Nexus Station: A Warm Welcome

18 years after the Battle of Yavin...
A divergent, persistent and interactive Star Wars timeline with a rich history and established characters.

Moderators: VagueDurin, Nichalus

Man of Many Faces
Posts: 6999
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:39 pm
Location: NYC

Post by corsos »

Sarroson Palencio arrived on Nexus station with a chip on his shoulder. A former member of New Republic Intelligence, he quit the agency five years ago because of the politicians not allowing them to do their jobs. SInce then he had contracted as a free lance mercenary across the galaxy doing various jobs and making a fine living. The uncertainty of that life had gotten to him and now he was looking for a fulltime position with someone. Security was such a boring job, but the reason he agreed to the job with the Obsidian Company was because he would be doing far more than your typical Security Director.

Few knew much about the men that now ran the Obsidian Company, but as part of New Republic Intelligence there were alsways suspicions about the Duncan Colivaar and their connection to former Imperial Inquistor and Black Sun Vigo Grantt Tirelli. No one knew for sure what his involvement was, and how deep it went, but there was no doubt a connection. Now, Duncan's brother had emerged as the President of a newly formed conglomerate of the Obsidian Company, and only weeks after Grantt Tirelli was killed in the war. It all made way too much sense for Sarro to ignore. More importantly, their efficiency in making such moves so quickly impressed him enough to want to work for them.

Sarro left all his weapons on his ship, and walked to the new office of the Company on Nexus Station, one of the growing trade outposts in the galaxy. It would soon become even more important, if what Sarro was hearing was correct. When he arrived at the company office, the front doors were still locked, as apparently they hadn't opened for business yet. He knocked, and after a few seconds the door was opened by a strikingly attractive woman wearing a green business suit in the fashion of the core worlds. From her look, and the sound of her voice Sarro decided to take her seriously immediately.

"You must be Sarroson Palencio." She said, smiling.

"Call me Sarro." He said, also smiling, flashing that New Alderaanian charm.

"My name is Julia Marcelles, I'm the manager of this office, and the region for the Obsidian Company. Please follow me, you'll also be speaking with Duncan Colivaar, with whom I believe you've already had a chat with."

"Briefly." Sarro confirmed.

"This way." She sauntered in front of him and led him to an office in the rear of the main room. He smiled as he followed.

You know how to walk...

Sarro barely took notice of the office all around him, which was basically finished and looked ready to open. She activated a simple sliding door and he walked in, she following behind. He recognized Duncan from pictures he had seen a long time ago, when he walked in.

"Sarrosan." Duncan stood and extended his hand.

"Duncan." Sarro shook it and sat along with Duncan. The man behind the desk spoke first.

"I'm going to get right to the point and avoid the run around, Valencio, since your job is going to require understanding most of what we do." Duncan began, and then handed a datapad over to him. "I think this covers most of your background. If anything is incorrect let me know, but I was impressed enough to bring you in. Since you agreed, and considering your past, I think you have a certain understanding of exactly it is that I do, and the new company."

Sarro went through the pad and moved through the files Duncan had compiled on him. His regard for the man and this new company grew as he saw everything they knew about him. They even had records of his involvement in the attempted assassination of Kyle Marion. "Not bad." Sarro said. "And yes, I think I understand the type of things that you'll have me dealing with besides stopping shoplifters."

Duncan nodded only.

"In that light sir, I do have some news I can offer as your new Director of Security." Sarro said. Dunan motioned for him to continue so he did. "There will be a meeting taking place here in five days time between the Galactic Empire and the Jedi Council."

"We know." Duncan said.

"Did you know that the Empress of the Loris system might also be in attendance?"

Duncan smirked. "I didn't. Clearly we've made a good choice."

"Thank you. In terms of the meeting, I have an idea that might present an opportunity for some profits."

"Do tell."
"The goal of war is not to die for your country, it's to make the other bastard die for his." General George S. Patton

:emperor:
The Emperor's Hand
Posts: 1665
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2003 11:58 am
Location: Second Star to the right, and straight on till morning....

Post by Jade Croft »

OOC: Odd, I had a post, but it disappeared...hmmmmm

IC:

Ember stared for a moment at Luthars back, she could feel his emotions reflecting her own. So much time lost, and now? She did not know if they could save what they had, but she did know she did not like seeing him hurt. It broke her heart.

Stepping close to him she slid her arms around his waist and rested her head on his back.

Home

If felt so good, feeling his warmth, hearing his heart beat. She thought to never hear it again, to always feel the emptyness at night in bed and not the comfort of his arms.

"I tried so hard to pretend to be happy without you....but I have missed you so much...I could forgive you for anything...anything but leaving me again....I don't think I could survive walking out that door, or seeing you walk out it. I don't think it will be easy...to deal with the past and move on...so much...but I would not want to try without you."
" They say that the best weapon is the one you never have to fire. I respectfully disagree. I prefer the weapon you only have to fire once.." --Tony Stark
Posts: 3187
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2003 12:24 pm
Location: WA, USA

Post by Xalsin »

Luthar's mind practically froze as the well toned arms of Ember encircled him. Without even a thought, he turned and pulled her close to him in a return embrace that under other circumstances might have been too tight. Right now, however, it seemed fitting.

Luthar was not a man given to emotion; he had been raised on the street for the latter part of his adolescent and on the streets emotion is merely a weakness others can use against you. Despite this, however, the familiar feeling of Ember in his arms and the nearly euphoric familiarity of her scent produced such a surge of both relief and a realization of what he had been missing that he was forced to choke back a rather unmanly sob. Even his clenched teeth and sheer force of will was not enough to stop the single tear that escaped from between his eyelids, tracing quickly down his cheek before dropping on to Ember's shoulder.

Finally, Luthar broke their embrace, just enough so that he could look her in the eye. "I'll make you a deal... If you don't leave ever leave, than I won't either."
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Recreation Deck


Chase Nivaro rested his shoulders against the roughly stone like surface of the wall that the information terminal next to him was embedded in, the terminal at which his wife now sat trying to cull information from the station's computer system,

"Wow, this has got to be one of the most advanced AIs I've ever seen. It's got be three or four times as advanced as the most sophisitcated droid brains I've seen at the insittute."

Chase just rolled his eyes as his wife rambled on for a few more minutes, he found it helpful to allow her to indulge in her passions from time to time as long as it didn't get them arrested and artifical intelligence was one of her foremost facinations,

"That's great hun, but can it find us a place to stay? Maybe suggest a place to find a top-notch bit of something from corellia?"

