In the life of a Jedi Knight on his own,
Jedi Meeting, Nova Retreat.
Goddor nervously paced back and forth in the conference room Neia provided, the station owner sitting at one end of the table with her feet prepped up on the side looking at him. He stopped and swallowed, looking at her, "What?"
"Relax, it will be fine. Cyphor, Ba'al and whatever entourage will be here shortly. Just be calm and remember to breathe." The Nautolan said leaning back in her chair.
Goddor blinked and took a deep breath, some of the anxiety leaving ihm, "I suppose it will be fine, they are fellow jedi after all... heh, I should trust in the force and my instincts as master Tohkran would say."
She was about to reply when the door buzzed, removing her legs from the table. "That would be Jantor leading them in." She said, right before the doors opened and the Kel Dor enter, followed by Kiyla and her jedi guests. She grinned when she saw Ba'al and winked, patting her lap and then turned her eyes to the empty chair next to her if the jedi was a bit emberassed to follow Neia's invitation.
Cyphor entered with Cha'alla and Zane with him, he wanted to keep those with him to a relatively low number for the moment in the hopes Goddor wouldn't feel too intimidated. Cha'alla was the clossest he had to a second in command these days, thought hayle certainly ranked high in that respect, but if his suspicious were correct Zane was the best option out of the rest of his inner circle to include on the meeting.
"Hello everybody." Cyphor said as he moved to the table and took a seat about midway along one side. "It is good to see you all again."
Ba'al flushes behind her face-mask at Neia's invitation and offers a stiff nod. If it were not a business meeting of the jedi, she would gladly take up the position... As it were, though... She slips over and takes up the seat beside her as Allysandri follows and takes a seat further away, closing her eyes for a moment. "Indeed it is, Cyphor. I dare say, it has been since... Well, the last meeting of the Jedi, I think, that many of the faces here have last been in the same room," she looks about the room before nodding slowly, "Leonis will be joining shortly, his ship is docking now."
The Cathar male grunts as he comes through the door, "No need to wait, I'm here now" He crosses his arms and removes his helmet, flickering his ears. "I trust Tohkran is well?" He bows his head to Neia and Cyphor respectfully. "Thank you for hosting us, Neia. And a pleasure to meet once again, Jedi."
"And you friend," Cyphor replied to Leonis, "My condolances for your sister, Im sorry I have been unable to help in your search since the incident."
Leonis' ears fold back as he nods slowly, "I... yes. Indeed. But perhaps you might join in the hunt for the Sith yet. I have found some leads quite recently on their activity." He reaches in his armour and draws out a tightly sealed cannister offering it out to the jedi in the room. "Perhaps one of you have the talents to investigate this little article I have found, in fact." He offers the sealed lightsaber out to whoever would dare take it.
"Well we are gathered here now." She smiles standing up, "I am but the host, Goddor here, on behalf of his master wished this meeting to happen, so please, Goddor you have the attention of those gathered here."
"I may be able to help with that." Cha'all said as she reached for the cylinder.
She coughed and grinned, "Perhaps that can wait, poor Goddor here has been all but nerves since his arrival here." She looked at the Rodian and chuckled, "I'm afraid if we keep him from speaking he'll faint."
Goddor gulped and took a deep breath, nodding to each person that was gathered here, "I, forgive me if this will a bit of a lengthy tale but I suppose it will need some explanation..." He was stuttering at first but as he began telling the tale he grew more confident. Explaining about the rumours that had reached Tohkran of a jedi leading a resistance movement on antar IV, home of the old Antarian Rangers, who were allies of the jedi of old.
Reaching the system with their cloaked ship to find the CIS blockading the system and having the planets within it under their control. He proceeded to tell about their crash... and meeting with the resistance, and the force user named Quinlan Vos who was leading them. The desperation the resistance forces were forced under... suicide bombers, aggression meeting aggression. But then explained the reasons for it, providing datapads with the data collected and distributing them to those gathered in the conference room so they could see for themselves how the CIS were stripmining the place ,forcing the population as slaves in factories to produce droids and weapons for war.
He started to wrap it up, "My master, decided to help them... and perhaps help turn them from the dark path they had turned into by giving them hope once more. We undertook a mission to give the resistance access to a weather station which they can manipulate for their smuggler fleet to keep supplies coming. The mission was a success but at a cost... Tohkran decided to stay behind, along with a large force of troops we had on our ship, his last request, was me to speak to you all... and ask for your help. My master wishes to.. .while he helps Quinlan Vos and the resistance in that capacity, he wishes us... if we could, build up a... liberation force to free the system from the CIS and drive them out." He took a deep breath and sat back down in his chair, trembling a little, waiting for the reactions.
Ba'al sits forward and nods her head, "I will lend myself to the efforts in order to drive out the CIS. This is a valiant effort put out by Tohkran and a worthy cause of the Jedi to lend themselves to. I will dedicate myself and my people towards it in whatever way is necessary."
Leonis furrows his brow and shakes his head, obvious contempt in his eyes that she would so easily be persuaded to this effort when it was the duty of the Jedi to combat the Sith, especially when one of their own had already been struck down at their hands. If they still would not help, so be it. He would continue his crusade against the dark side alone.
"I am not sure how much asistance I can provide." Cyphor said hesitantly. "I know many of you side with the Republic in this war, but while iI do not condone slavery or the actions taken by the CIS on Antar I do support the CIS in general." He said trying to keep his tone level and calm. "I have contacts within the CIS that also disaprove of the rampant slavery and other less savory actiong the CIS have taken in this war, I may be able to have them apply preasure to the leaders of the Antar occupation."
Neia shrugged, "I loathe slavery in any form so the kid and his master got my support." She already had agreed to support him after all since she had already been confided into.
Letting out a sigh of relief he nodded his thanks to them all, "I thank you for your support, master Cyphor. Anything you can do to apply pressure on the CIS there would be helpful." He paused, "I... actually if that doesn't help, perhaps you can also convince them that... if it requires us to liberate the system to drive the CIS out, you can convince your contacts that it isn;t a Republic operation but a independant, neutral faction who just wants to see that system liberated and the conditions the CIS placed on those people to be removed. I imagine in return for being silent on a galactic scale of the horrors they inflicted on that world and it's population they might not retaliate?"
"I may be able to provide more... demanding... assistance, as you are likely aware i have a squadron of arquitens class frigates in my forces and a number of clones as well." Cyphor said as he gestured to Zane for emphasis."On the surface they would appear to be a republic strike force thought that might do more harm than good in your proposed scenario."
She coughed, "Well I got contacts in the republic, high grade even. If you can't convince the CIS to back down, maybe I can convince the Republic to offer some covert help? If they want to... that or, from the sound of it, if we do liberate it, make them recognize the system as a neutral system, so neither the CIS or Republic can lay claim to it."
Goddor nodded, "Any assistance, if either support in the form of weapons, ships, troops... or the CIS and Republic recognizing the Antar system as a neutral party once it is liberated would be more than welcome." He then turned to Ba'al and the Cathar Leonis, fro mthe way they had appeared seperately and how they were acting, it was not so much as convincing Ba'al to join him as it was convincing Leonis as well. "Uhm, Leonis, what are your thoughts on the matter?"
Leonis shakes his head, "My fight is not with the Republic or the CIS." He looks about the room, "I am still on the hunt for the Sith who killed Theodis... I've no intentions to rest til the debt is settled. I may not be a jedi, but there is a blood debt to pay for this and it seems you are all other occupied with the war going on."
"The war does not stop for the death of one, Leonis." Cha'alla said, "Many die everyday in this war and the dead can not be brought back."
"Well, I don't know from personal experience, so forgive me if what I am about to say is a bit cold Leonis." Neia began, speaking slowly, carefully. "Your hunt... is it to carry out justice or revenge? Justice I can understand, revenge... revenge usually doesn't satisfy you in the end from what I gather... and who is to say it will stop when you find the one responsible for her murder." She gestured to Cha'alla. "What she said, the dead cannot be returned, have you looked at the images Tohkran and hisp eople found? The CIS are using civilians, children, in forced slave labour, what would your sister do if she were here?"
Leonis tenses and lets his ears fold back as he looses a low growl, "I do not need your lessons and advice. I have heard it time and time again. I know full well the path I tread." He raises his head defiantly, "You think the CIS and Republic are the only enemies here? The Sith do not sit idly by, I am certain. Even now, I am certain they are exploiting the situations the wartime has created. They are no better than these murderers and slavers presented in the CIS, but you would have them go free. I will not."
"Never said anything about letting these sith, the one's responsible for your sisters death, go free. Merely stating that it seems you don't have any leads, well apart from that lightsaber you handed over." She shrugs, "If that proves to be a lead I said nothing, but if it doesn't, are you going to keep hunting at phantoms for clues or try and help out with something actually tangible?"
"Please, I, my master, he would have wanted the support of everyone, but he would understand if other matters take precedence. And this request he asks would take a long time regardless so there would be time to reconsider joining... or abandoning the task."
Leonis tenses and hesitates before slowly nodding his head, "I can lend a hand in the resistance while I keep an ear out for Sith activity. But as soon as I have a real lead, I must be off. I know they are near. They were not far from Mandalore space within this last month. A Bimm, heading for your station, actually, confirmed it."
Neia blinked, "A Bimm you say?" She turned to Jantor, "Didn't we had reports of a Bimm pickpocket and... adulterer? On my station these last two days?" Jantor nodded slowly, "Yeah thought so... is he and that Bimm of yours one and the same?"
Leonis picks at the scruff of his mane and considers the circumstances under which he had met Casae Novae. "Considering this fellow... In all likelihood."
He squirmed in his seat, "I Uhm, well I had my say and relayed my master's message... I actually don't know where to go from there... perhaps we, uhm need to cotnact each other after a month? Or contact when someone has made a breakthrough, say by contacting the CIS or Republic and see what aid they can give? I have been, well Tohkran has given Thrall, liberties to go as far as hire mercenaries if a battle to liberate the system would have to take place." Goddor said, his nervousness returning.
Ba'al nods and leans back in her chair, relaxing now that Leonis seemed to have calmed down. "It seems like a fair enough plan. It would do well that we keep in closer contact than we have in the last year and coordinate our efforts." She furrows her brow in thought, "Before I attend the efforts to liberate the system, I might see to checking out the Vergesso Asteroids. There is supposed to be some Jedi's sanctuary there I wish to seek."
"I agree with the part it might require more than our usual contact." She shrugs, "Got some business ventures but can spare time... actually have some designs for a new class of ship I might be producing, might be useful if there is a battle." She looked at Kiyal with a raised eyebrow who just shrugged. "But that would take some months to even start, but also have my regular ships and troops at the ready, don't you worry Goddor, we'll help your master." She grinned and winked at the young jedi knight in a comradely fashion.
"I will see what I can do about lending assistance," Cyphor replied, "I do not know how much clout my contacts have but I believe they will support an ending of the forced labour on antar at the least. If more direct action is required I have manpower its just a question of being able to ue it without jepardising my alliances in the CIS."
"Well in that case." She looks around and banged her cup she had brought with her on the table, "Meeting adjourned then, seems Leonis has his clue, Goddor get some sleep... and can someone please deal with that Bim because I just got a report that he slept with all four wives and three mistresses of one of my high rollers. In just two hours." She waved the datapad with the the information of the report scrolling down.
"Must have some impressive stamina" Zane commented with a chuckle.
Ba'al rubs over her eyes and stands up from the table, "Something tells me... I know this Bimm... I'll deal with him."
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Amazons
He watched the proceedings, the telepathic screening as acceptable but not infallible, which was certainly not to the liking of the Drow Necromancer, not at all. But he went along with it, to watch and to observe. As they reached the area where Amazons seemed to fight their duels and mock battles he went to the side, observing from a distance, away from the others. Once Esyllt was called forwards Naream began his own work.
