Sundered Echo

Mass Effect: Underworld - Prelude

Organisation Name: Zhar & Sen Shipping.

Organisation Leader: Khel Zhar, CEO.

Important Figures: Arleya T'kanna, Enforcer, Liaison and right hand of Zhar.

Organisation Specialization:
Information Broker:
Zhar’s company accumulates intel primarily through a wide variety of contacts on Illium, with the effectiveness of the operation largely due to Zhar having run it almost since Illium was first colonised. He maintains his hold primarily by offering the best prices for buying information from the many and various people that acquire it. Because of this he only has a few people directly working for him, with the rest being a very fluid collection of private groups and individuals out for a bit of money. Zhar’s network does extend off-world to some extent, though it is different on any given day as he must compete with other buyers of information on that front.
Shipping:
Zhar's shipping company focuses on the movement of small, highly valuable goods, for well paying customers, often in the elite of one of the galaxies many societies. He maintains two regular trade routes of legal items, one from Ilium to the Citadel and one from Ilium to Khar'shan, with the rest of the merchant fleet available for hire by anyone with the money. While a large portion of trade that goes through the company is legal in Citadel Space, Zhar & Sen Shipping also provides for those who need illegal items quickly and safely moved, largely within the Terminus and Attican Traverse. As the company has very few smugglers on the ship crews, it is rare for them to accept a job moving illegal cargo in Citadel Space, but when they do the very best of the smuggler crew are brought together to make sure the job is done. Regardless of destination, Zhar & Sen Shipping's most major selling point is the safety of any cargo carried with them. Mercenaries are paid off when needed to stop the ships from being raided and the companies Q-ships are employed in convoys when traveling through areas with groups that won't be bought. Zhar & Sen Shipping guarantees that cargo will arrive where it is meant to, and many a pirate that has tried to prove them wrong has found their career, and life, suddenly curtailed.

Organisation Type: Information Brokerage Agency

Organisation Income Source: The majority of income for Zhar & Sen Shipping comes from the shipping business, though a not insignificant amount comes from the sale of information. Due to Zhar's unique relationship with the Shadow Broker, the company does not make nearly as much profit as might be expected, a good portion of the regular income going directly to the Shadow Brokers coffers.

Wealth Value: 6

Legality: Zhar & Sen Shipping strives to avoid the eyes of Law enforcement, and appears to the Citadel as almost entirely clean. If their records were dug into sufficiently, their traffic of illegal cargo would be clear, but since that cargo is largely moved through space that has no laws, the company is not in the wrong. The one set of Laws that the company takes great care to follow, however, is Illium's unique Terminus-derived law, as Illium is the center of operations for the company. The lawfulness of the companies information brokering services is somewhat sketchy under Citadel Law as the company does not actually acquire any of it themselves, merely selling information that other groups acquire, but even in this they follow Iliums Laws to the letter. The sale of intelligence is of course legal on Illium, under the right contracts. It helps of course, that Zhar is among those that helped shape Illium’s laws into what they are today.

Given the nature of Illiums laws, however, following the law and being 'lawful' are very different things, and the company is most definitely not lawful.

Organisation Base:
Zhar & Sen Shipping is based in Colu Tower on Ilium, which it owns in the entirety. The Tower is in central Nos Astra and possesses a number of built in concealed defense turrets to ward off hostile aircraft. This array includes a GARDIAN defense system. These are sufficient to heavily damage even a Frigate if it comes within range. It also possesses kinetic barrier generators that cover every face of the structure, and the top levels have several backup generators that come online if the primary barriers fail.

The tower has two extendable docking arms that can service small freighter and frigate class vessels.

Organisation Assets: Zhar & Sen Shipping owns a corporate Penthouse on the Citadel in Tayseri Ward. The Asari Frigate Silea, heavily customised in every area. 21 Medium Freighters, 7 Medium Freighter Q-ships, 14 Shuttles, 39 A-61 Mantis Gunships - five with each Q-ship, three to defend Colu tower and one for Zhar's personal use. Colu tower has a dedicated security force, and each of the Q-ships have counter-boarding teams on their crew.