"Pft... we already have a room at the Path's End and while she can't recommend a place she does suggest we stay away from the High Winds, apparently the Hutt that runs the has his underlings at the bar on strick orderes to water down the drinks as often as they can."

Chase arched his eyebrow, "Fine by me, don't really care for hutts anyway."

Glancing across teh way he could almost swear he saw a holo-camm swing away from them when he glanced at it,

"Come on babe, you can continue your conversations with the computer from the room."

Chianna sighed as she pressed a couple of keys and pulled her interface plug out of the terminal's data socket,

"Room 109. It's supposed to have a decent view of the nebula."

"The computer tell you that too?"

Chianna nodded with a grin and began to skip off down the promande in the direction Chase could only assume was that of the inn, he waited for a momment enjoying watching her from behind and then pushed off the wall and followed, watching the small security cam pan after him,

"She can't ever not get us in trouble." he muttered under his breath, "Even when she isn't working..."

With his luck the stations security forces were already running checks on them,

"I need a drink..." he muttered loud enough for any monitoring devices to pickup, he'd foudn it was often better to be quite clear about one's intentions when one was being monitored and they were most definatly being monitored...
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

"So what exactly are you proposing?" Ryo and the clone, Draeg, sat in a booth at the Watchword Lounge. Each had in front of them a glass of a mysterious liquid and were in a heated debate.

"You heard me, boy." Draeg took a swig of his ale. "For half of my life I have been searching for you. I have scoured nearly every inch of this galaxy trying to find you and your father since that day. This is the best way to honor your father."

"By starting up a mercenary unit? Are you frelling mad?" Ryo's voice rose, but he quickly quieted it, hoping to not draw too much attention to himself and his newfound friend. "How does that honor my father and his memory?"

"When I served with your father, he was the greatest Jedi General in the Clone Wars." Draeg's voice and facial appearance took on a somber tone. "It was my greatest honor to serve with him, and I sacrificed my life to ensure that he could survive."

"You didn't answer my question!"

"True." Draeg smiled briefly, "Ever since your father was murdered, you have wandered throughout the galaxy, with no real path or purpose. Yeah, you may have called some places home in the past, but they were merely temporary, but nothing permanent. You were not meant to be docile, to sit around teaching children to move sticks with their mind. Your destiny was on the battlefield, much like your fathers."

"You think that my life has meant nothing? That all that I have done, all that I have suffered through has meant nothing?" Ryo clenched his left fist and three neutronium blades sprung forth, nearly slicing a good portion of the table in half.

"See, the gifts you have been given are a clear sign that you are meant to be a warrior. You are no philosopher, no politician. The gifts we have been given, are cursed with, are not meant to be wasted, nor neglected." He took another sip of his ale. "It is who we are, Ryo. Warriors, born and bred to be the best at what we do. But my time is nearing its end, unless things can be changed."

"There is nothing that I can do about that, Draeg. I am no cloner, or geneticist." Ryo finally retracted his claws and took a sip of his drink, wincing as it went down. "So you want to start a mercenary group and sell our services to the highest bidder?"

"Sort of." Draeg smiled. "What we need to do is have a full plan, I have only provided to skeleton, now we must fill in the rest."

Both men sat quietly for several moments before Ryo broke the silence. "We need to find a base of operations for our activities, and a source of funds for the operation. Not to mention personnel to begin training, among a list of many other things that we currently lack at the moment."

Draeg nodded his head, "All covered."

Ryo sat wide-eyed. "Enlighten me."
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chianna kissed her husband on the cheek as the two of them parted ways infront of the Watchword Lounge, it was decent upstanding joint, though she doubted it would have the kinda of refreshment Chase was hoping to find. She moved on down the promanade her hand gently resting on her bag of toys till she reached the inn and checked in. Once she was safely behind closed doors she emptied the contents of her bag on the bed and got to work sweeping the room for survellience devices, one could never be too careful...




Watchword Lounge


Chase's eyes swept the medium sized establishment as he stepped through the inner doorway, there was the expected mix of aliens and humans scattered about the space all huddled over thier drinks, some having more heated discussions that others, as he made his way to the bar one pair in particular when one of the men's voices rose above the carrying the words merc with it. As he settled at the bar ordered a corellian and slowly made a sweep of the bar till he could see where the words had come from, he adjusted his pilot's eyewear and the sensors embeded in them drank in the vistages of the two men,

"Im sorry sir, but we don't have anything.... corellia... in our stores."

He once again rounded on his stool and found an alien bartender of some speices he couldn't finger staring him in the face,

"Elb beer?" he asked in response to the statement.

"Yes sir." the alien replied with a appologetic nodd as it moved off. Chase deftly removed his comm stick and raised it to his lips and keyed open his private frequency with Chi,

"I know we're not here on work, but can you run a couple of faces for me? Transmiting now."

There was a minute or so of silence before his wife's voice echoed in his head through the implanted receiver,

"You're just lucky I'm a creature of habit. Give me just a sec to establish my crypto."

Chase smiled to himself and could almost feel the pinch on his behind that he'd have gotten if she'd been there in person,

"Not sure about the other one, but files say one you caught sporting claws goes byt he name of Ryo, no warrents but he's marked as extremely dangerous. I'd give him a wide berth darling. I would be sorely disappointed if any of your more... important parts got accidentally removed."

Chase smiled and turned his attention back to the returning barkeep and the two mugs of Eleb beer it had with it, it wasn't Corellian but it would do for now...
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

"What I'm trying to establish," Draeg began, "is that you and I can clearly make a well-trained, formidable fighting unit."

Ryo sipped at his drink slowly, contemplating the offer in front of him, which would entail a complete change of his life and embark on a new path that would be seen as rogue by the Jedi Council. Not like I really care about them, anyway, he thought.

During his time on Nexus Station, Ryo pretty much kept his Force-usage to a minimum. In his time, it wasn't wise to go around openly declaring his presence to everyone. His time spent under the tutelage of Esran Croft and his Cadre Prophet had taught him much about hiding his presence from others, and this was one of the few tactics that he still kept from his days with the Dark Side.

Now, however, he threw caution to the wind. He called upon the Force more-so than ever, hoping that he could get a glimpse of what it wished for him. This new path, the one of a mercenary, would take him down a road that would tip-toe the borders of right and wrong, of light and dark.

His eye's half-closed as he stretched his consciousness into the flow of the Force, letting it take him away from Nexus. He was met with a sense of certainty, that this was what he needed to be doing. It wasn't of the Dark Side, it was just, it was noble. Pulling himself back, he sighed, and what seemed as a great weight lifted from off his chest. He had a path, a purpose.

