rested his fists on his hips, looking toward the viewport as well. "If? It will go right. We got the equipment, the drive and we got you."

Konor raised an eyebrow under his mask, turning to face the Nautolan he asked "Me? What're you talkin'?" Finally, the Nautolan met eyes, or lenses, with Konor and levelled with him "Well, yeah. You've made a name for yourself, the suit, the freak o' nature strength-thing you got. All of that."

"Well, if all of you's can hold your weight, We'll be fine." Konor shrugged, had he really made a name for himself so quick? It was all he wanted for some time, but this didn't feel like it yet. The captain began to speak "Man, the intel said that--" The half-Sephi noticed the Nautolan's lips slightly part and his eyebrows barely raise, he expected a gasp to escape him but nothing. Konor followed the man's gaze and realised what was happening. Konor's HUD identified the freighter exiting hyperspace in front of them belonged to the Interstellar Manufacturers of Pantora. "Got you..." the captain whispered before sucking in a deep breath and hollering "Everyone! Man your stations! Get us on that ship!"

Within seconds, several laser cannons had hit the IMD convoy - striking directly at its hyperdrive systems, preventing a quick escape. Then after that, the Opportunity had shot off a multitude grappling harpoons at the convoy's hull. As the Opportunity reeled itself toward the convoy, the Nautolan captain gathered the boarding party and Konor followed suit, accompanying them. The boarding party were confident of this, excited even, with all their raving battle cries, the outlaw had to admit that it was infectious... but he kept a clear head. "We got this!" the Nautolan exlaimed to his men, standing in front of the gathered party.

Finally linking up to the convoy, the crew got to work on breaking down the outer airlock and then the inner airlock. Once they were in, all hell broke loose.

Mathieu Brion Chaussidier

 

[Chaussidier]

This took a turn...​

A low hum rumbled in the background as the Gouda moved along the fringe of what could most closely be described as a glorified parking lot. It was an area near an asteroid field where cargo ships could wait before receiving their load or until they had successfully managed to unload their current cargo. In truth, it was mostly supplies that streamed into the planet while "scrap metal & spare parts" were being flown out. Chaussidier knew better - what was actually leaving the planet was precious Sith artefacts, war materiel and other items which should really be confiscated. Alas, he did not have the operational freedom to put an end to it lest he risk breaking cover and turning his current efforts to root out Sith remnants into some sort of planetary blockade. Still, it was a calm day and they were just waiting for a convoy to arrive - making him awfully tempted to actually spring into action. Still, foolishness like that was unbecoming.

Tailed by three corvettes, the Admiral had gathered an unusually large force. An indicator to the importance of the cargo. All four ships carried flags belonging to various Dromund Kaas merchants which disguised their true loyalties and allowed them to blend in while operating in what used to be the core of the Sith Empire.

"Helmsman" the elder's voice carried out over the bridge with ease as he called for the crewman. He allowed silence to follow for a few brief moments, just so that she would have a chance to react. "Report"

She stood at attention but quickly resumed her current duties, knowing that Chaussidier fully expected her to focus on steering the ship rather than making eye contact with him. "We are close to the rendezvous point, Admiral. ETA four minutes."

"Understood." his communication was curt, but efficient. It was something his crew had become accustomed to over time. The same was true for Mathieu. The large Jedi sat by the back of the bridge with some project of his, observing what happened whenever something interesting appeared. The elder appreciated his presence - not only was this Jedi more tolerant of traditional military operations than the loftier ones he had dealt with in the past - but he was also a skilled tactician and was often eager to spring into action when the opportunity presented itself.

Suddenly, a Rodian sensor specialist spoke as the activity on his console spiked "Admiral, an unmarked vessel is speeding towards the convoy on an intercept course"

Chaussidier nodded. "Transfer power to the engines. This shipment fall into enemy hands." As he issued the order, the helmsman readied herself for a speed boost while the communications officer started relaying the order to engineering. Meanwhile, Chaussidier opened the channels to the corvettes "Form a screen. We might have to drop cover." It was a measure solely taken to limit the exposure of the Gouda - if successful, they would be able to prevent other ships from seeing what was happening.

His mind went through different scenarios of what might happen. Whichever scenario he considered, the conclusion always remained the same. They had to capture the attackers. Only then could their cover remain intact in the eyes of the outside world. "Mathieu"

The Morellian rose to his feet. Already clad in heavy armour, he was ready for combat. "Yes, Admiral"

Chaussidier threw a glance at the young Morellian - he towered over the bridge staff and dwarfed them in comparison as he moved past them towards him. A capable soldier to be sure. "Meet a marine detachment in Hangar bay 2. You will board the convoy and aid them however you can."

Mathieu bowed his head. The Admiral was like a mentor to him and he trusted him with his life - if Chaussidier told him to board an attacked civilian ship, he would do so "Yes, Admiral."

After the Jedi had rushed off, the picture of what was happening started to become more clear. An irregular ship was attacking the convoy - a telltale sign that it was not Sith but rather rogue elements like pirates that conducted the attack. It made his selected course of action even more obvious. Unsure where exactly Mathieu and the marine detachment was, he opened the ship wide communications, allowing his voice to echo through the ship as he spoke "This is the Admiral. Launch the shuttle when ready."

As the Gouda neared the scene of the battle, it did not activate its weapons. Instead, Chaussidier had decided to keep the ship's true identity hidden for as long as possible. His actions might have seemed obvious to the pirates but not to the plethora of cargo ships by Korriban. Having activated the Gouda's cyberwarefare systems, he also ensured that the pirates wouldn't be able to contact the other ships either. Meanwhile, a fighter squadron prepared to launch while Mathieu's shuttle was speeding towards the entry hatch opposite to that of where the pirate boarders would come from.