As well Zhar himself owns these under his own name rather than the company one: An apartment on Omega, a penthouse on Thessia, a penthouse on Khar'Shan, a private Yacht on Kahje and a house on Irune. He also owns shares in the Skyline Club, an exclusive bar & restaurant on Illium.

Organisation Relations: TBD

Organisation History:
The latest in a long line of shipping and intelligence companies bearing similar names, Zhar & Sen Shipping has been Khel Zhar’s most successful and longest lasting venture yet. It is in fact his second company on Illium, founded after the previous one floundered due to its location in the ill-fated city of Nos Parnello. Since its founding, Zhar has used his centuries of business acumen to ensure its slow but highly successful rise as a player in Illium’s often cutthroat corporate environment.

He has been careful to avoid cultivating any enemies among the Asari heavy population, as while it is simple to buy out or preferably outlive a Salarian or Turian, it is not so easy with Asari. As well, through careful selection and patience, Zhar has successfully acquired a huge majority share in his company, to the point where the board of directors is largely a formality, and the company is an extension of his will.

In recent years, the company has mostly been consolidating existing assets rather than reaching further out, as Zhar is quite happy with the existing status quo, although the humans arrival on the galactic stage has forced the company to adapt in previously unforeseen ways. The company is unusual in that rather than being a front for information dealing, that aspect is in fact woven directly into the shipping business, under the division title ‘Electronic shipping.’ Illium is the only place in the galaxy where this is a lawful combination, and Zhar has made full use of it to increase the efficiency of his operation by avoiding many of the pesky secrecy barriers within the company structure.

The companies operational history has remained largely the same throughout, that is to say, the first response to a threat is to throw money at it, and if that fails, use deceptive and pinpoint strikes to cripple the enemy to the point that they will just take the money and go. This policy combined with the overall cautiousness has meant they have had very few major foes, either corporately or militarily.

Name: Arleya T’kanna

Race: Asari

Gender: Mono-gendered.

Age: 201

Position: Enforcer, Liaison and right hand of Zhar.

Appearance:

Background:
Born to a Batarian merchant father on Thessia, Arleya was the sixth and final sister in her large family. Her early years were filled with much competition as each sister tried to outdo the others, and it was here in this formative stage that she acquired her preference for the use of defensive Biotic abilities. When her father eventually died, he left his not inconsiderable fortune to his daughters, however the suddenness of his death meant that no specific allotment had been defined, and it wasn’t long before the sisters began to fight bitterly amongst each other for the money.

Arleya herself was the least interested in the money, happy to earn her own way instead of fighting for an inheritance, though her sisters still saw her as a threat. It was only after the first death that Arleya fled Thessia, finally realising just how far her sisters would go for the money. She has been on the run from her sisters assassination attempts for ninety years now, with only two sisters remaining, though the last few years have been somewhat less frantic since she met Khel Zhar.

Details on why exactly Zhar took this Asari under his wing are sketchy from an outside point of view - some say he likes the danger she brings with her mere presence, some say its because he has a far closer relationship with her than any other Asari that has shared his bed, and others still believe he sees in her a kindred spirit - someone running from a violent heritage to make something of themself. Perhaps all of these are true, only Zhar knows, and he isn’t telling.

Since joining the company however, she has proven herself of swift mind and skilful hand, being one of the only ones to discern the true nature of Zhar’s connection with the Shadow Broker. She also regularly acts as Zhar’s hand in matters where he cannot personally attend, be it to eliminate a troublesome debtor or make a lucrative business deal, and though she lacks Zhar’s centuries of experience, she is a keen learner. Under Zhar’s tutelage she has learned many of the ins and outs of the business world in half the time it took him to learn them, though they are really just getting started.

Positive Traits:
- Quick Learner
- Skilled Biotic (specialising in barriers and defensive technique)
- Capacity for extreme ruthlessness

Negative Traits:
- Wanderer at heart
- Lethal family issues
- Tendency to actively avoid anything she sees as making her like her sisters.