Muttering under his breath he grabbed hold of his amulet, willing the portal to open to his pocketplane laboratory, a brief tear came to his right and widened, revealing dark, cold stone with a greenish hue lightning before shapes emerged and stepped through. As soon as they stepped through the tear vanished, reality reasserted itself and Naream shuddered, taking a deep breath, opening his eyes and looked upon what he had summoned. The five skeletons, the five wights turned as one at his mental command and looked at him. Each was armed with a axe and dagger at their waist but their main weapons were spear-like polearms. Which looked more like flesh hooks than actual spears, their bladed tips curved and sharp, designed to stab into and keep hold of a fleshy mass as if one were a butcher sticking it into a pig carcass and dragging it. These wights did not wear armour, they instead had mottled gray or black robes, giving them the appearance of the human folktale and legend of a 'reaper' but without the ridiculous scythe. At his command they donned their hoods, obscuring their skeletal appearance.
Nodding, he looked the wights over with satisfaction and then with them in tow marched closer as Esyllt was beginning her work. At the edge, ignoring everyone but the suspects, he sat down, cross legged on the ground the wights fanning out to his left and right. Three to the right and two to the left of him as he reached back and pulled his hood over his head to watch the proceedings, studying the reactions of the suspect Amazons as they were telepathically screened. Or at least in this case the ones who allowed themselves to be screened, the ones who refused, some might think that the obvious sign of guilt that it was one of those two but he had his doubts. Let's just wait and see what the telepathic reading would reveal.
Or at least that was the plan... when one of the Queens Blades stepped forwards and issued a challenge to the two Amazons who refused to be telepathically screened... backed by no other than Maeven it seems, or at least her pet metal dragon seemed to support this Alicia Le’roux as he went into motion after her words and indicated his support to the Amazon princess. He rolled his eyes under the cover of his hood and placed his hands together in front of his mouth, leaning his elbows on his legs as he leaned forwards to see where this interruption would lead them. At a mental note of his his robed wights tightened their holds on their flesh hooks but did nothing else, awaiting his command. While he was tempted to draw the ritual lines and marks during this distraction, regardless of the Queens and Princess' objection there might be a chance that the succubus, if there truly was one among the host here, might somehow figure out what he was trying to do and prevent his ritual to yield any results, so he was determined to play the waiting game. For now.
Eh constructive criticism is always welcome.
In the life of the Friends of a Jedi...
"Diggy, diggy hole on a asteroid..." Thrall hummed under his breath and then shook his head, silently cursing. Why did some of the crew keep listening to that bloody song. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, would take him days to get that song out of his system now. "Report?" He asked the piloting section of the bridge.
A commander looked up and nodded, "We just dropped out of hyperspace, only one jump away from Kessel, per your instructions."
"Thank you, please be ready for further orders." He cracked his fingers and started tapping the screen, sending word to the bothan spies, smugglers and some law enforcement contacts they had established together with Tohkran. He preferred to do this without violence and hoped that any of these contacts might have a way to do so. Once the communication requests had been send for updates on his queries he leaned back and began the waiting game, after a few minutes he tapped his fingers impatiently on the armrest and activated the intercom. "Mess hall... prepare some footlong subs and bring them to the bridge please, we all could use a bite to eat.... and if you tell me we are out then I am sorry to say that we have to expect a mutiny."
There was silence for a moment and then a laugh, "Luckily we have plenty sir, bringing them right up, forgot you were back in charge."
The sluissi snorts, "I am always in command, even if beard face thinks otherwise, now bring me a sandwich!"
The regional contact in the Bothan network sends a quick reply to Thrall that no operatives are in the vicinity to lend assistance, they also inform thrall that the mess is out of prosciutto.
He slams his fist on the armrest, "Curses! And the nearest store that has it in supply is 5 systems away!" He blinked, glancing at the questioning looks the rest of the crew is giving him but he shook his head, "Nothing, never mind, has anyone else contacted us?"
A short time later a small light freighter drops out of hyperspace near the Illusion of Grace and hails the bridge on an encrypted channel. "This is Londred aboard the Intimidator, my peers know me as The Artist though." A female voice is heard over the comm when the message is decrypted using one of Tohkrans ciphers. "Was in the area and got your message about a possible job, so tell me, whats it pay?" Londred asked.
Thrall chuckled, "The Artist, huh? Well I am not the type to say what the payment is before explaining what the job is. Associate of beard face wants one of his people out of jail, jail in question is Kessel. Prefer a non-violent option and were hoping you could help out with that, thoughts?"
"Maybe I can, I know some folks that have done the Kessel run before, doesn't sound so hard to me. Question is, whats it worth to you?" Londred replied as a voice in the background outside the scope of the holoimager asked if it was a sluissi that Londred was talking to, followed by a barely heard comment that they eat their own young and that only 1 in 100 actually survive after birth.
"Yeah that's true, meaning I am a tough son of a bitch and I ate my own daddy." Thrall said with his most serious face, barely keeping it together. "I also won the most beautiful baby reptilian award in five sectors. Anyway, how much it is worth to me? Well you might risk trouble yourself getting our man out... unless you also happen to pick up a shipment of spice while you are down there to earn a profit from. So just tell me what you need for expenses."
"Excuse my companion, apparently she learned everything she knows from the holonet... and not the most reliable of sources either..." Londred said with a sigh. "You planning to send anyone with us or just expect the two of us to pull all this off on our lonesome?" She then asked with something of a pout.
"Well, if you don't feel that safe can come along with you along with another associate... is your freighter large enough to allow a Herglic aboard? Tall humanoid species, can reach sizes of 3 meters." Thrall replied, chuckling.
"We've had plenty of big fellas in here before... on the ship too." Londred replied with a sly smile.
Thrall let out a burst of laughter ,chuckling. "I see, well then please dock and be ready to accept two visitors, commander you have the bridge. Miss Artist, I see you and your companion in the hangar." With a flourish bow he ended the call and began slithering to the lift, contacting Marack to join him in the hangar section.
A moment later as Thrall and Marack entered the hanger they could see The Intimidator settling on the hanger deck, the freighter looked almost like a conical atmospheric craft with wings that looked like they were used for airbreaking more than anything else and the engines appeared to be primitive fossil fuel combustion designs from the outside.
"Well... it's a classic at least?" Thrall ventured, looking at Marack, who actually looked impressed and fascinated with the design. "Let's meet our new guests." Thrall continued, slithering towards the craft once it had finished it's landing procedures.
A pressure hatch opened in the forward side of the vessel just behind the cockpit windows and a boarding ladder extended rather quickly while a young woman appeared in the doorway studying a datapad and all but ignored Thrall and Marack, from the cockpit window however an older woman waved the two aboard the ship. assuming the younger woman looked up from her datapad long enough to notice the two and let them pass.
Thrall looked up the ladder, sighed and turned to Marack. "Hey big guy I need a bo-" Thrall began and did not finish as the herglic picked up the sluissi without apparent effort and threw him up towards the hatch. With a yelp Thrall was thrown inside, past the younger woman, who didn't seem to notice as Marack climbed up the ladder and got on the edge just as Thrall collected himself and silently cursed as he checked his bruises.
The young woman glances up for a moment as Marack climbs into view and she starts backwards in surprise for a moment, obviously not expecting someone quite so big to appear as if from nowhere in front of her. She nearly backed into thrall who she obviously had not seen sail past her a moment before and upon realizing that she all but ran for the cockpit.
"Oh come on they're not that scary." Londreds voice could be heard saying from the cockpit as the two heard the engines fire up again, apparently the smuggler was wasting no time with beginning the job. "Come on in boys," Londred called from the cockpit,"We've got some extra seats in here... not sure if you'll fit of course."
Marack glanced around and rumbled from the back of his throat, "I'll stand."
Thrall slithered up to one and lifted himself up in it and coiled his lower body up in it. "A interesting ship you got yourself, well then, let's see how things go on Kessel, I do hope you got the contacts there that can help make this job done smoothly?"
"Contacts?" Londred asked as the ship left the hangar deck and headed for space. "I've never even been to kessel myself before don't know a soul there." She added as she turned around to face Thrall. "But hey this job sounded like fun."
Thrall looked at Londred.... rolled his eyes before closing them and hiding his face in his hands. "I see... well... this will be fun."
Londreds companion watched the two warily as Londred herself put in the coordinates for Kessel and launched the ship into hyperspace. with that done the smuggler turned back to thrall and tilted her head slightly in a questioning manner. "You don't seem like a particularly optimistic chap you know." She stated, "If you have no faith in those you decided to hire for the job why get on the ship in the first place?"
"Oh no I am a optimist on the inside but a very vocal pessimist on the outside, it is very conflicting I know but it seems to work for me. Besides I joined up with a jedi so my sanity is not so much in question as it is non-existent.... say don't suppose you have any stores of prosciutto?" Thrall replied.
"The galley might have some, might want to check the expiry though, pretty sure something was living in the cooler last time I looked in there, its surprisingly roomy in there." Londred said as she turned back to the controls, they were after all not far from Kessel in the first place it would only take maybe 20 minutes to get there from there they had entered hyperspace.
Marack grunted and went to investigate the galley, coming back a few minutes later looking rather amused, "The science experiment tasted rather nice actually, needed some peppers though."
The young woman who Londred had still not identified by name looked almost horrified at the herglics statement before rushing past the two guests and heading for the galley at a flat run. Londred looked over her shoulder and shrugged at the actions of her companion before fishing a pair of magnacuffs from under the console and holding them up as she turned to face Thrall and Marack again. "So which of you wants to play the good cop, and which the bad?" she said with another grin-like smile.
In reply Marack removed his heavy vibro-ax from his back and thumped it heavily on the deck, making a light dent in the metal. Thrall looked at his companion, "I think he will be the bad cop... so I suppose I will be the good cop, I assume we can go by a cover story that we are travelling incognito because of possible pirates targeting prison transports to break out their buddies."
Londred frowned at the deck for a moment as the axe dented the floor plating. "I'm honestly not fussed what story you use." Londred said as the ship dropped from hyperspace near kessel, thankfully outside the recently placed minefield perimeter. Londred may not have had any contacts on kessel itself but she apparently did know something of the place from talking with fellow smugglers. "All you need to do is get me into a cell near the buddy you want to break out." Londred replied with the same smile as she slipped the cuffs over her wrists.
Thrall raised a brow, looking at the now cuffed smuggler, "Might I ask what your plan is?"
"I mentioned my peers call me 'The Artist' right?" Londred replied as the com started beeping that they were being contacted by Kessel control. "You want to take that?" She asked Thrall before she went to the comm and switched it on, one hand now free of the cuffs somehow.
Thrall looked at her hands, "I see... and yes let me take that." He slithered to the controls and accepted the hail. "This is the Intimidator, carrying a prisoner, copy."
"Some species don't understand the concept of a safe word." Londred said quietly to Marack with a wink as Kessel control checked their records.
"Intimidator, we have no record of any scheduled prisoner delivery by your vessel today.... or ever actually..."
Marack let out a quiet laugh while Thrall was replying to the voice, "Well with a war on I can imagine when messages about what prisoners are delivered on what date are delayed or simply lost in the void. As for why this unconventional method of transportation, well last time some pirates decided to ambush the prison transport and retrieve their buddies, so we are attempting a new approach... apparently travelling in a rust bucket does not make you stand out as someone with a worthwhile cargo to even bother with."
Londred whipped her head around to look at Thrall with a hot look in her eyes at his reply to Kessel Control before promptly standing on the end of his tail.
There was silence on the other end of the line for a while before a reply came back. "You are Cleared to Land at auxiliary platform 3, Intimidator. Do not deviate from your assigned flightplan. Control out." The voice at the other end said finally in a tone that was more bored than anything else as a datapacket was received by the navcomputer showing a route to the designated landing platform.
He stifled a cry, glaring over his shoulder at Londred with a warning gaze, thanking for the hospitality, knowing the control officer probably did not even register that as he put in the flightplan in the automatic pilot before turning to the smuggler. "Ever heard off acting? If I seem bored or annoyed with this task instead of eager then they won't suspect a thing."
"My ship is NOT a Rust Bucket." Londred replied, tempted to bring her foot down on Thralls tail a second time. Instead she closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and slipped her free hand back into the magnacuffs. "Don't suppose you have any details on the guy you're breaking out? this trick is unlikely to work a second time you know, I'd rather not break the wrong guy out and need to go back in."