Inside the convoy, an old shuttle - probably having more years on its name than both Konor and Mathieu combined - was parked centrally in its massive cargohold. It was used by IMP in the past and would play a key role in a future mission. The other space carried rows of shelves with either spare parts or medical supplies. Merely a convoy, it wouldn't carry more than four guards who all rushed to meet the pirate boarders while the crew sealed themselves in in the cockpit. While the pirates would arrive much sooner than the Concord reinforcements, they would have to break through the entry hatch, leaving them with limited time before also needing to face Mathieu and the twelve marines that he would arrive with.

 

[Konor]

Konor, alongside the rest of the boarding party, made his way inside the airlock. There was only one more obstacle between them and an amazing payday, the entry hatch. Luckily, the crew already seemed prepared as two demolition experts - a Latero and Ardennian placed several small detonators on the entry hatch's hinges. "Stand back!" the Ardennian ordered as he and the Latero made their way back to the rest of the group.

The entry hatch flung off its hinges as the Latero activated the remote detonator with the tap of a thumb. Before even the smoke could clear, the pirates yelled in battle cry and rushed through the hatch. The four individuals that stood guard unleashed their blaster rifles at those unfortunately located toward the front, clearing at least a row of pirates.

Konor, equipping both of his blaster pistols, activated his jetpack and flew above and ahead of the group in a matter of seconds. "What the-- they have jetpacks?!" one of the guards called out in both shock and panic. "Just me!" Konor assured them before firing off to stun bolts at two separate guards, then flying toward the two farthest guards, located at either end of the cargohold. Spreading out his arms, Konor shot off two whipcords from both of his gauntlets, wrapping around the guards' blaster rifles, the outlaw yanked his arms toward him and pulled the blaster rifles out of the guards' hands.

Spinning in the air, Konor landed on the ground before directing both whipcords at the guards. Perfectly slamming the butt of their blasters into their faces. With the opposition out of the way, he reeled in his whipcords and turned to face the rest of the boarding party who were simply watching him in surprise "Were you just standing there that whole time?!" he sighed, these guys really were green. He didn't realise how bad these guys needed to pull off this job, if they were ever gonna get their name out there.

The Nautolan captain pushed his way through the group, making his way to the front before spinning on his heel and addressing his crew. "Alright, boys. Strip everything down. Leave the crew."

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

This took a turn...​

Location: IMP convoy over Korriban
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Konor

---​

The Gouda's cyberwarfare suites had managed to gain direct control over the convoy's communication devices, allowing its crew to communicate with those controlling the convoy as well as Chaussidier to access the ship-wide intercomms. His voice, calm, clear and without hesitation echoed in the large cargohold which the pirates had entered "We offer you a chance to surrender. Lay down your arms, put your hands over your heads and kneel down on the floor. If you chose to comply, my team will guarantee your safety."

The message could also be heard in Mathieu's shuttle. He sat by the exit and looked to the twelve marines who sat deeper in in the shuttle. "Sounds like he wants to show mercy." They all knew that their entrance could also have been completely unannounced, had Chaussidier chosen that route. Instead, he was giving the attackers a chance to surrender. "Let's set the blasters to stun. Switch back if they have anything that looks like an armour plate" he said, hoping to avoid lethalities - primarily on his own side but also on that of the pirates' side.

Once the shuttle had docked and Mathieu and the marines had positioned themselves by the door - Mathieu right at the doorway and the marines taking cover either right behind him or by the corridor walls - they pressed the button that caused the large doors to swoosh open. None of the troops would open fire, instead, they tossed in four flashbangs. Mathieu would ignite his blue sabre and deflect as many incoming shots as possible. Internally, he counted down from three - when he reached the last second, he closed his eyes and allowed the force to guide his blade, just for a few moments before the flashbangs went off. Once they did, he rushed into the room, followed by the marines who quickly focused down foes that had been blinded by the flashbangs. Naturally - any who had actually complied with what Chaussidier said and thus surrendered would not be targeted.

For the time being, Mathieu would simply stand centrally at the front, defending himself and the marines against attacks to the best of his capacities. His specialisation in Soresu made him well suited to the task. For now - as they hoped to use non-lethal means - he refrained from going on the offensive. Lightsabres did have much more destructive properties than a stun bolt.

It was only when a more agile Zabrak came rushing at them with an electrostaff that he momentarily stopped working as a shield for the marines. With a quick swing, he swatted away the incoming attack. Instead of stabbing the alien, his free arm quickly shot in to grab the attacker by the hip and yanked it upwards. He then extinguished his blade and used the sabre-arm to grab the Zabrak by the shoulder. Soon, the alien would be hoisted up above Mathieu's head and hurled back at his allies.

 

[Konor]

"Oh man, ya hear that?" one of the pirates said nervously. The call to surrender had been heard and the seemingly unbreakable confidence of the pirates began to falter. Murmurs erupted in the cargohold, Konor remained silent however, the crew were quickly silenced by the Nautolan's commanding voice "Enough!" everyone, including Konor, turned their attention to the green-skinned alien.

"We aren't gonna let no old man scare us into submission, hear? We're pirates. We laugh in the face of authority. I don't know about y'all - but I ain't going down without a fight!" he yelled, raising his arm and shooting off his blaster pistol into the ceiling. After a few glances, the pirates' resolve returned and they all howled in unison, the Nautolan had managed to steel his crew once more which earned him a nod from Konor. It made sense why he was their captain now, the man leaked charisma and even Konor was impressed.

