Trouble in Paradise (TSE Dominion of Vaynai)

[Koda Fett]

OBJECTIVE 3: Investigate rumours of a cult and take the shrine.
ALLIES: [member="Ronan Vizsla"]

Reputation? It was something Vizsla surely couldn't understand. He wasn't a Bounty Hunter, he was a Mandalorian Warrior. He could afford to be anything without the slightest hint of concern, for it was only one's combat prowess that mattered. To a Bounty Hunter? It was everything. Fett, however, didn't need to be concerned. His name carried more than enough weight in the underworld, but he never took any chances. If Koda had his way, and that he would, this claim was going to be nothing more than a simple message sent to the only throwaway piece of contact provided. His reputation was spotless, and it was going to remain that way.

Aware that Vizsla, as mentioned previously, couldn't understand, Fett only silently grumbled in response in the process of traversing the outskirts of the battle that was bound to begin. His ankles concealed by the taller grass, wading through it with each step, rustling. There was no need for stealth, or so the blaster fire and explosions that sounded off in the distance told him.

In the moment that Ronan took off running, Koda had only cast a glance at his armoured frame. He hadn't any desire to run head first, but you didn't always have a choice. He wasn't a coward, and so, it was alongside Vizsla that Fett ran. His helmet continued to scan for enemy locations.

A cult? There was no cult that could stand against Mandalorian Warriors.

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

"You, my friend," Hirou said as they walked. "Need more friends."

It was something the Nezumi didn't understand, and in fact.... pitied.... about the Thirriken. It was hard for Hirou to watch- it made them sad- how few people Tai Fa had that he could rely on. Hirou's life was full of people like that. Not all of them had the level of trust perhaps, but it certainly wasn't only one person. Family, friends- these things were so important to the Nezumi at large. It was impossible to imagine moving through the galaxy as alone as [member="Darth Saarai"] was. Entirely alien to Hirou.

Normally, Hirou would have scampered up the ladder that had been installed for them on the side of Tai Fa's desk. Not today. Today the Nezumi was too tired. They stayed on the floor, following around the corner of the desk so they could keep talking. Normally, they liked the consideration, where the Thirriken was always conscious to make sure it was possible for them to be at a similar level when they spoke. But today it was just too much effort after too much difficulty, so they settled for the 'normal with everyone else' and looked up at Tai Fa from the floor.

"I am glad to hear that it was useful," they said, the relief clear in their voice. "And thank you. I will send a message to [member="Matsu Xiangu"] once I have rested. I would like to apologize personally."

Their ears flicked back, laying down along their head.

"That..... surely there was a reason for it?" But the body language betrayed their unease.

Hirou didn't pretend to understand the motivations of the Too Bigs. And [member="Darth Carnifex"] was bigger than most, after all.

 

[Jantar Keltainen]

Jantar was single-minded. She focused exclusively on learning dark-sided magic and developing her knowledge of the Sith.

But today was different. Today was about Jantar.

Situated between the Tion Cluster and the Corporate Sector, approximately three hours from Lianna via hyperspace. Vaynai was almost totally covered in one vast, shallow ocean with the exception of a chain of island mesas upon which the planet's only starport was constructed.

None of which was of interest to Jantar.

Her focus was on the Boiling Sea – a small landlocked body of water that bubbled and steamed during the summer months on Drall. The banks of the Boiling Sea became a popular tourist attraction for the Drall and in turned spawned the Luminous Gardens. And the Luminous Gardens was a health spa on a hill above the Boiling Sea.

For right now, she was going to find a stupidly expensive restaurant and forget the calorie content. Then she would take it easy for a few hours. And after that? She would play it by ear.

She found the perfect location – a restaurant called The Fountain. And the one thing she ordered from the menu was called the Fruit Mountain. Designed to be shared, Jantar was going to eat the entire thing herself.

Jantar sat at a table, with a blue-white diya wood set with iridescent transparent tableware, and a pyramid of multicoloured fruit held together by golden spun sugar and dusted with real citrus-flavoured snow.

Jantar lifted the spoon and began her demolition in earnest.

Who said dominions were hard-work?

