[center][b]Aboard Aberrancy, En Route Rendezvous with The Dagda[/b][/center] --- The Aberrancy drops out of hyperspace, stopped in its tracks by a gravity well reactor. Her power flickers off and her crew scrambles to restore systems and identify the threats. Outside, unbeknownst to the crew as they are in black-out conditions for visuals, a series of fighters are launched and the sensors begin to work, identifying the new prey in their trap. Ibeth gets to work immediately, barking out commands. Restore shields, reacquire sensory arrays, acquire stability for life support and fix the weapon grid. Already, his crew was running to their stations about him and he listens as reports flood in. The weapons were still down, as were sensors but they at least had a visual before them once more across the outward video feed in the bridge. The screens fuzz before displaying the scene before them. Ibeth picks out the targets before them before announcing, “Pirates. Move up priority of weapons and launch fighters and light support crafts. Fighters, on launch, initiate Flight V pattern and deliver guerrila strikes against enemy targets. I don't want to lose a soul.” He looks to his crew as they viciously assault their consoles with codes and commands, engineers were still running from system to system. “Life Support achieved!” is called out. “Shield integrity restored!” chimes in moments later. Ibeth nods and redirects focus to movement and weapons. The sooner they could get momentum behind them and fight back, the better. Before him, he could see the screen flare with streaks of light as the pilots all took initiative and launched with relative ease. The begin in a pattern and dive in to attack, only for their numbers to split apart and have to dart back around as the enemy blasts apart the lead wing. The MKIs on the strike begin circling back to reestablish their V flight pattern as a squad of MKIIs streak through, sidelong to the fighters of the enemy wing and scythe through them, halving their numbers. Trumpeting through the ship, a cry comes out, “Sensor array active! And they've locked their weapons!” “What's the status of my engines?!” Ibeth barks out, about to strike out at a lowly engineer leader. “Still down, commander! We're working at it,” the engineer squeaks and darts out of the way. Ibeth rubs over his face irritably before checking the statuses of his small fleet. “And what the hell happened to my comms?!” “You never asked for them sir!” Just then, the Aberrancy is wracked by heavy fire, the shields taking the brunt of the impact but a battery of their weapons taking heavy damage and breaking into nothing but space scrap. Ibeth curses under his breath and calls out for reports. “Engines connection reestablished!” someone pipes up. Ibeth strikes a hand through the air, “Begin evasive maneuvers, Delta-Swing.” The Aberrancy lurches for a moment as the engines splutter and then start out full-burst, sending them forward before the controls shift and their visual begins to go askew, the enemy ship appearing to roll sideway as they take begin to turn and advance to a position under the belly of the beast. “Where's my weapons?!” “Back online, commander! Orders?” “Load and fire weapons, starboard, full assault,” he instructs, watching as rounds blast out to each side of his visual display but cannot reach them with the scope of the weapon arrays on the pirate vessel. Fighters streak past their visual array as the MKI squads are utterly destroyed by a second launch party from the pirates. Scrap hits the outer visual display and a portion of the screen goes dark as it is ruined. Ibeth slams a fist down onto the console and suddenly before him great red panels burst forth: [center]'ERROR: SYSTEM OVERLOAD.' 'SHUTTING DOWN.' 'HAVE A GOOD DAY.'[/center] Ibeth blinks and removes the visual apparatus, looking at the simulator panels with a disheartened expression. And he thought he was doing so well on this test run of Xen's latest sim-program. He definitely felt he had a better understanding of basic tactical routines. He would just have to remind the Kubaz to install something a little less touchy to being abused. Ibeth gets up and starts marching back towards the halls. They were almost to the Tapani sector and so far things had been uneventful. He looks at his wristlink and finds a message waiting for him as the light blips red. He blinks in surprise, going to open it. The simulator was fairly impressive and he had not even noticed through the practice that anyone had tried to contact him. As he starts the message, the screen flickers and Azazel starts back in a routine, initially irritated and asking where he was before appearing to, relax slightly and appear even accepting he was bothering with training routines. He looses a sigh of relief that this shoddy crew had the sense to relay that information, after all, Ilo was not the greatest of commanders and this crew had largely been left to her devices. He scrunches his face, scales rasping as he grimaces. “Great... The Sith wants me to babysit her sector while she runs off and has fun. When