Konor and the others braced themselves for the reinforcements on the way, ready to face down anything. It didn't take long until they heard the shuttle dock. The silence in the cargohold was deafening as they all waited with baited breath. The entry hatch suddenly swung open and four spherical objects flew out of the doorway, recognising the design Konor squeezed his eyes shut and turned his body away, screaming "FLASH--!!" but he was too late as they all went off in quick succession.

He didn't know how many or if all the pirates had been blinded before hearing the deafening fire of blaster bolts. This quickly went to hell. Konor opened his eyes, his eyesight quickly recovering from the lack of exposure to the flashbang. However, the outlaw couldn't say the same for the others as they fired wildly and blindly - pulling out both blasters, Konor started blasting to give them a semblence of a fighting chance. Then he saw him, a tall and heavily built guy with a blue lightsaber in the cargo hold. Things had went from bad to worse.

"Is that a karkin' lightsaber?!" someone called out "They have a Sithspittin' JEDI?!" another shouted. Things were definitely looking bleak as he could hear the morale quickly faltering. Konor sighed in defeat. He had no hope of beating a Jedi, but he'd never fought one before, so practice made perfect. Konor holstered his blaster pistols and quickly pulled out his Vibrodaggers and waltzed over to the Jedi. The sight of a flying Zabrak in his direction didn't ward him off as he simply swatted the poor man away like he was a weightless fly with a simple backhand.

Konor threw his right arm forward, shooting out his whipcord in the direction of the Jedi's lightsaber in hopes of yanking the thing out of his hand. If that didn't work, he was prepared to get down and dirty with him, but not before grabbing a nearby marine, that had gotten too close, by the collar and launching him like a softball in the direction of the Jedi. Eye for an eye.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

This took a turn...​

Location: IMP convoy over Korriban
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Konor

---​

The pirates mostly appeared to be on the backfoot when faced with the disciplined Concord marines. Mostly. Anyone with a good piece of cover and a blaster could still be a threat and then, there was the one in a fancy-looking suit. Mathieu's sabre had once more been ignited to deflect blaster bolts, protecting both himself and the marines nearest to him. His eyes rested on the formidable-looking attacker who had seemingly easily swatted away the Zabrak that came flying towards him. It was rare for the large Morellian to find foes who could come near him in terms of physical prowess but this one could be an exception.

While his right arm skillfully controlled the blue blade as it deflected a number of bolts, his left arm shot out towards the approaching foe. It was fortunate that it did - for with his Jedi-like reflexes, he managed to let the whipcord catch his left arm instead of the sabrewielding right one and take a quick step to the side to avoid hurtin the incoming trooper on impact with his heavy armour.

With his left, whipcorded arm still pointing towards Konor, he continued the plan and reached out through the force - not to target Konor himself but rather the massive metallic door behind him. The construct had a greater diameter than two metres and was probably at least six decimetres thick. At first, it would begin to rumble a little before it slowly started being dragged along the floor. As the seconds passed, its speed would accelerate and the sound it produced as it scraped along the floor until it would come rocketing toward Konor whilst knocking a few pirates over on its way there.

Once more, with some of the attackers knocked out, Mathieu would extinguish his blade and hang it by his belt. When the disk-like object arrived he caught it. Instead of stopping it, however, he capitalised on the momentum it came with and heaved it upwards as he spun around before releasing it upon almost having completed a full circle. The move resulted in the massive door being shot towards Konor once more. Even if it didn't hit him, it would most likely hit his allies behind him.

If Konor had managed to stay in fighting condition despite the two attacks, Mathieu would instruct a trooper to shoot a few stun blasts at him. Of course, those shots could be evaded - but by yanking at the whipcord that connected them, Mathieu would ensure that his foe would have a much harder time evading the attacks.

 

[Konor]

The Jedi's reflexes were impressive, almost inhuman. As futile as this entire skirmish felt, Konor couldn't help but feel exhilarated fighting a Jedi - imagine the street cred he'd earn taking one on and coming out alive. The outlaw watched his whipcord coil around the Jedi's large forearm, it wasn't the target, but he could still work with it.

His arm was still held out though, it took him a few seconds to figure it out but Konor surmised he was using that Jedi-magic his people used. Not sure of what to do, the outlaw used his supernatural strength pulling his arm that had fired the whipcord toward him, hopefully yanking the tall Jedi off his feet and hauling the brute in his direction. If he managed to bring the Jedi off his feet, Konor would spin his body around with the aim to toss the man into the wall behind him, only he turned to see the door coming his way, being pulled by nothing.

Not fast enough to react to it, Konor was barely able to utter "Oh cra--" before the door would clock the half-Sephi, slamming into the front of his body and knocking him off his feet. The Jedi would subsequently be freed of his entrapment as the force of the collision knocking Konor back managed to snap the whipcord from Konor's gauntlet.

Crashing into a wall, he slid down onto one knee and panted slightly with his head down - if it weren't for his suit as well as his enhanced durability, he'd be out cold right now. Lifting his head up, Konor saw the door come his way again only this time he was better prepared and had an easier time to react. Positioning his arms forward, Konor raised his index and middle fingers from the hilt of his vibrodaggers, bracing himself for the door's arrival. As it came, he slid backward slightly as he caught it by its hinges, spinning around he redirected it toward some of the Jedi's allies.