 

[Ria Misrani]

"I am not," he was quick to quip out of the side of his mouth. Alvarex looked over at his sister and narrowed his gaze, and as the time began to pass he and his friends made their way out to the waters. Jet skis, water packs and the technology of the rich at play as they enjoyed their time on the beach. It hadn't escaped him that his father [member="Darth Carnifex"] along with the entourage that was their family had arrived. "... Kark." Alvarex cursed and looked over [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"], and mouthed, "this is your fault." Which is probably was but then it seemed their family for all their darkness. Had a terrible habit of not keeping all their secrets, then again, these weren't exactly state secrets. Still, the Blackblade just shook his head and kept his eyes away from his family.

Even when his mother shouted his name, which led to his trudging through the sand, and fetching whatever it was she and Invicta needed. Both rested beside one another with the two youngest members of the family sleeping against their chest. An umbrella in the sand provided shade for them. Yasmina was Invicta's daughter and Ansgar Magnus was the baby brother that Alvarex spoke of. The infants were not to be disturbed which is what caused the two Empresses to call for their Prince. Alvarex had been sent to fetch concessions for both of them and it was then as he set them down that [member="Yasha Mantis"] and her guard [member="Keira Verd"] must have arrived.

Just as he moved to head back for the waters, his eyes fell to the Mand'alor. "Are you..." his words were cut off by a punch to the arm. "Those are Joyce's..." he pointed out and looked at Yasha. "You look adorable by the way." He complimented and looked out over to the waters. "Not sure how long it is between here and Mandalore, but why don't you and I head to waters."

"Oh, sister, I'm sure you and..." He gestured to the guard, "can become well acquainted? And give the boy a drink or three." Alvarex shot [member="Thyne"] a wink before turning back to Yasha. "What say you mighty Mand'alor?"

 

[Yasha Cadera]

It occurred to Yasha that Mandalorians weren’t culturally fond of skin. When a tenet of the culture was to wear armour, being devoid it in such an exposed setting seemed more like the perfect time to remember an important enemy to vanquish instead.





She might be able to get past Aiya if she ran. [member="Keira Verd"] would cover her retreat…. probably with a passionate vehemence… while Alvarex was distracted by the Empresses and their babies… aww they were so cute! Cute little babies of future doom!





“I came from a war zone and unless you wanted to discover what two Mandalorians look like in ‘gam on a beach, Aiya called ahead. [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] let me borrow… these… so I didn’t have naught but my knickers… although looking around, I wonder which would have been better fitting.” Yasha tugged at her windbreaker’s hood, tucking her long raven hair underneath. Amber eyes darted to and fro, stance open and ready to hoof it in whichever direction would provide tactical cover. “I’ll need to thank Joyce, she saved us all.”





It was then, that a few rabble rousers caught sight of her speaking with [member="Alvarex Zambrano"] and hooted. Yasha whirled around, fists raised… which turned into the good natured laughter of friends ribbing their buddy. Yasha went to swerve back around and her sandal caught in the sand.





“Right! I.. adorable!?”





Bending away from Alvarex without consideration to how short Aiya’s ‘perfect’ shorts were, Yasha yanked off the sandals.





“Adorable!?” Yasha whispered, pushing up on her tip toes to get closer to his face. “I look adorable!? I am a ferocious warrior, fresh from the field of battle, I’m terrifying and… why are you looking at me like that?”





Her whispers faded off as Yasha pouted and stepped back, feet sinking into the white sand.





“I’m not adorable… I’m… mighty… and…” Yasha’s lips stilled as she followed Alvarex’s gaze out to the water. “I’ve swam in water… and beaches. Many beaches… with guns in my hands… and Wookies… war turkeys gobble-gobble kabooming…..”





Oh no, what now? Keira would know what to do! Wait… Keira would say ‘shoot him in the spleen and run’…. if this went that poorly it was an option. Be brave, Yash’ika, it’s only a beach party!





“Yes, let’s go to what I assume is water well defended from all manner of lethal marine beasts. For the swimming in the waves… of which I have done…. copiously.” Nothing for it, Yasha strutted straight to the waves and strode in to her knees.





“Eee! It’s cold! Cold!” A yelp of laughter broke out of the Mand’alor, as she chased away from a wave, giggling at how the wet sand felt between her toes. Another wave rolled in, and Yasha kicked it, watching the crescent of ocean spray fling up as she laughed.


[member="Keira Verd"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Salara Zambrano"] [member="Invicta Zambrano"]

 

[Ria Misrani]

"Yes, you," he said with laughter as she came right up to him on her tip toes, "you don't even know what to say, truly. You are precious, adorable, listen..."

