EliteCommander

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Paradise

Koren, Sirka, and Delni

Koren rarely made it into the regular hangar, which is possibly why it drew looks for him to be entering such an area. His wound still pained him, however he gritted his way through it. His two droids following him loyally, as well as his ever present bodyguard. He nodded at the Togruta and her… sister? He still wasn’t sure what species she was and to be honest it kind of had him on edge. So, straight up.

He raised his hands as he approached, in a gesture that basically said this is not meant as an insult, but a genuine question “Sirka, before we get started. What species are you?”

There was a slight grin from Delni, given how frequently that question came up. Meanwhile, Sirka simply gave a quick shrug as she answered him. “Don’t know, honestly. As long as I’ve been alive, I’ve been one-of-a-kind. I was rescued from Trandoshan slavers by Jedi as a newborn. No idea where they took me from. They were close to the Unknown Regions, so maybe they were adventurous? I’m not about to go exploring unknown space over it, so I gave up on figuring it out a long time ago. I can say that I’m reptilian, obviously, but I’m warm-blooded.”

Koren shrugged. “Works for me, I’ll put out some feelers if you want. See if we can dig anything up on anyone else throwing around Hutt Space or the Outer Rim that matches your body type. However-” He clapped his hands together. “-That isn’t why you’re here. This is the exciting part, jobs, money changing hands-” He waved his finger between the two sisters “Bad news though, for these jobs I’m going to split you two up and send you different directions-” He raised a finger towards Sirka as if to shush her before she could make any objections.

“-My own personal bodyguard will be going with you Delni, while your sister comes with me while I run some errands. I’ll be perfectly safe, you’ll be perfectly safe. Everyone will be safe, and well paid.” He smiled to himself. “Any questions?”

There was hardly a hint of hesitation from Sirka before she responded in her usual protective form. “How safe? She’s not a fighter by any means, unlike me.”

Delni reached up and placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder. “It’s okay, sis.” She said softly before turning her attention back to Koren. “But I do have to ask what it is exactly you are expecting me to do on these errands? What, um, specific kind of skills are you looking for from me? I certainly don’t mind making extra credits, but, um, I want to be sure I’m the right person for your job.”

“Safe enough that I’d send my own daughter, if she had been available.” Koren turned to Delni.

“I hear you have computer skills, a good slicer is always something that is useful in my profession, and I’m trusting you have the same honesty and integrity instilled in your sister here-” he indicated towards Sirka.”-Afterall you were raised in the same household.” He looked between the two sisters. “You Delni, will be heading to Nar Shadda. There’s a rather troublesome leader to a mercenary band. Real wildcards in Hutt Space, the entire galaxy really. I need you to hack into their systems from somewhere where I know they are going to be meeting. Get the information on their base, get it back to me. In and out, real simple.”

“Are you expecting a fight to break out?” Sirka replied, prompting Delni to roll her eyes and nudge Sirka with her elbow again.

“It’s okay. I’m sure he wouldn’t want to send his own daughter if there was going to be a fight. And I doubt a Nar Shaddaa merc band is going to have Imperial-level security. I believe I can do that, yeah. I’ve done that sort of thing before for less...intrusive reasons. I accept.” Delni replied.

As much as Sirka wanted to argue with Delni on the matter, she did not want to do so in front of Koren. So, she gave a sigh of resignation. “Okay, so...what do you want me to do?”

Koren shook his head. “There shouldn’t be a fight-” and Koren screwed his face up slightly. “-the mercenary group started out as an Imperial strike group, there will be someone on site in order to assist you with the hacking. In terms of you-” he turned back to Sirka. “My bodyguard is going with your sister, so you’re going to take his place. We’re going to see if you’ve got what it takes to enter the big leagues. Anything else?”

Sirka gave a single, affirmative nod to Koren. “Taking over for your bodyguard? I can do that; no problem.” She replied, her tone bearing no hint of uncertainty. “One of the most common types of job that I take, for obvious reasons. And less obvious reasons. If we do run into trouble, you can feel free to hide behind me. Literally. My hide is blaster resistant.”

