Private Unknown, But Not Empty

[Juko Cassius]

The days never ceased and nights were never-ending. Juko had only seen the darkness of space for the past week? Weeks? Months? He had traveled west from his last destination, having gotten transport from a Kath farmer whose cargo needed tending. The pilot refueled at the The Free Coalition Flotilla, the small band of smuggler and merchant ships docked to a small asteroid cluster beneath the Hybrid nebula. Juko had planned to continue on with the farmer, but that was when the breathing problems had started. He had been able to keep his disease at bay, at least regaining the ability to move, but certain nights - when the air was right at the virus felt particularly vicious - it seized his lungs. He awoke in sweats time and time again, trying to center himself and guide his body with the Force. He was delaying its advance, but Juko knew he was desperately needing an answer.

He had filled his days working onboard of the entertainment ships in the flotilla. Large warships and cargo freighters had been refit to accommodate the travelers who stopped here to get fuel and the residents forced to find some semblance of civilization this far out. The two main concerns of each vessel was their life support system and their food supply. Juko made himself valuable quickly with his vast knowledge of edible flora and fauna and being willing to work mechanic shifts at the most undesirable hours. The owner of this ship, The Dead End, had made one of the more lavish stops Juko had seen in the Unknown Regions so far. A Galactic Empire-era frigate whose hull had been painted black with two golden stripes. It boasted a large casino, a few reasonably qualified bartenders, a zero-g swoop bike track built around the exterior, and another particularly popular novelty. The owner had installed a number of chambers by the company called Artificial Atmospheres which allowed patrons to set holograms in their lounge or holodeck that would fully immerse them in the environment of any planet in the known galaxy.

Juko had just finished working on the lowest deck, his hands still stained with grease from the air scrubbers and he wasn’t sure if the pain in his back was from work or his deteriorating health. He sat at the bar, not speaking to the Ithorian bartender Verrix, but thinking about how much the Corellian whiskey was helping

Xzaien

 

[Xzaien]

Onboard of the Cathay Rahtai. Flagship of the Catharian Hegemony...

Onboard, life went on as usual. Hundreds of crew members, Technicians, Marines. All of these were commonplace inside of a vessel as master-crafted as the Cathay Rahtai. The ship itself had already received a great complement of upgrades to suit its commander's status. A Queen Mother, the Autocrat of Cathay. Surely, no one knew of what dwelled in the unknown region.

The myths about lost civilizations of Sith, and Jedi. The ruins of the Star Forge, and resting place of Revan himself. The myths, and whispers of a new order sweeping across the Unknown Region, and bringing with it Civilization and technology never seen before in the rest of the Galaxy. The Chiss have felt this expansion first hand, after their loss of Thearterra, Bogo'Rai and the siege of Avidich. But, the more pleasant minded of the galaxy simply wrote these events off as myths or hoaxes. No one has heard of them.

Outside of this migrant fleet, a single warship was drawn from the depth of Hyperspace. A ship of unfamiliar design which attracted the gaze of all those in this migrant fleet. A ship, larger than anything these migrants had in their rag-tag fleet of transports, and cargo vessels. This was a warship, designed to destroy thousands of smaller ships all in one go.

A unfamiliar insignia was seen emblazoned on its side. Hammered onto its hull. A golden Aquila, a Dragon clutching a world in its talons. The ship's figurehead, and bow. Were plated in gold. A ship of a high-class personage, or a individual. The legends were true to those who knew of the Hegemony. It was no myth.

It was oddly silent as it had warped directly in the front of the massive migrant fleet. Blocking its passage...

All that was known. Was that the Veil of the Darkside clouded everything. The air went steely cold, and the breath could be seen. This was no regular occurrence.

Juko Cassius​