Without missing a beat, the outlaw then unclipped a smoke grenade from his belt and rolled it a few feet forward between him and the Jedi. As it detonated, evaporating some of the area in smoke with the only light source being blaster fire and the Jedi's lightsaber, Konor activated his HUD and leapt forward using the power in his legs to propel himself further than the average person. Nearing the Jedi, he brought both viborblades down in a slamming maneuver.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Mathieu Brion]

This took a turn...​

Location: IMP convoy over Korriban
Notable Equipment: Jedi armour, various items
Tags: Konor

---​

The pirate had surprised him twice now. Firstly, someone of his build normally wouldn't be able to make Mathieu budge, even when he wasn't trying to stand his ground. But this one had caught him by surprise with an utterly powerful yank. Mathieu had taken a few steps closer to the man but before he could turn it into a tug-of-war, the door came a knocked the foe over. Secondly, he avoided getting taken out by the massive door twice and even threw it back at him. The Jedi wondered whether it was a cyborg or Sangir that he fought now. He had fought the latter in the past and it was hard to do much more than to tough it out and try to beat them. While he would have been able to just EMP the thing if it was a cyborg in the past, Chaussidier's new upgrade made that a very unappealing alternative. So, a conventional battle awaited regardless.

His first priority, however, was to keep everyone safe. While the trooper he was with managed to get a few good shots off against the pirate first being pushed by the heavy door and the while flinging it, Mathieu had to focus on saving those who were targeted by the door. With his telekinetic capacities being somewhat limited, he opted for the easier alternative - instead of altering the door's trajectory, in instead pulled the two soldiers who were in its path away. It was faster and much easier.

Doing that, however, he had been unable to deal with the smoke grenade. Drawing from some of the first abilities he learned as a Padawan, Mathieu started to channel the wind to blow heavily from his own direction towards that of the pirates. It cleared his immediate vicinity just early enough to see his foe emerge from the smoke. Mathieu raised his blade to redirect the attack to his left while moving to his right. As he did, he could feel the power with which the foe slammed down onto his blade - it was power which he intended to exploit as he let it propel his sabre to spin, almost making a full circle. Presumably, it would appear behind Konor's neck, assuming that his wrist could spin the propelled sabre faster than Konor could move away after recovering from his power attack. If so, Mathieu would stay the blade so as to not cut the pirate's head off. If this was the end of the fight, a trooper would fire a stun blast at the pirate before the team started cleaning up the remainder of the pirate attackers.

 

[Konor]

Konor was surprised to see the Jedi use his magic to dissipate the smoke, but that wouldn't stop him from coming down hard on the Jedi, hitting him with enough power to shatter bones. The Jedi wasn't only brawns it seemed, his taller combatant used his own strength to give himself the advantage. The outlaw couldn't help but watch wide-eyed as his foe's laser sword danced around him.

He couldn't help but smirk. Before he was stunned unconscious, Konor's blue lenses peered into the Jedi's blue eyes "Not bad." the outlaw commended his foe and then just like that, everything went dark and he felt his body collapse to the floor.

The endless darkness didn't last long though as he felt his eyelids slowly part open. Konor was in a white, almost blinding room, letting out a quiet grown he shielded his eyes to see his exposed tattooed arm blocking his view. They'd taken his suit and stashed it, his guess could have been anywhere. Lifting his head and torso, Konor stopped in a seated position to see a medical droid stationed in front of a computer screen, scanning over a bunch of words.

Quietly, he swung his legs over the bed he was laid on and subtely placed his feet on the ground. Stealthily approaching the unassuming droid, Konor slapped the palms of both his hands against the droid's head and effortlessly ripped it away from its body. The half-Sephi saw some of the pirates he fought with, as well as the marines, laid out on beds or floating in bacta tanks. He wondered what the marines had done with the other pirates, but the curiosity didn't last long as he resumed focus on saving his own skin - but not without his suit.

Approaching the computer, Konor began typing away and thankfully it was already unlocked. Pulling up a map of the area, the half-Sephi pinpointed one of the evidence lock-up and surmised that his suit was stashed there. Committing the route from the medbay to the evidence lock-up, the half naked outlaw made his way toward the medbay's exit.

Mathieu Brion

 

[Chaussidier]

This took a turn...​

The mission had been a success. Mathieu and the marine detachment had managed to recapture the ship along with a large number of the pirates as well as their vessel. It had been an important part in ensuring that his fleet could remain hidden without going through a lengthy process of acquiring new registrations and markings for the four ships he currently lead.

Most things about the attack appeared to be boringly mundane. The pirate crew had just picked what looked vulnerable and attacked it. It was hard to avoid but being targeted was not all too common either. What did intrigue him, however, was the one Mathieu had mentioned. Someone with enough strength to rival even him was rare to come by. And this someone was bold enough to keep attacking instead of retreating. A fresh team of marines were on their way towards the medbay to ensure that no incidents happened when he woke up. Unfortunately, it seemed as if they had underestimated the stranger's constitution, for he had woken up early.

An officer reported of the suddenly malfunctioning droid and forwarded security feeds to Chaussidier's command console. Through the corner of his eyes, he could see Mathieu stand up, ready to once more fight the rather exceptional pirate. The elder gently raised an arm, signaling for the Jedi to stay. Mathieu quietly sat down. Looking over to the communication's officer, he spoke "Seal the blast doors once he is out of the medbay"

Once the order was issued, the crew worked like a well oiled machine to execute it. As soon as Konor stepped out of the medbay, the blast doors behind him would shut, ushering him forth. Unbeknownst to him, eight marines soon arrived in the medbay. What he would notice, however, was how the blast door by the other end of the corridor also closed.

"Sedative gas" his command was quickly acted upon as the ventilation shafts above the corridor soon started spitting out a white smoke that would first cause anyone who breathed it in to start coughing before putting them to sleep. Still, the elder remembered what Mathieu had said "Let's try to minimise repair costs - if he nears a door, just open it before he smashes it open."