"What was that about?" Draeg questioned.

"I found my path." Ryo closed his eyes and dropped his head, as he thanked the Force for finally giving him a sign.

"Well, your path may be great, but we're out of drinks. Where's the waiter?" Draeg exclaimed, pushing his empty glass away from him.

"I'll buy the next round."

Ryo stood and grabbed the two empty glasses and headed to the bar area. He felt invigorated, so full of life. It had been over a decade since he felt this way. We need a good name.

Motioning to the bartender, "Two Tarisian ales, please."

He spotted a man wearing pilot's eyewear at the bar and nodded in his direction.

"Howdy."
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Finishing a pull on his first beer that drained it he set the frosty mug back on the bar and glanced sideways at the voice, it was Ryo,

"Hi." he replied hefting the second mug from it's place on the bar leaving behind a small ring of condensation, "You might wanna be careful with those Tarisian Ales. They back quite a punch, just not when you'd expect them to."

Chase could hear Chiana in his skull telling him to be careful...
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

Ryo chuckled. "This may be one of those times when a good punch could do some good."

He stopped and allowed the silence to linger for a bit while the bartender made up his order.

"Sorry, where are my manners. Ryo Kasyk." He said, extending his hand. He knew this was against the typical accepted behavior at most bar's and restaurants, but he threw it to the wind. During some of his more cordial moods, he tried to meet and interact with as many people as possible. He only hoped that nothing ill would come of meeting this new individual.
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chase eyed the man's hand for a seond as he took another swig of his ale,

"Darling I suggest you not piss off the highly dangerous Forcer by not shaking his hand." Whispered Chianna's voice in his head. Setting down his beer he extended his own hand,

"Chase Nivaro, at your service." he tried to make sound like he genuinely didn't know the man's name and he did his best to remmeber the trainign Devon have given them both with reguards to hiding one's feelings and intentions from a forcer, "Though not literally for another week, On vacation at the moment. My wife, she has some funny ideas about what makes for an intresting break."

"Ooooo, you are so going to pay for that!" came the voice in his head again "You just wait till I get my hands on you."

Chase grinned at that for a moment befor ehe remembered that he was the only one who could hear her buzzing voice, a second later the alien barkeep returned with the Ryo's Tarisan Ales,

"What brings you to this wonderful locale?" he asked picking his Eleeb beer back up and takign another deep pull...
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

Paying the bartender with a credit chit, he grabbed his two drinks and smiled.

"What brings you to this wonderful locale?"

"Heh," he laughed, "I'm not really sure, to be honest. I was fond of that traveling around the galaxy thing, all by myself, but it did get old after a while."

He took a swig of his drink and winced as it went down. Whew...might need to purge myself pretty soon. These things are STRONG!

"So, I stopped here, figured I see the sights. But it looks like an old friend of my father has other plans for me." He smiled. "Ya know, start a business, get the credit flow going, save some people in distress, that sort of thing."

Ryo paused, finally realizing that this man probably had no care what-so-ever of his life's journey or what Draeg had just told him. "Um...sorry to ramble. I haven't really been in contact with people too much lately."
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chase chuckeld at the appology and shrugged,

"What does it matter, not like I'm the secret police of the galaxy or something."

Motioning to the keep Chase pointed at the other man's table and pointed to himself and then held up two fingers, he hoped the alien had enough knowledge of galactic culture to understand the hand signals for two more at his new friend's table,

"Let's not keep your friend waiting." he smirked at Ryo and gestured loosely in that direction, "And there's nothing wrong with earning a little coin and helping out your fellow being in the process. Kinda gives you the warm fuzzies down inside."
Thermonuclear Wyvern
Posts: 330
Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2003 6:27 am
Location: Nowhere, and everywhere...

Post by AetherWalker32767 »

Paxton had to commend the Tasiv workers on their efficiency; they were done exactly on time, which was highly unusual (to say the least) for any crew associated with a local administration rather than a private company. As a result, his employees had had time to leave and find quarters for themselves before returning to work in the morning, and Paxton had been able to get himself a few hours of sleep.

The next morning, he noticed, much to his amusement, that a few of his employees had already acquired new vehicles. In the small parking area partitioned off at the back of the alotted space, right next to the hangar, he spotted a swoop, an older model but in good condition and clearly detailed for a recent sale, a souped-up sports speeder, a few more ordinary speeders, and a hovervan with a parking permit for a space very close to the nearest tram stop, which Paxton figured had to be a collaborative project amongst several staff members. His staff, by and large, seemed to have settled in more easily than he anticipated

From behind the mirrored windows of his loft, he could see his employees assembling for their first morning meeting since they debarked from the Dream. There was a space on the assembly floor with only very small installed machines, in which it was possible to set up a circle of chairs without any seat having a blocked view of any other. It was in that area that the staff had begun to assemble for the meeting, grabbing chairs from the nearby workstations as they arrived. With only a couple of exceptions, they seemed generally none the worse for wear and ready to go. Paxton wondered for a second if, on his very first try, he had actually managed to put together a good group of people. But it was still too early to tell.

There was a certain school of thought that taught that the manager should always be the first one to a meeting, both to prevent the first-arriving employee from feeling awkward, and to set a positive example of punctuality and industriousness. Paxton did not ascibe to that philosophy, though; he preferred to watch from a distance as his employees assembled, observing how they interacted with one another, listening in on their conversations through a tap from his computer to the work floor's networked vibration sensors. He liked to know how they were doing, what they thought of how things were going at work, how they were getting along with one another, and just what was on their group mind; and in his experience, if you wanted to know what someone really thought, one should stay as far away from asking as possible. So he waited, and listened, and once his employees had had sufficient chance to discuss things among themselves, he would join them and start the morning meeting.

Paxton could not help but notice that his employees had started to form into three groups. The first group, which seemed to have elected Brightly as its alpha male, was engaged in a fairly serious discussion about workspace organization and paperwork filing systems; they were, Paxton realized, not actually having a conversation, but were rather getting work done, with higher-ranking members of the group (for though Paxton had not given them officially-ranked titles, they seemed to have worked out a general ordering of seniority, skill, and dominance amongst themselves) discussing directives with their equals and passing them on to their inferiors.