"What can I say except you're welcome?" Alvarex laughed again as he watched Yasha's actions, "what was that? Gobble, gobble. Well." He paused a moment and looked at his friends, looked at his family and shrugged. "I thought that would happen later, in private. But again, I know, you can't help yourself. You're with me, me the God-Prince come along then the mighty adorable Mand'alor." The Epicanthix man strode through the sand with a pointed pair of finger guns toward the water. And laughed again the mention of marine beasts, he hadn't laughed like this in ages.

It didn't take him long to find the water, "yes, it's water and it's cold don't worry you'll adjust." His back in the water as he let himself float, "but if you're scared I'm not afraid to be your floation device." Truly, the Empire would flourish with such a planet he thought. It always helped to have a local resort world, a place where you could kick back and relax. Try not to gag over the sight of his father's pale and scarred up body. The crashing of the waves threatened to sink the man. Alvarex rose back up to the surface and gave Yasha a-meant-to-do-that smile. Her yelps did not go unheard, Alvarex swam over toward the woman. "Ah truly the fierce and mightiest warrior gives out the greatest yelps. Worry not, it is just water."

He said right as another wave served to provide him with a source humility.

Rising back up to the surface, with water running down his body eyes still shut from the experience. "Just water."

[member="Yasha Mantis"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Keira Verd"]

 

[Keira Priest]

"Hands to yourself, ad'ika," Keira made direct eye-contact with [member="Alvarex Zambrano"] from beneath her helmet, "I'd hate to waste a bullet." The comment was made offhandedly, the vocabulator of her buy'ce making it difficult to determine if her tone was lighthearted or entirely serious. It wasn't like she would actually shoot him if he did step out of line, not that the idea wasn't tempting. No, the most he'd get would be a stern warning, and maybe a rough push if he was too persistent. Contrary to popular belief she knew how to restrain her trigger finger, even if every instinct was telling her otherwise at the moment.

As the two departed for the water she remained where she stood, arms folded across her chest. Every fiber of her being despised the current circumstances, but at least in full armor she could pretend to relax. Somewhat. It gave her free time to determine weaknesses and devise battle plans, at least, assuming she came toe-to-toe with any of them in the near or distant future. Their Empire may have maintained a non-aggression pact, but there was nothing in fine print about an individual Mandalorian taking up a contract on their own time, and it was that loophole that she used to her advantage. After all, she wasn't one to give up a past time of hunting Sith over something like that.

The suggestion in regards to becoming acquainted with yet another Zambrano fell flat on deaf ears, and she didn't give so much as a thought to entertaining a conversation with one of them if she had a choice. Pacts of all sorts aside, she'd made up her mind on them a long time ago, and it wouldn't be changing anytime soon. No matter how much the Mand'alor seeming to be getting along with the man, and even perhaps especially because of that.

[member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Ronan Vizsla]

Objective 3: Investigate rumors of a cult and take the shrine.
Allies: [member="Koda Fett"]

Koda's grumble created the hints of a smirk behind his visor.

But nobody would ever know.

Of Ronan's smirk.

At a certain interval Ronan suddenly pulled up and slowed his approach. His HUD had picked up the motion of about three cultists milling about, they were just outside the shrine itself. Two leaning against the doorposts while the third one was sitting on a pair of low-stairs leading up to the entrance. They were all currently heavily focused on some sort of game that was spread around their feet. A... board game? No, no, those were clearly dice.

His hand gestured to Koda, telling him to take the left, while he would approach from the right.

"Mark." Then Vizsla exploded into action again. His beskad rasping out of his sheath as his leap took him straight towards the stairs, the sword's edge already cutting heavily through exposed throat. That was only the first body to drop.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

“Mandalorian women aren’t adorable! Or precious! We’re ferocious killers! Tell me I’m vicious and I might forgive you. Otherwise, consider yourself in mortal peril, an enemy for life.” Yasha needed a day like this. It was scant weeks since Kaden died during their tragic reunion, and the Infernal threw herself at battle to escape her grief. On Vaynai in a completely different environment from her beloved Mando’ade, Yasha was detached enough to breathe and remember she was a twenty one year old girl, in the company and safety of friends.

“The last time I was on a beach, we were blowing up Republic mooks with suicidal war turkeys… on Kashyyk.. wait… what? I was talking about turkeys, Salt and Pepper. They go ‘gobble gobble’ then ‘kaBOOM!’… made Ra laugh.” Yasha said, anchoring herself against another big wave. “Yes, I am with you, as one who is standing in the same general vicinity is with that person. My Vod is also with us. As is your sister.”

