Yar Har Fiddle Dee! (Treasure Station-Edition)

[Arage Bao]

Outer-space.. a world of unlimited possibilities and wonders. Mankind has traveled the vast void of nothingness for decades, and still it came across discoveries that amazed the adventures in kind. So it was for our great heroes, when they traveled in style throughout the territory of the Black Suns on board of the Valkyrie. Fastest Frigate in the Galaxy, at least if you believed Jared's boasts.

Regardless, they had been there for certain negotiations of the unsavory kind. Something Jared seemed to specialize in these days, and now they had decided to go on a detour. Legends of Olds told about a Space Station so vast and enormous... well. It would dwarf all other stations in kind. An old Pirate King had commanded its creation, made from the spoils of his plunder.. or so the stories told.

Honestly Jared was not much for legends and myths, but they were here already and besides, some stories had a foundation of truth in them. Mayhaps this was one of them, or maybe they would just find stardust and a gigantic black hole who would suck them up and kill them.

But if there was...

It might there. An enormous Space Station, filled with the loots of a thousand worlds.. Treasure Station. That was what they called it in the stories. Gold, diamonds, stygium crystals and all that good stuff. Walls made out of song-steel and an engine made out of solid... well something. Something valuable.

There he stood on his bridge, one of our heroes, staring into the deep and endless void of the spacean sea. Behind him a couple of men were arguing about something, Jared was not sure what they were raving on about. Space was too beautiful and too vast, to be distracted by the trivial matters of men.

“Sir. Please, there is nothing out there. We have been looking for weeks now, it is time to go home.”

Rudely awakened from his dream, the Lord turned slowly around. His hands crossed behind his back, and a frown decorating his face. There was impatience in his gaze, and something else.. something.. indescribable.

“Tell me something, my dear man. Who is it that owns this ship, mmm?”


“That is you, sir. But the men, they are getting tired of searching for something that... that....”


“Well, speak your mind, you have insisted to go this far. Don't hold anything back, soldier.”

His eyes were a mixture of yellow and red specks, dancing around in his eyes. A whirlwind of blood and gold. The soldier paled noticeably at those eyes, but he spoke on. He was confident, this man has been his leader for so long now. Jared had led him from the depths of Tartarus to the Sith Empire and beyond.

“My Lord, you are known for your compassion and respect for your men. Please. I beg of you, leave this folly behind. Set course to the Confederation.”

A sigh escaped the mouth of the Lord, if it had been anyone else.. anyone else. His life would have been ended right there and then. But Dalmar had been his bodyguard for a long time, and they had had an agreement. Always speak your mind, always tell the truth. Why was Jared so angry then?

“One more day, Dalmar. If we don't find it, we will go back home. Satisfied?”

“Yes, my Lord, thank you.”

With relief painted on his face, the bodyguard moved back into the shadows. Where he guarded his tense Master, as always.

Jared turned around again, and continued his silent watch. Until.. he felt something. Ah.. there she was.

“Nemene, good of you to show. I hope you are not here to tell me to abandon this..folly? I have had enough complaints for today.”

@[member="Nemene Talith"]​

 

[Lira Dajenn]

“Hardly.” Nemene soft accented voice broke through the silence that lingered after Jared spoke, the clicking of her heels resounding only slightly as she moved to stand aside Jared. Dressed in lace and blue silks she was far more elegant than the Glory-Song, but such was always the case. Nemene was a Queen after all, and one who knew how to play the part. “I've finally trained your men to properly speak.”

Nemene had always been big on manners, and when she had come aboard this ship some of the crew had barely had any, now however there was a stark contrast, and each of Jareds men could recite poetry as fancily as a man who had studied to do it professionally. This was how Nemene had kept herself entertained “training” Jared's men in her ways. “Though being this far from Evelynn for so long...irks me.”

She could still feel her sister through the bond, but it was a distant not of emotions that sent through flaring of pain, pleasure, or sometimes even despair. Nemene mirrored those emotions, though of course only ever privately.

Despite herself the Queen of Rattatak missed her sister, almost desperately so. Yet this hunt had proven to be quite the adventure so far, and she hoped that in the end it proved to be...fruitfull. Supposedly the master of this station had been ancient, from a time that had been even before Nemene's father. The knowledge the man must have held had to be...significant.

