Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
Taras' blade casts an eerie glow in the City Hall building. The structure is not as ransacked as it initially looked from the outside and aside from a few overturned plants in the lobby, the place is in fair order.
The building has four floors, Biggs and Praxis enter next with Orgamon electing to wait outside in case anyone takes special interest in your transport.
Biggs shrugs, "Place seems abandoned, what do you guys hope to get outta this visit?"
"Looks can be deceiving. If the Miko is hiding here, they may have taken steps to make it look like it's abandoned, to avoid people searching it."
Cardis will motion for everyone to begin searching, starting at the bottom and locking down stairwells so that no one can attempt to escape by sneaking around them.
Noss nods, glancing at Biggs, "Let's go" then stalks off into the nearby room, his eyes and senses alert....
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The first two floors reveal nothing, as you take the stairs to ascend to the third floor, you hear a voice from above.
"Hold it right there! You are not authorized to be here. Head back down and out, there is nothing left here for anyone of any value!"
Cardis looks up towards the voice and says, "We don't typically take orders from those we can't see. Would you kindly come out and speak to us?"
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The figure shifts a bit so you can see hm and he can see you he is a burly human male, "You all don't look like looters... what are you doing here?"
Based on his dress and the way he carries himself and the weapon he now has trained at your group it is clear he is some sort of local guard but not a CSA man.
"Well, actually, we were looking for someone. We were hired to find him and rescue him. You wouldn't happen to have a Hutt by the name of Miko up there, would you?"
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The man calls back, "Is that a joke? No, there's no Hutt up here. If that is all you want then you have what you came for".
"Do you mind if we come up and have a look anyway? We promise not to take anything."
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The man calls back, "As there is no Hutt here what could you be looking for? As you are not looters I am willing to assist you but you can understand my apprehension I think".
Taras frowns and whispers to Cardis. "How long do we keep up these negotiations? We're losing time."
Noss shares Taras' frustrations, growling lowly "Indeed, why are we negotiating at all?! " as he grips and regrips his lightsabre's handle.
"Of course I understand your apprehension. However, we really do need to verify everything. If you'll just let us up, we'll be quite quick about it."
To Taras and Noss, he says, "Because we're trying to keep a low profile. If he doesn't let us in after this, then we force our way in."
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The man raises his blaster rifle and waves you up, "Come on up and you'll see there's not a whole lot to verify up here. You CSA or just steal their uniforms to keep the swoop gangs off your backs?" He calls down.
Soon enough you all reach the third floor. The Human who pointed the blaster rifle at you is of average height but fairly stocky. The third floor like the first and second is a bland administrative building with long hallways and several rooms leading off of each hallway.
Biggs nods at the man a bit out of breath from climbing the stairs. He scowls at the number of you that come up, "At this point it is just me and my sister. We're not so much running this place, the local government has collapsed as much as we're hiding out here. What is it you want to see?"
"We just want to look through all the rooms. We aren't interested in taking anything you have. Now, can we hurry?"
Cardis will start walking towards the nearest door in order to begin searching.
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
As you search the floor a human female steps out of one of the rooms and joins the male. You find nary another soul nor a Hutt within. There is a room which appears to be a control station for monitoring incoming and outgoing ships but little else of interest.
The woman speaks, "A ship did launch yesterday from east of the city. I am not sure who was on it or where it came from but they shot down at least two IRD's which constituted the blockade of Endregaard. From the communications I have monitored, the CSA is none too pleased. It appears that one of their own was on board and defected.
If you also snuck on the planet and are planning to sneak off, you'll need to be careful.
I might know a way to do so safely, if you'll take us with you". Her brother looks at her with some alarm but says nothing.
Cardis moves to the control station and begins accessing its records, looking to see if he can find an outbound vector to pursue that ship. They've used up almost every avenue of searching available - either the Hutt was on that ship, was well-hidden in either the city or one of the mining outposts, or the CSA had him. Either way, this mission was more and more looking like a failure. And their masters did not take failure kindly.
"How safe is this means of getting past the blockade? Whether or not we plan on sneaking off, I don't offer guarantees for 'maybes'."
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The man's face darkens but his sister responds fearless, "I've been here since the blockade started eating nearly all of the provisions this building had to offer. Luckily this place has always been considered a location where there was little of value to the swoop gangs.
During my free time I have been monitoring CSA communications from the surface to the blockade. I am almost certain I found a hole in their sweep patterns".