Name: Khel Zhar

Race: Krogan

Gender: Male

Age: 610

Position: CEO

Appearance: In many ways Zhar looks like a completely unremarkable everyday Krogan. He has no distinguishing marks, his eyes are a normal Krogan yellow, his skin is the tan color of a middle aged Krogan and his plates are a fairly common dull brown. However, unlike most Krogan, Zhar puts effort into maintaining the symmetry of his head plates and generally ensuring he doesn't look too rugged. He favours a black custom-made business suit of light and highly expensive material with a number of micro shield generators inconspicuously hidden beneath the fabric. He is well spoken and has a deep but smooth voice, somewhat uncharacteristic of a Krogan.

Background: Khel Zhar’s history is a long and storied one. He was born on tuchanka to clan Khel, and was raised there as a true Krogan, although rumour has it that he was never very good at being ‘true Krogan.’ Precise details of his escape from the blasted rock that is the Krogan homeworld are surprisingly hard to come by, and will not be detailed here, suffice it to say that he ended up on the Citadel at the age of seventy-two with no idea what to do with himself. He worked for thirty years as a mere janitor, unwilling to take jobs involving violence as his compatriots did, but unable to find anyone on the station willing to look past his lumbering exterior at the keen mind within.

Eventually, Zhar managed to find one of these people - a Volus named Colu Sen. Under the Volus’ tutelage, he learned of Galactic finance and economics, and while initially not as fast to learn and adapt as his Volus partner and teacher, his persistent nature quickly saw the two of them founding and operating a small Galactic Finance company. The pair continued to run this small business for sixty years, until Colu Sen, in his old age, inadvertently thrust the pair into the world of corporate espionage and the buying and selling of Information. Colu died shortly after that, though it is not public knowledge as to whether he was killed or not.

Zhar remained on the citadel maintaining the business the pair had set up for roughly one hundred years, keeping the original company alive while branching out into founding other small companies, often only to let them die once they’d recouped their costs. This period of time broadened and deepened Zhar’s understanding of the business world considerably, to the point where he has an almost innate feel for the fluctuations that normally make it so unpredictable. While no psychic, Zhar’s personal worth has skyrocketed due to well placed and well timed investments. Unfortunately, some of his investments eventually drew the attention of the wrong people, and after narrowly surviving a brazen attack on his Citadel apartment, Zhar liquidated all of his citadel holdings and moved to Illium. He planned to let his reputation on the Citadel fade for a few hundred years while his detractors died of old age.

Once on Illium, he founded the first iteration of his business in Nos Parnello, and while initially highly successful, its fortunes followed those of the city into ruin. Ever the entrepreneur, Zhar not only survived but flourished in the adversity, relocating to Nos Astra and riding the sudden wave of popularity the city received to make his company one of the foremost in its area on Illium. Altogether, his stay on Illium has lasted approximately two hundred years. Recently, he has been becoming restless, as his company's success has given him anything and everything he could want.

Positive Traits:
- Exceedingly Patient
- Highly experienced in the business world
- Combat trained - he grew up on Tuchanka and has the training that goes with it
- Cunning
- Intelligent
- Observant

Negative Traits:
- Addicted to the high life
- Racist against his own kind
- Incredibly cold and uncaring for the wellbeing of ‘short lived’ races.
- Promiscuous
- Often risks himself unnecessarily

Mass Effect: Underworld - Prelude

A Mass Effect RP set well before the event of Mass Effect 1, this Private RP chronicles events in the vast and varied organized crime sector prior to the discovery of the Artifact.

While I will not be accepting any applications to the RP beyond those few invited, if anyone is interested in the concept or IC content then feel free to post in the OOC section. In the future, I aim to be running a public version of this, and those who have stated interest here will be notified when that happens.

The RP may be private to join, but anyone is welcome to read it. I hope you enjoy the story!

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Star Wars: Revanchism [Knights of the Old Republic/Mandalorian Wars]

"Master Dreamer, this is Jedi Padawan Valek Xannoh, requesting coordinates for rally point. I'm surrounded by creatures. Nothing I can't handle, but help would be nice."

