Sep

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

@LordLinguinie Everything sitll okay? It's been a while. Korens got wrapped up in other busienss now but I'm still cool to collab with you if you want.

@Vietmyke if you wanna collab the Arms deal with me playing Skidder still, that's A-Okay with me... also are things going alright between you and @heat now that things have calmed down a bit?

Absolute Comics: Rebirth

C H A P T E R O N E

A M E R I C A S # 1 H E R O

The Doctor turned to one of his lab assistants, god he hated the yellow uniforms they had to wear. "The shipment is coming in today, this will allow us to proceed to the next stage in our plan-"

"What of shield?"

"Shield doesn't matter, once the process is complete we'll be deemed national heroes by the American People and the American Government, which will allow us to move onto the next phase of our plans."

"But Sir-"

The Doctor scowled at his lab assistant. "That's enough questions, get out of here and go get me coff-" With that there was a loud crash as a shield came flying through the window, and with a woosh of air Sam Wilson landed in the middle of the room, his wings folding up and catching the shield as it bounced back into his hands.

"Nobody move, you're all under arrest."

Sam sighed as they all moved for guns, ducking down under a table he also raised his shield to block the incoming fire. Of course they moved, nobody ever listened when you told them not to move. He sighed as he shot up into the air, wings extended, bringing them in as he twisted kicking a man in the torso. Extending his wing and arm to the left he slapped someone else in the face throwing them backwards as he ducked and rolled under some nearby cover. Just then he heard shouting and more weapons firing, his team was now belaying down through the smashed window that he had entered from. Right on schedule.

He stood up, ready to move however what he saw shocked him. It wasn't his forces that had entered the fray...

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

"Focus damn it! You've got a red light on the main battery right there!" Commander Steve Pentalon wasn't cut out for this kind of command, the Empire was re-assigning officers every which way so he had expected a promotion to counter that, but to be the XO of a Bellator? He hadn't expected that to happen. What didn't make it any better was that the Admiral had went and shot himself in his quarters not half an hour ago when a large rebel force dropped out of hyperspace near their staging area. They had been hoping to use an uncharted system to plan their next move, the Admiral had been contemplating different options since the sector they had last been in was overrun with the Rebels. Steve had been in charge of assessing various Moffs in the nearby regions, trying to decide which one would make use of the fleet and which one was the most worthy to recieve it. Ther ewere many warlords out there, former Imperial Governors and Admirals who only cared about making themselves powerful, not caring about the return of the Empire. The rightful rulers of the Galaxy.

The fleet was in complete disarray, he had enough issues with the sudden command of the Resurgence that he hadn't even been able to consider taking charge of fleet, not that there would be much fleet left with how things were currently going.

"Sir! New contact, we've got a transport pulling along side!"

"Ignore the transport damnit, they're just trying to get passed us to the planet. The garrison for the survey team can handle it, focus on that cruiser!"

Typically a Bellator with a fleet of escorts such as this would have had no issue with the forces it opposed, if the fleet and ship were handled correctly. He knew he was inexperienced, his crew was inexperienced and everyone was tired. The crew had all been pulled by various commands at having combat experience. Barely having time to familiarize themselves with the vessel before this happened. Looking at a readout of the battle he realized his mistake too late, as the transport veered towards the Resurgence. "Turn the main batteries on that transport!"

The main batteries turned, skiffing the transports shields. It would only need a few more shots... It broke past the point of no return, slamming straight into the side of the ship. He stumbled slightly, blasted Rebel fools. "We're venting atmosphere!" Steve sighed.

"Of course, you idiot. Seal off the section and get Stormtroopers down there now!"

"Sir?"

"They didn't ram us for the fun of it Ensign, they're boarding us!"

He had to seal them off now before they managed to gain too much ground, a Bellator was a huge ship for sure however that just made it easier for a boarding party to slip away from any kind of conflict.

"Commander, the Invincible has been destroyed!" Steve ground his teeth together.

"Pull away, maximum thrust!"

"Sir?"

"If we stay here, we're going to lose the ship and our lives. The fleet is lost, tactical retreat."