The outbound vector for that ship was to a location in the cluster which is not mapped. It seems whoever that is, received coordinates through that portion of the Cluster whereas the coordinates you received brought you in a different way. At this point, the best you can hope for is to intercept this group before they reach Popara the Hutt - though traveling via hyperspace trough unmapped routes can be a death sentence. The question is, will that rendezvous take place on the Toydaria Space Station or elsewhere?
Cardis copies the outbound coordinates. With a one day's head start, depending on the speed of their ship, and with the Sith following a hyperspace route unknown to them, they had little chance of catching up to them by following directly. Taking the route they knew and hoping theirs was the quicker, and the meeting place was the Toydarian Space Station, was the best way of catching them.
Turning, he says, "Well, why don't you tell me a bit more about this hole in their sweep patterns? After all, if we're all going to get out of here, we'll need to know a bit more about it."
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The girl is reluctant to say but soon enough gives you her theory and it is a sound one, especially with less IRD's after the breaking of the blockade the day before. As they patrol both the planet and the space lanes, they need to switch at some point to land and refuel whether on the surface or the starships, at those moments, with a prior flight to the far side of the planet and then a lift off into space will give a smaller craft a head start to get off world prior to detection. Even if the larger cruisers detect the ship leaving orbit they will have no or fewer IRD's to pursue giving a would be blockade runner time to jump into hyperspace and flee.
Noss looks at the girl and brother, and smiles devilishly, "Good, we have what we came for. No need to tarry."
The meaning in his word are clear, he has no intention in bringing the two along.
Cardis nods in agreement with Noss. "Yes, we have to make this quick. There is no time to waste."
He motions towards the two, indicating they should take care of them quickly.
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
Cardis
Noss
Taras - Biggs
The man raises his rifle and fires it at Cardis, "Run sis, I knew we couldn't trust them!"
Biggs draws his blaster pistol, "Shoot him but keep the girl, she's a pretty one!"
Cardis takes out his disruptor and says, "If you lay down your weapon, I promise this will be painless."
Cardis then moved to cover to avoid being shot.
Noss grins widely as his lightsaber ignites. Leaping at the impertinent man, he brings the weapon up and through...
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
Noss cuts the man deeply with his lightsaber but his rage at what appears to be the end of his life gives him endurance, his rifle is aimed at Cardis and discharged, "You're coming with me!"
The human female runs down the hall in a feeble attempt to get away.
Biggs takes a shot at her - Blaster Pistol - Stun . It hits her and she falls to the hallway floor immobile.
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
Cardis dashes into the doorway but the laser fire from the rifle strikes him anyway, he turns and glares at the soldier. Their eyes meet and the man's eyes widen, he sees now that perhaps he should have dropped the weapon as crimson lightsaber wielding attackers draw close on him. He sighs in resignation as his sister hits the floor and he knows that his last minute heroics were for nothing, it never mattered if he let these foes up or did not let these foes up, the moment they decided to enter this building his fate was sealed...
Taras wastes little time once the fight starts, although the first blows are exchanged before he moves in. One hand ejects and ignites his burning red lightsaber; the other extends and the fist clenches, drawing the man forward. As he's brought close enough, the saber flashes out.
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The nameless soldier dies at the end of Taras' lightsaber, his eyes plead for the life of his sister though few in the hallway are receptive...
Biggs turns to Cardis, "Well Kadavo, can I keep her? We have room for one more right? I mean the damn Nikto is infected and he's been useless to us so far".
Noss answers Bigg's question for Cardis, walking over and thrusting his lightsaber into the girl's chest, where her heart is.
"No more baggage." he says simply, nods to Cardis and Taras, "Lets get going."
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
Biggs nods, "Got the message. Well, should we assume whoever took off got the Hutt? Do you all think we should try and chase them through the cluster or come around and hope your Navitech is better then theirs and beat them to the delivery?"
"Agreed. The girl would be more trouble than she was worth. We'll dispatch Orgamon once we return to our ship. There is one thing I want to check, and then we see if we can beat the other ship to their destination. Our ship is fairly quick."
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
As the shadows of the afternoon grow long, the Sith Agents race through the streets of Tel Bollin seeking to avoid further entanglements. Knowing where CSA is concentrating allows the group to avoid further contact with what is likely a group in a bee hive frenzy. Despite the overhead passing IRD's clearly spotting the group, the stolen CSA transport is cover enough that they do not close in for a better look.
The town, which appeared akin to the center of an apocalypse prior to the events of the prior night, is so deserted there is not a soul in sight. It seems even the swoop gangs are thinking twice about crossing the CSA, at least until night falls anyway. Praxis notes the eeriness of the desolation, "Glad we are leaving this place to be sure".