The second group, headed by Hall, was engaged in a quickly-shifting discussion that seemed to touch on everything from the behaviour of the Tasiv to the best way to fit a rocket launcher into a vibrospear. Paxton noted that engineering- and craftsmanship-related topics came up most often, with aspects of life on Nexus station second, and less formal topics, like the modifications to the engines on Hall's new swoop, a distant third. It occurred to Paxton that members of this group were probably at least as devoted to their jobs as those of the first group, but were more concerned with vocation than career and with thinking than procedure. He suspected he'd be going to members of the first group more often for day-to-day tasks, and to members of the second for innovation and creativity.

The third group, he wasn't quite sure what to do about; its members talked casually about the station and about the other workers, in between periods of simply sipping coffee and watching the other groups talk. Paxton was not about to conclude that these workers were lazier than the others. Paxton grew up with other children of the elite, and most of the time, the money that they inherited was matched with the inheritance of the superior capabilities that had allowed their ancestors to earn the money in the first place; those capabilities were enhanced by the best education, to produce a crop of children whose average intelligence far exceeded that of their peers on middle-class and poor worlds. Among his peers, Paxton had noticed a fairly common attitude: if someone else saw you expending effort on a task, then obviously you weren't smart enough to complete that task without that effort. But of course, ambition was a trait that many of them had also inherited, and so they would voluntarily put in an amount of work that educators accustomed to working with more mediocre students would consider unhealthy; they would simply make sure that none of their peers saw them doing it. Perhaps, Paxton mused, that same attitude governed the actions of some of the members of the third group. He would have to watch members of that group more carefully, and see who among them proved to be productive.

Satisfied with his observations, Paxton turned away from the observation windows. It was time for the meeting to begin.

* * *

For the first meeting since the move, the morning gathering wasn't too long, largely because they'd had plenty of time on the ship to go over details of the first days of business in advance. With the manufacturing equipment set up, Paxton would be able to construct demonstrations of manufacturing techniques for the more unusual weapons, demonstrations which would alternate with practice sessions for the construction of simpler weapons and development brainstorming sessions; the time not spent in these activities would be spent constructing lock-on blaster rifles for inventory; unlike the swords, which would have to be made to measure, the rifles could be made in advance and then calibrated for the individual user at the time of purchase. Paxton realized that the schedule was somewhat disjointed, like a cross between an operational company and a training session, but so long as they were finding their feet, in need of practice and with few or no customers, such a hybrid structure might actually be appropriate.

Because of their rehearsal on the trip, the staff slipped into the new routine as if they had always lived that way. And so their first day of work began...

* * *

Around midday of that day, Paxton found himself giving a lecture on laser nanotube imprinting, a technique for using lasers and an organic matrix to form a lattice of carbon nanotubes, onto which the liquefied metal of the blade could be folded. The lattice enhanced the strength of the blade greatly, and provided a protective cage for the machinery in the blade's interior. Reynolds, who was a skilled metalsmith, was helping with the accompanying demonstration, though the technique had been refined by Paxton himself and was thus somewhat beyond the other man's level of expertise. Paxton's modifications involved using softer metals reinforced with folds of harder ones to function in a shock-absorbing capacity for the carbon substructure, improving the durability of the blade, with a polymer composite honeycomb core providing further shock absorbtion, absorbing the force of impacts against the blade and keeping such force away from the wrists of the user, decreasing the fatigue involved in wielding the blade. Nanotubular loops anchored the phrik edge of the blade, while a backbone of more thickly latticed nanotubes reinforced the non-cutting edge of the blade, and served as the mounting point for the heavy metal pellets that fine-tune the blade's weighting.

The lecture seemed to be going well, though Paxton was aware that he had the luxury of a captive audience. The key point was making sure that they understood the proper application of the organic membrane loaves that Paxton had taken to using as a base for nanotube formation. Unless he got a particularly special customer, that was the extent of what they needed to know about the process; only in an extroardinary case would he actually go as far as he went for the Project and use cloned tissue from the future owner as the foundation of the membrane loaf. Doing that added a second random element to the production process; the first random element was introduced by the structural variation required for the sword to be sized appropriately to the anatomy of the end-user, including his speed and strength. In a very few cases, almost invariably those of exceptionally skilled individuals, reinforced pockets would form in the sword for addditional equipment to be mounted, of a type determined both by the shapes of the pockets and the preferences of the end user. Such a result could not be guaranteed, and mounting the equipment into the pockets was quite difficult; as a result, such a sword could only be offered after scans of the individual suggested that it might be possible, and only at an additional cost of around 10,000 credits, an amount that most warrior types probably could not afford, but which would cover the cloning process for the unique membrane and any failed attempts in trying to construct an acceptible weapon while working with the uncertainty of uniqueness. The result, though, was a one-of-a-kind melee weapon designed to work as a part of the user, with special abilities matched to the user's temperment and determined by the user's very essence. Paxton could not help but think of Dragon Ichiban's Inferno blade, the power of which served for some time as a reminder of the difference in level between a Spatharius and an ordinary Project Enhanced. Few realized just how far they were from performing at the higher level until they challenged Ichiban for position and saw the Inferno blade unleashed. Even with the limited regenerative enhancements of the mk. III generation, many such challengers emerged from their duels so scarred that observers had to wonder if killing his opponent outright wasn't what passed for mercy in Ichiban's mind.

It hadn't occurred to Paxton until now just how many refinements he had made to the simple act of constructing a single-edged, two-handed curved sword of medium size over the years. The electro-generators had been an early addition, to cover the weapon in a web of lightning similar to that used by an electrostaff, reinforcing the phrik edge when blocking a lightsaber and greatly aiding with cutting through force fields, not to mention adding the ability to incapacitate an opponent with an electrocuting cut to any part of the body. The internal repulsorlift units, connected to the sensitive outer surface of the handle, served to complement the user's strength, enabling the weapon to move faster and more forcefully while reducing fatigue and allowing the greater control of more subtle motions while preserving velocity and impact force. Of course, controlling a weapon with its own internal propulsion took both strength and sufficient skill to understand the weapon's motion, a problem that occurred to a far greater extent in the energized chain sword, with its far heavier blade and correspondingly much larger repulsor units. Finally, the variable frequency vibro-generator constantly cycled through frequencies when the blade was in contact with another object, guided by the resonant feedback felt by the sensor wire that ran through the polymer-honeycomb core, in order to find the resonance frequency of the other object's material within milliseconds to enable the sword to cut through it with ease. The vibro-generator's chip, though pre-programmed to immediately try the frequencies of certain common materials, also had a limited ability to learn; if it cut the same new material several times, and in the same activation detected contact with a material of similar resonance feedback to the new material, it would give priority to testing out the frequency which had cut the new material before, enabling full sharpness effectively instantaneously. If facing a fixed-frequency vibrating weapon, it could also cause resonance with the frequency of the other weapon, causing the other blade to shatter.