The sudden sound of her Padawans voice in Ayessa’s ear was reassuring as all around her chaos broke out. Though neither given by the Jedi Council or chosen by her, she took her role as his master very seriously. His safety while learning the ways of the Jedi was her responsibility, and though he insisted on his capacity to fend for himself, she still couldn’t help but worry. She ducked behind a tree to respond - the Mandos seeming to pay little attention to her as of yet.

“Valek, it is good to hear you still live. Do not activate your comm again, I will find you through the Force. Be prepared to hold off Mandalorian Warriors until I arrive. Remember I would rather see you retreat than die.”

She cut the comm then, resisting the desire to give him a lecture about staying alive. He was a little too quick to reach for his Lightsaber in her opinion, but she had yet to see whether that meant he would fight on when fighting was foolhardy.

Before she could worry about her padawan any more, however, there was an explosion behind her and fragments of wood flew all around her. Several smaller splinters slashed across her face and through her filmy robe, stinging as they drew blood but otherwise not truly harming her. She had been too focused on looking outwards for the other Jedi scattered in the forest to notice the approach of a Mandalorian wearing armour that she could see denoted him as a superior next to the others that had set upon the small group of Jedi.

He evidently did not consider her much of a threat, for if he had he would have been able to kill her with a carefully placed grenade instead of firing a blaster at her hiding place. “Come out and fight me, if you can!” The Mandalorian sneered. Ayessa drew in a deep breath, taking her Lightsaber in hand. This Mandalorian clearly did not consider her a threat, he had probably never seen a Miraluka before, and so she likely had the advantage. Still, she was nervous.

Igniting her Lightsaber with a flick of her thumb, she stepped around the tree - straight into a pair of blaster bolts. Her Lightsaber flicked, quick, concise movements sending the blasts into the ground. The Mandalorian warrior quickly followed through with an overhead strike at her neck using his vibro blade, throwing his blaster aside as he did so. Ayessa’s Lightsaber rose to meet it, her one handed block being pushed back a disturbing amount by the force. The Mando laughed as he swung again, this time at her side. “Is this the best the Jetiise can offer? Crippled weaklings?” The words stung, but not enough to rile Ayessa. She was too focused on his blade.

She blocked the next strike with two hands, using the Force to augment her strength at the moment of contact, and this time she was not pushed back. The Mando responded slightly slower then, not expecting to be so resolutely rebuffed. With his guard open, Ayessa use the chance to quickly finish the fight with a swift slash across his chest. Her lightsaber contacted, but rather than flinching back and falling as she expected, the Mandalorian stepped into the blow, her fast but weak strike merely scoring his chestplate.

He swung his armoured gauntlet at her, Ayessa only barely leaping back in time to avoid the likely bone breaking blow. She had never seen armour so resilient before. Still, it was no match for the Force. As she blocked another swing from her foes sword, she could focused on examining his armour. It was thick, but it seemed to her that there were many concessions made to enhance mobility, leaving large areas lacking the solid plating that turned her strike so easily.

When the Mandalorian next attacked, she did not block, but leapt aside with Force assisted speed, before proceeding to give him a solid telekinetic nudge towards the closest tree. She wasted no time exploiting the manoeuvre, no sooner had the Mando run head first into the tree than Ayessa had taken her saber in both hands and stabbed with all her might into the thin armour beneath his arm. This time the armour hardly slowed down the brilliant blue blade of her weapon. The Mandalorian warrior fell as she withdrew the weapon, the light of his life force going out.

Her duel over, Ayessa turned to face the remaining foes, Lightsaber up and ready to deflect whatever fire came her way. She felt elated, relishing the victory over the foe that had insulted her so, but guilty for feeling that way. Jedi were not supposed to enjoy battle. They fought only when there was no other way. Indeed, here, there was no other way. It was kill or be killed. Still, she could decide how she felt about it later, when the blaster bolts stopped flying. Right now she had to focus on the task at hand - surviving the battle.