Thrall smirked, smugglers and their ships, "Of course your ship isn't one, but hey my ship isn't a illusion either." He winked and then proceeded to inform her about the details he had gathered from Hoddo about the associate they needed to spring free from prison, as well as the details of a bounty hunter that was on-site, which Thrall was going to contact and see if he could cause a disturbance that would distract the guards so she could get their target out of there.
By the time thrall finished going over the details the Intimidator had landed on the designated pad and a squad of Sun Guard were approaching the vessel from the main facility. At the head of the squad was a man in a repubilic uniform in his middle years, he appeared bored and not particularly happy to be out in kessels thinner than average atmopshere.
"Well, Looks like that's our escort." Londred said as she feinted a beaten and defeated look for the benefit of the guards and republic officer. "How do you plan to get off the ship anyway?" She asked Thrall while turning her back on the guards and climbing down the entry ladder.
Thrall snorts and waits as Marack went first, placing a hand on Londred as if to tell her she had nowhere to run and then turned back and held his arms out, giving Thrall the cue to slither forwards and drop down into the Herglic's waiting arms and then was, thankfully, gently put down to the ground. He gave a republic salute and greeting to the bored officer, eyeing the strange guards, he had never seen those before, at first he thought Mandalorians but their armour seemed different. "Thank you, you are here to take my prisoner, jolly good."
The republic officer waved a couple of the guards forward to take custody of Londred before looking at Thrall with a somewhat glazed look. "Papers please." He stated simply
"My friend, does this look like a ordinary transport? Listen, this here gall annoyed some top brass bigwigs and they wanted her to be put away but they don't want to see her to die, well at least not that soon, so put her with the brokers or something, the middlemen so she can toil in the mines and think back on the mistakes that brought her here." He gave Marack a signal who pushed her forwards to the guards who approached while Thrall continued. "Anyhow, is Dex Jaeger still here? I need to see him on some urgent business."
"That scum..." The officer replied, "Probably at the miners bar near the shipping docks." The guards had taken Londred in hand now but were otherwise not making a move to take her into the prison, evidently waiting for the officer to give the order. "I'm still going to need transfer papers." The officer then said.
Thrall rolled his eyes, "Great there goes my 'bonus' fee I got to take her here, but I suppose I have to share it." He muttered as he reached out, shaking the officer's hand, leaving credits chits with a value of 10'000 credits in his hand. "As I said, she annoyed some big brass... and they don't want her to be found in the system."
The officer smiled as he palmed the credit chits. “I suppose an extra prisoner in the mines won't hurt production any, though looking at her other uses might be found...” He replied with his smile turning into more of a grin.
“Does that mean I can get a proper matress, a clean one even.” Londred said as she caught the Officers look. The officer just sneered at her comment and waved the Sun Guards to take her to the cells where the prisoners with more value outside of the mines were kept.
“If you would accompany me to my office we can finalise an official reason for your visit here to keep up appearances, I suggest you leave your muscle here however.” The officer then said as he turned to Thrall.
Thrall nodded and turned to Marack, "Right, guard the ship and remember where we are parked."
The herglic tilted his head questioningly. "We parked right here?"
"Exactly and don't you forget it!" Thrall replied gesturing with a finger to the sky as he slithered forward to follow the republic officer.
Londred didn't even look back as the guards took her into the prison proper, seeming having accepted her predicament to those that did not know it was a setup. The officer simply lead Thrall through the administration levels of the prison... well the lower levels at least... until they reached his office, upon entering the first thing the officer did was to walk to the far side of the room and took out two tumblers and a decanter from a wall cabinet. He poured two glasses and offered one to Thrall. “Sullustan Gin, I have a trader friend that brings me in a bottle of the good vintages everynow and then.”
"Got a good setup here then, commendable." Thrall replied friendly, taking the glass and toasting the officer. "Curious guards though, had expected clone troopers to be honest." He didn't want to blow off the officer rudely, he didn't knew what Londred was up to but he figured if he could contact Dex Jaeger to create a distraction it would only increase the odds.
“Indeed,” Te officer said as he took a sip himself. “So we need to explain why your vessel has landed and dropped a prisoner while still keeping her out of the records then, how do you propose we do this?” He asked “Afterall you're the one that insists she not be on the official record.”
"Well, smuggler freighter arrive and go at infrequent itnervals don't they? So that shoudl easily be logged as just a spice shipment take-off. As for my prisoner..." He showed a grin, "How many prisoners die in week? Should be easy to neglect one death and have her listed under the name of someone who has recently deceased in the mines." He half seriously, half joking added, "If you give me access I can input it myself in the system."
"You want me to give you access to our systems... I may be willing to take in an unlisted prisoner for some compensation, but that could cost me my position, serving on the front lines is not something I would rather be doing." The officer replied.
Thrall chuckled, "I was joking good sir. But since you did not mention any problem with my proposal of handling the prisoner and my arrival then that is settled? If so I would like to see Dex before I must be off."
“Birds of a feather I suppose.” The officer replied before leaning over his desk and pressing a button. A few moments later a guard opened the door and stepped inside.
Thrall finished his drink and saluted the officer with the empty glass before setting it down, "A good day to you officer, perhaps we will see each other again." He turned to the guard and nodded, "Care to guide me to the miners bar?"
The guard looked to the Officer and waited for a signal from him, all he received was a lazy wave indicating he should at the very least escort Thrall from the prison grounds. “Be aware, you will need to leave in the next four hours or any story I cook up will come under more scrutiny than it could likely stand up to.” The officer advised Thrall as the guard gestured for Thrall to precede him out the door.
Thrall nodded thankfully to the officer and then proceeding to leave the office.
Meanwhile back at the Intimidator Marack stared at his hand and grumbled, putting the cards down that looked tiny in his big palm. "You won again." He said with a snort, shoving a pile of credit chits towards her, "Think your boss and mine will be back in one piece?"
“Londred will be back, no one can keep her penned for long.” Londreds companion replied. After it had become apparent that Marack was not just some big brute, the girl had stopped trying to keep her distance and had wound up playing Sabbac with him. What the Herglic didn't know was how much time the girl spent on the holonet playing sabbac while she looked for information about the galaxy in general.
He looked at the cards and nodded, "She must be quite good at what she does then, didn't catch your name actually." He pushed a small stack of credits forward. "Name's Marack, or big guy according to Thrall."
“Piper.” The Girl replied as she dealt out another hand of cards. “Londred has been doing her thing for many years now, she didn't become known as 'The Artist' through luck.” She then added.
He grinned and laid out the cards, "Pure Sabacc. Well then I trust they'll be back shortly... say think your larder got more scientific experiments gone wrong?"
***
The Miners Bar was as is to be expected a pretty rough looking place. afterall not all the miners on kessel were actually prisoners, some were actually paid for their work or were supervisors brought in to oversee the prisoners work and make sure they didn't screw up. As it was Thrall would soon find Dex in a back corner booth after making some inquiries.
Slithering towards the table he nodded a greeting and quickly spope up before he could be dismissed or send away, "Hoddo sends his greetings."
“Hoddo can stick his greetings up his fat arse.” Dex replied harshly. “Slimy Hutt still owes me for the last job I did for him. I'm stuck here until I can pay for the overpriced repairs, damn backwater.” Dex replied as he downed a beer in one swig.
"Excellent you hate the fat slug too, so I don't have to kiss his arse by praising him to you." Thrall replied wit ha grin, "Right, well then I will be quick, I need a distraction so I can get off this rock... with a resident who no longer wants to use the local facilities if you get my meaning. Tell me how much you need to get off this rock and I will wire the funds to you, right now, right here." He finished saying and brought up his personal computer.
"What kinda of distraction are you after, getting arrested by the prison guards won't really help me get out of here even if my ship is repaired." Dex replied
"You know this place better than me, reckon you know what attracts the guards? And if you don't know anything, know of any terminals you can give me access to with which I can mess around and set off alarms... on the other side of the complex, away from what I am trying to pull off?"
"Any alarm in the prison is liable to send the whole facility into lockdown, I imagine that'll make getting the guy out more difficult than it already is right?" Dex asked as he leaned back and took another drink while he considered.
"Eh I was considering a fake sensor alarm of CIS ships arriving in system to distract them..." He paused and looked around and then back at Dex, "Question, what is the prison guards reaction to a out of control bar fight?"
“They would more than likely ignore a bar fight, and a fake CIS invasion would just lock down the entire system, or did you not see the warships in orbit on your approach, let alone the minefield.” Dex said with a shrug. “A problem in the mines might cause a satisfactory result though, there's no immediate threat and at least a portion of the guards would likely be deployed to make sure the prisoners out there don't try to take advantage of it.”
"Yeah well... don't want to mess with the mines... don't know what certain... ah spice merchants might think if production falters... probably thank me to be honest they can increase prices, look listen all I want is a distraction, if you can pull it off without getting imprisoned yourself or causing casualties, then just name your price and you got it."
"Seventy thousand, that should get my ship hypercapable again so i can at least fly somewhere with cheaper repairs for the rest of it." Dex replied as he leaned back and tipped back a fresh mug of beer.
"Done, and adding a twenty thousand bonus for the trouble I might put you through." Thrall added and showed the hunter he was wiring ninenty thousand credits total.
As the credits started transferring Thralls comm link began beeping at him, id registered it as coming from the Intimidator.
Thrall activated his commlink, "Yes?"
“You finished getting drunk yet scaly?” Londreds voice asked over the comm. “We're all waiting on you to get back here so we can leave you know.”
He blinked, widening his eyes, staring for a moment at his comm device, thinking for a second Marack ahd somehow found a way to do a practical joke on him but then he recalled he had no skill for it. "I... well... you are back already... with the package?"
“A nice bottle of Sullustan Gin to boot, I needed to restock on that, haven't had all the ingredients to make a Sonic Sevodriver in a few months now.” Londred replied casually. “We really should be leaving before the Guards realize what's happened however.”
Thrall was beat for a moment before he finally found his voice again. "I see... ready the ship I am on my way." He turned back to Dex, "Seems my problem is already solved, you enjoy your credits, perhaps we can keep in touch if you are the sort who wants debts repaid, otherwise, have another drink on me." With that he quickly slid a crystal with contact information on the table and then started to scurry to the exit. He needed to get back to the ship...
When Thrall arrived back at the pad the Intimidators engines were already winding up and Marack was waiting to 'help' Thrall aboard.
"Now be care- ack!" Thrall managed to utter as Marack simply lifted him up and threw him aboard, quickly climbing the ladder himself. "-ful... I was going to say." Thrall muttered.
Marack just chuckled and pressed the controls to close the hatch. "Londred came back without raising a alarm boss, you need to be faster than that."
Thrall muttered something under his breath and headed to the cockpit section.
“Have fun waiting?” Londred asked as Thrall entered, not bothering to turn around while her hands lew over the controls to get her ship back into orbit and away from Kessel before some canny guard decided to do a prisoner check.
"You know I should have done this as a job interview, we could use someone like you... probably a trade secret but still going to ask, how in the hells did you got him out without raising a alarm?" Thrall blurted out, still a bit in shock from the surprise of how it all had gone down so far.
“Discretion and not getting caught go hand in hand with being a smuggler you know, some of us are actually quite good at our chosen profession.” Londred replied as they left the atmosphere and started back-tracing the course they had taken in earlier.
"So I see... ok I might have been kidding when I just said that, but now seriously, are you actually interested in being hired to work with us, me?" Not many people could conduct a prison breakout, least of all Kessel... and much less on their own, to say he was impressed was almost a understatement.
"Hey now slow down there slick and slimy." Londred said with a chuckle. "You haven't even paid me for this job yet... speaking of we never did discuss amounts, what AM I getting paid for this?"
"Well since you basically did everything... I was going to transfer the entire amount Hoddo was going to pay me to you honestly..." Thrall muttered.