Monetary gains meant little to her.
@[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Lies of the foulest sort, her Grace was spouting. But the Lord did not fault her for that, a woman always needed to feel as the most beautiful and most graceful living form in the room she was in. This was a simple matter of the laws of nature and life. Even still, the truth was far more simple, it was Jared who was the living epitome of elegance and grace.

In his attire, the values of dignity and humility were dominating, it was clear to all that Jared Ovmar, Lord of th-- alright never mind. Nobody is going to believe that anyway.

Dressed in a black robe, inspired by the ones the Sith clothed themselves in, Jared continued to look at the infinity of space. Training his men to speak properly, he wondered how she had accomplished that.

Hopefully not a lot of them were hurt after her... lessons. Then again, they were a loyal bunch, after he had told them to appease her Highness herself? They probably went along with her needs quite quickly.

Though he doubted they would really be capable of reciting poetry, Jared was sure he himself could not do that stuff. Not because he was mentally incapable, it was just plain boring.

Evelynn.. Fond memories he had of her, Endor had been a pleasant meeting. She was strong now, he heard, and that was good. People had to be strong, otherwise they would not be capable of defending themselves.

​

“Mm. We will look for another day, if nothing.. well you can get back to Evelynn.”​

​

@[member="Nemene Talith"]​

 

[Lira Dajenn]

“What do you hope to achieve anyway?” She mused for a few seconds, looking out the viewport and keeping him only in her peripheral vision. She had only come on this trip for personal gain, and she assumed that it was the same for Jared. Neither of them were the type to waste time, and unless he had something to gain then he would not have come. She highly doubted he wanted gold or credits or anything else the alleged Pirate King might have left behind, Jared had more than enough money. “The station is still in the independent space of the Black Sun.”

She thought for a second, they knew its approximate location of course, but space was big, and finding a...relatively small station in all of space, well it was a difficult task even with someone of Jareds resources. Not to mention that they could find it still filled with pirates.

For all they knew the station was abandoned, but just kept more secret. She frowned slightly, the stone mask that was her usual face breaking for just a second. Until just now she had not thought of that possibility. They could take on a few pirates of course...but an entire fleet? Even they would be hard pressed to fight a fleet. Then she continued with her earlier thoughts. “if you seek to claim the station as your own...”

She trailed off with the implication that such a thing would be extremely difficult without attracting notice.

 

[Arage Bao]

What did he hope to achieve here? Gold, diamonds, rubies; it mattered not to him. Even if he pretended it did. When a man grows up like he did.. well money loses its value. Oh he pretended he loved his new-found status, the cash was a nice addition. But it was power, that he truly craved.

Some people mistook the two, and thought they came hand in hand. This was a failure to understand the nature of humankind. At any rate, she had the right of it. It was the station itself he really wanted.

Maybe make a trading hub out of it, refit the whole damn thing and create a central point of commerce. That would be lucrative, and if he controlled the station. He controlled the trade.

“The station will be mine, do not worry about the Black Suns. They love their money, and the Fringe has a good relationship with them. I am sure their leader will not say no to what I will offer.”

The Lord snorted then.

“Even if he did. I have other ways of persuading people.”

The pirates were another matter, he really doubted that after all these centuries they would still be around. But then again, it -was- a possibility, even if it was a small one. His ship would not be able to win against them, but that was not necessary.

Only thing they needed was the coordinates, if there was a pirate fleet... well after talking it over with the Black Suns. They probably would not mind Fringe Fleets descending upon the station, to rid it off rogue elements.

Because he doubted they paid the common Suns Taxes.

“The Valkyrie is one of the fastest ships around, and she is durable. If we come across something more than we can chew? We skip away with the coordinates, and return later with.. a better bargaining position.”

@[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Her response to Jared was a simple nod. It apepared that he wanted this station, and in truth she didn't really care. She was here for little more than rumors of what she had heard of the Pirate King, of the dying man who had fallen to his own genetics. It was an interest of her's as of late, genetics, and if she could get her hands on some research pertaining to such things, well it would be a plus for her.