"To where?"

"Plot a course for the Ultmara Sector!"

---

This place stank of filth, the places he went on duty. They had tracked rumours all across Hutt Space and the Outer Rim, after searching through the records of Palpatine, something Talbor Hunis would have to pay for one day, they had come across the records of Count Dooku. Apparently the Count had taken more than one apprentice, and had decided to keep one of them on a decidedly shorter leash than Asaj Ventress. What this meant for Alix Raine was a long hunt throughout the outer rim and then into Hutt Space to find the Darkside weilder, he doubted he would be anywhere near on the level of the Emperor however the Galaxy needed the Sith. The Sith could push back against the current of the Force and manipulate the Galaxy in ways that no-one else could, he believed that. The Sith could bring the Empire back together, and with Alix as his right hand man stronger than ever.

This man he saw right now? Was untamed, brutal and simplistic. His skills with a blade rudimentary, he doubted he had seen much combat before. Though he had been on the run for most of his life no doubt, Raine supposed that this was a consequence of his lack of training. With security and manpower he was sure that this darksider would one day rule. After all, did he truly deserve the title of Sith? Alix could have taken down four opponents without breaking a sweat, or being shot. The fact that the man was still standing was a testament to his ability though. He fixed his helmet back atop his head, and jumped down, holding the blade over his head aiming to stab down against the mans head.

Time for the test, he carried a lightsaber and talked the talk. Though was he the one he sought? Could he use the Force?

---

The Bellator dropped out of hyperspace on the edge of the Terminus system. Steve could see the other Imperial ships on his sensor screen. "This is the Resurgence to all Imperial Forces, we have been boarded and request assistan-" before he could finish what he was saying power for the entire ship cut out. "Sithspit."

"Status?!"

"The Rebel boarders sir, they've cut power to the ship."

"I see that, get me in touch with the Stormtrooper commander, I need command of this ship back!"

@Enalais@Lucian

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Koren ran up the corridor, fire following him. He ducked into a nearby corridor and ducked down so his back was against the hallway he had just been running down. He felt the shockwave of the heat wash over him. At least if the self destruct of the ship failed the Hutts wouldn't be able to recover what they lost, he doubted Timana had the foresight to get the schematics of the weapon before he sent the vessel to wherever it was going, Circumtore made the most sense however he doubted Timana would be even that stupid. There'd be lots of questions about an ancient ship pulling into orbit, and put under incredibly heavy security. It'd be safer to put it on a smaller world with little traffic. It wouldn't matter anyway, as if everything went well there wouldn't be any ship left.

He tapped his communicator on his wrist. "Ballick, you there?"

"Yes boss." The voice was gruff and strained, he was in the middle of a fight.

"You done yet?"

There was a grunt through the communicator. "Almost-" It cut off for a second "-Just give me a second-" There was the sound of a blaster going off. "Okay, I'm done boss. On my way back to the exfil now."

Koren nodded to himself and started to run back towards where they had entered the ship. He checked his chronometer, his new Light Cruiser would be dropping out of hyperspace soon to pick them up. After all, why use a ship associated with him when he could use one associated with the Empire? He doubted the Hutts would fall for it for long, but it would cast enough doubt to prevent them from acting. He rounded a corner just to find himself knocked back onto his ass. Chest burning, wind knocked out of his chest. He looked down to see a hole burnt straight through his clothing, a scorch mark on his armour underneath. He groaned as he sat up, his vision black. On front of him stood a Kel Dor who just chuckled when he recognised who he had just shot. The alien tapped his communicator and spoke: "I got the intruder, it's Kore-"

A blaster shot rung out, and the Kel Dor had a look of surprise on his face as he looked down at a burn mark through his chest. Aurrie flew over hovering near Koren, letting out a shrill beep in worry. Korens communicator buzzed on - "I've got the distress signal boss, don't worry I'm on my wa-" The whole world went black.

---

Koren opened his eyes, a med droid looming over him. "Sithspit." He sat up, groaning slightly, he looked around his bedroom. A new coat and shirt were on a model nearby. "Droid-"

"Yes sir?"