Paxton knew full well that even a regular electrosword made according to his methods would rival a used starfighter in price; it wasn't something that your typical mercenary, even one good enough to wield it, would be able to buy. It couldn't be mass-produced for governments or for private security forces, either. The most likely clients were high-end assassins and gentleman soldiers of fortune. Now the question was whether or not any such people would show up...
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

Ryo nodded and grabbed his drinks. "Warm fuzzy feelings eh? We'll see."

He pondered what could possibly come from talking with this man, but he quickly stopped himself and began to think about what he and Draeg would do to start up their mercenary work.

"Draeg, this is Chase Nivaro." He said, taking a seat at the booth and made room for Chase to sit as well. "The poor man is here on vacation with his wife."

Draeg nodded his head and accepted his ale. The old man did a once over of Chase, assessing any possible threat, the training given by Jango Fett still ingrained in him.

"So what do you do for a living, Mr. Nivaro?" Draeg asked.
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chase flashed the man his best corellian grin, which wasn't all that great since he wasn't actually from Corellia,

"Frieghter captain and free-lance problem solver. Though most of my work is for the Artemis Institute these days, though I do still take the occasional outside contract."

He leant back in his seat and chuckled, "I could tell you some stories that you probably wouldn't beleive from back during the war. It's amazing the kinda stuff you see running around with Jedi."

Chase took another pull from his cup and grinned again, "So what's the story with you two, looks like you're all dressed up with no dance to go to?"
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

Ryo laughed as Draeg merely smirked. While Ryo pondered what exactly he would tell the man, he took another swig of his ale and savored the taste.

"I was trying to convince the young lad that the only way to honor his father would be to start up a business in the interests of helping those in need." Draeg said bluntly.

Ryo forced a smile, "You mean working as a merc. Which, I have to say, I've fought numerous times. Though I still have to say that its not Jedi-like to take up the path of the mercenary. Its a fine line to walk such a path. Probably even harder to get started and situated with the right contacts."

"You're not much of a Jedi anymore, boy." Draeg pointed out. "You didn't even fight in the war against the Xen'Chi, or GAIT. You don't even follow the advice of that Jedi Council of theirs anymore, do ya?"

Ryo looked sullen, "It wasn't my fight, and no...I don't." He took on a far-off gaze, as if he was staring through to another dimension. He kept this gaze for several moments, then shook himself out of it. "Just because I don't pledge myself to them doesn't make me not a Jedi. But you're right, a Jedi wouldn't have made the mistakes I made." He absentmindedly rubbed the scars between his knuckles.
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chase shruged as he listened to the two men exchanging conversation, "I dunno about that, I knew a guy, he could didn't really follow the Jedi code either. Just his heart most times and well lets just say alot of what he did didn't really mesh with the code."

Again he grinned as he finished off his tankard and slammed it on the table,

"He didn't turn out too bad if you ask me, ofcourse I'm a bit biased, Devon saved my life. The point being, the Jedi council isn't the be all end all. They let Mon Cal happen while they debated what to do so I wouldn't go too hard on yourself. Follow your heart and you should be ok."

As he finished his little bit of a speech two more tankards of Eleeb beer showed up on the table...
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

Ryo listened closely to what Chase was saying. It wasn't revolutionary, but the temptations were difficult to overcome. Was it the will of the Force that he be here, talking with this man? Was it so hard to just follow your heart, and do what felt right, not what was dictated by the Council and the Jedi Code?

"Perhaps you're right." He paused in contemplation, then broke the silence with laughter. "Rather ironic that one who is not Force-sensitive is passing on wisdom to a Jedi."

Draeg nodded, "You Jedi aren't the only philosophers in the galaxy, ya know. Even on a battlefield, some warriors can experience true enlightenment. I know a story of a comrade, name was "Nate," who found that there was more to life than battle. One of the bravest and wisest men I heard of, and knew."

"So, Chase, do you happen to have anyone looking to hire some freelancers?" Ryo queried the man sitting across from him, hoping that this friendship could prove beneficial.
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chase chuckled at the off-handed compliment, if he was handing out advice like a jedi then he needed to work on his surly disposition some more,

"Can't help you boys there, my bit is more along the lines of information gathering at the moment. Let others do the heavy lifting if you catch my drift. Though if I hear about anything I'd be happy to pass it along, you just never know when you'll run across that kinda thing. I'd expect you know, a finders fee or something if did though."

Chase leaned over in a real conspiratorial manner,

"Ya'll don't a problem with that do ya?"

He could hear Chianna giggle in the back of his head somewhere...
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

Ryo laughed, and shook his head. "As awkward as this situation may be to me, I do respect how a man earns his fare, and the work put into it. I think we can come to a mutual arrangement."

Despite disdaining business, primarily because it was a type of battlefield that he was utterly unfamiliar with, he knew that he would soon have to understand it, and master it if he was to be successful. Luckily, he had some help in making sure that his association would be the best at what they did.

"So, how long have you been married?" Before he would do business with anyone, he needed to know more about someone. He laughed to himself, he was gathering information on Chase. Ironic..
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chase mulled it around in his head, this was a question that could get him in a lot of hot water if he didn't handle it right,

"Bout... 6 years now." it was a round about number and he could hear Chianna fumming somewhere in the back of his head, "but I wouldn't trade a day of it for anything in the galaxy. Don't get me wrong, she can be mroe than a handful but she's worth it."

It was a genuine grin pressing it's way across his lips but it quickly gave way to a a colder straight face, "But that personal and if there's one thing I've learned it's that you never mix business and personal... it always ends badly."

Lifting his second tankard he swilled about half of it and the smile was back, "We become friends and maybe I'll fill in the gaps for you."
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

"I meant no offense by it," Ryo apologized, "was just trying to get to know ya. The more friends you make across the galaxy, the less enemies you'll have."

Great saying, Bindo!

Draeg looked at his young friend and shook his head. "I think what my young friend here is trying to say is, well, that we respect your privacy and would be honored to do business with you."

"Right." Ryo nodded. "Anyway, if we are to be business partners, frankly, I think we need a place to establish our "business."" He said, looking at Draeg. "And I don't really know the proper channels that merc's operate in, which I hate to admit it, is really pathetic. Though, I can't understand why most merc's hated me all those years ago."