Marines in squads of eight would start moving through the ship - the ones in the medbay were not pushing further - their task was to keep the patients - both their fellow marines and the pirates - safe. But the others, guided by reports from the bridge of his movement caught by the security cameras, would try to cut Konor off. Chased by sedative gas and with soldiers appearing behind some openings - the main thing that Konor had going for him - if he figured it out - was that he wouldn't have to open a single door himself. If they got a reason to open fire, he would also notice that they only used stun bolts - a direct order from the Admiral.

Meanwhile, Chaussidier turned his attention to another topic of interest. Observing a photograph of the armour suit, he spoke to his personal aide. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, Admiral. I have confirmation from a specialist on Phaseera. This is either the prototype that was stolen or a good replica of it"

"It makes sense that this one got a hold of it, I suppose. Have you found out anything else about him?"

"We are still waiting on results from the lab, Admiral. Doctor Eruyes said that he looks like a Sephi crossbreed. She was surprised by his condition - his injuries from the fight were minimal and his vital signs were - reportedly - stellar."

Chaussidier took a deep breath. He was interested to observe what the stranger was capable of. "Let's see how far he can get. Prepare a fighter squadron for takeoff - load them with concussive missiles and ion torpedos." it was a precaution that would ensure the Sephi's survival even if he managed to get out of the Gouda and had to be recaptured.

 

[Konor]

This reminded him of the time that Hapan girl kicked him out of her room stark-naked after she'd found out Konor had slept with her sister. Looking down at his boxer briefs, he was grateful that this situation was a little less embarrassing. As he exited the medbay, the swift, loud closing of the medbay doors made the half-naked outlaw spin around in shock. Raising an eyebrow, Konor investigated the blast door, examining it with his hands before a hissing sound filled the room.

His eyes shot upward as he saw colorless smoke leaving the vents, not one to breathe in unknown substances - at least when he was on the job. Konor's hand clasped over his mouth as he rushed toward the next door that would lead him to his suit. Instead of simply sprinting, Konor reached the next door by hopping large distances. Noticing this door has also been sealed shut, Konor prepared to plough his way through it using the momentum created from his jumps. Fortunately, he needn't waste energy as, to his surprise, the doors swung open on their own.

Konor continued his way through the halls, hopping toward his destination with fierce determination. Behind one of the openings were a group of marines, ready to knock him out. Surprising them, Konor propelled himself over the line of marines that attempted to shoot him. Confused or shocked, their reaction times slowed as the half-Sephi's increased weight allowed him to land faster and harder - on top of an unlucky soldier, knocking him out instantly and maybe breaking a few bones. Konor then lunged to his right and tackled the marine on that side into a row of four marines. Slamming them all into the wall closest to them with his tackle, denting it.

Still gripping the marine's unconscious body, the outlaw spun on his heel and used her as a meat shield to block an incoming stun bolt before then tossing her body at the three remaining ones. The last one, taking the least amount of force from having his comrade's body thrown at him, got up and prepared to shoot but would see the butt of a rifle approach his face before everything went dark.

With this group of marines dealt with, Konor kneeled down to the knocked out marine closest to him, grabbing one of their rebreather masks and strapped it over his face. Then he took one of their blaster rifles, setting the weapon to stun as well as gathering other weapons on their person and taking them for himself - Konor made it a rule to not kill unless he absolutely has to, or has been paid to. Rifle in hand, Konor continued on his way dealing with any marines he met along the way.

Finally, he'd made it to where he needed to go. Landing with a small bounce, Konor took a few steps toward the evidence lock up and stood in front of the blast door, waiting for it to open. It eventually did, and he stepped through inside. What was stored in the room was a pirate and thief's personal heaven - it was filled with tech, artefacts, weapons, armor and even art... expensive art. Konor tutted and shook his head, wishing he could sell everything in this room.

As he searched for his suit in various chests, cases and lockers - he came across an old computer terminal. Well, not old old, but it was an older model you wouldn't see around as much nowadays. Curious, he wondered if there was any information on the computer that he could use to blackmail or sell. Tapping away at the keypad, Konor discovered this computer was used by an IMP facility that had been shut down. The half-Sephi continued digging and came upon a file with a name he found both hard to read and pronounce but clicked the file nonetheless.

Eventually, the outlaw would come across an image of a Sephi woman that looked strikingly similar to... what he thinks was his mother. Having been separated from her at such a young age, the now adult Konor had trouble recollecting the details of his mother's face. So shocked at the realisation, the half-Sephi managed to miss crucial details about his mother and her past below her image.

Chaussidier

 

[Chaussidier]

This took a turn...​

His eyes lingered on the camera feeds that were being forwarded to him. Mathieu was right, the stranger sure was strong. Still, Chaussidier shook his head in disappointment. Glancing back, he called for the Jedi "Mathieu"

Having waited patiently while observing Chaussidier work, Mathieu quickly rose to his feet. To him, it appeared like it was finally time for him to step in and put an end to the Pirate's rampage through the ship. But he was wrong.

"Yes, Admiral"

"We will need to work on their reaction time and adaptability" the elder spoke with a clear and matter-of-factly tone as he watched Konor throwing one marine onto a few of her comrades.

Mathieu, not quite having understood what Chaussidier meant looked at the Admiral with a puzzled expression.

Chaussidier knew the young Morellian well enough by now. He realised that Mathieu needed more context and promptly provided it whilst pointing to the feed to illustrate "They did not manage to hit a foe who was leaping at them. They are not keeping adequate distance. And look, here." he pointed to one of the troopers specifically "He could have moved to flank him by now, but he is just standing there."

Mathieu watched and listened with interests as the elder shared his experience and analysis of the Marines' performance. While the words might have sounded harsh on their own, the Admiral spoke with a low, possibly soft, tone as he pointed out the flaws in their behaviour. The Jedi's face brightened as he responded with ideas, partially from what he had learned under Chaussidier and partially from what experiences he had from his mercenary days "They could space out more. Two of them could stand a bit further back and we should emphasi-..."