Star Wars: Revanchism [Knights of the Old Republic/Mandalorian Wars]

Ayessa Shayal experienced the descent to the planet quite differently to the other Jedi. To them, the durasteel shell of the starship marked the limits of their mundane senses, and so the limits of their world at that moment. For her, it was easy to extend her senses into the void of space. Without eyes as normal people understood, her perception came from the Force, and the Force was everywhere, even the dark expanse of space. Even an untrained Miraluka could easily look beyond the ship at the surrounding space should they wish to. Ayessa, however, specialised in perception based Force abilities. She could see further, clearer and focus on more at once than a normal Miraluka.

She had known the moment the first laser bolt had come even remotely close to the shuttle, and she had seen every blast that was aimed at the ship she was in since. The blast that had torn the craft from the sky was also visible to her, and she had known moments before that it would be the one to bring them down. Unfortunately, outside of the pilots chair, she could make no use of this sense. She had barely uttered the first word of a warning to her padawan when the ship rocked and tore apart, the scene playing out in sickening detail for her. She could see several troopers lifeforces wink out, the hull plating peeling away and the systems shattering into countless tiny fragments - all from every angle at once, felt in detail rather than seen with sight as most would know it.

The jump was as chaotic as it was for everyone else, perhaps even more so, because she desperately tried to track the descent of every one of her fellow Jedi even as she herself fell, wind tearing at her robes, drowning out all other sounds. When she activated the jetpack, she surrendered entirely to the Force, letting it guide her actions almost as she would while deflecting blaster bolts, though with lease due to the unfamiliar technology. She did not so much aim for any landing spot as accept that where she landed was where the Force wished her to land.

Catching only one branch on the way down, she landed on the edge of the swamp, hard enough to leave her legs jarred by impact, but there would be no permanent damage. Going from the emptiness of space and the upper atmosphere to a place so verdant and filled with all manner of life was difficult for her, and for a moment she was disoriented. The Force was generated by living things, and while nowhere near as bright as it was in a sentient being, plunging into the forest could be likened to going from darkness to a room filled with a thousand thousand tiny lights shining at her all at once. She took a few staggering steps towards more solid ground before kneeling to meditate.

All throughout the experience she could only watch helplessly, the chaos of it all proving overwhelming. She had not even fought a Mandalorian and already her illusions of what war was were being shattered. Lives being snuffed out in an instant without a chance to stop their demise. The thought that her new Padawan might’ve been one of those to suffer that fate was crushing. They had not been together long enough for a strong master-padawan link to develop, so she could not know easily if her charge was reduced to scattered ashes across the landscape. A shudder ran through her shoulders with the thoughts filling her mind, but as quickly as they came she forced them aside, steeling herself with the thought that she was here to ensure innocents in the worlds not yet struck need never suffer. Contemplation could wait until she was off the battlefield.

She cleared her mind and regulated her breathing, casting her mind out across the landscape. There was life everywhere, but with focus she could tune it out and search for the bright beacons that were her fellow Jedi. Their Force attunement made them stand out to her, even in the crowds of Coruscant she could hunt down a Force user, assuming they made no effort to hide it. There were many Jedi still alive it seemed, some closer than others. The knowledge was reassuring, but until they stood before her, safe, she would not stop worrying.

Fortunately, the closest of her fellow Jedi were not far at all. Rising to her feet, she began to walk along the coast, such as it was, towards them - a Twi’lek and a Falleen, she could not remember their names. Even that sedate activity told her that her diplomats robes were ruined, likely beyond recovery. They were designed with some capacity for action in mind, but leaping out of burning shuttle into a dense forest was well beyond anything a diplomat was expected to do. She arrived just in time to hear the end of the Twi’leks monologuing. Once he finished, she immediately stated “Save the others.” As though there was no debate at all. “The closest is that way.” She added, pointing towards the next closest of the Jedi that she could see, though otherwise making no move to start the search, for the others opinions mattered too. She remembered then that those with eyes expected to be looked at when they spoke, and turned her head to face the Falleen, though a moment later than what might be considered normal for such a motion.