From the expressions of both men, he failed at being humorous.

Draeg gathered his thoughts, and remembered back to the shpeal that he intended to give to Ryo about the proper places to establish such a business, and a training/home base. "With most businesses, what we'd need is a front, sort of like the facade of our operations. Merc work isn't exactly frowned upon, but its not exactly as noble as your Jedi Order. Truthfully, this place has the ability to be the home of our business front. All we'd need to do is procure an establishment, develop a legal business, and then with our friend here and some others, develop our own mercenary operation. For that, we'd need to establish a base of operations on a different world, one that was harsh enough to harden our men into a formidable fighting force."
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

Chase smirked at the other man's conclusions and shook his head,

"That's one way to go about it, if of course you want to end up on every government watch list from Coursant to Tattooine." He took another pull from his beer, " most governments are kinda funny about letting non-sanctioned para-military groups function legally within their boarders. So what you boys need to do is get your outfit setup as something legit and up front, say a security firm, you pay your taxes and fees and then you don't have to look over your shoulder all the time. Who knows, you might even be able to get a couple of government contracts or something. I hear those are worth a fortune if you can get them and with every government out there licking their wounds from the Xen'chi I imagine there's quite a bit of work to be had."
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

"Where is she, Malkovich," Fuil Brahnx said, slamming the smaller man against the wall. He had one of his large hands wrapped around his neck and his grip was tightening.

"I--I don't know," Malkovich managed to say as the air was being forced out of him. "The Tasiv took her! I don't know what they did with her!"

Fuil released his neck and threw him against the floor. "I want a body, Malkovich, I need to know she's dead. And if she's not then I will make her dead."

Malkovich lay in a crumpled heap gasping for air and when he didn't immediately respond Fuil kicked him in the ribs. "Well," he demanded.

"I can--I can look into it and I'll notify you as soon as I find her," Malkovich said quickly.

Fuil just stared at him but refrained from kicking him again. "See to it that you do. Now get the frell out of here."

Malkovich hurried to his feet and fled the room. As soon as the door slid shut behind him a shadow in the corner of the room shifted slightly and seemed to move away from the wall. "I think you over did it," Marrek said, fixing the mob boss with a steely gaze.

"If I want your opinion," Fuil started but he deliberately left the rest hanging in the air. "What's your interest in this girl anyway?"

"It's not my interests," Marrek corrected him, "but rather my associate's. You see, they were very close once."

Fuil moved to the small bar at one end of the room and poured himself a drink. "It doesn't matter either way, if I get my hands on that woman I'll make her pay for what she did to Qardin."

Marrek held out his hand and made a crushing gesture with his fingers. Almost instantly the glass in Fuil's hand shattered, sending shards cutting deeply into his skin. "Isis Sinclair will die, but it will not be by your hands."

Fuil gingerly pulled the shards of glass from his wounds then wrapped his hand in a cloth. "How do you even know she's alive, anyway?"

"I know," was all Marrek said then he moved to the door and disappeared into the hallway beyond, leaving Fuil alone with his thoughts.

OOC: Just settin' the scene for when Caitlyn shows up.
"Ol' Doc doesn't hide, he hibernates." -- Doc, Star Wars: The Old Republic

"What do you call it when you kill someone and take all their stuff?"
"Adventuring!" -- Tallis and Hawke, Dragon Age 2.
Lord Defender
Posts: 8040
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 11:26 pm
Location: locus vacuus fides

Post by coronhorn »

As Chase sat down his beer he noticed the ring on his right hand ring finger began to glow faintly, though in the darkened recesses of the tapcafe it was far more noticable. He held up his hand and swept it around him watching it glow brighter till he fixed the brightest point,

"What is it?" came Chianna's voice in the back of his head.

Chase picke dback up his beer and finishe dit off with a single long pull,

"I'm sorry gentlemen, but I have to excuse myself," he reached into his jacket and retireved a small data chit and tossed it on the table, "If you ever need ride somewhere feel free to get in touch, I cang et you anywhere you want to go."

Pulling a 100 credit coin from his pocket he flippe dit to the bar keep,

"Keep the change."

As soon as he was clear of the cafe he raised his wrist comm, "My locator ring just lit up."

"It did?"

"It's coming from the jump point, my guess is someone we know just jumped in."

"But who?"

"Try and find out."

"I will, but these Tasvi take thier security really serious."

"I'm gonna head down to landing deck and see what I can find out."

"Be careful honey."

"Always babe."

============================


Chianna stared blankly at her holo-interface for a minute as she ran all of of the different ways she could find out about arriving ships from the stations systems through her head. From what little poking around she'd done so far most of the relevant data was all kept in the Tasiv native language and she hadn't been able to write a translation routeing back to basic yet and most of the information she had found so far in basic was all irrelevant. Shaking her head she decided she'd do something unorthodox,

"Nexie? Are you there?"

she knew the station's AI had been keeping tabs on her, security markers were turning up on all of the return packets of her datastream...
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn led her little band of Jedi apprentices out into the gardens beyond the meeting hall. Once they were out of earshot of the imperials guarding the front entrance she turned to face the others. It came as somewhat of a surprise earlier when both Rhyana and Renato asked to join them. Caitlyn didn't know either of them very well and she had always been terrible at meeting new people.

"I don't know how much of a guide I'll be," she told them, "The last time I was here I didn't do much sight-seeing."

Then she glanced around, trying to catch her bearings. "I think we're on the Recreational Deck. There's a lot of classy stuff up here, what'd you guys want to see first?"
User avatar
Mir
KING OF STRONG STYLE
Posts: 18700
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:43 pm

Post by Mir »

Rhyana spoke. "I heard they have a zoo here. I'd be interested in seeing that." Akain nodded.

"There's supposed to be gardens too." He shrugged. "I honestly just want to stay away from those Ysalamiri."
Man of Many Faces
Posts: 6999
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 9:39 pm
Location: NYC

Post by corsos »

Duncan sat at his desk and watched as Simon's image appeared on his desk. "Boss, you wanted me to contact you?"

"Yes Duncan." Simon said, all business. After all, there was no telling how much the Tasiz monitored their transmissions off the station. The Wire division hadn't yet set-up their secure transmission between Nexus and Telran Station. "Negotiations for the deal have been initiated. We expect results quickly considering our price point. The commodities should be arriving at Nexus within a day. The details of the necessary arrrangements will be provided at the conclusion of negotiations."

"Am I to understand that personal reciept of the assets will not be necessary?"