does Ibeth get a break, huh? No one ever asks, 'Hey Ibeth! Do you want a chance to meet a nice lady and get lucky?!' Nooo. Not me, not ever. Just work, work, work.” A crew member looks at him, absolutely perplexed and unsure if the Noghri was talking to him. He coughs and gives a questioning look, pointing at themselves before Ibeth plants his face in his hand, just shaking his head. “Nothing, nothing. I wasn't talking to you. Get back to your maintenance routines.” --- [center][b]Aboard the Dagda, Preparing for Launch[/b][/center] --- Azazel scrolls back through her messages, checking what there was to be learned. So far, a great deal of nothing. Xen had informed her that his blackmailed resources turned up nothing, and apparently her explorers got lost for several days looking for a new famous donut shop that marketed some off flaky new pastry called 'a cronut.' Her stomach turns at the thought of something and she finds herself racing to the closest waste recepticle. Xen gives her a concerned look as he comes through the doorway and clears his throat, “Lady, Loremaster Yevin wishes a word?” Azazel continues to heave, unable to respond for a few moments longer before she stands up and wipes the corner of her mouth. Still feeling woozy and nauseous, she carefully takes a seat a few paces away and looks up at Yevin, “Sorry, excuse me... What did you want?” Yevin's face twists in uncertainty, tinged with a little queasiness of his own as he shuffles his feet, “Well, quite honestly, you to take a moment in the hygienic facilities after that...” Azazel frowns and nods, standing up and going to her bathroom to freshen up and thoroughly clean her mouth. After rinsing for what had to be the fifth time, she staggers back and takes her seat, gesturing for the loremaster to continue. He clears his throat and nods, “Yes, well, I believe I am onto something. Something big.” He readjusts his robes, obviously a bit awkward not amongst his books and data collections as he looks to Xen. The Kubax nods and waves for him to continue. “But, I want to cross-reference this information before I say one way or another if I have anything for you... Ah, could you, perhaps, refer me to additional resources on Sith and Jedi?” Azazel hesitates for a moment, thinking to her holocron collection. She had given the loremaster access once or twice but was not quite ready to grant it again. “Actually, I could refer you to numerous sources. Unfortunately, a few are off the table. The Mecrossa Order is in a sorry state for providing anything as of this time.. And I am unsure if my Sith allies would be willing to divulge information at this time... Gra'tua perhaps, but he is off with that Lena to... Well, somewhere. I'm unsure the location.” She leans forward, toying with the options. Much of her holocron collection, she was far too uncertain of at this time given the source of it. Khaelesh's holocrons had already proven once to lead to great danger. She pinches the bridge of her nose before raising a hand. “I have it... The order on Bpfssh. I have not contacted them in some time and they in their own respects are keepers of lore. They follow the darkside as well. Perhaps not as inclusive as other sources, but it could be a start. If it becomes necessary, I will redirect you to another sith, if they allow it, but for now, they should be more than helpful.” She offers a smile and looks to Xen. Xen furrows his brow in thought, digital lenses clicking over his cybernetic eyes before he nods, “It will do, though we have not had contact for a time. There of course would be concerns for his health, given the time. If they are more loyal than the scum of the Mecrossa, then indeed they will do. I, however, would see another joins him in this. One of your disciples they know. It would be a good exercise to see that they remember where their loyalties lie.” Azazel nods slowly, a little dumfounded she had not considered that. “You raise a good point.” She looks over the loremaster who looked positively pale at the thought he might indeed be in danger in the pursuit of more knowledge. “Do not worry, I will send Tannus with you. As your personal pilot and protector. He has had dealings with these... individuals, and would be more than happy to assist you. He always seems ready for a new endeavor anyways. I feel he has grown beyond a simple pilot of late. It holds less... interest of his. A sith, through and through.” She smiles sweetly and nods, waving a hand to dismiss him as her wristlink begins to chime a warning that a new message was being patched through to her. She wrinkles her nose, standing, unsteady and stumbling at the unusual weight of her increasingly swollen belly and begins to walk to the conference room and communications. Not even all the way to the communications room, her wristlink begins to chime again. She raises it to see a message flashed across the screen 'Aberrancy returned.' She nods, happily to herself and continues on, punching the button for the door to slide open before it swooshes closed behind her once more. She blinks in surprise seeing