"Generous of you." She said with a hint of surprise, Suppose that means I'll need to stick around till you drop that guy off then." The navcomputer registered that they were at the edge of the minefield and Londred reached for the hyperspace lever. "Piper and I can kick back our heels and enjoy all the emenities your ship has to offer in the mean time." She added as she turned back to face thrall as the ship jumped to hyperspace.
"The facilities of the Illusion of Grace are at your, and your companions, service." He chuckled, "Perhaps it will make you interested in my semi-serious proposal to hire you."
"Maybe it will. Shouldn't such an offer come from your boss though. Afterall you just spent the last several hours drinking and wasting your time, are you sure you have the authority to offer me a job?" Londred said with a teasing grin.
He let out a snort and then laughed, "Boss left me in charge while he is off being a freedom fighter, now in all seriousness. He trusts me and my judgement and I believe you and your companion would make a fine addition to our group. Like I mentioned on the way in though, he is a jedi and we got a couple of others, if you knew some of the other smugglers we often do business with then you knew that already. If you want to know my story, I was a former indentured slave he set free and he is my friend... who put me in charge of my own ship and a small fleet, so hey I can't complain with the direction he is taken me."
He paused and chuckled, "Also, he lets me get away with teasing and making fun of him." He smirked at that.
"He always did strike me as a softy." Londred replied. "Guess he hasn't changed in the last decade or two."
Thrall blinked and looked curiously at the smuggler, "Eh? You have known about him for 20 years?" He looked her over, "Did your folks do business with him or something?"
"Something like that." She replied with a shrug. "Why don't you go in the back and make sure I did indeed pull the right guy out of that place." She suggested, deliberately changing the subject.
Thrall kept looking at her and then shrugged, 'Will do, oh and Londred. Nice job, my thanks for that." With that he slithered out to get to see if they indeed had the right guy... now that would be something if they had gotten this far and they had got the wrong broker. Luckily it proved to be the right one and all he had to do was relax while they were to rejoin with the Illusion of Grace and make haste to Hoddo's palace.
Summary:
Thrall recruits the assistance of a smuggler to help in the breakout of Hoddo's associate incarcerated on Kessel. Spending 10SP worth of credits to bribe his way on the planetoid and acquire the services of a local bounty hunter in a attempt to start a diversion for the smuggler to safely extract and retreat with the prisoner... only to discover said smuggler, Londred, had already extracted the prisoner without raising alarms or notice of the guards and was waiting on the lazy, slow as ass Thrall to rejoin them so they could get off the rock...
"Diggy, diggy hole on a asteroid..." Thrall hummed under his breath and then shook his head, silently cursing. Why did some of the crew keep listening to that bloody song. He sighed and rubbed his forehead, would take him days to get that song out of his system now. "Report?" He asked the piloting section of the bridge.
A commander looked up and nodded, "We just dropped out of hyperspace, only one jump away from Kessel, per your instructions."
"Thank you, please be ready for further orders." He cracked his fingers and started tapping the screen, sending word to the bothan spies, smugglers and some law enforcement contacts they had established together with Tohkran. He preferred to do this without violence and hoped that any of these contacts might have a way to do so. Once the communication requests had been send for updates on his queries he leaned back and began the waiting game, after a few minutes he tapped his fingers impatiently on the armrest and activated the intercom. "Mess hall... prepare some footlong subs and bring them to the bridge please, we all could use a bite to eat.... and if you tell me we are out then I am sorry to say that we have to expect a mutiny."
There was silence for a moment and then a laugh, "Luckily we have plenty sir, bringing them right up, forgot you were back in charge."
The sluissi snorts, "I am always in command, even if beard face thinks otherwise, now bring me a sandwich!"
The regional contact in the Bothan network sends a quick reply to Thrall that no operatives are in the vicinity to lend assistance, they also inform thrall that the mess is out of prosciutto.
He slams his fist on the armrest, "Curses! And the nearest store that has it in supply is 5 systems away!" He blinked, glancing at the questioning looks the rest of the crew is giving him but he shook his head, "Nothing, never mind, has anyone else contacted us?"
A short time later a small light freighter drops out of hyperspace near the Illusion of Grace and hails the bridge on an encrypted channel. "This is Londred aboard the Intimidator, my peers know me as The Artist though." A female voice is heard over the comm when the message is decrypted using one of Tohkrans ciphers. "Was in the area and got your message about a possible job, so tell me, whats it pay?" Londred asked.
Thrall chuckled, "The Artist, huh? Well I am not the type to say what the payment is before explaining what the job is. Associate of beard face wants one of his people out of jail, jail in question is Kessel. Prefer a non-violent option and were hoping you could help out with that, thoughts?"
"Maybe I can, I know some folks that have done the Kessel run before, doesn't sound so hard to me. Question is, whats it worth to you?" Londred replied as a voice in the background outside the scope of the holoimager asked if it was a sluissi that Londred was talking to, followed by a barely heard comment that they eat their own young and that only 1 in 100 actually survive after birth.
"Yeah that's true, meaning I am a tough son of a bitch and I ate my own daddy." Thrall said with his most serious face, barely keeping it together. "I also won the most beautiful baby reptilian award in five sectors. Anyway, how much it is worth to me? Well you might risk trouble yourself getting our man out... unless you also happen to pick up a shipment of spice while you are down there to earn a profit from. So just tell me what you need for expenses."
"Excuse my companion, apparently she learned everything she knows from the holonet... and not the most reliable of sources either..." Londred said with a sigh. "You planning to send anyone with us or just expect the two of us to pull all this off on our lonesome?" She then asked with something of a pout.
"Well, if you don't feel that safe can come along with you along with another associate... is your freighter large enough to allow a Herglic aboard? Tall humanoid species, can reach sizes of 3 meters." Thrall replied, chuckling.
"We've had plenty of big fellas in here before... on the ship too." Londred replied with a sly smile.
Thrall let out a burst of laughter ,chuckling. "I see, well then please dock and be ready to accept two visitors, commander you have the bridge. Miss Artist, I see you and your companion in the hangar." With a flourish bow he ended the call and began slithering to the lift, contacting Marack to join him in the hangar section.
A moment later as Thrall and Marack entered the hanger they could see The Intimidator settling on the hanger deck, the freighter looked almost like a conical atmospheric craft with wings that looked like they were used for airbreaking more than anything else and the engines appeared to be primitive fossil fuel combustion designs from the outside.
"Well... it's a classic at least?" Thrall ventured, looking at Marack, who actually looked impressed and fascinated with the design. "Let's meet our new guests." Thrall continued, slithering towards the craft once it had finished it's landing procedures.
A pressure hatch opened in the forward side of the vessel just behind the cockpit windows and a boarding ladder extended rather quickly while a young woman appeared in the doorway studying a datapad and all but ignored Thrall and Marack, from the cockpit window however an older woman waved the two aboard the ship. assuming the younger woman looked up from her datapad long enough to notice the two and let them pass.
Thrall looked up the ladder, sighed and turned to Marack. "Hey big guy I need a bo-" Thrall began and did not finish as the herglic picked up the sluissi without apparent effort and threw him up towards the hatch. With a yelp Thrall was thrown inside, past the younger woman, who didn't seem to notice as Marack climbed up the ladder and got on the edge just as Thrall collected himself and silently cursed as he checked his bruises.
The young woman glances up for a moment as Marack climbs into view and she starts backwards in surprise for a moment, obviously not expecting someone quite so big to appear as if from nowhere in front of her. She nearly backed into thrall who she obviously had not seen sail past her a moment before and upon realizing that she all but ran for the cockpit.
"Oh come on they're not that scary." Londreds voice could be heard saying from the cockpit as the two heard the engines fire up again, apparently the smuggler was wasting no time with beginning the job. "Come on in boys," Londred called from the cockpit,"We've got some extra seats in here... not sure if you'll fit of course."
Marack glanced around and rumbled from the back of his throat, "I'll stand."
Thrall slithered up to one and lifted himself up in it and coiled his lower body up in it. "A interesting ship you got yourself, well then, let's see how things go on Kessel, I do hope you got the contacts there that can help make this job done smoothly?"
"Contacts?" Londred asked as the ship left the hangar deck and headed for space. "I've never even been to kessel myself before don't know a soul there." She added as she turned around to face Thrall. "But hey this job sounded like fun."
Thrall looked at Londred.... rolled his eyes before closing them and hiding his face in his hands. "I see... well... this will be fun."
Londreds companion watched the two warily as Londred herself put in the coordinates for Kessel and launched the ship into hyperspace. with that done the smuggler turned back to thrall and tilted her head slightly in a questioning manner. "You don't seem like a particularly optimistic chap you know." She stated, "If you have no faith in those you decided to hire for the job why get on the ship in the first place?"
"Oh no I am a optimist on the inside but a very vocal pessimist on the outside, it is very conflicting I know but it seems to work for me. Besides I joined up with a jedi so my sanity is not so much in question as it is non-existent.... say don't suppose you have any stores of prosciutto?" Thrall replied.
"The galley might have some, might want to check the expiry though, pretty sure something was living in the cooler last time I looked in there, its surprisingly roomy in there." Londred said as she turned back to the controls, they were after all not far from Kessel in the first place it would only take maybe 20 minutes to get there from there they had entered hyperspace.
Marack grunted and went to investigate the galley, coming back a few minutes later looking rather amused, "The science experiment tasted rather nice actually, needed some peppers though."
The young woman who Londred had still not identified by name looked almost horrified at the herglics statement before rushing past the two guests and heading for the galley at a flat run. Londred looked over her shoulder and shrugged at the actions of her companion before fishing a pair of magnacuffs from under the console and holding them up as she turned to face Thrall and Marack again. "So which of you wants to play the good cop, and which the bad?" she said with another grin-like smile.
In reply Marack removed his heavy vibro-ax from his back and thumped it heavily on the deck, making a light dent in the metal. Thrall looked at his companion, "I think he will be the bad cop... so I suppose I will be the good cop, I assume we can go by a cover story that we are travelling incognito because of possible pirates targeting prison transports to break out their buddies."
Londred frowned at the deck for a moment as the axe dented the floor plating. "I'm honestly not fussed what story you use." Londred said as the ship dropped from hyperspace near kessel, thankfully outside the recently placed minefield perimeter. Londred may not have had any contacts on kessel itself but she apparently did know something of the place from talking with fellow smugglers. "All you need to do is get me into a cell near the buddy you want to break out." Londred replied with the same smile as she slipped the cuffs over her wrists.
Thrall raised a brow, looking at the now cuffed smuggler, "Might I ask what your plan is?"
"I mentioned my peers call me 'The Artist' right?" Londred replied as the com started beeping that they were being contacted by Kessel control. "You want to take that?" She asked Thrall before she went to the comm and switched it on, one hand now free of the cuffs somehow.
Thrall looked at her hands, "I see... and yes let me take that." He slithered to the controls and accepted the hail. "This is the Intimidator, carrying a prisoner, copy."
"Some species don't understand the concept of a safe word." Londred said quietly to Marack with a wink as Kessel control checked their records.
"Intimidator, we have no record of any scheduled prisoner delivery by your vessel today.... or ever actually..."
Marack let out a quiet laugh while Thrall was replying to the voice, "Well with a war on I can imagine when messages about what prisoners are delivered on what date are delayed or simply lost in the void. As for why this unconventional method of transportation, well last time some pirates decided to ambush the prison transport and retrieve their buddies, so we are attempting a new approach... apparently travelling in a rust bucket does not make you stand out as someone with a worthwhile cargo to even bother with."
Londred whipped her head around to look at Thrall with a hot look in her eyes at his reply to Kessel Control before promptly standing on the end of his tail.
There was silence on the other end of the line for a while before a reply came back. "You are Cleared to Land at auxiliary platform 3, Intimidator. Do not deviate from your assigned flightplan. Control out." The voice at the other end said finally in a tone that was more bored than anything else as a datapacket was received by the navcomputer showing a route to the designated landing platform.