"Yes. Simply make the proper preparations for their arrival, and proper directions will have been provided."

Duncan nodded. "Understood. Nexus Station out." He looked up at the door to his office and called for Sarro to enter. The former NRI operative came in and sat down. "We're a go. Make whatever arrangements you have to in order to get access to the meetings. Our informants tell us that Reng Kasr is running security for the entire gathering, meaning it will be beyond tight. Our involvement in this cannot be discovered. That is even more important than success."

Sarro nodded. "I know the Tasiv security protocols well enough, and getting around them won't be impossible. Who are the assets?"

"Undetermined, but they'll be good, with what we're paying. We think we'll be able to get it done."

"I'll take care of it." Sarro said. "You are paying me quite a lot as well."

"That we are." Duncan said. "Be subtle with this."

"My middle name."

"How's our security team coming along?" Duncan asked.

"I've found about 8 of what will be our 12 permanent members. Finding our less official 20 or 30 auxiliary members has been much easier. We'll be well equipped to deal with any trouble."

Duncan nodded, happy and impressed. "Well done. I'll let you know when our assetts will be arriving and who they are. Expect them within 24 hours."
"The goal of war is not to die for your country, it's to make the other bastard die for his." General George S. Patton

:emperor:
80% Man, 10% Hard Liquor, 10% Beer
Posts: 282
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2003 2:59 pm

Post by Ryo Kasyk »

Draeg and Ryo thanked the man, and bid him farewell.

"So whats our next move?" Ryo asked his companion. His strengths laid in the Force, and combat.

"Well, let's decide where would be the best place to establish our base of operations, and then contact the Tasiv to establish a place of business here. That way we can get ourselves established."

Ryo nodded slowly. "Here." Ryo pulled a datapad from within his robes and slid it across the table at Draeg.

"What is this?" Draeg picked up the datapad and looked at the information as it appeared on the screen.

"Accounts, established long ago. In another lifetime." Finally, I am ridding myself of that time period, of the darkness. "You can take my ship, I'll find a way off this station. Besides, I have an idea for a different vessel, one befitting my new role."

"So I take it you want me to locate a place to set up our base of operations?"

'Ayep."

"I have a few ideas." Draeg replied. "Places I've been to throughout the years. Places that would be good to establish such a facility."

"Good. Then its settles." Ryo finished his ale and stood slowly, slightly feeling the effects of the alcohol on his system. He took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, using the Force to expel most of the alcohol from his body. "I love being a Jedi." He smiled as he looked back to the old man.

"Don't get overly confident." Draeg stood and braced himself with his hands against the table. "My brothers killed lots of your Jedi ancestors back in the day."

"True. I'll be in contact."

Ryo walked out of the Lounge and into the walkway, headed in the direction of his hotel room.

Time to get a new ship. And start the next stage of your life, Ryo.
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn nodded in response, she didn't know much about the Ysalamiri but she could feel its Force neutralizing effects. Although, in her case, having only been trained in the ways of the Force for the better part of a week, the effect wasn't as profound as for some of the others. "I think the zoo is this way," she said, leading the group down the street.

_______________________________________________________________________

Fuil watched the cloaked figure with mild curiousity as he stood staring out the window of his second story office. With a quick flick of his wrist he downed the rest of his ale then slammed the glass onto the desk in front of him, breaking the silence that lingered over the room.

"What is it," he asked finally.

Marrek was a long time in answering and when he spoke his tone had an odd sound of regret to it. "A ship of Jedi delegates has landed," he explained.

Fuil just stared at him and shrugged. "So?"

"I've felt a familiar presence among them," Marrek said, at last turning to face Fuil. "I must go, this is too important an opportunity to pass up."

Fuil looked like he was about to object but the dark man gave him no opportunity. He was out the door and gone in an instant, leaving Fuil alone in puzzlement.

_______________________________________________________________________

As the group meandered through the exhibits at the zoo Caitlyn suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and the hairs on the back of her head began to stand on end. The others were entranced by a strange looking animal in front of them and while they were watching it Caitlyn was watching the crowd. The only one she wasn't sure of was Renato, he could have been watching anything.

Suddenly her body felt very cold as her mind slowly became aware of an ominous presence. Her eyes flicked back and forth, glancing this way then that until finally she saw a cloaked man standing next to a light post several yards away.

"Is something wrong," Akain asked, startling her somewhat. Caitlyn looked at him then back to where she saw the cloaked man only he wasn't there anymore

She rubbed her eyes with one hand and shook her head. "It's nothing," she assured him, although it didn't take a Jedi to sense the slight shake in her voice. That feeling, I've felt it before... Long ago.

_______________________________________________________________________

Marrek smirked as the young girl and her friends moved on to the next exhibit. She had spotted him in the crowd which confirmed her identity. So, the child is still alive. Good, already she has exceeded my expectations. He turned then and headed off in the opposite direction of which Caitlyn's group was walking. It is not yet time for our meeting. I will find you again...
Centurio
Posts: 7688
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2004 7:37 am
Location: Wisconsin

Post by Archangel »

Renato was told to keep to Caitlyn's hip, and that was what he was doing. While the others watched the various fauna kept in the zoo, Renato watched Caitlyn. When she shivered, he probed ever so lightly for her feelings and reached out with his own.

He felt a cold fear. And a memory.

As quickly as it had arrived, the feeling was gone. Akain was saying something to her, and Renato turned his face toward the creatures in the zoo. The Force kept his vision on Caitlyn. Part of him was repulsed by the very notion of a zoo, especially one on a space station; to fabricate natural beauty seemed so brusque and pretentious - and to view it seemed a waste when the genuine article was not altogether far away or difficult to find. Renato supposed the feeling was based in his childhood on a farm, but paid it no real heed.

As for Caitlyn, he knew she was hiding something - more than she claimed, even - but that was her prerogative. Everyone had a past, and Renato's duty was to keep his senses open in the now, not delve into history.

And as Renato reached out with his senses again, he realized that he had felt that chill from Caitlyn - but the memory had belonged to someone else. Who that was, Renato supposed only Caitlyn could say - and for the time being, he would not ask.

As the group moved on toward the next exhibit, Renato followed in silence.
User avatar
Mir
KING OF STRONG STYLE
Posts: 18700
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:43 pm

Post by Mir »

Rhyana watched the different animals in the zoo with interest. More than once she came across animals that had little kits or cubs and it reminded her painfully of her own situation. She decided that the zoo probably hadn't been the best choice. She'd been too focused on the animals to catch any of Caitlyn's movements or Akain's query.