Soon enough the transport is obscured from sight overhead by the trees of the nearby forest and Cardis races even faster to the Scimitar. Orgamon guileless suspects nothing when Praxis mercilessly cuts him down from behind.
Biggs grins, "Damn, I am glad I am on your good side fellas".
Night has fallen once the ship is ready for takeoff.
Cardis activates the cloaking device to ensure the ship is hidden from sensors and hopefully view as he powers up and takes off, then flies low to avoid detection.
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
The Scimitar rises and leaves little trace of its passage. Within less than twenty minutes, the Agents of the Sith locate the blast site of the ship.
The ship is in no condition to fly, perhaps ever again. What you do not see is a Hutt.
Scanning the devastation, Cardis says, "It looks like two of the bodies were blasted clear. If the Hutt was on the ship, his body may have been blasted clear as well. Should we investigate, or simply assume he was on the other ship and pursue?"
"Are we confident our hyperspace route can make up for lost time?" Taras seems more genuinely curious than rhetorical in his question. "We're already behind. Every minute has to count."
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
Praxis closes his eyes and then opens them after a brief period of concentration, "Whoever is down there now is dead but if you want to get a closer look at who they are it could be useful I suppose. Though Taras raises a good point".
"We aren't, since we know nothing about the route they took. If the Hutt's body is down there, I don't want to leave evidence of his death behind, but time is of the essence."
Looking at Noss, he says, "What do you think?"
Taras stares down at the site below, contemplating what to do. As logic fails him, with too many factors at play, he reaches out to the Force, his Dark Side powers shaping his probing. Jedi might speak of searching their feelings, but Sith know truly how to let the power of your emotions guide you. Taras, like so many of his brothers, is filled with anger, rage, and a desire for a sense of fulfillment. When he reaches to the Force for guidance, it's a question: Will searching there please me?
Endregaard - Mid-Day 6 -
Taras reaches into the roiling mass of rage and misdirection that the dark side of the Force engenders in its wielders. To become lost in the morass is to be unfocused. Lack of focus makes one weak and thus does the Dark Side weed out those who do not truly deserve the power that the Dark Side has to offer. Taras ignores these feelings and senses.. anger and frustration. Yes, only frustration will stem from a search of this wreckage. Yet, there is a nagging feeling of doubt tied to that frustration, weak but yet it is there.
Coruscant - Skydome Botanical Gardens -
The Sith Empire has retained its stranglehold over the Galaxy with Darth Kryat ascending to the throne and claiming the mantle of "Emperor".
Both of your units have defected to the new Sith Empire but both took massive casualties in the "pacification" of the Core. Having both been shipped back to Coruscant you receive separate missives to meet a high ranking official at the Skydome Botanical Gardens. The nature of the meeting and the official in question were not disclosed.
You both arrive at the same time, neither having met one another before. A phalanx of Stormtroopers guards the walkway to the Gardens waving off potential visitors, they wave the two of you through. You have little time to size each other up though as standing at the front door of the Gardens is a member of the Sith Order, whose appearance is quite familiar...
She regards you both and practically purrs a question but yet delivers it with a hint of malice, "A Lurmen? Tell me little one, what did you do to gain such a prestigious audience?"
Rylla eyes Phedra with equal interest. But if the small one could make it here, it must've proven itself somehow. Rylla is also careful to keep a professional demeanor. The right attitude for the right people, she always told her crew. The same folks you back in a bar fight are will not be impressed with your regimented drills.
Phedra looks the twilek up and down, appraising her without fear. She suddenly climbs up Not 2 b's metal frame and stares into the Darth's eyes, squinting her overly large eyes and crooking one little finger at her.
In a small voice, the little creature says. "I repair things... droids; vehicles; people, you name it. If I can't repair them, I rebuild them piece by piece. Maybe have to rebuild you some day... piece by piece. You sith do have a habit of needing repaired."
Taras stares down at the wreckage for some time, then turns to the others. "We'll find frustration there. I doubt it's the Hutt. And yet... there's something else." He turns back to look. "Cardis, I trust your judgment. There may be something down there, but I doubt very much that it's what we're looking for."
Cardis considers a moment before saying, "If we will not find the Hutt, I am inclined to ignore it. However, there may be some benefit to seeing if we can salvage the navicomputer. That ship with Jedi got to this planet via hyperspace route, possibly mapped by Poppara's people. With that and the route we have, we may get enough base data to begin conducting our own mapping. Still, better we didn't have to do any of it. Noss, what do you think?"