Yasha looked to [member="Keira Verd"] and [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"], seeing the boy [member="Thyne"] behind them.

“You’re supposed to swim under the big waves, Rex. Don’t think you’d know much about being under something, would you?” Treading water beside the confoundedly goofy God-Prince, Yasha burst into a fit of unabashed laughter. She didn’t care that her windbreaker hood fell off her head, or that waves were buffeting the pair in a lovely and ceaseless rhythm. Keira had Yasha’s safety at heart.

“Which one of us needs the floatation device, hmm? I could call your sister over, I’m sure she’s got something for you, too.” Yasha swam about, ducking under the waves which sloshed too high. Popping back up, Yasha shook her head and cleared the salt water from her mouth. “Beats swimming in blood… oh that is it!”

With nary another cry, Yasha swam up and pounced on the Zambrano Prince, attempting to dunk him underneath the water. “I’ll show you scared and adorable!”

[member="Alvarex Zambrano"] was in trouble now. Delightful, delightful trouble.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

[member="Tabigarashu Madara"]

Saarai considered that thought.

So easily said, so earnest and yet so... the beak shivered just a fraction before the Thirriken regained control once more. "My friendship is costly, Hirou, I would not wish it on anyone." His wing softly reached out and unless the Nezumi refused would gently lift them up, before placing them on the table in front of him.

As if they were as light as air.

Maybe for Tai they truly were.

"If I did not have such need of you, perhaps I would be less selfish in keeping this proximity." Once the conversation turned to Asation Tai was less soft.

There *was* fury in the stance of his feathers.

"Because... they wished to see what would happen." Deep-set frown and more there. "Remember Hirou. We serve the Empire and *only* the Empire." His gaze brushing past the Nezumi and towards the lazily drifting holo-projection of the regions under their control. "The Sith may think they embody it, but they are merely a part of it."

Sometimes Tai believed they were an infestation.

The Empire existing in *spite* of them, not because of them.

"We serve and we minimize the damage they do. Law... order... there are prices to pay for such values."

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

VAYNAI
BYOO: Vacation time!

_____________________________________________________​

When Thyne took off his shirt, Joycelyn blinked. His pale hue actually stung her eyes, but she was determined to stick with her order. That sunscreen would probably not be sufficient.

Joycelyn's eyes trailed off as she tried to shake off the momentary blindness, and she started watched the flirtation between the Mandalor and her older half-brother. She could hear some of what they said, not all of it, but some. While the surroundings were quite rambunctious, Joycelyn honed in with the Force. It was a matter of power, influence, and the future of their house. She, for one, would like to keep tabs on such twists and turns.

She was by no means a master of courtship, but what she saw struck her as rather odd. This awkward back and forth, the clear discomfort of miss Mantis, and that constant flexing from Alvarex. He was going to give himself a cramp. Was this normal? This back and forth of words, this awkwardness, the kicking of the sand. The two fearsome warriors appeared to have recessed into childhood.

"What a pair of dorks." she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

She was about to take a sip when Thyne posed his question, and almost spat it all out when she caught it, eyebrows raised. She considered for a second, looking down at her drink, then the fair-skinned boy.

"Sure. I don't see why not."

She snapped her fingers and pointed to Thyne, summoning a servant with a cold, clear glass of fizzy alcohol on ice, decorated with a little leaf. Giving alcohol to Thyne, what could go wrong? She watched, amused as he took the first sip. Was it the first drink he ever tasted? Would he enjoy it, or would it be like when Joycelyn herself had her first taste? Many, many years ago.

"But you have to drink all of it."

She didn't say in one gulp, but part of her hoped he would assume she meant exactly that. Oh this was becoming quite the entertaining evening after all. yet, she could not help but keep an eye out on Alvarex, Yasha, and the armoured attendant. One eye, a fragment of her attention, and a readiness beaten into her from a young age.

[member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Keira Verd"] [member="Thyne"] [member="Alvarex Zambrano"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Koda Fett]

OBJECTIVE 3: Investigate rumours of a cult and take the shrine.
ALLIES: [member="Ronan Vizsla"]

The Bounty Hunter's T-Visor traversed the area, finding itself upon a Cultist on the stairs. It's stance was relaxed, disinterested in it's current posting or so it would seem. Things were bound to become a lot more interesting, however. A shame that neither two were going to live to see it, or better yet, maybe it was for the best. Fett had shifted through the area ahead of him, finding himself just out of the Cultist's line of sight. It was in that moment Ronan charged, and it gasped with panic only to be cut short by a crushgaunted hand ensnaring itself around it's throat. It didn't take much of a squeeze to crush it entirely; the spine snapping with it. Lowering the corpse into the grass, disappearing from view.