He stifled a cry, glaring over his shoulder at Londred with a warning gaze, thanking for the hospitality, knowing the control officer probably did not even register that as he put in the flightplan in the automatic pilot before turning to the smuggler. "Ever heard off acting? If I seem bored or annoyed with this task instead of eager then they won't suspect a thing."
"My ship is NOT a Rust Bucket." Londred replied, tempted to bring her foot down on Thralls tail a second time. Instead she closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and slipped her free hand back into the magnacuffs. "Don't suppose you have any details on the guy you're breaking out? this trick is unlikely to work a second time you know, I'd rather not break the wrong guy out and need to go back in."
Thrall smirked, smugglers and their ships, "Of course your ship isn't one, but hey my ship isn't a illusion either." He winked and then proceeded to inform her about the details he had gathered from Hoddo about the associate they needed to spring free from prison, as well as the details of a bounty hunter that was on-site, which Thrall was going to contact and see if he could cause a disturbance that would distract the guards so she could get their target out of there.
By the time thrall finished going over the details the Intimidator had landed on the designated pad and a squad of Sun Guard were approaching the vessel from the main facility. At the head of the squad was a man in a repubilic uniform in his middle years, he appeared bored and not particularly happy to be out in kessels thinner than average atmopshere.
"Well, Looks like that's our escort." Londred said as she feinted a beaten and defeated look for the benefit of the guards and republic officer. "How do you plan to get off the ship anyway?" She asked Thrall while turning her back on the guards and climbing down the entry ladder.
Thrall snorts and waits as Marack went first, placing a hand on Londred as if to tell her she had nowhere to run and then turned back and held his arms out, giving Thrall the cue to slither forwards and drop down into the Herglic's waiting arms and then was, thankfully, gently put down to the ground. He gave a republic salute and greeting to the bored officer, eyeing the strange guards, he had never seen those before, at first he thought Mandalorians but their armour seemed different. "Thank you, you are here to take my prisoner, jolly good."
The republic officer waved a couple of the guards forward to take custody of Londred before looking at Thrall with a somewhat glazed look. "Papers please." He stated simply
"My friend, does this look like a ordinary transport? Listen, this here gall annoyed some top brass bigwigs and they wanted her to be put away but they don't want to see her to die, well at least not that soon, so put her with the brokers or something, the middlemen so she can toil in the mines and think back on the mistakes that brought her here." He gave Marack a signal who pushed her forwards to the guards who approached while Thrall continued. "Anyhow, is Dex Jaeger still here? I need to see him on some urgent business."
"That scum..." The officer replied, "Probably at the miners bar near the shipping docks." The guards had taken Londred in hand now but were otherwise not making a move to take her into the prison, evidently waiting for the officer to give the order. "I'm still going to need transfer papers." The officer then said.
Thrall rolled his eyes, "Great there goes my 'bonus' fee I got to take her here, but I suppose I have to share it." He muttered as he reached out, shaking the officer's hand, leaving credits chits with a value of 10'000 credits in his hand. "As I said, she annoyed some big brass... and they don't want her to be found in the system."
The officer smiled as he palmed the credit chits. “I suppose an extra prisoner in the mines won't hurt production any, though looking at her other uses might be found...” He replied with his smile turning into more of a grin.
“Does that mean I can get a proper matress, a clean one even.” Londred said as she caught the Officers look. The officer just sneered at her comment and waved the Sun Guards to take her to the cells where the prisoners with more value outside of the mines were kept.
“If you would accompany me to my office we can finalise an official reason for your visit here to keep up appearances, I suggest you leave your muscle here however.” The officer then said as he turned to Thrall.
Thrall nodded and turned to Marack, "Right, guard the ship and remember where we are parked."
The herglic tilted his head questioningly. "We parked right here?"
"Exactly and don't you forget it!" Thrall replied gesturing with a finger to the sky as he slithered forward to follow the republic officer.
Londred didn't even look back as the guards took her into the prison proper, seeming having accepted her predicament to those that did not know it was a setup. The officer simply lead Thrall through the administration levels of the prison... well the lower levels at least... until they reached his office, upon entering the first thing the officer did was to walk to the far side of the room and took out two tumblers and a decanter from a wall cabinet. He poured two glasses and offered one to Thrall. “Sullustan Gin, I have a trader friend that brings me in a bottle of the good vintages everynow and then.”
"Got a good setup here then, commendable." Thrall replied friendly, taking the glass and toasting the officer. "Curious guards though, had expected clone troopers to be honest." He didn't want to blow off the officer rudely, he didn't knew what Londred was up to but he figured if he could contact Dex Jaeger to create a distraction it would only increase the odds.
“Indeed,” Te officer said as he took a sip himself. “So we need to explain why your vessel has landed and dropped a prisoner while still keeping her out of the records then, how do you propose we do this?” He asked “Afterall you're the one that insists she not be on the official record.”
"Well, smuggler freighter arrive and go at infrequent itnervals don't they? So that shoudl easily be logged as just a spice shipment take-off. As for my prisoner..." He showed a grin, "How many prisoners die in week? Should be easy to neglect one death and have her listed under the name of someone who has recently deceased in the mines." He half seriously, half joking added, "If you give me access I can input it myself in the system."
"You want me to give you access to our systems... I may be willing to take in an unlisted prisoner for some compensation, but that could cost me my position, serving on the front lines is not something I would rather be doing." The officer replied.
Thrall chuckled, "I was joking good sir. But since you did not mention any problem with my proposal of handling the prisoner and my arrival then that is settled? If so I would like to see Dex before I must be off."
“Birds of a feather I suppose.” The officer replied before leaning over his desk and pressing a button. A few moments later a guard opened the door and stepped inside.
Thrall finished his drink and saluted the officer with the empty glass before setting it down, "A good day to you officer, perhaps we will see each other again." He turned to the guard and nodded, "Care to guide me to the miners bar?"
The guard looked to the Officer and waited for a signal from him, all he received was a lazy wave indicating he should at the very least escort Thrall from the prison grounds. “Be aware, you will need to leave in the next four hours or any story I cook up will come under more scrutiny than it could likely stand up to.” The officer advised Thrall as the guard gestured for Thrall to precede him out the door.
Thrall nodded thankfully to the officer and then proceeding to leave the office.
Meanwhile back at the Intimidator Marack stared at his hand and grumbled, putting the cards down that looked tiny in his big palm. "You won again." He said with a snort, shoving a pile of credit chits towards her, "Think your boss and mine will be back in one piece?"
“Londred will be back, no one can keep her penned for long.” Londreds companion replied. After it had become apparent that Marack was not just some big brute, the girl had stopped trying to keep her distance and had wound up playing Sabbac with him. What the Herglic didn't know was how much time the girl spent on the holonet playing sabbac while she looked for information about the galaxy in general.
He looked at the cards and nodded, "She must be quite good at what she does then, didn't catch your name actually." He pushed a small stack of credits forward. "Name's Marack, or big guy according to Thrall."
“Piper.” The Girl replied as she dealt out another hand of cards. “Londred has been doing her thing for many years now, she didn't become known as 'The Artist' through luck.” She then added.
He grinned and laid out the cards, "Pure Sabacc. Well then I trust they'll be back shortly... say think your larder got more scientific experiments gone wrong?"
***
The Miners Bar was as is to be expected a pretty rough looking place. afterall not all the miners on kessel were actually prisoners, some were actually paid for their work or were supervisors brought in to oversee the prisoners work and make sure they didn't screw up. As it was Thrall would soon find Dex in a back corner booth after making some inquiries.
Slithering towards the table he nodded a greeting and quickly spope up before he could be dismissed or send away, "Hoddo sends his greetings."
“Hoddo can stick his greetings up his fat arse.” Dex replied harshly. “Slimy Hutt still owes me for the last job I did for him. I'm stuck here until I can pay for the overpriced repairs, damn backwater.” Dex replied as he downed a beer in one swig.
"Excellent you hate the fat slug too, so I don't have to kiss his arse by praising him to you." Thrall replied wit ha grin, "Right, well then I will be quick, I need a distraction so I can get off this rock... with a resident who no longer wants to use the local facilities if you get my meaning. Tell me how much you need to get off this rock and I will wire the funds to you, right now, right here." He finished saying and brought up his personal computer.
"What kinda of distraction are you after, getting arrested by the prison guards won't really help me get out of here even if my ship is repaired." Dex replied
"You know this place better than me, reckon you know what attracts the guards? And if you don't know anything, know of any terminals you can give me access to with which I can mess around and set off alarms... on the other side of the complex, away from what I am trying to pull off?"
"Any alarm in the prison is liable to send the whole facility into lockdown, I imagine that'll make getting the guy out more difficult than it already is right?" Dex asked as he leaned back and took another drink while he considered.
"Eh I was considering a fake sensor alarm of CIS ships arriving in system to distract them..." He paused and looked around and then back at Dex, "Question, what is the prison guards reaction to a out of control bar fight?"
“They would more than likely ignore a bar fight, and a fake CIS invasion would just lock down the entire system, or did you not see the warships in orbit on your approach, let alone the minefield.” Dex said with a shrug. “A problem in the mines might cause a satisfactory result though, there's no immediate threat and at least a portion of the guards would likely be deployed to make sure the prisoners out there don't try to take advantage of it.”
"Yeah well... don't want to mess with the mines... don't know what certain... ah spice merchants might think if production falters... probably thank me to be honest they can increase prices, look listen all I want is a distraction, if you can pull it off without getting imprisoned yourself or causing casualties, then just name your price and you got it."
"Seventy thousand, that should get my ship hypercapable again so i can at least fly somewhere with cheaper repairs for the rest of it." Dex replied as he leaned back and tipped back a fresh mug of beer.
"Done, and adding a twenty thousand bonus for the trouble I might put you through." Thrall added and showed the hunter he was wiring ninenty thousand credits total.
As the credits started transferring Thralls comm link began beeping at him, id registered it as coming from the Intimidator.
Thrall activated his commlink, "Yes?"
“You finished getting drunk yet scaly?” Londreds voice asked over the comm. “We're all waiting on you to get back here so we can leave you know.”
He blinked, widening his eyes, staring for a moment at his comm device, thinking for a second Marack ahd somehow found a way to do a practical joke on him but then he recalled he had no skill for it. "I... well... you are back already... with the package?"
“A nice bottle of Sullustan Gin to boot, I needed to restock on that, haven't had all the ingredients to make a Sonic Sevodriver in a few months now.” Londred replied casually. “We really should be leaving before the Guards realize what's happened however.”
Thrall was beat for a moment before he finally found his voice again. "I see... ready the ship I am on my way." He turned back to Dex, "Seems my problem is already solved, you enjoy your credits, perhaps we can keep in touch if you are the sort who wants debts repaid, otherwise, have another drink on me." With that he quickly slid a crystal with contact information on the table and then started to scurry to the exit. He needed to get back to the ship...
When Thrall arrived back at the pad the Intimidators engines were already winding up and Marack was waiting to 'help' Thrall aboard.
"Now be care- ack!" Thrall managed to utter as Marack simply lifted him up and threw him aboard, quickly climbing the ladder himself. "-ful... I was going to say." Thrall muttered.
Marack just chuckled and pressed the controls to close the hatch. "Londred came back without raising a alarm boss, you need to be faster than that."
Thrall muttered something under his breath and headed to the cockpit section.
“Have fun waiting?” Londred asked as Thrall entered, not bothering to turn around while her hands lew over the controls to get her ship back into orbit and away from Kessel before some canny guard decided to do a prisoner check.
"You know I should have done this as a job interview, we could use someone like you... probably a trade secret but still going to ask, how in the hells did you got him out without raising a alarm?" Thrall blurted out, still a bit in shock from the surprise of how it all had gone down so far.
“Discretion and not getting caught go hand in hand with being a smuggler you know, some of us are actually quite good at our chosen profession.” Londred replied as they left the atmosphere and started back-tracing the course they had taken in earlier.
"So I see... ok I might have been kidding when I just said that, but now seriously, are you actually interested in being hired to work with us, me?" Not many people could conduct a prison breakout, least of all Kessel... and much less on their own, to say he was impressed was almost a understatement.