both Kitt and Xen there already before a holographic display of a single individual, swathed in a cloak that hid much of their features. Azazel looks at them curiously and Xen shrugs. It seemed Azazel was having a little more trouble and needing more time to get around. She sighs and moves up to the console, taking a step onto the display and addressing the darkside cultist before her. “Yes? I hope I have not kept you waiting.” The cultist bows their head and murmurs, “You have not, Dark Lady. I wait as you wish. Some of us, indeed, are still loyal to the Lady Hejaran, and in turn, to you.” Azazel pauses before nodding, “That... Is indeed good to hear. Of course, I have my hesitance to accept such, given what I have born witness to.” The cloaked figure chuckles, “Indeed, I do not loathe your position, Darth Azazel. Many I have once considered friend and ally now are indeed torn between yourself and this new Lord. But there are still some who know where our loyalties lie.” Azazel leans forward, gripping the rails of the holographic pad to steady herself. Her lower back and legs were beginning to ache greatly after traversing the halls. “Indeed it would seem. Have you any information for me?” The sole figure shakes his head, blue cascading about the room from his holographic form. “I am afraid not, Dark Lady. None except that there are those amongst the Order that know the traitor Jehemath and this false lord and witness it. We follow you and Braghda still and will be of assistance to you. Our ears will be yours and should we hear word, you will be amongst first to know, fear not.” Azazel smiles slightly and gives a short nod, “Very well. I look forward to future word. I would find this Traiserus and see him pay for all this he has caused.” With that, she kills the feed. Kitt and Xen look on with hardened gaze as Azazel clenches her fists tighter on the rail. “Well?” she snaps, looking at the pair. Xen sits back, folding his arms behind his head and delegating the response officially to the Echani. “We can't trust a word we say. It could be a trap.” “I am well aware, but a trap that could eventually lead us to the snake. We will keep a line open to this supposed traitor. Trust nothing they say, but indeed... Listen to what they might have to tell. Truth or not, we will have the upperhand in the end. Let them think we trust their words. If Traiserus thinks it is so easy to pull the wool over a true Sith's eyes, he will be sorely mistaken yet.” --- [center][b]The Red Sanctuary: A Reunion of Sith and Disciples[/b][/center] --- Rei'Ki waits, fiddling with her lightsaber to adjust it to her own settings. She was still adjusting to the weapon she had taken from Azazel's display still. Despite holding her tongue, her mistress could still sense the prickling anticipation of the Dathomiri to reunite with her lover. A faint smile passes over the older woman's lips at the thought. Did she not feel the same when going to meet her own, after all. Xen taps away at his keyboard relentlessly. Azazel wonders for a moment the last time she had seen him not doing something related to his duties of late. Perhaps it was time to force a leave upon him. He could use it, certainly. His performance had indeed been slipping recently, after all. He was likely overworked. Janii herself had out a small screwdriver and was flexing her robotic hand manually. The vibroshivs flex out intermittently as she tests the internal mechanisms and assures they are up to par. She had been oddly quiet in her time on board. Kitt, however, had a cap on her head, tipped down as she slumbers peacefully. Azazel shakes her head softly at the sight. Of anyone, the Echani was perhaps the most diligent in trying to follow duties aside from Xen. It was endearing, to a point. She would not have one of her elite warriors working herself to such ends, though. If she were to enter into battle, she would be performing far below average. Hakkri and Bezol sat together, laughing and playing a game with their hands. It seemed to be a test of reflexes and as far as she could see, Bezol was beating him each time. Except for the occasional once or twice, though. She focuses her attention on the duo and feels it. A slight tug in the force moments before Bezol draws her hands into position. Hakkri was indeed attempting to use the force to manipulate how her hands rest, but it seemed the training she had given her crew to block such things had largely paid off. Indeed, Bezol hardly seemed to notice the subtle manipulations. Azazel licks her lips and settles back into her chair as the doors swoop open to the Officer's longue. In strides the rest of her officers. Ibeth, bursting in boisterously and tossing something to Rei'Ki. A small souvenir from Togoria... Which leaves the disciple shrieking and tossing it into the air. Azazel blinks and narrows her eyes, trying to scrutinize what it was... And indeed, it was a small furry critter. She watches as Rei'Ki nurses her hand after having been bitten by the creature in its frenzy to escape after being thrown so rudely. The Sith stifles a laugh and watches