Not to mention that she had never met a Pirate, and despite herself a child like wonder still pressed her to go on this little adventure.

“Very well, but I hope for your sake this doesn't take up much more time.” She stated quite flatly. “There are more important things in the galaxy than lost pirate Stations you know.”

She seemed to hint at something, as if she knew something that Jared would ordinarily not want her to know. Though what, was rather impossible to tell.
@[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

It was a good thing she had the state of mind not to voice her suspicions openly, Jared would have been forced to remove her then. And with her most of the crew that was currently on the bridge, and that would have been a right shame. Getting hold of qualified men was a hard thing, they were expensive and loyal men... well those were a rare breed all together.

Regardless, she had not voiced anything of the sorts, so there was no reason to think about it further. For a while they just stood there and... waited. Had this been a story, they would probably have found the station by now.

One of the crewmen would have leapt out of his chair, and started screaming something in the lines of: “CAPTAIN, WE GOT AN UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT ON THE SENSORS. IT'S HUGE, SIR!” or maybe there would a bit of variation first, a pirate fleet guarding the entrance of the nebula: “CAPTAIN, UNIDENTIFIED SHIPS COMING IN HOT, WHAT ARE WE TO DO?!”

Sadly this was not a story, and plot convenience did not exist in this universe. As such they just had to wait, and wait, and... wait.

It was pretty boring.

But that was life for you.

[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene blinked a few times and then yawned. This was getting really really boring. She thought about what else there was to do on this ship, what else she could occupy herself with while she was here. There wasn't much truthfully, starships were dreadfully boring, which is why she hated them so much. If she could have spent her entire life avoiding the metal death traps she would have been more than happy to do so.

She sighed, what she wouldn't give for her fathers ability to blink from place to place.

What a treat that would be, never having to take another starship to find a place. She smiled slightly, remembering her fathers entrances and departures. They had always been so grand, so unique, so...magnificent. Had she only the power to do the same.

Slowly she closed her fist in anger, then let it unwind again. No use getting upset here.

“Honestly. How hidden does a station have to be?” The question was obviously rhetorical. “Bloody pirates.”

Annoyance flared through her.
[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

As it was a rhetorical question, Jared did not deem it necessary to give an answer. Instead he just waited... waited on something to happen. Whatever, a black hole appearing out of nowhere, maybe a small army of pirates or the damn sensors picking up the base. But nothing occurred, which was frustrating to say the least.

While standing there, Jared's mind flew forth and expanded itself across space. The ancient Masters could contact each other over thousands of lightyears, teleport almost instantaneously, and make planets explode with just a thought. Maybe it was fiction, but what he did was far less dramatic than that.

He just reached out with his senses, and tried to -look- with his inner-eye. Hoping to find the damn station, before he died of old age.

...and he looked... and looked.. aaaand looked. Eventually he gave up, and frowned. This was going to be a long trip.


“Taking a break. If you need something you can find me in the Pit.”


The Pit was a reference to the fighting pits of Rattatak, the Ship had his own Cauldron so to speak. A training facility where Jared could fight in the hardest conditions, to keep his strength up.

“We will find it.”

Then he walked off.

[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene sniffed, it was all she could do. She raised her chin high and let out a breath of air in exasperation. More waiting, more sitting around and doing nothing. She was lucky she bad brought a book along, otherwise she might have died of boredom.

She herself of course used the training room from time to time, but she hadn't liked going when Jared was there. Nemene was a complex woman, and she hardly wanted him to think she was trying to compete, such a thing was unbecoming of a Queen. So when the man left she simply resigned herself back to her room, picking up her datapad and sprawling herself out lavishly on her bed.

There she stayed for what seemed like hours, her mind devouring page after page.

She hoped things would get more exciting soon.
[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

His senses picked up the station, before the sensors did. Not surprising, the station was big and with big we are talking pre-Gulag big. It was enormous, and Jared knew they had scored the fething motherload with this thing. For one, it seemed to be devoid of life, or at least… he could not feel any Force Signatures radiating out of it. Then again… the darkness that had embedded itself into structure, it clung onto the derelict and made it that much harder to distinguish anything inside of the station.