Both hands returned to the Carbine that was caught in it's sling throughout the duration of the previous action. His helmet emitted, yes, another scanning pulse. His vision filled an orange, digitalised hue once again. Ronan surely knew the drill, his helmet had the same capabilities, or one would assume.

There wasn't much that ran through his mind in this moment. As an attachment to House Vizsla for the duration of this task, Fett only accompanied them along. If he wanted to get paid, he had to do as he was instructed, after all.

 

[Thyne]

One sip was all he'd asked for. He hadn't been hoping for two or three as [member="Alvarex Zambrano"] suggested, though he responded to the elder's wink with a tight-lipped grin before the other left to socialize with [member="Yasha Mantis"]. He didn't know what these drinks were, nor did he expect [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] to indulge his request.

He offered a small nod of thanks to the server as they handed him the drink, eyeing it with a hint of concern. It couldn't be that bad, right? His first sip would prove otherwise, the boy almost spitting it right back out. Almost immediately, his face scrunched up in disgust, head shaking vigorously as the liquid slid down his throat far too slow for his tasting.

"What?" He really wished Joyce had added that last bit before he committed to the first sip. He gave an almost pained groan of protest at the prospect of finishing the glass. Why did adults drink this stuff? Did it somehow taste good to them? Nevertheless, it was too late to back out. So after several attempts of trying, and failing, to force himself into another sip, he found himself plugging his nose and downing the rest of it in one pained gulp.

. . .​

"And the older brother is like 'I can save him' and he gives up his ability to access the force and he brings the younger brother back.'" Now laying in the sand, no longer under the protection of neither a sweater nor umbrella, Thyne had spent the past several minutes explaining the plot of a holo show in almost way too enthusiastic detail. He'd managed to down another drink in the midst of his story and was no partially into a third. The sunscreen had done next to nothing to help him, his face and chest now an unmistakable and angry shade of red, yet at the moment he was oblivious, too focused on finishing his tale, of getting the character voices just right.

"Throughout all of this, the brothers just stick together, like a family. I wish I had a family like that." His free hand reached out, grabbing the sweater that had laid discarded next to him, arms wrapping the clothing into a tight hug, face buried in it for several moments. "That or the other family before the dad went pew. Gee, he was a great dad. I wonder what that's like."

As his story finished and he became just the tiniest bit aware of himself, he let go of the sweater, both his arms falling flat as he took several moments to just breathe. Finally, he spoke up once more, a hint of concern in his voice. "Joyce, I think I'm on fire."

[member="Keira Verd"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]​

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

Hirou accepted the wing up with appreciation. They scampered over to the small chair Tai Fa always kept for them, and eased into it gratefully. The little pod they had made had been utterly bare bones. After who knew how long on the Acerbitas, and 18 hours of standing, unsure if the capsule would shake apart while in hyperspace, the Nezumi was exhausted.

"Friendships are worth much," Hirou said quietly. The way their tail, ears and whiskers drooped betrayed just how tired they were. "And yours is worth its weight in aurodium my friend."

Hirou reached up, rubbing their nose absently.

"You speak of the cost and selfishness, but not in the vast benefits. You do yourself a disservice and I wish you saw yourself the way that I do. Tai Fa, I am not here because I serve the Empire."

Hirou leaned forward propping their elbows on their knees and looking seriously at them.

"I am here because of you. I serve this Empire because it is what you have asked of me, because it is important to you. And I will continue to do so. But my friend...."

The Nezumi spread their paws wide.

"My loyalty has, and always will be, to you. Until the end of my days."

[member="Darth Saarai"]

 

[Joycelyn Zambrano]

[member="Thyne"]

This was definitely a good idea.

Joycelyn revelled in the screwed up face Thyne made when he first tasted the drink, incidentally her favourite on hot summer days, and the shocking on his face when he realised he had to drink the whole thing. This was exactly how she had first encountered drink

"Go on."

Except.

***​

"Really? Wow"

Her tone was flat. She was pretty sure that was not how the Force worked, but she was not half drunk enough to argue about it. When did Thyne have time to watch all of this anyway? And what was that about Homunculi? She didn't really understand why someone would tear all their passions out of their body. That person was not a Jedi, and definitely not a Sith. Perhaps some kind of witch?