Star Wars: Revanchism [Knights of the Old Republic/Mandalorian Wars]

I have a post part way done, but unfortunately must wait until late tomorrow to finish it.

The Relics

Oh no!
Sad to see you go Alida, you have contributed so much to the RP.

Alessia - Roan collab up, finally.

The Relics

‘Oiy! Where ye fucker go?”

Roan’s white eyes slid down, his keen sight took in the sight of the five men below and their puzzlement for a moment. They hadn’t noticed the bloody cross of hand and paw prints that scaled up the smooth stone, the fingers nitched into places and easily aided his high jump. Still studying the thugs below, he made a slight disgusted snort. His belongs, thankfully, had been brought up with him yet now he didn’t care. Anything not attached to his waist had easily slipped off or was discarded while Roan moved across the flat roof toward the city center. Wisps of his shredded shirt fell from his fur, discarded and forgotten alongside his things. His ears and head rotated, jerking in one direction then another without a moment to rest. Horse...people, and more filled them with such ferocity it hurt. He whimpered a bit.

His tongue licked his snout, suddenly filled by the scent of shit, horses, and more before a key scent caught his attention. It smelled like something...familiar. A single word flickered across his mind that both animal and man understood well enough: home. Leaving his things behind, Roan’s muscles tensed and made a burst of speed across the roof tops toward the scent’s origins.

---

The door shut quickly behind her - almost too quickly. The ambassador was a boring man to speak to, always choosing his words exactly to turn every phrase to his favor, but doing so in a way that both frustrated Alessia and almost made her want to go to sleep. He was not particularly happy with her handling of the Inquisitors - flaunting her diplomatic power as she did for the sake of a random commoner who seemed to possess some kind of relic. She had not been looking forward to the diplomatic briefing as it was, but this just made it terrible. Too many of her fellow Kalesians seemed to forget that every individual had a place in the empire, and that every one of those was equally as important as the others.

She made her way quickly to the courtyard, Lydia hot on her tail. She would be able to relax and regain her composure away from the diplomat. Today was to be an enjoyable day after all, and she needed to look her best.

Roan’s muscles rippled with energy as his nose filtered through the odors wafting within his senses. The city scents were struggling to overwhelm each other, the musky odors of humans and beast alike mingled with food, stale air, and more seemed to swell within his mind where he struggled to sift through it all. Most of it foreign and unfamiliar, making him cringe at the realization he didn’t like that conception much. His ears twitched about seeking sounds while his body caused some birds to take flight, their feathers scattered, making him halt suddenly. Every part of him went still as a statue. His eyes darted about and coordinated eerily well for farther sights or sounds.

Nothing.

He snorted again, his nose slightly pained by the many aromas then took a moment to center on one: Home. Again the word drew something within him. A deep, warm feeling that started to drive the beast forward. His paws slapped the roof tops while he scaled them easily, his body crunched and jumped across the gaps until he had reached the Embassy. He was on the roof when movement caught his vision. Roan jerked his head toward the courtyard to see two figures below his perch, their lithe figures seemed to aggressively seek the refuge of the courtyard because one slowed then stopped. He inhaled, lowering his nose into their direction. It wasn’t hard for his nose to pick up the gentle and distinct female aroma of the pair after several moments. A slight pleased growl erupted from his throat. The sound vibrated and filled his muzzle, softening it even. Slowly, his paws stirred. His blunt claws tapped the rooftop while he stalked toward the lowest section where he could begin his descendant downwards. His mind tittered on primal need and human reasoning.

Alessia’s shoulders rose and fell as she breathed deeply of the foreign air. The smells of this city were very different to where she had come from, and it helped her focus on the good things. She was half way across the known world! The things she would see today at the festival! Diplomacy and politics could wait, today she would enjoy herself, and rest easy knowing she had saved an innocent from a great deal of unpleasantness at the hands of the Idris inquisitors. With that, she took one last look out the gates and turned around. She still had to see to the young woman she had saved before she could depart for the festival.