"Hey now slow down there slick and slimy." Londred said with a chuckle. "You haven't even paid me for this job yet... speaking of we never did discuss amounts, what AM I getting paid for this?"
"Well since you basically did everything... I was going to transfer the entire amount Hoddo was going to pay me to you honestly..." Thrall muttered.
"Generous of you." She said with a hint of surprise, Suppose that means I'll need to stick around till you drop that guy off then." The navcomputer registered that they were at the edge of the minefield and Londred reached for the hyperspace lever. "Piper and I can kick back our heels and enjoy all the emenities your ship has to offer in the mean time." She added as she turned back to face thrall as the ship jumped to hyperspace.
"The facilities of the Illusion of Grace are at your, and your companions, service." He chuckled, "Perhaps it will make you interested in my semi-serious proposal to hire you."
"Maybe it will. Shouldn't such an offer come from your boss though. Afterall you just spent the last several hours drinking and wasting your time, are you sure you have the authority to offer me a job?" Londred said with a teasing grin.
He let out a snort and then laughed, "Boss left me in charge while he is off being a freedom fighter, now in all seriousness. He trusts me and my judgement and I believe you and your companion would make a fine addition to our group. Like I mentioned on the way in though, he is a jedi and we got a couple of others, if you knew some of the other smugglers we often do business with then you knew that already. If you want to know my story, I was a former indentured slave he set free and he is my friend... who put me in charge of my own ship and a small fleet, so hey I can't complain with the direction he is taken me."
He paused and chuckled, "Also, he lets me get away with teasing and making fun of him." He smirked at that.
"He always did strike me as a softy." Londred replied. "Guess he hasn't changed in the last decade or two."
Thrall blinked and looked curiously at the smuggler, "Eh? You have known about him for 20 years?" He looked her over, "Did your folks do business with him or something?"
"Something like that." She replied with a shrug. "Why don't you go in the back and make sure I did indeed pull the right guy out of that place." She suggested, deliberately changing the subject.
Thrall kept looking at her and then shrugged, 'Will do, oh and Londred. Nice job, my thanks for that." With that he slithered out to get to see if they indeed had the right guy... now that would be something if they had gotten this far and they had got the wrong broker. Luckily it proved to be the right one and all he had to do was relax while they were to rejoin with the Illusion of Grace and make haste to Hoddo's palace.
Summary:
Thrall recruits the assistance of a smuggler to help in the breakout of Hoddo's associate incarcerated on Kessel. Spending 10SP worth of credits to bribe his way on the planetoid and acquire the services of a local bounty hunter in a attempt to start a diversion for the smuggler to safely extract and retreat with the prisoner... only to discover said smuggler, Londred, had already extracted the prisoner without raising alarms or notice of the guards and was waiting on the lazy, slow as ass Thrall to rejoin them so they could get off the rock...
what's up with rpg double posting lately...
Amazonia, Naream questions and arrogance...
Naream pondered for a moment, he knew enough that he seriously did not want to get close and personal with this drake, finally a thought occurred to him and he voiced it out loud. "I have a question, several even perhaps. The scales of a regular drake are tough, yes, but do drakes often fight each other? Perhaps over territory or mates? If so, can their own claws pierce their scales? Or are there simply weaknesses that your own people know off we can focus on when we face the beast." He gestured to her armour, either fashioned from a beast they had slain or collected from a dead carcass perhaps.
Princess Ethlinn blinks, somewhat confused with some of his questions. "Of course, they're like everything else in the Amazon." She looks him over, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. "I already told you the throat is a weakness when they attempt to attack with their acidic spit. I also told you they are slow to turn but fast in a charge. And, yes, their claws will pierce their hides, why?" Her staff glowed a little as she waited for his response.
He ignored her irritation, she looked somewhat attractive, for a surfacer, when angry. "Do you happen to have any claws in your possession? I think I, or perhaps with some assistance." He glanced at Esyllt Boudica for emphasis before he continued. "Create a construct, or several, that might be of great assistance in subduing or slaying the beast. What better way to arm them then what is sure to pierce it's tough scale hide."
"No." The amazon replies, shaking her head regretfully. "We only keep what we need. Their claws unfortunately do not mold well into weapons nor last long when separated from their corpses." Remarkable, the fact that they wanted to create a monstrosity didn't seem to bother her visible.
"A pity, I had hoped that perhaps some trophies remained, ah well, perhaps the idea still has merit, I have also a idea of a snake creature perhaps that can choke our drake friend and impede it's movements by wrapping itself around our prey."
With a sigh, Ethlinn rests her hand on Naream's shoulder and motions around the interior of the tree they were standing in. "We do not have giant snake corpses, or wolf corpses, or any corpses simply lying around. We cannibalize and use everything we possible can, we have to. I'm not sure if we have the kind of resources you are looking for."
He smirked, taking the hand slowly from his shoulder, giving it a light caress, before letting it go, he didn't mind being touched by a beautiful woman, but on his own terms. "I have access to a great wealth of corpses and other discarded materials." He idly traced over his amulet and then shrugged, "And thanks to the lessons of a fellow queensblade, a golem creature can be constructed as well, merely the imagination and our skill limits the resources we can use, metal, wood, plantlife, stone, all can be used."
The princess again appeared somewhat confused, uncertain as to how to respond she steps away from him and towards Queen Alexandria. "That is good, then."
"Well that can be discussed later, as for the potential demon infiltrator... I think I can help with that...." He glanced at his glove and sleeve covered arm, or more importantly what he had hiding beneath the cloth. "All it needs is me touching each candidate... your true Amazons... will be weakened... the demon... will be easily noticed."
"Do these demons not specialize in disguising themselves?" The princess retorts, now obviously uncomfortable with the idea of weakening any of her people. "The demon could simply feign the same response it witnesses from the others."
Naream smirks, "Not if we separate each candidate beforehand, and only have the queens blades and loyal warriors be present during the testing. Or would you tell me it is impossible to have each suspect come one at a time in a secluded area or room and after testing prevent them from contact with the other suspects? Of course keeping them under watch still till the succubus is found." He then shrugged, "That or if I am given preparation, we can create a ritual circle where each suspect stands in and I let my power flow into it and test all suspects at the same time."
Ethlinn's look turns icy as her teeth clench in anger... And frustration. Not necessarily even directed at him. "My people are not subjects to be pushed, tested, and weakened on a suspicion. Not by a man who speaks of creating monsters." Biting her lip she stops herself from saying anything more, then looks with a little desperation to Queen Alexandria. "Even mentioning we might do a 'test' like this would cause half of those suspected to demand fair trial by combat. The other half's family would be enraged enough to do it for them."
Naream raised his brows, "You yourself believes a succubus is among your people, yet you do not want it to be found? Or do you have any other way of quickly discovering the demon among the suspects?" He looks at queen Alex, waiting to see where apparently she will take this discussion since the Amazonian princess had decided to have her enter the conversation.
Alex grunts and shakes her head, "How about no, Naream. As much as I hate dealing with succubi... I've learned of something I dread far worse in my time dealing with the nobles." Her face pales just a fraction as she shudders, "Cultural sleights, ugh. No... I think this idea of duels is a good idea, unless we can come up with a better plan, though none come to mind that does not pose a far greater risk when dealing with their kind."
"Inefficient but I will bow down and submit to one of the queens I serve I suppose." He bowed stiffly.
Bowing her head respectfully and in thanks, the princess turns and faces Naream once more. "I am happy to have your assistance, but I cannot ask my people to do that which goes against their wishes. We survive on trust, honour, tradition. Without these things we are quickly reduced to nothing."
"Is that so? Have these suspects been informed there is a succubus among them?" Naream asked lightly. "No matter, if you want to be truthful about it all, just tell them there is a traitor among them and we have a way of finding out who are true of heart and who is the falsehood if all other methods fail, a burst of negative energy will make us spot who is human and who is not." He bowed again, this time to the Amazonian princess. "My humble contribution to ferreting out the traitor among your midst."
"No." The princess states plainly. It seemed she was done discussing that question.
Alex tenses and looks to Naream, "Enough is enough, Naream. May I remind you, that it is with luck that your practice is even permitted. If I recall, there are some who contest against your arts being allowed at all," she adds a warning growl under her breath. "They have enough to worry about without exposing them to your tests, Naream, as helpful as you intend them to be."
He narrowed his eyes but remained silent, curtly nodding his head in acknowledgement to queen Alex's statement. He wondered how they would think of his 'practices' when the demons became more of a threat. But for now, let them have their precious honour and culture be interfering with efficiency and getting the job done, all he did anyway was being a virtual slave to the queens till he got what was rightfully his regardless.
"Finally." The princess says with a sigh of relief, smiling softly as she looked at Alex with a thankful look in her eyes. "Do you have any other questions?"
He shook his head and merely gestured to the other queens blades if they had any other questions. Mentally he was already preparing and going over negative energy spells and rituals in the, in his mind, likely case of the failed testing of these duels they were considering. She said herself a succubus was a perfect infiltrator, so how would a duel reveal it? It boggled his mind.
Alex nods, "If any of mine are affected by the corruption of the succubi in this attempt to weed them out, that we do all we can to keep them from being made victim by the effects. As well, I have my wonders of how your amazons feel about duels of fighting constructs. There are some in my company whose strengths lie not within but in the things they create.
"Our shamans can fight with their spirits, we could allow golems and skeletons to take the place of their summoners." She mulls it over for a few moments before looking at the elderly woman still in the room. With a single motion, Narina clears her throat, and speaks with a tone that made her sound at least twice as old as she was. [b]"Our core belief is in passion, in all things. Even in duels this is present. If a person excels by using magic, or has an ally substitute for them, this is perfectly acceptable. Our duels are rarely lethal, these duels would be no exception to that. No killing blows, no real weapons, replicas will be used in the place of real weapons. Magic, too, must not leave any kind of serious damage. The point of a duel is to show the passion the combatant has for their chosen art and in how much they believe in themselves and respect their opponent, not in how good they are with any particular weapon."
Naream merely smirked upon hearing that, why fight himself when he can raise the dead to fight for him, or now thanks to his new school of magic create golems that will serve in the same regard. He did respect actual warriors of course, to disrespect them or disregard them was to invite a pointy, sharp object to be stabbed between your ribs. Still that only proved they were mortal, his undead creations do not tire, do not rest, they keep fighting until they are physically destroyed. And that was why his creations were superior to mortal warriors. But he wisely kept that to himself.
Time would tell...
Naream pondered for a moment, he knew enough that he seriously did not want to get close and personal with this drake, finally a thought occurred to him and he voiced it out loud. "I have a question, several even perhaps. The scales of a regular drake are tough, yes, but do drakes often fight each other? Perhaps over territory or mates? If so, can their own claws pierce their scales? Or are there simply weaknesses that your own people know off we can focus on when we face the beast." He gestured to her armour, either fashioned from a beast they had slain or collected from a dead carcass perhaps.
Princess Ethlinn blinks, somewhat confused with some of his questions. "Of course, they're like everything else in the Amazon." She looks him over, narrowing her eyes in annoyance. "I already told you the throat is a weakness when they attempt to attack with their acidic spit. I also told you they are slow to turn but fast in a charge. And, yes, their claws will pierce their hides, why?" Her staff glowed a little as she waited for his response.
He ignored her irritation, she looked somewhat attractive, for a surfacer, when angry. "Do you happen to have any claws in your possession? I think I, or perhaps with some assistance." He glanced at Esyllt Boudica for emphasis before he continued. "Create a construct, or several, that might be of great assistance in subduing or slaying the beast. What better way to arm them then what is sure to pierce it's tough scale hide."
"No." The amazon replies, shaking her head regretfully. "We only keep what we need. Their claws unfortunately do not mold well into weapons nor last long when separated from their corpses." Remarkable, the fact that they wanted to create a monstrosity didn't seem to bother her visible.
"A pity, I had hoped that perhaps some trophies remained, ah well, perhaps the idea still has merit, I have also a idea of a snake creature perhaps that can choke our drake friend and impede it's movements by wrapping itself around our prey."