Regardless, there was no fabled fleet protecting the place, neither was their a Chtulhu Space Monster prancing about. So not all myths were true, it seemed. Jared hoped the stories had it right about the diamonds, and golds. Not that he really needed the money, but there was some… childlike wonder in him. Hoping to find the Pirate King’s old booty. Ha. Booty.

Silently, he stood up from his crouching position and headed back to the Bridge. He had forgotten to put his shirt back on, that much the sense had disturbed him. Disturbed and happy.

The search was over, and people would stop nagging about going home. Finally. Now there was a second question on his mind… how the feth would they take control over this karking thing, and how would they take it back home? If it was even possible.

His mind tried to penetrate the shroud of darkness that surrounded the station, while waiting for Nemene to return to the bridge. His mind had already touched hers briefly, after the amount of time they had spent together… it had become easier to get a hold of her. Nothing of worth if it would come to a fight, but a message here and there? Useful.

[member="Nemene Talith"]​

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene had not exactly received Jared's message, such a thing was nearly impossible with her own mind, only Evelynn could really speak to her, everyone else only found a black abyss of nothingness. A curious effect of the Darkside of the force, like a moat around her mind. She had however felt the graze of his touch on the moat, and to her that could really only mean one thing.

They had found it.

Quickly she shut off her datapad, putting down the novel on genetic mutations in Zeltrons and straightening herself before scampering off towards the bridge.

She quickly found her way back towards where Jared stood, ignoring his naked torso and instead taking in the sight through the viewport. Her eyes popped open as she saw the station hidden in the mist. There was no fabled fleet, no waiting pirates ships, but the size of the station was simply...massive. It was far larger than anything she had seen freely floating before, the construction of it out here in the middle of no where must have taken untold man hours.

She gaped at it for a moment more, then closed her mouth.

“That thing is bigger than four Star Destroyers put together.” Nemene commented as she looked around the ship. “You're going to need a bigger tugboat.”

She made a joke, a first for Nemene.
[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Nemene... cracking a joke, for a couple of seconds Jared just stared at her. Then he blinked, and finally chuckled softly. For everything a first Jared supposed. There was truth in her words though, how the feth were they going to transport that piece of poodoo to Fringe territory? It seemed beyond impossible, regardless they would have to try eventually.

Because even though Jared was sure he would be able to strike a bargain with the Black Suns... it was always useful to have a fall-back plan, and besides Fringe Space would be safer anyway. There was his authority, here? Here he would have to rely on the Suns. And he did not enjoy that thought too much.

At any rate, those were worries for another place and time. First they would have to reclaim the damn thing, maybe fight some cyborg zombies, get the treasure, get the girl(s) and then drink some rum. Though Jared would prefer wodka. Mmmmm. Wodka.

Honestly, some part of him wished to sent in a Marine Squad, but then again he was itching for a fight. Besides, they would probably only get themselves killed. Doom and Despair. Har har.

“Alright, I am going in. You coming, sweet?”

Jared furred his eyebrow at her, daring her to stay behind.

[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene raised an eyebrow at his chosen pet name for her, the fact that he called her one was cause enough for her to kill him, but she decided to let it go seeming as how they were surrounded by his people on his ship in the middle of no where.

“Call me that again, and one of us will not be coming back.” Without a further word Nemene turned on her heel and began to walk back to her room. If they were going into an unknown space staiton with unknown enemies she would be dressing appropriately. Without even a seconds thought Nemene began to dress herself in her armor, quickly stripping off fine silks and replacing them with soft Leather plates and strapping. Then she slipped a long red sash around her waist.

Quickly she found herself fully dressed, and with a smile she picked her lightsaber and Ripper from her bed. She placed the submachine gun on her lower back and slid her saber-staff in place onto her thigh. With a nod to herself the Queen of Rattatak adjusted one last leather strap and then exited her room.

She found her way to where Jared was in the hangar, dressed and ready for war.

“Lets get this over with shall we?” She said as stretching her neck ever so slightly. “This will take some time.”
[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Jared just smiled, for some reason he found joy in pushing Nemene's buttons. The girl was good at negotiating, an excellent scientist, and her mental defenses were top notch. But she took things personal, and that could be used against her. One of these days he would have to teach her this sort of stuff, regardless today was not one of those days.