Roan’s muscles coiled and jerked out to bring him ever closer. His agility and grace combined with his strength made the climb down easier for him than it would’ve been for any human. Within minutes he was leveled with Alessia’s smaller figure, sided by her companion, as she turned to retreat within the insides of the building. Roan’s instinct knew if she did then she was lost to him. His lips peeled back, the white fangs revealed in a snarl at the thought. His forearm gripped the roof’s edge where the rest of him hung low, in a fashion he had seen monkair’s do, as his hind legs tensed with energy. Just when his prey was within range, Roan’s figure shot off the roof right at Alessia.

At the last moment, Lydia glanced around and caught sight of the leaping wolf-man. She threw herself into the air to get between her charge and the monster - to no avail. Caught unprepared, she was knocked aside by the superior bulk of the beast, hitting the ground hard enough to leave her winded. Alessia barely had time to turn and face the sound before she found herself knocked down, her face a rictus of terror. A terrible beast of fur and fangs loomed over her, and she would have screamed if she had not had the air knocked out of her in the fall. Was this the end? To be brutally killed by a ravening beast appearing from nowhere?

Everything was a blur. It seemed so surreal and passed by so fast that Roan’s human mind barely registered it, almost completely lost in the watery subconscious of the wolf’s instinct since he ascended the rooftops. Now only the subtle throbbing on his shoulder stood out after his impacting against Lydia who was easily casted aside. His fingers spread instinctively and braced, ready to absorb most the sting when his hand like paws hit the stone ground and pinning the dark haired woman onto the ground. Her body, thin and petite, trapped under his thicker limbs while his black nose lowered to her cheek. The wet, bumped surface tenderly touched the skin and inhaled the scent. It was a slow action. Savoring it almost while his white eyes shifted to spot her companion’s thinner figure had crashed to the floor and settled there, winded from the fall.

His head whipped back to take Alessia’s image in again. Not much had changed, his lips pulled back to give a wolfish smirk, from the slight tan on her pale skin to the dark hair just below her shoulders. He could even feel her body was the same slender figure yet there seemed some muscle adding to her curves. His heart thumped heavier and faster, his ear perks while his jaws lowered to her collarbone. His nose made delicate sniffs, following the curve upwards then once more hovered over her cheek. Slowly his jaw opened revealing several gleaming and sharp fangs to her sight, a dark colored tongue reached out.

Slllurrrppp!

A wet trail glided from the cheek bottom up to Alessia’s eyebrow, followed by another. His tail started to whip back and forth in a dog like wagging. His eyes closed and continued to lick, ignoring any attempt to push him off or Lydia’s rise.

Pinned as she was, Alessia could only look on in fear as the monstrous muzzle of the beast moved close to her face, snuffling loudly and looking over her body… Why? She realised with some degree of shock and a lot of relief that, despite being at the things mercy, she was still very much alive. When the beast opened its mouth, revealing a vicious row of teeth, a second pang of fear shot through her and she squirmed to escape - only to find that instead of closing teeth around her neck, a thick wet tongue was suddenly slurping across her face, much like far smaller dogs back home did when they were happy. She was extremely confused, and could only lay there and wait it out.

Lydia, however, was faster to recover. Springing to her feet and pulling the concealed dagger from the folds of her skirts, she hesitated only to shout for the guards before rushing forward and aiming the short blade at the beasts back, striking with all her might in a two handed stabbing motion.

Roan had just pulled back to smile another wolfish grin when movement caught his attention. His head snapped to the side just when Lydia’s blade sank below the fur and into the meat of his back. Heat followed by pain flared through his being causing Roan to yelp. Warmth leaked from his wound and caused his arm to lash out, likely knocking the woman away from him. He pulled off of Alessia quickly. His eyes narrowed and teeth exposed in a harsh snarl. His skin underneath hadn’t been able to heal as the blade was still in embedded in out of his arm’s reach. Roan whimpered with each movement yet returned to snap his jaws at Lydia, his fur bristled upright. Slowly he started to move around Alessia only to hear the sounds of more approaching, their steps first then shortly their bodies came in brandishing spears and swords at the woman’s earlier cry.