She tried to drink, but the glass was empty. "What do you mean?" She held it up and it was soon replaced.

"You have us, do you not?" A little sip, fresh and cool "Sure, we may not have the same mother." Another sip, a small burp. "Nor did we play together as children, or perform necromantic rituals to bring dead relatives back." She shrugged. Sure, she had tried it with a cat once, but it hadn't worked. "But we have our own adventures, and our own... sacrifices" "And we face them together, like they did, like family."

She tipped the glass back and forth, the clear liquid spilling over. There was almost a sense of timidness in her, an unusual sight for the giant. None of them would be as much of a sibling to her as Evaelyn, but that was special. They shared a womb, and no matter how far away she was, they could always somehow sense each other.

"You are a Zambrano, Thyne." "As much a brother to me as Alvarex is."

Sometimes, she wondered if Evaelyn's absence had been what made her take Thyne as a companion in arms. She pushed aside the straw and drank the rest of her drink. She raised her glass, about to summon another when

"Joyce, I think I'm on fire."

She turned the glass and set it on the table, bottom up to signal that she had enough.

"Time to go inside, before you fry your brain and get weirder."

She picked him up like a child and threw a glance back at the rest of the beach. The sun would start to set, the skies darken, Vaynai had welcomed the Empire and shown them what fruits they could harvest there. Their hospitality was repaid with leniency and the Empire staying their hand despite the rebellious activity in the system. Activity the Empire would cleanse as though carving a cyst from its bosom. This display of vacation was but confirmation that Vaynai belonged to the Empire, a quiet declaration of possession.

"Don't puke."

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Alvarex Zambrano"] [member="Yasha Mantis"] [member="Keira Verd"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

There was a soft shimmer of displaced sand.

"Well hello there, ad'ika."

In the time it had taken for Yasha and Alvarex to meet, and subsequently run off into the water, the gargantuan Sith Emperor had gotten up from his lounging area and, with unnatural silence, maneuvered himself all the way down the beach until he ended up right behind the smaller Mandalorian woman. Even without any armor or official garment, the Emperor was a monolithic man of powerful muscle and scarred skin, every inch of his body poised to rip and tear and kill at the drop of a hat. Yet, despite the barbaric nature of his own body, his dark eyes held a sinister intelligence that belied his often brutish demeanor.

Those that underestimated the Emperor often did not do so a second time.

"Amusing that the young Mantis girl would bring you, knowing your disruptive disposition."

[member="Keira Verd"]​

 

[Keira Priest]

Although Keira now lacked any Force sensitivity with which to sense the cloying darkness she knew clung to his every move, his presence was no more pleasant or welcome than it had been in the past. That he stood behind her served little to diffuse the tension, the three-hundred-sixty-degree vision of her helmet keeping her at ease. "Dar'buir. Your accent still needs work." Her head turned just slightly to show that she acknowledged his presence, but no more than that. The last time she'd seen him they'd been trying to kill each other, so this was a nice change of pace, even if she could think of thousands of places she'd rather be.

"Disruptive?" She shrugged. "Just doing my job. I'd imagine she brought me because she knows that I won't hesitate to shoot one of you if it comes to it. Hesitation is a warrior's greatest enemy, 'lek?" It was less small talk, more so a reminder that her opinions hadn't changed, even after all the time that had passed. She was still the same stubborn, Sith-hating woman he'd known, and she perhaps always would be. Few things in her life had remained as constant as that.

"Doesn't look like age has caught up, yet. Or a bullet. Unfortunately." As warm and welcoming as always.

[member="Darth Carnifex"] | [member="Joycelyn Zambrano"] | [member="Thyne"] | [member="Alvarex Zambrano"] | [member="Yasha Mantis"]

 

[Thyne]

"Yeah, we don't have the same mom and that seems to be expected from this family," He shifted, bending in such a way that couldn't be comfortable to any human, to look at her. "But at least you and Alvarex look like you're related to his majesty - is that what we're supposed to call him?"

"And Joyce," his voice wavered as he spoke, as if he was searching for something desperately. Something he couldn't find. "I don't remember having a mom. Or playing with anyone as a kid. I don't even remember being a kid - just the doctors, and the tests and the-" he shuddered, voice breaking just a little before steadying once more. "I don't think I'm a people."