Koren nodded as a Star Courier landed in the hangar, of course there was no pilot he trusted more for this job than Boqo. “This ship will take you to Nar Shadda, Delni. I’m sure you recognise the vessel Sirka.” He then turned to Aurrie, whispering to the droid who then flew off out of the hangar. “As for us Sirka, you have five minutes to move any gear you need to my personal hangar. I’ll meet you there when you’re ready.” With a billow of his coat, he turned and left.

“Understood.” Sirka replied tersely. Since she could not bring her weapons outside the hanger herself, she had some of the B1 droids move her E-Web and other weapons to Koren’s private hanger, apart from one. Before Delni could board the Star Courier, Sirka stopped her, taking Delni’s hands in hers as she pulled something out of one of her pouches. “Delni, I...look, sis, I’m sure you already know how I feel about this. I do appreciate you wanting to help bring in credits, but don’t feel like you are obligated to. You already help me out plenty, even without going out and doing things yourself.”

Delni placed one of her hands on top of Sirka’s, smiling. “I know, sis. Don’t worry, I don’t feel any kind of pressure from you. I just...I don’t know, I feel like this is the right thing for me to do. Things have been kind of stagnant for me the past few years, in terms of my goals, and I think taking a more ‘active’ role in things might help that. At the very least, it will mix things up.”

“Well, here, take this.” Sirka responded as she slid the object into Delni’s hand. It was the hold-out blaster that she had taken from the Devaronian back on Circumtore. In Sirka’s hand, it was almost comically small, but it fit quite snugly into Delni’s. “I know you’re not expecting to get into a fight, but you should be prepared for anything. Still, only get into a fight as a last resort, and let that bodyguard do his job, okay?”

“Okay. You just take care of yourself.” Delni affirmed before lifting herself up on her toes and hugging Sirka around her neck.

After giving their goodbyes, the pair parted ways, with Delni boarding the Star Courier, and Sirka having a droid guide her to Koren’s private hanger.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Truthfully, I was going to give you the staff for this meeting regardless." Meesei replied. She had kept the staff with her for the night, since she did not yet have a properly secure place to store it. She felt that an item of such magical power would warrant some additional magical protections than their normal vaults. With the staff in hand, Meesei paused a moment to charge a restoration spell through it, and amplify it with some of the power that remained. It was a stamina fortifying spell, about twice as strong as usual, which she cast upon Sabine. It would not be healthy for her if she could not start getting sleep soon, but magic could at least keep her alert for now.

"I believe holding open that portal yesterday drained most of what was stored in the staff. It was an exceptionally draining spell, something that would require the assistance of an entire team of mages normally. We will need to experiment with charging the staff later. But, for now, I believe holding the staff will give you at least some more...legitimacy for the council. They are going to require some convincing. We both know what Ri'vashi's opinion is, but I know some of the others will have their concerns. Vera is still the alpha of this clan, and is still ultimately responsible for the security of its people. Having a former enemy general among us will raise concerns that she will have to deal with. But, I trust you, Sabine. I trust you more than enough to believe what you say about Do'rhajul, and I trust that you will be able make them see it your way as well. I would just say that you should not be afraid to be a bit...assertive. Do not be afraid to make a forceful argument. Our council will not take kindly to simply being ordered around, of course, but you can appeal to all you have accomplished. They are going to have some emotionally-charged opinions, but try to avoid letting yourself get intimidated." Meesei advised.

Before giving Sabine a chance to respond, Meesei held out the staff in one hand, and placed the other on Sabine's shoulder. "But after this is over, whatever we decide, I want you to take all the time you need to get the help you need, okay? I will take care of any business that needs to be dealt with."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

If I see a post, I do have a hard time not replying before going to sleep.

I think now, we can skip ahead to the meeting the next morning, if you like. All of the leadership would be there, likely along with the rest of the pack, Yerig, and Do'rhajul.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei was quick to follow Sabine's answer with a supporting explanation of her own. "Yes, suffice to say that a great deal of importance has happened recently. Important enough that there will be an announcement to the whole of the clan as soon as we are able. I want to be sure that everyone receives the same message at the same time, so there are no misunderstandings, but I can say that it is good news. A defining moment for all of our clans, really."

The Bosmer seemed confused briefly, but there was some clear excitement at Meesei's encouraging words. "I...understand, Champion. If what I have seen here is any indication, I am sure everyone will be as amazed as I am."