For his part, Akain was keeping a watchful eye on Caitlyn, while maintaining the pretense of looking and and studying the exhibits. He knew that there was something on this station that she was fearful or apprehensive of, and her actions a few moments ago had not only confirmed it, but strenghtened the thought in his mind to help her. He didn't want to add to her worries, but he felt he had to put this out there.

"Caitlyn, I think we should find a place to rest." Caitlyn looked at him, unsure what he meant.

"Why, we just got here." Akain pointed at Rhyana on the sly.

"If you haven't figured it out by now, I think Rhyana is pregnant and doesn't want us to know."
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn stared at Akain for a moment then looked around until she spotted an outdoor cafe not far from where they were standing. "We can stop over there," she said, pointing towards the cafe.

She led them over to one of the tables and sat down, all the while her eyes kept scanning the crowd for that shadowy figure. As far as she could tell there was no trace of him and the feeling she had a moment before was gone. In fact, she was at least partially convinced that she imagined the whole thing.

Akain came over and sat next to her and Caitlyn leaned over and whispered into his ear. "Who's the guy with the blindfold," she asked him. She had only caught his name in passing earlier, but beyond that she knew absolutely nothing about him. Or Rhyana, for that matter, but the woman didn't bother her as much as the man. Something just didn't feel right about him, some nagging feeling she had somewhere in the back of her mind.
User avatar
Mir
KING OF STRONG STYLE
Posts: 18700
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:43 pm

Post by Mir »

"I don't know why I feel so tired, guys, I'm sorry." Rhyana said with a sheepish smile as she found a place to sit down. She ordered a glass of water and sipped at it. Meanwhile, Akain heard Caitlyn whisper into his ear.

"He's Renato Farani, Daer'Gunn's padawan." Akain whispered back. "One of the Sith Lords blinded him during the attack on the Temple."
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

Daer'Gunn's padawan? Caitlyn asked herself, giving the man a side-long glance. Could he be... She didn't get to finish that thought when suddenly someone crashed into her, spilling his drink all over her lap.

"I am so sorry," the man said quickly, "Here let me get that."

He reached for a napkin and moved closer as though to dry her off but Caitlyn quickly jumped out of her chair before he could. "That's okay, I'll handle it," she said, holding up her hands. The last thing I need is some weirdo touching me.

"Again, I am so sorry," the man repeated, bowing his head to her.

Caitlyn merely shrugged, managing not to allow her irritation to show in her expression. "Whatever," she said, then she turned to Akain, "I'll be right back."

She pivoted to her right and headed for the nearby restroom. Once inside she crossed over to the mirror after grabbing a few towels along the way. She started dabbing at the stain on her robes and barely noticed the shadow creeping up behind her. It was more of a gut feeling that caused her to look up when she did, just in time to avoid the knife aimed at her heart.

Caitlyn sidestepped the attack, but her left foot landed in a puddle on the floor and she slipped. She fell backwards on her rump and within seconds the assassin was on top of her. Without even thinking she acted on impulse and sent a wave of energy outwards in every direction, catching the assassin off guard and sending him sprawling backwards. He hit the wall hard and slid to the floor then he just stared at her with a wild expression. His eyes finding it difficult to focus.

"You're not the one I'm looking for," he said after the pain in his head and body had subsided somewhat. "It seems I've made a grave mistake."

"Who are you," Caitlyn demanded of him, "and what the hell are you talking about?"

The assassin didn't answer, he simply climbed to his feet and bowed to her. "My apologies, Miss," and then he was gone. Caitlyn stood and rushed over to where she last saw him. A grate covering a ventilation shaft in the wall had been pushed aside. Well, that explains how he got in, she thought quietly to herself. That also explains where he went, but what did he mean when he said I wasn't the one he was looking for? How could he mistake me for someone else?
Last edited by Pryde on Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Mir
KING OF STRONG STYLE
Posts: 18700
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:43 pm

Post by Mir »

Akain, the possibly the most intune to the Force of the group, felt the use of Force ripple in the back of his head like an aggravating itch. He rose, scratching at the itch with his fingers wondering who had used the Force, considering all the masters and leaders were in the meeting hall with those damn Ysalamiri. Maybe someone on the station who hadn't been trained. The signature was familiar though, a new acquaitance of his. The itch danced around his head, and he realized that it was more powerful than he'd originally figured on it being.He plotted out where it had come from. The women's room. Caitlyn! He moved quickly, excusing himself to Renato and Rhyana and headed to the ladies room. He stopped when he reached there. He couldn't enter it. So he rapped on the door a few times and called out.

"Caitlyn, are you okay? I...felt someone use the Force." he turned when Rhyana and Renato came up behind him, obviously having felt something too.
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn opened the door and stepped out, giving Akain a slightly irritated look. "Somebody tries to kill me and you stop to knock?" she asked him incredulously, "What'd you think was going to happen? Did you expect the assassin to stop stabbing me long enough to say, 'Who is it?'"

Akain's eyes drooped for a moment and Caitlyn realized she was being too hard on him. "I'm sorry," she apologized, but before she could say anything else Rhyana interrupted her.

"What happened?" she asked, a look of concern in her eyes.

Caitlyn simply shook her head. "It was nothing, just a case of mistaken identity."
Last edited by Pryde on Mon Apr 07, 2008 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Mir
KING OF STRONG STYLE
Posts: 18700
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:43 pm

Post by Mir »

Rhyana nodded. "In that case, perhaps we should get a move on. Maybe to a different level. Usually speaking, you would hire more than one assassin to take out a target, and if that's so, the next one we encounter might not realize that you're not his target." She looked at Akain who had basically assumed de facto leader status of the group, but he was silent, looking away, face unreadable. Eventually he shrugged.

"Whatever works." Rhyana nodded and turned to Caitlyn.

"What do you think?"
Pryngles
Posts: 17211
Joined: Sat May 10, 2003 2:11 am
Location: Earth

Post by Pryde »

Caitlyn glanced at Akain who was still avoiding eye contact with her. Idiot, how could you yell at him like that, she berated herself quietly. "I think we should let Akain decide our next move," she said, giving him a reassuring smile. It wasn't much, but she hoped it would make up for her outburst earlier.
User avatar
Mir
KING OF STRONG STYLE
Posts: 18700
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 5:43 pm

Post by Mir »

"Whatever works, like I said." He replied evenly. Rhyana just nodded.

"So where do we move on to? We could go back to the meeting, that's a possibility." She said and shrugged.
Locked

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 20 guests