The elder raised a hand and rested it on Mathieu's arm - this was a conversation for a later date. While his facial expression remained as stern as ever, if one looked hard enough, it was possible to see a bit of pride in his eyes. "Very good. I want you to train them."

Surprise spread across the Jedi's face. He was not even part of the military and had not officially been given command of a squad before. He felt a rush of happiness, knowing the significance of the trust that Chaussidier placed in him. "Yes, Admiral. Thank you, Admiral." he spoke with barely contained eagerness.

Chaussidier nodded, acknowledging Mathieu's thanks before his tone shifted somewhat and grew a bit more intense. "What is that status on the escapee?"

The communications officer spoke up "He's grabbed a rebreather and is heading up towards the bow." She paused for a moment and threw a glance towards an analyst who gave her a nod "We think he is heading towards evidence locker A2"

The Admiral went silent for a few moments as he considered what the semi-Sephi could be after. A smirk almost formed on his lips as it dawned on him "He is not daft." Chaussidier threw a glance at Mathieu "It is the suit. The crewmen brought it to A2 when you came here" The Admiral didn't wait for his Jedi companion to to answer "Let us pay him a visit"

***​

As Konor busied himself with the computer terminal, Another group of Marines would have the time to catch up, arriving from the right side of the T-intersection that the entrance to the small room that the Pirate was in could be found. Another group would also rush down from the corridor from which Konor had arrived from. The rather large number of soldiers would raise their rifles and aim them at the man. But, they kept some distance and remained quiet. They were waiting for someone.

Chaussidier stepped out of the turbolift and entered the corridor from the right. Mathieu accompanied the Admiral and walked slightly behind him to his right. The two had already discussed on what their course of action should be. When Chaussidier gave the large Morellian a nod, Mathieu threw his EMP emitter to fly past the Pirate. With both of them well out of range, Mathieu activated the device as it flew past Konor. It would disable the rebreather - although that didn't make much of a difference now that the gas had cleared. Importantly, it would also disable the IMP computer terminal.

"Welcome to the Gouda" the authority with which he spoke could have prompted a bantha to stand at guard for him. "I see that you have acquainted yourself with the ship" he said, bitterly remembering the dent Konor had made in the wall - despite his best efforts to avoid any damages.

An amused smile formed on Mathieu's lips as he shook his head. What they had all witnessed was probably as close as they would ever be to hearing a joke from the old man. He offered the pirate a friendly nod before making a hand-signal to the Marines, causing them to lower their weapons.

Chaussidier had not paused for long before he continued "I am Admiral Durant Chaussidier." He kept walking forward, each step without a hint of neither fear nor hesitation. Perhaps less impressive, considering that Mathieu remained by his side. "You have already met Mathieu." His eyes, sharp and analytical, produced a piercing gaze as he studied the intruder.

The Admiral stopped just barely out of arms length "I believe you have something of mine" he said pointing to the computer terminal with a finger. To him, the computer terminal could easily be replaced - it only stored a few old lists and flow charts from a newly acquired subsidiary to Firaxan Industries. This was about the principle.

 

[Konor]

So submerged in the computer screen, Konor's eyes scanned every detail of the woman's features in the image, he neglected to realise that he was currently being surrounded. This woman... this Sephi, her resemblance was so similar to the little memories he had of his mother, although he couldn't be sure she was indeed his mother, Konor felt in his soul that she was.

What snapped him out of it was something flashing past his peripheral. Instinctively, the outlaw jerked his head away in case of danger. The computer screen turned black and he spun around to find a small army of marines stood behind him. Konor unbinded his rebreather dropping it beside him, he then went on to clench his fists and slightly crouch down as if he prepared for battle. Some kind of authoritative looking man stood front and centre, alongside the Jedi he fought on the convoy.

The old man spoke, he had a commanding voice to him that even made Konor as if he wanted to stand upright and salute. "The who-da?" he asked with his eyebrow raised before snickering at the old man's next proclamation. It didn't take him long to figure out what he was referring to, judging by the bitterness in his voice "Yeah, well, the ship was lookin' a little bland. Figured I'd help redecorate for ya." the outlaw shrugged, remaining unwavering from his 'stance' as he prepared for things to go awry.

Ease sweeped through his body as he watched the marine's lower their weapons. This caused him to slightly relax his posture as his eyes constantly darted between every man and woman in the room. The geezer introduced himself as Admiral Durant Chaussi--Chauss-- something. Konor fully relaxed as the Admiral approached him with his pet Jedi in tow, Mathieu, the half-Sephi scoffed and turned his nose up at the both of them. "Nice to meet ya, Admiral Geezer, Matty boy. Name's Cap'n Kiss-My-Ass." he followed up his introduction rotating his forearm and bending over in a mock bow.

The outlaw's eyebrow twitched at Admiral Geezer's statement, something of his? Konor took a confident step toward the old man, ignoring anything the Jedi said or did, and looked the Admiral dead in the colored eyes that matched his own. "Funny you should say that. 'Cause I should be askin' you why you got a file of my ma on that computer of yours." he asked fearlessly before continuing "Just who the hell are you guys, really? And why ain't I dead or in a cell."

Chaussidier

 

[Chaussidier]

This took a turn...​

The amount of useless filler that people inserted into their speech varied from person to person. Chaussidier tended to filter out most of it whenever it came his way. There was a lot of filtering to do when it came to Konor. But then, maybe he deserved it - he had wasted quite a few words himself already. His face remained stoic against the incoming onslaught of foul language and insults. He did not show any wrath or outrage - for the man was not his subordinate. He did not truly turn the other cheek either, however - for he did not care.