With a sigh, Ethlinn rests her hand on Naream's shoulder and motions around the interior of the tree they were standing in. "We do not have giant snake corpses, or wolf corpses, or any corpses simply lying around. We cannibalize and use everything we possible can, we have to. I'm not sure if we have the kind of resources you are looking for."
He smirked, taking the hand slowly from his shoulder, giving it a light caress, before letting it go, he didn't mind being touched by a beautiful woman, but on his own terms. "I have access to a great wealth of corpses and other discarded materials." He idly traced over his amulet and then shrugged, "And thanks to the lessons of a fellow queensblade, a golem creature can be constructed as well, merely the imagination and our skill limits the resources we can use, metal, wood, plantlife, stone, all can be used."
The princess again appeared somewhat confused, uncertain as to how to respond she steps away from him and towards Queen Alexandria. "That is good, then."
"Well that can be discussed later, as for the potential demon infiltrator... I think I can help with that...." He glanced at his glove and sleeve covered arm, or more importantly what he had hiding beneath the cloth. "All it needs is me touching each candidate... your true Amazons... will be weakened... the demon... will be easily noticed."
"Do these demons not specialize in disguising themselves?" The princess retorts, now obviously uncomfortable with the idea of weakening any of her people. "The demon could simply feign the same response it witnesses from the others."
Naream smirks, "Not if we separate each candidate beforehand, and only have the queens blades and loyal warriors be present during the testing. Or would you tell me it is impossible to have each suspect come one at a time in a secluded area or room and after testing prevent them from contact with the other suspects? Of course keeping them under watch still till the succubus is found." He then shrugged, "That or if I am given preparation, we can create a ritual circle where each suspect stands in and I let my power flow into it and test all suspects at the same time."
Ethlinn's look turns icy as her teeth clench in anger... And frustration. Not necessarily even directed at him. "My people are not subjects to be pushed, tested, and weakened on a suspicion. Not by a man who speaks of creating monsters." Biting her lip she stops herself from saying anything more, then looks with a little desperation to Queen Alexandria. "Even mentioning we might do a 'test' like this would cause half of those suspected to demand fair trial by combat. The other half's family would be enraged enough to do it for them."
Naream raised his brows, "You yourself believes a succubus is among your people, yet you do not want it to be found? Or do you have any other way of quickly discovering the demon among the suspects?" He looks at queen Alex, waiting to see where apparently she will take this discussion since the Amazonian princess had decided to have her enter the conversation.
Alex grunts and shakes her head, "How about no, Naream. As much as I hate dealing with succubi... I've learned of something I dread far worse in my time dealing with the nobles." Her face pales just a fraction as she shudders, "Cultural sleights, ugh. No... I think this idea of duels is a good idea, unless we can come up with a better plan, though none come to mind that does not pose a far greater risk when dealing with their kind."
"Inefficient but I will bow down and submit to one of the queens I serve I suppose." He bowed stiffly.
Bowing her head respectfully and in thanks, the princess turns and faces Naream once more. "I am happy to have your assistance, but I cannot ask my people to do that which goes against their wishes. We survive on trust, honour, tradition. Without these things we are quickly reduced to nothing."
"Is that so? Have these suspects been informed there is a succubus among them?" Naream asked lightly. "No matter, if you want to be truthful about it all, just tell them there is a traitor among them and we have a way of finding out who are true of heart and who is the falsehood if all other methods fail, a burst of negative energy will make us spot who is human and who is not." He bowed again, this time to the Amazonian princess. "My humble contribution to ferreting out the traitor among your midst."
"No." The princess states plainly. It seemed she was done discussing that question.
Alex tenses and looks to Naream, "Enough is enough, Naream. May I remind you, that it is with luck that your practice is even permitted. If I recall, there are some who contest against your arts being allowed at all," she adds a warning growl under her breath. "They have enough to worry about without exposing them to your tests, Naream, as helpful as you intend them to be."
He narrowed his eyes but remained silent, curtly nodding his head in acknowledgement to queen Alex's statement. He wondered how they would think of his 'practices' when the demons became more of a threat. But for now, let them have their precious honour and culture be interfering with efficiency and getting the job done, all he did anyway was being a virtual slave to the queens till he got what was rightfully his regardless.
"Finally." The princess says with a sigh of relief, smiling softly as she looked at Alex with a thankful look in her eyes. "Do you have any other questions?"
He shook his head and merely gestured to the other queens blades if they had any other questions. Mentally he was already preparing and going over negative energy spells and rituals in the, in his mind, likely case of the failed testing of these duels they were considering. She said herself a succubus was a perfect infiltrator, so how would a duel reveal it? It boggled his mind.
Alex nods, "If any of mine are affected by the corruption of the succubi in this attempt to weed them out, that we do all we can to keep them from being made victim by the effects. As well, I have my wonders of how your amazons feel about duels of fighting constructs. There are some in my company whose strengths lie not within but in the things they create.
"Our shamans can fight with their spirits, we could allow golems and skeletons to take the place of their summoners." She mulls it over for a few moments before looking at the elderly woman still in the room. With a single motion, Narina clears her throat, and speaks with a tone that made her sound at least twice as old as she was. [b]"Our core belief is in passion, in all things. Even in duels this is present. If a person excels by using magic, or has an ally substitute for them, this is perfectly acceptable. Our duels are rarely lethal, these duels would be no exception to that. No killing blows, no real weapons, replicas will be used in the place of real weapons. Magic, too, must not leave any kind of serious damage. The point of a duel is to show the passion the combatant has for their chosen art and in how much they believe in themselves and respect their opponent, not in how good they are with any particular weapon."
Naream merely smirked upon hearing that, why fight himself when he can raise the dead to fight for him, or now thanks to his new school of magic create golems that will serve in the same regard. He did respect actual warriors of course, to disrespect them or disregard them was to invite a pointy, sharp object to be stabbed between your ribs. Still that only proved they were mortal, his undead creations do not tire, do not rest, they keep fighting until they are physically destroyed. And that was why his creations were superior to mortal warriors. But he wisely kept that to himself.
Time would tell...
A Russel and Naream Collabation at the great Ball...
Excusing himself from his dance partner, Maeven, claiming he needed to cool off some, mostly due to her bumping and grinding during the dancing they were doing, even though he was far from innocent of not doing the same to her. Regardless he cleared his head of any… distracting thoughts, heading for one of the buffet tables when he stopped and raised his eyebrows at the most curious individual he had witnessed in a long time.
The others people nearby were giving this… apparition a rather wide berth, either from fear, distaste or simply indifference. It was a man, well the skeleton of a man, nothing unusual to him of course, what was unusual, this one was not under the control of a necromancer, he had heard about this one, also a member of the Queens Blades but he thought the people discussing him were jesting and not serious.
Seeing the oddity walk away he decided to follow in pursuit and perhaps, assuming he was able to communicate with it, which should not be a problem he had ways to talk to the deceased after all…
It did not take Rust long to find clear air near the open doors of the ballroom, a door the opened onto balcony of marble, carved with care of craftsmen. The din of the party that was suffocating, and all encompassing diminished as he rested his hands upon the balustrade and leaned against it for a moment, hanging his barren head in thought, trying to remember the memory, to analyze it, to cement every detail. Yet it fluttered, like dreams upon waking, shifting through his grasp.
He wanted to be angry, but there was nothing to be angry at, or about. He couldn’t angry at what raised him, as nothing seemed to have done so. No one had caused his amnesia, and it made no sense to be angry at himself over something he had utterly no control of. The anger wanted to corrupt itself into depression, but there was...joy there. He had remembered something While the detailed slipped away, leaving him with impressions, he knew he had been happy in that memory, enthralled, joyous even.
It was something tangible. It meant he was not imagining a life that never was. He had lived before. He had a past that could be found. He gripped the railing tightly, faint noise coming from his skeleton as it ground against the smoothed stone.
Naream crossed his arms and studied the skeleton Queens Blade for a moment, how… fascinating indeed, if he didn’t knew any better from the way it seemed to be in it’s current stance, it seemed almost at a loss or forlorn. He reached out with his magical senses but could not feel the tug and pull of some necromancer pulling the strings from somewhere unseen.
After a while, when it seemed he would either not be noticed or just ignored he coughed to make his presence known.
A noise displaced from the regular dull roar of the ball itself caught his attention. Looking up and pivoting on the heel of his right foot, Russel turned to the noise, to find someone there, someone he didn’t recognize. As he finished his turn, his left hand returned to the mount of the scabbard, steading the blade’s sway without consciously thinking of it, his right hesitating for a moment, before reaching forwards in friendly gesture, “Russel, of the Queen’s Blades.” His voice carried from the hollow confines of his upper chest, or around there; a hollow, hissing note of unnatural speech that followed the vague pattern of his opening and closing jaw. His vision fell upon the clasp Naream wore, bearing the insignia of the Queen’s Blades, and nodded, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
“Naream Baenre, also of the Queen’s Blades.” He replied with, pausing briefly and chuckled. “My apologies, I was not certain if you had… capabilities to form speech, considering your… condition shall we say. But I am rude, we have not met before, or at least not accordingly. I must say you drew quite a crowd back there.” He nodded back the way of the ball. “I feel the need to ask, from a professional point of view, how did you… came to be in this condition you are now? I do not feel the pulling of strings of a necromancer on you, besides you clearly seem to be capable of more than a simple skeleton brought to life, or even a warrior wight.” Naream asked and stated, curiousity evident in his features and voice.
Rust paused for a moment, considering, “Do I guess correctly that you would be a scholar of the undead?” He slowly lowered his right hand, he’d been told it was not a custom adopted by all, so it didn’t bother him much. “But to answer your question, I do not know.” His chest inflated without the intake of air as if in a mimed gesture of a sigh, “I recall nothing until I woke in the mountains to the north, half buried in ruins and bramble.” It came out rather matter of factly, possibly aided by the near monotone of his voice, though there were small inflections that managed to carry through.
He got closer, perhaps inappropriately so, studying the chest area. “No lungs yet the actions of your chest inflating happens, not to mention you are able to speak without any visible voice cords that would be needed to produce such sounds.” He looked up at Russel’s face, well skeletal visage, “You are quite the unique apparition. So you suffer a total loss of memory? No hint of your past at all? Did you wake up at the sound of thunder and some madman shouting ‘ITS ALIVE’? No? How odd, usually that is the case when… well, something like you appears.”
He shook his head slightly, “Loss of recollection, one of the interrogation members assigned to clearing me of any ill intent, claimed. I retained skills and abilities of who I once was, but memories, how I have them, or the knowledge of if I have them is void. However, I feel familiarities when I do something that I know. Combat is one. This gala itself has familiarity to it.” A thought crossed his mind, of whether he should divulge the recent occurrence of a resurfacing memory, but for the moment, kept that to himself. He knew not this Naream, though the man seemed friendly enough. “One of the Scholars suggested my excess movements are vestiges of muscle memory. However, I saw nothing but deer, birds, and other wildlife when I walked from the ruins. Though, without knowing why exactly, I dug free the scraps of armour I wore and a broken blade that had been buried by time beneath me.”
“Hmmm, I see. No indication of who or what resided within the ruins… or how long ago you might have been buried?” He chuckled, “Do forgive but when it comes to matters of the undead… and animated skeletons like yourself.” He cocked his head and then nodded, mostly to himself as if making a decision. “Let me reveal you a secret of myself.” He raised one of his arms and removed the glove, rolling up the sleeve, revealing his skeletal but still functioning arm. “As you can see, quite the professional interest.”
“Well, they postulated it had been several centuries since I breathed air. The armour I wore and the blade I salvaged seemed to place the time somewhere between four and five centuries. But I have not yet had the chance, nor opportunity to pursue dating them, or identifying their origin further. This event being quite the distraction, since I joined the Blade but a few moons ago.” As Naream revealed his arm however, the gesture of Russel’s head from the arm back to Naream seemed to accentuate what he said next however, “Sir Baerne, I do believe you confuse the meaning of ‘professional interest’ with ‘personal interest’?”