As Joyce moved to pick him up, he flinched away at first, fully expecting another threat of sorts. Even when that proved to not be the case, he was frozen in place for several moments before relaxing into her hold, resting his head on her shoulder like someone finally getting what they'd sought out for so long and not quite believing it was real. "Will you teach me how to fight with two-handed weapons? I know I'm like super duper tiny and you guys are super duper not but I wanna make him proud, somehow. Not tonight, though." His words slurred here and there, some almost unintelligible between the slur and just the rate in which he said them.

"I'm tired."

[member="Joycelyn Zambrano"]​

 

[Vestille Thumahra]

Vestille Thumahra​

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The Angry Ysalamir Rooftop, Vaynai​

Objective I :: Assassinate HVTs​

Supported by: [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] | [member="Omari Vyken"]​

Gradually, the players revealed themselves.

The meeting room was full of businessmen, diplomats and whatever else dressed in formal business attire with the occasional criminal dressed in his casual attire made their entrance, sat down and waited for the meeting to properly start. Whilst every person in the meeting room was mission critical and needed to be eliminated, Vestille's target, the one that was to be eliminated as a chain reaction to kick the hive and send the rest of the backers scattering like rats was a Voss by the name of Edan-Wo, one of the lucky few that had escaped Voss during the Sith Empire's invasion and had since been nothing but a thorn in the side of the Sith and their expansion. He was crafty, charismatic and able to slip between the cracks time and time again yet the Saaraishash had been able to pick up his trail and finally track down his next meeting point, here on Vaynai. The various others? Fools who considered defying the Sith Empire a possible task if they simply all banded together, hoping that their dealings with the League of Voss would be kept secret and their heads would remain off the chopping block. How wrong they were, their blindness and assurance of security leaving them blind as the agents of the Sith locked down the hotel rendezvous and turned it from a seaside retreat to a death trap.

It was simply a matter of identifying the target.

Within the room, he knew that Agent Aderyn had infiltrated the meeting and was within the room the meeting was about to take place. With his eyes through the scope, he'd send a return transmission; "Agent Thumahra to Agent Adreyn; advise when I fire the shot you let them scatter. The building has been locked down and Agents have been placed strategically to secure any runners. Revealing yourself in there will greatly increase the chance of crossfire and accidental casualties. Advise you stick to your assigned target when the HVTs begin to flee. Thumahra out." in truth, every Agent within that building was to act like a preying mantis, springing the trap upon their prey and gathering up the collaborators to gather whatever intelligence they might have before disposing of them; only a couple had even bothered to bring security guards, a lacking sense of security precautions meant that any conflict could be ended as soon as it began.

Eventually, one of the robed figured stood up and pulled his hood down, starting to speak as he addressed the gathered party. With his target identified, it didn't take long for Vestille to line up the shot.

A moment later, the Voss' head was nothing but a fine red mist.

Instinctively, the rest dived for cover, the security guards rushing for the button that activated the shutters and secured the room from any sort of assault, at least that's what they thought. With the bolt being pulled back upon the Anti-Material Rifle, a shot was lined up and fired, smashing through the rather thin metal that was designed to stop a blaster rifle at most and slamming straight through a security guard. Screams and general panic ruled, the security doing their best to evacuate the backers into the belly of the hotel to where they would try to find their exit; if only to find their doom waiting for them floor after floor.

"Agent Thumahra to all Agents; kingpin confirmed KIA, rest are scattering. Wait for visual confirmation and secure your assigned targets. Out."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Many have tried, none have succeeded."

Recently, at least. His last death at the hands of Gabriel Sionoma had been avenged, and he had not brushed as close with oblivion ever since. "But perhaps she had brought you here for another reason, Keira. I have no doubt that your confrontational disposition with the Dark Side has wrought no end of headaches for the young Mand'alor, especially considering just how close our two nations are to one another." Next door neighbors, to be exact, but there was something that ran deeper than mere proximity.

In reality, much of the Mandalorian Empire's existence owed its thanks to the Dark Lord himself, who had partially orchestrated its rise by bringing Ra Vizsla back from the dead and engineering the thought of uniting the Mandalorian Clans under a totalitarian rule; sympathetic to the Sith Brotherhood.

Things hadn't progressed the way the Emperor had intended, but that only proved the old adage true.

Plans never survived contact with the enemy.

"If only you could cast off the burdens of your fear, it holds you back and keeps you weak."

[member="Keira Verd"]​