| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Well, I guess, thank you for the... thoughtful gift, Three," Venaris says with a soft chuckle. "And to think I got you nothing. When is your birthday again?"
Without waiting for an answer, he turns to the rest of them. "Alright, whatever your targets' affiliations are, they certainly know how to hide themselves." He pauses for just a bit of dramatic effect. "Buuut, I found out something about them. It is not much, but it is a name at least and a start. There is a new organization operating out of Dromund Kaas called the Crimson Sun."
He looks at the Sith and the agent for any signs of recognition. "So, any bells? You know, being rung?"
Trevan shakes his head no.
Not yet.
Koro's face contorts as she contemplates the name put forth by Venaris, "Crimson Sun? What kind of name is that? "
She turns on the intelligence man, "What do you know of this organization?"
" Next to nothing. " Jax answers frankly. " like I said, we suspected the Baradium had been stolen by a new organisation. It's probably a good lead. " Jax nods to Venaris.
" Let's head out, there are a few spots I want to check out. Speak to a few contacts. "
The sooner we gather the required information the sooner this organization will feel the Power of the Dark Side of the Force. remarks the miraluka.
You travel to a series of cantinas near the docks. From one to the next, you find laborers, spacers, and off-duty soldiers, gambling, drinking, and enjoying themselves. They're free with their tongues, especially after you buy them a few drinks or play a little pazaak.
The Crimson Sun first began recruiting about 6 months ago. They said their debut operation would be "huge."
The Crimson Sun appear to be very well-funded. Popular theories are that they have funding from either a Sith Lord or a wealthy aristocrat.
The Crimson Sun operate out of a warehouse in the Lower City. Supposedly it's well-guarded, and no one knows what the inside looks like.
The Crimson Sun's operation is targeting an Imperial building. No one knows which one, but this is clearly a threat to the Empire.
Koro throws herself into the hedonistic bar scene with abandon, flirting and laughing with the rough men and women they find there.
She has a lot of fun, but doesn't learn anything of note.
Kordin walks over to a table near the corner that was occupied. Her domineering appearance and Mandalorian armor was enough for some teenagers trying to look cool to scatter. She keeps an ear open, and swaps stories with any mercs in the bar, buying several rounds of drinks for them, but staying clear of the sauce this night.
She gets a few good stories, watches a drunken brawl, ends a drunken brawl, and gets some information from a couple of bruised and boozed up guns for hire. She also gets a job offer as a bouncer, which she declines.
Although it is not how he usually operates, preferring to be behind a computer screen of a ship's engine, Venaris nevertheless attempts to mingle with the various regulars -and irregulars- of the cantinas they visit. And even though he is not used to this particular way of information gathering, the language of money appears to be universal. Credits loosen tongues alright, even if they do not do so completely.
"Recruitment began only a few months ago, six or so," he shares what he has found out with the others. "And the organization sort of and kind of hinted that their debut operation would be pretty big. I think the word used was huge."
Trevan does not waste time gathering information but instead observes who the others speak with, the one who has the most information will be the most promising led to question... later.
Perception
Use the Force - Sense Force
When they all leave, Kordin puts an arm around Ven's shoulder.
"Nice! I got that too, but they also appear to be very well funded. Nearly bottomless resources. My resources and the bruised bunch I was talking to mentioned funding was from either a Lord of the Sith or some wealthy bureaucrat type, could be both, could be baseless rumors. Anybody else get anything?"
Trevan approaches Kordin, 'Who was your best source of data can you point that one out to me?"
Arm still around Ven, the Mandalorian taps the side of her helmet before shrugging her shoulders.
"Dropped some money off with the friend of a friend so to speak. Let some money do the talking. A few greased palms gave me that from my shopping trip earlier. Information brokers are super helpful sometimes. You may call me greedy, but I don't have the skills to silver tongue my way through life. I wasn't trained like that. Money, however, can do a lot more than just buy goods."
Trevan grimaces, "Very well. What we need more than rumors are actual members of this group. Then we will have gotten somewhere. In fact, that gives me an idea..."
Jax can be seen talking with shady characters in corners, then he slips a bartender some money and heads through a back door to some private room or something. After a few hours he enters through the front door of the cantina again rejoining the group in time to hear Kordin say she found out about how well funded the group was.
" I've spoken to a few of my underworld contacts, I believe I have a fair idea of where this Crimson Sun is running their operations from. It's a warehouse in the Lower city. It's supposedly well guarded and no one I spoke with has been inside. "
" Perhaps we should go scout it out tonight? "
Venaris glances sideways at Kordin's arm. There is the hint of a smile, but he makes no attempt to move it.
"It does not sound like a bad idea," the Echani agrees. "Although perhaps the Sith carrying lightsabers should probably not join us on the actual scouting? Being so easily recognisable and all, that is."
Looking over the Sith, Kordin thought about something.
Does color mean so much about the lightsaber itself? Have they built their own? Would they accept such a deal?
Reaching behind her into her pack, Kordin draws out the two lightsabers she was holding on to.
"Well, if the color of the lightsaber matters, what if we had a couple of "jedi" with us? So long as they don't threaten to kill and/or actually kill anybody in cold blood it could work. But only if you are okay with it, if not I can hawk these things for an easy three thousand credits."