What he did care about was that the criminal never handed the computer back. The criminal did not even put it down on the floor. Instead, he still held onto it as he approached. Originally, the two of them had just been standing at arms length - in that context, a single step was rather significant.

In an instant, Mathieu's left arm shot forth to prevent Konor from moving closer. He right arm grabbed hold of the sabre by his belt. The large Jedi eyed the pirate carefully. Nobody truly expected it to be an attack - but when standing so close, it was better to be safe than sorry. Still, the lightsabre had not been ignited yet and the soldier's still refrained from raising their weapons. If Konor kept coming closer, he would not hesitate the ignite his sabre.

This time, Chaussidier refrained from holding the Jedi back. One did not get to live as long as he had in his position without a certain degree of care. In the days before he met Mathieu, he would usually not even come meet someone as dangerous as Konor in person. Firmly believing in pragmatism over prestige and sentimentality, the elder took a step back to once more reestablish a safe distance between them. Still, his eyes did not part from the Sephi's.

He remained silent for a time. There was no rush in answering - the man could wait. The Pirate was bold - he asked who they were without even having introduced himself. And the question itself was disappointing. Few militaries worked as closely with Jedi as the Concord one did and he had been far more patient than some of the Crusaders tended to be. His brows contorted a little for a brief moment - but it was enough to display his displeasure with the question. Instead, he answered the more merited one "We made a mistake. Thought you would be out for longer." Their medic had made the call but in the end, Chaussidier was responsible for the results. He smiled subtly through his eyes "... and I was curious"

In truth, the Admiral had no idea why they had records of the Pirate's mother. IMP was a new acquisition and while the Firaxan Industires board had assured him that they had gone through the books carefully and was thorough in the due diligence, he would not be surprised if some of the company's activities were still unknown to the board and by extension: Him. Chaussidier would protect the identity of the fleet for now - but he was not opposed to speaking openly about IMP. "I do not know why your mother was featured on the terminal. Maybe she worked with us."

If Konor had nothing more to say or simply kept insulting him without adding anything he deemed to be of value, the Admiral would throw a glance to Mathieu who would subsequently nod to the soldier closest to them. The woman would raise her rifle and fire a stun bolt into the Pirate. She would - however, hold her fire if anyone asked her to - including Konor.

 

[Konor]

Either this old geezer had a great poker face, or the man was truly confident in the capabilities of his subordinates. Even though the younger of the two physically challanged the Admiral, his expression remained unmoving with an aura of calm marrying his old features. There was a deafening silence, not just between the two of them, but everywhere. As if every living thing in the room waited with baited breath, waiting for Konor to make a move while Konor prepared for the same.

Finally, Chaussidier took a step away from the outlaw - forcing the tattooed individual to stifle a smirk, believing himself to have physically intimidated the Admiral into backing down. Then the old man started speaking and the aura of uncertainty lifted slightly. He was curious, about what? The half-Sephi's head pulled back slightly as he looked the old man up and down with apprehension and confusion.

However, he slightly leaned back in at the mention of his mother. His answer was unsatisfactory, growing up with and working in a career filled with liars, cheats, ulterior motives and more - Konor had a feeling Chaussidier was spouting a load of bantha crap. "Worked for you?" he chuckled "'Dat's a real funny way of puttin' it. Pokin' and proddin' at her belly, turnin' me into the freak I am? Yeah, just your regular 9 to 5." Chaussidier's statement had annoyed him, Konor was used to dealing with people that lied through their teeth, hell, he was guilty of it himself. But the man lying about his mother when, to him, the facts were sitting in front of his face irked him to the highest degree. So much so the young outlaw neglected to realise he may have revealed too much information regarding his past.

Tightening his balled up fists, they began to shake, Konor was ready to knock this man's entire head off. But he stopped to think, then he'd be nowhere, he'd either be captured or killed and then be left in the dark regarding the mystery of his mother and his origins. The pale eyed outlaw scanned the room, he didn't have the Force but he'd been in situations like this before, the marines were preparing to take him out. Thinking fast, he'd use his greatest weapon - his mouth.

"My ma. Clearly you know somethin' about her, otherwise you wouldn't have her file on your computer." he started, taking a step back to weaken his status as a potential threat to the admiral. "I'm a merc. Sellin' my skills and service for the right price. What better price is there than information on my ma." Konor proposed, folding his arms before glancing around the room once more to see where everyone was at - whether they were prepared to shoot him, or relax their fingers. It felt like he was grovelling and he hated it, he was used to people coming to him for work - asking this... law-abiding man for work was emasculating. But... if he wanted more information, he had to play his cards right. Maybe when this was all over, he'd take out the old man... and his Jedi lap dog too.

Chaussidier

 

[Chaussidier]

This took a turn...​

His weathered features remained still as the pirate revealed more about himself and his mother. His mind, however, worked was as active as ever. It dawned on him that the half-sephi might have been a product if IMP's more dubious works. Or perhaps the company had simply aided the ones responsible in the process. Regardless, it did grant him greater understanding as for what situation he was dealing with.

While Chaussidier barely reacted to what was said, Mathieu showed a more sympathetic expression. Considering the pirate's rather absurd strength, it was not hard to guess what he was talking about. He let out a soft "Hey" whilst shaking his head a little "We're all different" he was uniquely well positioned to understand where Konor was coming from. "But what defines you is your character, not the other stuff" The words were not part of some old Jedi idiom. Or a new one. To him, it was just common sense and part of what had kept pushing him away from doing mercenary work in the first place.