"How long have I been out?"

"Approximately thirty minutes. The damage is minimal, however I advise bed rest in order for you to recover within a short period of time with little pain."

"No time for that." He picked up his datapad, streaming through the things that had been highlighted to his attention. Galactic Republic? Clone Troopers? Had the Galaxy finally gone mad? Had there not been enough of that during the Clone Wars. The Galactic Republic was a flawed model, surely anyone could recognise that? At least from what he heard about the New Republic they were eliminating some of the problems which the Republic had had. Bringing back the Galactic Republic? That was just a recipe for disaster.

There was a ping at the door as a service droid entered. "Sir. An individual is requesting to see you immediately, he has identified himself as a member of the Galactic Republic."

Koren grumbled. So be it.

---

The room in which Koren sat waiting for the trooper wasn't extensively fancy. It was utalitarian, a briefing room from the time that this had been a Separatist warship. There weren't many rooms, other than service and storage, that were at their original configuration however he had kept this one. Likely out of some form of sentimentality however he had never expected to use it. As soon as the door hissed open Koren stood up, he still ached but he didn't want the other man to see that. He held himself straight and tall despite the pain, he had to remind himself that the Clone Wars were long over.

"My names Koren Graeff, I hear you wanted to speak to me."

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Koren rarely chose where Paradise was stationed by random choice. He always chose it because it suited him, worked to his advantage. He had made a habit long ago of predicting and then playing every concievable angle. He sat in the dark now, him Ballick and a dozen Commando droids rocking around the small boarding craft. They had been dropped off less than a minute ago by a small transport Koren owned, which had subsequently jumped into hyperspace. Just incase the plan went awry and there were any witnesses, he couldn't have the attack leading back to him. After all his plans weren't anywhere near completion yet. The ship rocked as the spokes breached the hull of the target, the ships shield latching onto it's target creating an airtight seal as it forced the hull open. As the door opened, Koren dropped to the floor with a flourish. His coat billowing around him, pistols raised.

The landing was harder on his knees than it used to be. The hallways were illuminated red, the main lighting had been knocked out by the impact leaving them with the emergency lighting. Blaster fire could already be heard as Commando droids from other boarding craft deployed and began moving through the ship attacking the security forces. It was an old ship, unassuming due to it's size and speed. Relatively weak in terms of shielding and weaponry however the security forces that he was encountering let Koren know, that this was the right ship. He raised his pistols and fired two shots as a Weequay and a Twi'lek rounded the corner, both sporting the crest of Timana. Koren smirked to himself, of course it would be Timanas own forces protecting this. He wondered if the mighty Hutt Queen even knew of it's existence, after all she had the resources to make it work and then... well she really would be a force to be reckoned with.

Timana? He probably didn't have the tactical genius to realize what he had. He had a weapon far more effective than anything else in the Hutt Sector, and he had it burried in the hold of this old junker? After all that was what it was, a Hutt Junker. A ship full of wreckage and items from all over the Galaxy that the Hutts felt was worth their keeping. Known simply as The Vault it had remained secure in Jabbas hands for centuries on Tattooine, safely out of Korens reach. He barely knew anything about it till Jabba died and the cartel felt it was safer to bring it here and abandon Tatooine. Now it was within his grasp, he prowled through the corridors. Security was lax, why would it need to be high? Nobody knew about the ship, or at least that's what the Hutts thought. He passed several vaults, ignoring them. He had no doubt they contained untold riches, things beyond his wildest dreams and as much as he may want to add those items to his own collection he was here for a very particular, and much larger item than anything that could possibly be in any of these vautls.

As they approached the centre of the ship Koren turned to Ballick. "Meet up with the detatchment heading to the engine room, I need the self destruct ready to activate the second we secure the package. We can't let the Hutts know who it was that robbed them of this, I'm not really for the idea of all out warfare with the Hutts." Ballick nodded, he was a man of few words in a combat situation after all. He looked at his chronometre, they had been on the ship for half an hour. He'd been away from Paradise for nearly an hour, he'd have to find some marks to account for that time. Pay them off, have footage falsified. Koren Graeff couldn't just disappear for over an hour without anyone noticing.