“I am a necromancer, in this case they are both one and the same I imagine, though my experimentation is for something… a bit more far reaching.” He smiled and rolled his sleeve back down and returned the glove over his hand. “Even so what happened to you… must have been the work of a great magical spell or condition, or a curse.” He paused after saying the last part, if what happened to this man was a curse he had made some powerful enemies back in his day, something to contemplate. “Now I am wondering, if you had lived centuries ago… and yet are… ‘revived’ if you can call it that, now then it can mean many things, right now I would like to offer my advice or assistance, if you require it.” He gestured at Russel’s body, this service we both are in asks us to find combat, now I do not know if bones regenerate but if you, were to say, suffer from any damages I could repair you. Perhaps I can even help with your memories, in return… well as you said, personal interest, I would like to make some studies, if I amy and see if what has befallen you, I can use for myself.”
As the Drow confessed to his interest being a bit of both, Rust nodded. He had assumed as much, most seemed to regard a walking, aware skeleton with hesitancy, caution, or fear. It had so far been Rust’s experience that the only people who approached him with any candor, had been children, the drunk, or scholars of death and undeath. “You wonder the same things as I, in regards to why I now walk again. But I think it would be beneficial of us both to work together in this fashion you suggest. For as long as it remains mutually beneficial of course. I would not impose my needs upon you at the expense of your interests, and I would object to studies or experiments that hold danger to my existence. An equitable arrangement?”
“That is a agreeable arrangement to me.” He extended his hand. “To a good and mutually beneficial association between the two of us then.” He smiled, yes he thought, this could provide many shortcuts to his own research and he could not deny that this condition that had befallen this human held a great deal of interest, he always loved a good mystery involving the undead.
He nodded and took the extended hand a shook it firmly. He wasn’t sure he trusted Naream yet, nor knew if he was a man of honour. However, he was a man of skill to have been able to join the Blades, and for now, that knowledge would suffice.
He shook the hand back and grinned, “At this point I’d normally suggest to share a drink, but in your case it might be, ah, a bit messy when it goes down. I however will be returning to the ball, will you as well? I gathered you actually sought some solace when I announced my presence.”
He considered for a moment, and then shook his head once, “I may spend a minute more. While familiar, I am unaccustomed to the din of such a large gathering. It was...a bit overwhelming. I shall rejoin in but a few more moments though. It was good to make your acquaintance Sir Naream.”
He bowed, “It was indeed, enjoy the… quiet, while it lasts then.” He turned back and headed back inside, this mutual partnership might be quite the adventure ahead...
Excusing himself from his dance partner, Maeven, claiming he needed to cool off some, mostly due to her bumping and grinding during the dancing they were doing, even though he was far from innocent of not doing the same to her. Regardless he cleared his head of any… distracting thoughts, heading for one of the buffet tables when he stopped and raised his eyebrows at the most curious individual he had witnessed in a long time.
The others people nearby were giving this… apparition a rather wide berth, either from fear, distaste or simply indifference. It was a man, well the skeleton of a man, nothing unusual to him of course, what was unusual, this one was not under the control of a necromancer, he had heard about this one, also a member of the Queens Blades but he thought the people discussing him were jesting and not serious.
Seeing the oddity walk away he decided to follow in pursuit and perhaps, assuming he was able to communicate with it, which should not be a problem he had ways to talk to the deceased after all…
It did not take Rust long to find clear air near the open doors of the ballroom, a door the opened onto balcony of marble, carved with care of craftsmen. The din of the party that was suffocating, and all encompassing diminished as he rested his hands upon the balustrade and leaned against it for a moment, hanging his barren head in thought, trying to remember the memory, to analyze it, to cement every detail. Yet it fluttered, like dreams upon waking, shifting through his grasp.
He wanted to be angry, but there was nothing to be angry at, or about. He couldn’t angry at what raised him, as nothing seemed to have done so. No one had caused his amnesia, and it made no sense to be angry at himself over something he had utterly no control of. The anger wanted to corrupt itself into depression, but there was...joy there. He had remembered something While the detailed slipped away, leaving him with impressions, he knew he had been happy in that memory, enthralled, joyous even.
It was something tangible. It meant he was not imagining a life that never was. He had lived before. He had a past that could be found. He gripped the railing tightly, faint noise coming from his skeleton as it ground against the smoothed stone.
Naream crossed his arms and studied the skeleton Queens Blade for a moment, how… fascinating indeed, if he didn’t knew any better from the way it seemed to be in it’s current stance, it seemed almost at a loss or forlorn. He reached out with his magical senses but could not feel the tug and pull of some necromancer pulling the strings from somewhere unseen.
After a while, when it seemed he would either not be noticed or just ignored he coughed to make his presence known.
A noise displaced from the regular dull roar of the ball itself caught his attention. Looking up and pivoting on the heel of his right foot, Russel turned to the noise, to find someone there, someone he didn’t recognize. As he finished his turn, his left hand returned to the mount of the scabbard, steading the blade’s sway without consciously thinking of it, his right hesitating for a moment, before reaching forwards in friendly gesture, “Russel, of the Queen’s Blades.” His voice carried from the hollow confines of his upper chest, or around there; a hollow, hissing note of unnatural speech that followed the vague pattern of his opening and closing jaw. His vision fell upon the clasp Naream wore, bearing the insignia of the Queen’s Blades, and nodded, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
“Naream Baenre, also of the Queen’s Blades.” He replied with, pausing briefly and chuckled. “My apologies, I was not certain if you had… capabilities to form speech, considering your… condition shall we say. But I am rude, we have not met before, or at least not accordingly. I must say you drew quite a crowd back there.” He nodded back the way of the ball. “I feel the need to ask, from a professional point of view, how did you… came to be in this condition you are now? I do not feel the pulling of strings of a necromancer on you, besides you clearly seem to be capable of more than a simple skeleton brought to life, or even a warrior wight.” Naream asked and stated, curiousity evident in his features and voice.
Rust paused for a moment, considering, “Do I guess correctly that you would be a scholar of the undead?” He slowly lowered his right hand, he’d been told it was not a custom adopted by all, so it didn’t bother him much. “But to answer your question, I do not know.” His chest inflated without the intake of air as if in a mimed gesture of a sigh, “I recall nothing until I woke in the mountains to the north, half buried in ruins and bramble.” It came out rather matter of factly, possibly aided by the near monotone of his voice, though there were small inflections that managed to carry through.
He got closer, perhaps inappropriately so, studying the chest area. “No lungs yet the actions of your chest inflating happens, not to mention you are able to speak without any visible voice cords that would be needed to produce such sounds.” He looked up at Russel’s face, well skeletal visage, “You are quite the unique apparition. So you suffer a total loss of memory? No hint of your past at all? Did you wake up at the sound of thunder and some madman shouting ‘ITS ALIVE’? No? How odd, usually that is the case when… well, something like you appears.”
He shook his head slightly, “Loss of recollection, one of the interrogation members assigned to clearing me of any ill intent, claimed. I retained skills and abilities of who I once was, but memories, how I have them, or the knowledge of if I have them is void. However, I feel familiarities when I do something that I know. Combat is one. This gala itself has familiarity to it.” A thought crossed his mind, of whether he should divulge the recent occurrence of a resurfacing memory, but for the moment, kept that to himself. He knew not this Naream, though the man seemed friendly enough. “One of the Scholars suggested my excess movements are vestiges of muscle memory. However, I saw nothing but deer, birds, and other wildlife when I walked from the ruins. Though, without knowing why exactly, I dug free the scraps of armour I wore and a broken blade that had been buried by time beneath me.”
“Hmmm, I see. No indication of who or what resided within the ruins… or how long ago you might have been buried?” He chuckled, “Do forgive but when it comes to matters of the undead… and animated skeletons like yourself.” He cocked his head and then nodded, mostly to himself as if making a decision. “Let me reveal you a secret of myself.” He raised one of his arms and removed the glove, rolling up the sleeve, revealing his skeletal but still functioning arm. “As you can see, quite the professional interest.”
“Well, they postulated it had been several centuries since I breathed air. The armour I wore and the blade I salvaged seemed to place the time somewhere between four and five centuries. But I have not yet had the chance, nor opportunity to pursue dating them, or identifying their origin further. This event being quite the distraction, since I joined the Blade but a few moons ago.” As Naream revealed his arm however, the gesture of Russel’s head from the arm back to Naream seemed to accentuate what he said next however, “Sir Baerne, I do believe you confuse the meaning of ‘professional interest’ with ‘personal interest’?”
“I am a necromancer, in this case they are both one and the same I imagine, though my experimentation is for something… a bit more far reaching.” He smiled and rolled his sleeve back down and returned the glove over his hand. “Even so what happened to you… must have been the work of a great magical spell or condition, or a curse.” He paused after saying the last part, if what happened to this man was a curse he had made some powerful enemies back in his day, something to contemplate. “Now I am wondering, if you had lived centuries ago… and yet are… ‘revived’ if you can call it that, now then it can mean many things, right now I would like to offer my advice or assistance, if you require it.” He gestured at Russel’s body, this service we both are in asks us to find combat, now I do not know if bones regenerate but if you, were to say, suffer from any damages I could repair you. Perhaps I can even help with your memories, in return… well as you said, personal interest, I would like to make some studies, if I amy and see if what has befallen you, I can use for myself.”
As the Drow confessed to his interest being a bit of both, Rust nodded. He had assumed as much, most seemed to regard a walking, aware skeleton with hesitancy, caution, or fear. It had so far been Rust’s experience that the only people who approached him with any candor, had been children, the drunk, or scholars of death and undeath. “You wonder the same things as I, in regards to why I now walk again. But I think it would be beneficial of us both to work together in this fashion you suggest. For as long as it remains mutually beneficial of course. I would not impose my needs upon you at the expense of your interests, and I would object to studies or experiments that hold danger to my existence. An equitable arrangement?”
“That is a agreeable arrangement to me.” He extended his hand. “To a good and mutually beneficial association between the two of us then.” He smiled, yes he thought, this could provide many shortcuts to his own research and he could not deny that this condition that had befallen this human held a great deal of interest, he always loved a good mystery involving the undead.
He nodded and took the extended hand a shook it firmly. He wasn’t sure he trusted Naream yet, nor knew if he was a man of honour. However, he was a man of skill to have been able to join the Blades, and for now, that knowledge would suffice.
He shook the hand back and grinned, “At this point I’d normally suggest to share a drink, but in your case it might be, ah, a bit messy when it goes down. I however will be returning to the ball, will you as well? I gathered you actually sought some solace when I announced my presence.”
He considered for a moment, and then shook his head once, “I may spend a minute more. While familiar, I am unaccustomed to the din of such a large gathering. It was...a bit overwhelming. I shall rejoin in but a few more moments though. It was good to make your acquaintance Sir Naream.”
He bowed, “It was indeed, enjoy the… quiet, while it lasts then.” He turned back and headed back inside, this mutual partnership might be quite the adventure ahead...
Funny I think my mental stability was in question about, well roughly the same year I got to know you, dear.
Anyway, Goldmarble, we'll see about the riding of the undead abomination part, for now, interested in a collab with a Drow necromancer who is quite fascinated by the walking skeleton man who seems to be sentient yet not enthralled to a necromancer? :p
Anyway, Goldmarble, we'll see about the riding of the undead abomination part, for now, interested in a collab with a Drow necromancer who is quite fascinated by the walking skeleton man who seems to be sentient yet not enthralled to a necromancer? :p
Kestrel said
Esyllt will go visit some Amazons. Raise some undead next to hell, yessir.And looking at roster... Giant undead abomination take two?
Giant Undead Golem abomination take two most certainly!
I actually have a idea, all we need are the carcasses of 1 bear and 2 sharks!
It will be glorious.
*tosses coin between Underdark and Amazons*
Amazons it is for primary vote.
Underdark if the Amazons don't get the required votes.
http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/34957/posts/ooc?page=3#post-1047500
^ link for the character roster.
Amazons it is for primary vote.
Underdark if the Amazons don't get the required votes.
http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/34957/posts/ooc?page=3#post-1047500
^ link for the character roster.
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