"Indeed, I look forward to sharing it with everyone." Meesei replied. "As for right now, I would be appreciative if you could watch over the Dragon's body until Pierette returns with the others to move it. I expect there are some that may want to claim their own trophies, and while I can scarcely blame them, I would prefer that all of its parts remain accounted for."

The Bosmer straightened up. "Of course, ma'am."

Meesei placed a gentle hand onto Sabine's back. "Come, I think you should get some rest."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"It is the Staff of Magnus. Sabine claimed it when she escaped from her captors. It is said to have belonged to Magnus, the et'Ada who was the architect of Mundus. It is capable of containing an immense amount of magical power. I cannot say precisely how much, but it was able to contain Magnus' power, so at the very least, it can contain the power of one god. I am keeping it for now so we can study it." Meesei answer, again with a quite matter-of-fact demeanor. She did not wish to bring up the mental dependence that Sabine had formed to the staff.

The commander of Rhazii's scouting party, a Bosmer woman, finally overcame her shock enough to approach the three. She still glanced occasionally to the Dragon, but the story that Meesei had told was equally as amazing. Her eyes went not to Meesei or the staff, but to Sabine. "You freed yourself? I am so glad to hear, and see, that. We were going to be joining in the search in High Rock starting tomorrow. But...we were told that you were captured by Vile's General himself. The one who captured Elsweyr from us, and has been giving us so many problems the past decade. That means you killed both him and the Dragon yourself, or with just a little help? That's just...amazing, incredible. I'd have a hard time believing it if I didn't see, well, this myself. The Nords around here are going to start writing songs about you. Divines, I'd probably join them."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"Hmm? Oh, hello Rhazii." Meesei replied to Rhazii, somewhat surprised to see that he was present. Although, that surprise quickly faded as she continued in a calm, matter-of-fact tone not at all consistent with the almost unbelievable sight before them. "Yes, Sabine killed it after freeing herself. I thought it prudent to bring the body back here for our use, so that it did not go to waste. On that subject..."

Meesei soon turned her attention to one of the others surrounding them. The crowd was still in awe, but once it was clear there was no danger, a few of the braver onlookers had started to step closer for a better look. Meesei did not know his name, but she recognized one of the Nords among the warriors as an officer. "Commander, I would like for you to go find alpha Mousara and inform her that we have a Dragon to be transported and stored. Be aware, it is quite heavy."

Still surprised, the Nord nevertheless straightened up his posture upon being given an order. "Yes, um, right away, Champion."

As the Nord left, Meesei looked down on the staff in her hands, focusing on it once more. "That portal drained a great deal of magicka from the staff, but it is still quite impressive the kind of capabilities it can enable."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

To save their own magicka reserves, Meesei acted quickly once they had the Dragon in the air. She drew from the magicka in the staff to create a portal of usual size in just a matter of seconds in front of the Dragon. Then, came the process of expanding it, which was quite mentally taking for Meesei, requiring the whole of her concentration. Not only did she have to expand and maintain the portal, but she had to do so while continuing to levitate the dragon. It was not her own magicka going into the portal, but her mind was still required to shape and direct it.

As the violet, glowing portal grew larger and larger, the amount of magicka needed to sustain it grew exponentially. Meesei had never so much as attempted to create a portal of that size before, so even she had not anticipated exactly what would be required. The magicka cost seemed to be proportional to the volume of the portal, rather than its radius. It gave her a lot to theorize about later, but for now, she just had to focus on keeping it stable.

Even without examining it in detail, Meesei could feel the power draining from the staff. This was the kind of spell that could quickly diminish even the massive amount of power that the staff was capable of containing. It could allow a mage to accomplish impressive feats, but it was not limitless. Nevertheless, she was able to make it just large enough that the Dragon seemed like it would fit through. "Okay, let us push it through. Once it is through, we need to follow it quickly. I do not know how long I can keep this open."

As she finished speaking, Meesei gave direction to her telekinesis spell, tugging the Dragon forward. Slowly, it disappeared into the portal, emerging and falling to the ground at her chosen destination. The moment she could no longer feel any part of it left for her telekinesis to grasp, she rushed through the portal as well, and held it open for as long as was needed for Sabine to follow her.