as Lydavis strides in and sweeps the Dathomiri into her arms and kisses her deeply. Hakkri makes a choking gagging sound, pretending to be sickened before Tannus snorts and clanks in, mechno-arms scraing against the metal walls. “Enough, Hakkri. I've been having to bear witness to them swapping spit far longer than you... And don't think I never caught you with some of the crew, either.” Hakkri flushes and his ears lay flat as he turns aside, hand raising up and scratching the scruff of a small beard starting to come in. Azazel blinks upon noticing that. She could not remember a time Hakkri had not kept up on his appearances ritualistically. Something must still be bothering him. “Welcome back, it has been awhile. Anything to report.” Ilo shrugs and takes a seat beside Xen, “Not much. Ibeth helped straightened out the routines on the Aberrancy well enough. Lydavis had us trying to track down a whole lot of slavers. Seems she has a crush on some big furry jedi man.” Lydavis narrows her eyes and straightens up, looking past Rei'Ki's shoulder. “I have not. I just thought it would be worth an attempt to get him onto our side. It would do well to have one as strong as him on our side. He would be quite skilled and perhaps have alternative techniques to our own that he might add to our repertoire.” Ilo snorts, “Right, right. And I'm a bantha-faced moron. You had the hots for him.” Rei'Ki scrunches up her face, trying to picture this but eventually just slips an arm possessively about the Twi'Lek. “Yeah, right. Get over it, Ilo. She's just not into that sort.” Ibeth snorts and rolls his shoulders, “Sure. But she did make an ass of herself trying to convince the Jedi. He's at least on her and Tannus' level. Seemed in a real funk, though. Guy living in a cave as if exiled, cuz his 'shaman' master died. Yeah, seems like a depressed nutjob to me.” Azazel nods, taking all this in. “I'll check into it at a later time. I assume you all got the updates I sent?” The others nod in unison. “Yeah, about that Sith. Jeeze, did he really drive you off that resort?” Lydavis inquires, obviously unconvinced. “I am afraid so. It comes with encountering an enemy in his own den, while you are unaware of such.” Lydavis frowns, nodding and looking to Janii. “It was not all a bust, though, it seems?” Azazel nods and stands, struggling for a moment to get out of the deep seat. “Indeed. Everyone, this is Janii. For the time-being, she will be assisting us in the capture and punishment of this Lord Traiserus for the crimes he has committed against other nobles of the Tapani sector. Janii, this is everyone. She has some special rules for coming along with us and I ask you abide by them. She is not to be commanded. She is to be asked politely.” Bezol snorts at this, as the others look at each other as if Azazel had just made a joke they did not quite comprehend. A metallic coughing noise comes from Janii as she clears her throat. “Indeed. I look forward to acquainting myself with all of you. That way I know who to turn into the authorities when this is all done.” Ilo's amused expression suddenly drops at those words as she looks incredulously at Azazel. Face still as passive and unmoving as ever, revealing no emotional, the monotone Janii rings out, “That. Was a joke. In truth, if you are all as... eccentric as those I have met already...” This time, her gaze averts to Hakkri and Bezol snickering in the corner, and the lights of her eyes beam red for a moment, “Then this should be an interesting experience for all of us.” Azazel stands and nods, “Indeed. But, I think this concludes our discussions so far.” She gestures towards Ibeth, “Nemain, I trust you and Miss Xaff to work peaceably together. I will be leaving you both here in defense of the Tapani sector...” She hesitates for a moment. “Tannus, you will be escorting out Loremaster so that he might meet and research with the Order on Bpfssh. If it perhaps suits you, take the Oldship and a small retinue. I imagine they might have some possible potential amidst them, since it is a relatively nice place for force-users to spring up.” Tannus nods excitedly, looking to Xen for permission to take the ship. Xen nods, a bit subdued to agree to lend his private ship out. Azazel smiles and nods, “Nicely done. Now that that is all sorted out... Those of you that remain, we will be splitting into two groups later on. I will have Xen contact and address those who will be meeting up with us later one. Some of Gra'tua's disciples, actually. But, part of you will be aboard the Aberrancy until we reach The Wheel. There, Xen and a few of you will split off and see about securing a Hypermatter Reactor Core for The Dagda so we might install it. The rest of us... We will be heading to Korriban.” A hushed murmur goes through those new to arrive, uncertain about returning to Korriban so soon. Hakkri's expression darkens and he finally ceases his game with Bezol. Kitt, who had only appeared to be sleeping, tips her hat back, a grimace on her face. It appeared most everyone was against the idea of a return visit to the Sith tomb world.