The miraluka thinks over the proposistion made by Kordin. The disguise would be helpful. I can impersonate a jedi if necessary.
"Jedi eh?" Treva spits. "Well why not?"
"Why not?" Koro says, shaking her head.
"While I applaud your inventiveness, Kordin, we are on Drommund Kaas. Appearing in public as a Jedi is tantamount to a death sentence. Every citizen, criminal or not, would stop at nothing to capture or kill a Jedi on sight, to collect on any probable rewards for doing so. "
She crosses her arms, "We are in the capital of the Sith Empire. Our kind are not uncommon within its environs. "
"Come now Koro Tass, don't you want to be a hero and die a meaningless death. I think rumors of Jedi here would help bolster the Intelligence community into paying closer attention to things like large shipments of dangerous materials being stolen.
It will also confuse these enemies if they believe they are dealing with Jedi and not Sith..."
Pocketing her lightsabers, she let's go of Ven and takes a few steps away.
"Hey, I was just thinking of an idea that could throw our enemies off balance. If anybody else has any ideas I'm all ears. I was just going for show up in jedi robes and say something along the lines of "Hey scrubs I'm with the Republic and I hear you have a case of stuff that we could help you blow stuff up with." Along with a few of your weird mind tricks we could probably sleuth our way in without killing anybody, take out the leaders, scatter the nobodies, and be out without wasting valuable time, resources, and probably save any data on how the Crimson Sun got the goods."
Koro's eyes narrow as opinion obviously is tilted against her cautions.
With a shake of her head, she holds her hands up, "So be it. But, I certainly will not be one of the imposters." she says vehemently.
The miraluka will inquire as to if perhaps real Jedi might be present.
"Misdirection of our enemies is as critical to success in many battles as skill with a lightsaber.
Lead on Jax, show us the place which we should scout that we may make our preparations..."
Perhaps one of us should dress as a padawan leanrner and the other as a jedi knight, in order to keep our foes off balance as well suggests the miraluka.
" I doubt there are any real Jedi involved. Can't you Sith sense when Jedi are nearby? "
Jax nods at Trevan.
" Right, let's get going, maybe once we've seen the place, maybe watched it for a day, we can decide whether this 'Jedi' plan is a good fit or not. "
Jax leads the way into the lower city and will try to find some place where the group could stake out this warehouse from.
"We may as well," Venaris says, agreeing with the agent. "Either way, no point in us just standing here debating this."
Perhaps one of us should dress as a padawan leanrner and the other as a jedi knight, in order to keep our foes off balance as well suggests the miraluka.
"Better for us to operate as Jedi looking like Sith..." Trevan grins wickedly and moves along with the party as they move out.
Locating the warehouse takes only a short while, as you had a fairly good description of the building. Finding a place to stake it out, however, takes longer, as the buildings around it are primarily other in-use warehouses that may contain informants. Eventually, you are able to locate an unused warehouse a couple blocks away that will allow you to observe the comings and goings from the target building, although you will not be able to see or hear anything going on within the warehouse.
Once they find a location to stake out from, Trevan reaches out with the Force to ascertain if anyone occupying the building is strong in the force.
Use the Force - Sense Force
Koro paces around the warehouse, peering into corners and into the office.
Looking up she spies the skylight. Pointing, she says "We should get up there and see if there's any access to our target ."
Thinking about the skylight, Kordin knows how to get up there.
"I know that I can get up there, but I'm not sure about all of you."
"Hmm," Venaris mutters as he looksat the skylight. "I do have a liquid cable dispenser with a grappling hook attached, but I am not so sure it is long enough to make much of a difference."
Kordin, still looking up holds out her hand for the cable dispenser.
"Give it here Ven, I can get it up there. Gotta try out the new toys anyway."
Kordin holds up her wrist and presses a few button before motioning for the others to step back. A small whirring and roar can be heard from her armor as she takes off with her jetpack. Hovering for a moment she has to get a quip in.
"Pretty nifty right? Alright, I'll get the rope up there. Oh and Ven, you might be taking care of this thing a bit."
She flies up and hooks the dispenser to something that looks like it could hold the hook securely like a grate or something.
Trevan shrugs and motions to the Mirulka, "We "Jedi" should try the front door anyway. Once you are all in position, we will simply knock. Seems like something foolish they would do".
The miraluka nods in agreement.
" Very nice. " Jax says. Watching Kordin heading for the skylight with the grappling hook.
He turns his attention to Trevan as the Sith talks of knocking on the warehouse door.
" Wait, what's the plan here? Are we heading in already? Could you sense any Jedi or Sith in the area? "
Koro watches Kordin fly up and attach the cord. Once she's out of the way, Koro thinks of using the Force to pull down the skylight, then reconsiders. Doing so may alert any Force-sensitives in the crimson Sun warehouse to their presense.
Instead, she grabs hold of the cord and climbs up.
She attaches the hook from her utility belt to the same hardpoint, then lhanging safely, ignites her lighsaber and cuts a hole in the skylight.
Clambering through, she survey's the rooftop for any observers.
Kordin, up on the roof has to go through commlink to communicate.
"I wanted a skylight to look in, and hey, they have one. Not sure what the Sith are doing."