The place that Meesei had selected as the destination for the portal was not just near the Silent City, it was in the Silent City. Specifically, she had selected one of the few courtyards that was large enough, and empty enough to be able to fit the Dragon's corpse. It was usually used for training among the clan's warriors, but since it was late, the only people present were some warriors, hunters, and scouts that had been using it as a space to relax. Naturally, they had cleared out of the center of the courtyard when the portal appeared. So, when Meesei and Sabine stepped through, they would find themselves surrounded on all sides by onlookers staring in varying degrees of amazement, and speaking in hushed voices to one another. By simple coincidence, Rhazii, and the scouting party he was apprenticed to, were among those in the courtyard, after having returned from their patrol. The portal closed shut behind them almost immediately, and Meesei could easily notice the difference in how much power remained in the staff.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei did not give too complete of an answer, instead continuing to encourage Sabine to think about the lesson. "Do not worry; like I said, just breathe. You remember that lesson, right? It is when you first started to learn abilities beyond those of a normal mage. It was a milestone in your education. I remember how you reacted when you finally started to get it right. Do you? Now, how about we try again?"

Reaching out a hand towards the Dragon once more, Meesei applied her own telekinetic spell to the large body and waited for Sabine to start doing the same. She was working from her own magicka reserves at the moment, and if they were able to lift it up successfully, then Meesei would use the staff in her other hand to open up the portal right away.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei kept her voice calm and patient. She did not acknowledge Sabine's apology, but instead immediately went to address her obvious doubt. "Breathe. Stay calm, and just try to focus on my words, okay?'

To conserve her own magicka, Meesei stopped trying to lift the Dragon in earnest, and instead just continued to exert a small telekinetic force upon it. "Magicka, as you well know, is an integral part of our world. It flows into Mundas from the starts, permeates everything, interacts with everything. That includes the natural forces and laws that guide our existence. If you use your magic to sense those smallest of interactions, then you can feel those forces at work. We are always being pulled down towards the ground beneath us. It is a constant, overwhelming force, but a skilled mage can look even further. With great focus, concentration, you can feel that everything has the tiniest pull towards everything else. That is the basis of true telekinetic power. With alteration, you know how to make an object ignore that force pulling it down to the ground, but you can also amplify that pull to your advantage. You can shape, manipulate those natural tendrils of force in the world to amplify your telekinetic abilities..."

The words Meesei were speaking were, almost verbatim, the same as those from a lesson Meesei had given to Sabine years prior, when she was still her apprentice. It was the same lesson in which Sabine, for the first time, was able to use the more powerful version of telekinesis that Meesei had adapted to combat, rather than just floating around objects. It was a lesson that Meesei remembered vividly, as it was a moment of significant pride for both herself and Sabine when she finally succeeded. Such complicated forms of magic were beyond the scope of many normal mages, so the fact that Sabine had succeeded was proof of her potential. Meesei's reason for bringing it up again now was not to just remind Sabine of how to perform telekinesis; she had mastered the spell a long time ago. Rather, Meesei's purpose was to bring Sabine's mind back to a more pleasant time, before all of the pain that was now haunting her. Meesei wanted to bring Sabine's mind back to that state of accomplishment and hopefulness that had once made her smile so widely, and doing it through the medium of magic, which Sabine understood so innately, seemed quite possible.

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

The Gamechanger

It was a day after Ken had sent his message that a small freighter exited hyperspace near to Kintan, setting itself on a course directly to Leonard's flagship. It was a lightly armed, unremarkable civilian vessel with only a single life sign aboard. It quickly transmitted codes to the Venator, which marked it as being the Believer representative they had been waiting for.

Upon landing in the designated hanger bay, the representative wasted no time in proceeding out of the vessel. The freighter's ramp lowered, revealing a tall, brown-furred, Wookiee female. Alongside her was a black-painted humanoid protocol droid, which appeared to be a re-programmed Imperial model. She walked down the ramp with her droid, seemingly unarmed, unless she was carrying a weapon in one of the few pouches she was wearing.

The protocol droid walked ahead of her with purpose, looking for whoever was in charge of greeting them.