It was then that he noticed his bared torso, Jared shook his head softly and went to his room to put on a new robe. He declined to put on any armor, even though he had plenty of that. Armor had not saved him during his fight with Shorn, it was time to get back to the basics. Tutaminis was all the protection he needed, well that and just be fething careful.

After putting on his equipment, robe, two lightsabres and maybe a surprise or three Jared headed for the hanger where he met Nemene already ready for war and all that.

“Let's go.”

While their shuttle docked, Jared centered himself. Who knows what they were going to encounter there.

“Ready?”

[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

Nemene had always prescribed to the theory of “ladies first”, this was shown first hand when she didn't even wait for Jared's word to be finished. As soon as the ramp was lowered and the shuttle hatch opened the Queen of Rattatak stepped through the docking tube. She didn't really care what was on the other side, whether it was man, beast, or droid. Whatever faced her would come to a swift end.

As soon as she stepped through however a sense in the force hit her, a sense of...nothing.

Her meager abilities in the force picked up absolutely nothing surrounding them. No life, nothing. Indeed the hangar bay where they had docked seemed to confirm this, no lights were on and dust had long since gathered upon shipping containers. Nemene looked around bug eyed, orange orbs floating through the dark.

Tortuga was abandoned.

“Jared. This place is...barren.” There was no other word for it, none that she could think of. Without even realizing it Nemene relaxed slightly, muscles ready for fighting easing themselves into more relaxed position, hand swaying away from blaster. “My talents in the force may be meager, but i can sense life, and there's none here."

She blinked a few times, looking back towards him.

How the hell did three hundred thousand pirates just disappear? Why the hell did they just disappear? She frowned slightly, this didn't make any sense. Granted this was only a tiny part of the station, but she should have felt something, some impression in the force. She always did when something was alive around her, always. But here? Nothing.

How odd.

 

[Arage Bao]

As his foot hit the floor of the station, Jared was hit with the vast presence of... nothingness. There was nothing alive here, or at least so it seemed. Jared was not relaxed though, on the contrary it made him even more on edge than anything else. What could possible have facilitated the disappearance of three-hundred thousand pirates?

Of course it has been a very long time, since their glory days. But still, pirates always had the resilience of roaches. Especially with such large numbers... it would not have been a strange thing to assume there would still be a few left here.

They stood in long hall way, most of the lights did not work anymore, which also was not that surprising. But one kept flickering annoyingly, it did not help much to illuminate their surroundings. What it did do was create a chilly, and quite spooky environment. Jared was half expecting for some boogie-man to jump out, and murder them horribly.

Thankfully that was not the case, instead his breathing was met with overall silence.


“Don't get to comfortable, Nemene. On my travels I have met creatures that were Force Dead, fact that we ain't sensing them doesn't mean they ain't here. Besides, our entrance could have been picked up. Might be we are dealing with Force Cloaked Forcers.”

Then he smiled.

“Not that that would be a big threat to us. But still, keep your eyes open for anything. Traps, Force Dead Krayt Dragons, anything.”

Jared took one step, and then another... hmm maybe not a trap after all.

Yet.

[member="Nemene Talith"]

 

[Lira Dajenn]

“Careful it is.” Nemene said as she pulled the Ripper from the small of her back and immediately powered up the weapon. The blaster pistol powered up with a slight charge up noise, glowing a slight red before silencing itself. She frowned slightly as she looked round the hangar, following Jareds path and then eventually over taking him.

She walked towards the edge of the Hangar, finding the door controls and quickly entering the commands to open the massive durasteel bulkhead.

With a loud creaking hydraulic noise the blast doors swept open, falling into the floor and walls and disappearing to reveal more dust and empty hall. She frowned slightly, staring into the darkness. Slowly she reached up ad pressed a small key on her blaster. A light popped into existence and she shone it through the doors and into the halls.

Again she found nothing. “Control room.”

It was less of a suggestion and more of a command. If they found the control room they could power up the station and hopefully its security system...if a pirate base even had them.