Alessia was still confused when she heard the sickening sound of a blade piercing flesh. Lydia had recovered quickly, and, true to form, was going out of her way to protect her charge. Had she still not been confused and afraid, she would have swelled with pride at the loyalty displayed by her servant and bodyguard. Alarm filled her when she saw Lydia easily swatted aside by the wolf-man, though it was quickly replaced by relief when her servant rolled and came up on her feet, a little unsteady, but evidently still ready to charge to her mistress’ defence. Fortunately, she did not have to, as the guards of the Embassy quickly arrived, their burnished mail and polished helms shining in the morning sunlight. Despite the beast moving away from her a little, she remained prone though still looking around. The swiftness of it all had left her dazed and stunned.

Blood seep farther into the fur, matting it slightly where the blade was deeply lounged. Roan’s nostrils overpowered by the scent and his eyes widen in anger as well fear, teeth still bared at the one who hurt him even after the others had arrived. Pain rippled through his muscles causing him to winch at the movement back. Too many. He felt the need to flee claw at his instinct, trying to get him to run, while his shaggy head twisted to Alessia. A gut wrenching feeling seemed to bury itself inside. Slowly the men started to advance forcing themselves between Roan and Alessia. Their weapons out and pointed into his direction, Roan’s clawed hand jerked out to swiped only to meet steel when the spear lashed out to counter. Distracted by the first, one of them darted in and nailed him in the side.

He howled in pain.

His cry shrill and suffering, fresh blood pitter pattering upon the stone. The spear snagged on the belt causing it to tear free, crumbling near his hind paws, before his body twisted about. His handlike paws raised onto the wall closest to the outside of the Embassy and his only path to escape. His ears pinned back to snap at an edging spear lingering too close. With what energy was left within his body, Roan’s legs curled then snapped upward. His muscles burned during the pulsing energy while the breeze of his freefall brushed his fur against his thick form. Moments later his foot paws slammed into ground and finally vanished down the nearest alleyway, gone from sight. Leaving only a small trail of bloodied prints betraying his escape route.

As soon as the beast fled, Lydia rushed to Alessia’s side “Are you alright my lady?” She said urgently. Alessia began to push herself to her feet, taking the hand quickly offered by her servant. “I…” She began. The whole thing had shaken her quite severely. “I’ll be alright…. Just… Just give me a moment.” Alessia took a deep breath, forcing herself not to shake from the tumultuous emotions swirling within. She had so many questions - who, or what, was that? Why had it simply licked her instead of taking the chance to kill a Kalesian dignitary? Were the Idrisites involved? Of course she could get no answers right now.

Though still inwardly shaken, Alessia put on her best noble airs, to at least appear like she had recovered. She looked around the courtyard, noting the bloody trail away - she could get the men to follow it, but did not believe it worth the risk right now. She also noted a small pouch lying on the ground not far from her. She stepped over to it and bent to pick it up, noting the poor state of her clothing as she did so - the beasts blood had splattered on her skirt a little, and she was covered in dust. She examined the bag in her hand for only a moment - it somehow seemed familiar, but she could not quite place it. Perhaps after she had had a quick bath and changed into clean clothes she would be calm enough to remember - and attend to her countless other duties for the day. With that, she immediately proceeded back inside the embassy, there was a lot to do and little time to do it in.

Star Wars: Revanchism [Knights of the Old Republic/Mandalorian Wars]

From what I can tell, almost any non-force sensitive is welcome right now, and a tech specialist would likely be very useful too.

Star Wars: Revanchism [Knights of the Old Republic/Mandalorian Wars]

Ayessa's Force Sight and Farsight are developed to the level where she can, to some extent, perceive entire facilities at once. As long as it isn't a really big facility at least...

Its easiest to do while in the actual facility, and don't expect her to continue keeping it up in combat, but she can do it.

Star Wars: Revanchism [Knights of the Old Republic/Mandalorian Wars]

I eagerly await the beginning of the IC.