He finally approached the door he was looking for, nodding at the panel Aurrie appeared practically out of nowhere - having been travelling back at a safe distance - before inserting a spike into the terminal. Beeping quite contently as he went to open the door, as the door didn't move within a minute Koren shot the droid a look, which gave a far less happy and far more disgruntled beep followed by a higher pitched cheer. There was a loud clunk as the locks unlatched and the door raised into a wide hangar. Lights flickered on, echoing through the room. The cold made Korens hairs stand on air as he stood face to face with his prize.

It was beautiful...

It was also impossible to recover. "Aurrie, I need you to get a full technical reading of the device. I need to know how to make one, get all the datafiles from the ships computer. You have-" he checked his chronometre. Kriff. "-Ten minutes, we need to be out of here ten minutes ago."

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

@Sebastian you've been inactive for a long time, I need to know if you're in or out.

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Skidder and Kast

Skidder sat back at the same quiet, out of the way and close to the exits seat at the bar that he’d sat at before Koren called him up to brief him on his latest job. He was trying his best to seem cool and relaxed, though he kept looking around and fidgeting in his seat every once in a while. He’d already sent out one of the many droids to ask for a meeting with one Zaheed Kast, the first mercenary whose name had caught Skidder’s eye as not being too big-time for his needs while hopefully not being a fresh face. Skidder’s cup was empty, but he didn’t seem to realize it as he tried to look calm and prepared, bringing the empty thing to his lips to taste the air and wait for his potential hired muscle.

Kast entered the Tipsy Rancor and glanced around, his face covered in a polarized faceplate. Perhaps it was greedy for him to be taking so many jobs back to back, but a series of quick but profitable jobs back to back meant that he could afford himself more time to relax before needing to find more work. The Jedi job in particular went more smoothly than Kast anticipated. 120,000 credits for little more than a short taxi job. Sure it might’ve been more exciting to fight the Jedi, but that didn’t necessarily result in his victory, and having him come in peacefully was definitely more cost effective- no resources spent, save for the sonic grenade trap and hunting down a drug smuggler no one would miss.

He found his contact with relative difficulty- no noticeable traits setting his contact apart from the other colorful sorts at the bar- a brown longcoat wasn’t an uncommon sight in Hutt Space. Approaching the contact, Kast took a seat next to him.

“Skidder?”

“Ah! Zaheed Kast. Excellent.” Skidder went to hand Kast a glass that was sitting on the table before he realized that it too was empty, so in a move pushed it next to the empty one to make it look as if moving the two empty glasses together was his plan all along.

Flawless.

“I hear you’ve worked for Mr.Graeff before? If so that is absolutely excellent. I need you for a protection job-” Skidder pushed over a datapad with the details listed. “-No questions asked about the cargo being exchanged, no looking at the merchandise… All the usual affair. The credits are good because they aren’t mine. So if you have no questions, we should really get going.”

Kast sat silently throughout most of Skidder’s prattle. The man was eccentric, and a little bit on the annoying side, but he worked for the Golden Exchange, and he was offering good money for what was a simple enough protection detail. Chances were that something was going to go wrong anyway, but when you always expected trouble, you’re rarely surprised by it.

Still, he’d be good for a break after this mission. He nodded, his polarized faceplate hiding any expression. “What’s the pay?”
Skidder fumbled with the datapad, as he tried to look up the amount that he was supposed to be offering for the job. “One Hundred Thousand Creds.” He wasn’t entirely sure if that was as much as he should be offering, this was one of the first deals he was funding entirely for himself. Well, he wasn’t funding it entirely himself he was given money by Koren to spend on a deal for them.

“You ready to go?”

“Fine.”

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

@Alias and @Fallen Muse are you two currently collabing, or do you need more information from me?

Let me know.

Star Wars - Liberation

@Daglobster Totally sorry, forgot to message you that after deliberation we decided not to run this.

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

@Riddle Me This sure