The Jedi's demeanour changed slightly as he saw the semi-sephi's hands form fists. It was nothing dramatic - his own grip of his lightsabre didn't tighten and he showed no signs of wanting to attack. But he was ready to cut a limb off, should the need arise. Chaussidier knew this and remained where he stood.

Fortunately, the Pirate came to his senses. Before Chaussidier could give the signal, Konor's demeanour changed. As he stepped back, Mathieu relaxed a little too. A barely noticeable trace of a smile could be spotted by the corner of the Jedi's lips as he thought that the situation was deescalating. The Admiral, was not as generous with expressions of gratitude as his Jedi companion, however. Instead, he simply nodded "That is agreeable."

They could cover the details of the man's skills at a later date. For now, agreeing to cooperate was what mattered. Briefly looking to the computer terminal, he concluded that its importance was limited. It had been on the shuttle for a number of years and likely wouldn't offer much more than what the mercenary had already seen. "You may keep the computer terminal if you wish. I do not know if we have any backups of it however. I suggest that you entrust it to my technicians."

He had been through a number of negotiations throughout his career. With that, he turned and walked to the storage room with Mathieu following along. The Admiral threw an annoyed glance at the storage room - quite messy after Konor had rummaged through it. Pushing his annoyance aside, the elder unlocked one of the lockers and produced the suit which the Pirate had arrived in "In return for that trust, I offer this" he said, avoiding the mention of "giving" or "returning" - a feud over semantics was unnecessary. What did matter, was to see if they could work together and that the person he hoped to hire was not running around in stolen equipment.

 

[Konor]

After the Jedi's comment, Konor's guard immediately went back up as his pale eyes shot over in Mathieu's direction, a scowl behind them. "I don't remember askin' you, Lapdog." Konor growled. He hated fake sympathy or empathy, it was just another false way to get you to let your guard down. If Vil had taught him anything, it was to see through that Bantha crap.

Konor anticipated Chaussidier's answer with bated breath, the old man's decision determined whether the outlaw would need to go down fighting or live to fight another day. His posture relaxed and muscles loosened when the admiral agreed to his proposition, good, it meant that he was a step closer to finding out about his mother. Following the old man's gaze, Konor turned his head to look at the black computer screen - surprised at Chaussidier's words, he turned to face the man "...Thanks." Konor's words came out more as a question rather than a display of gratitude.

Remaining in place, the mercenary watched as the older gentleman walked away with his pet Jedi in towe. Watching with a raised eyebrow as he rummaged through a nearby locker, when Chaussidier returned with his suit an annoyed sigh escaped the tattooed individual. If he'd known it were that close, he'd have been out of there a long time ago. However, he was shocked that the admiral willingly gave him the suit back.

"Errrr..." he uttered, taking a step closer to receive the technological "Thanks. Again." stunned by the man's display in trust, then realising he was still half-naked. "Can a guy get a little privacy or what?" the outlaw asked aggresively, seeing some hesitance within the marines that had accompanied the Admiral and his Jedi Konor released an annoyed sigh. "You just saw me an' your boss make a deal. Relax, I ain't gonna start a riot."

Chaussidier

 

[Chaussidier]

This took a turn...​

Chaussidier threw an eye to the Jedi when Konor insulted him. The elder did not care for squabbles and petty word fights. If Mathieu cared so much about what the mercenary had said, he could address it himself. Chaussidier would protect those under his wings - but this was not the kind of threat that he deemed to be worthy. And so, he simply offered his young companion a lingering gaze before returning his attention to Konor.

Mathieu met the Admiral's gaze. He knew that the old man didn't think that words mattered much but even then, it felt bad to be snapped at like that. Especially since he had only talked to the semi-sephi with the intents to cheer him up. Even though it was just a gaze, however, Chaussidier's look did tell the Jedi a lot. It reinforced that Konor's words ultimately didn't matter. What did matter was what Mathieu thought himself. And in a way, the Padawan could tell that, even if Konor called him a lapdog, the Admiral didn't think of him as one.

As the encounter proceeded, the two parties - Admiral Chaussidier on one hand, and Cap'n Kiss-My-Ass on the other - appeared to come closer to a satisfying conclusion.

The elder's lips pinched together as the mercenary asked for some privacy. It made him wonder what kind of deal he had just struck - for the man appeared to have no real martial training at all. It was obvious that he was a capable fighter - but was he a soldier? Had he shared a barracks with a team? Had he been rushed out of his bed for a morning exercise in the middle of the night? Regardless, he would have to adapt. Chaussidier spoke with a dry and matter-of-factly tone "There is no room for shyness in this operation."

He waved towards a squad of four to come and retrieve the terminal. When he spoke again, his tone had a small warmth to it - albeit buried underneath a deep layer of professionalism "You might fight alongside these Marines one day. You will fight alongside Brion. You will see each other suffer, weep, grow strong and prevail." he nodded towards the team that picked the terminal up "Some of these people will investigate all leads we can find on your family and learn more about you than you know yourself."

Chaussidier shook his head "Privacy is for later."

"For now, I do not have any tasks for you. When I do, I will be sure to also have payment in the appropriate form." he glanced to the computer terminal, indicating what sort of payment he was thinking of. He then spoke as if he was reading from a list "We hope to form a good long-term working-relation with you. We will not stop you from seeking other employers. We will terminate our contacts should we suspect you of operating for a hostile entity or should we find you guilty of war crimes...." the Admiral trailed off and offered the easier alternative "I will have my aid forward you our policy sheet."

"In the meantime, feel free to acquaint yourself with the mess hall." With that, Chaussidier offered the half-Sephi a stern nod before turning on his heels to return to the bridge.