The Tarentum Wraith dropped out of hyperspace over Arx Minor.

“Incoming ship, identify yourself.”

The identification came without a word.

“Apologies, High Inquisitor. You are cleared for landing.”

The bomber came in and settled on the landing pad without incident. For once the Clawdite on board elected to remain in the vehicle until it hit the ground. He, along with the Togruta pilot departed the bomber, making their way to the briefing room.

“More drug lords? Do we need to bombard these fools from orbit before they learn?” Blackhawk grumbled, bemused.

“I wouldn’t mind if that were the case.” Tazi replied. “It’d give me a chance to test out the canons on the Wraith.”

I must be crazy.

The words cycled over the forefront of Eilen’s thoughts for the dozenth time since the turn of the hour a few minutes prior. Why was she doing this again? More than three years since she’d cut herself off, and over two since she dropped off the Brotherhood’s radar. That was supposed to be it - nothing left holding her back. No more wars, no more shadow councils, no more nagging reminders that everyone who really respected her would always leave. Beyond Dajorran space, beyond the reach of Arx and all its connections, life was hers to live. Everything was good.

Except, one brief glance at the beat-up datapad on the dashboard reminded her that, no, it really wasn’t all good. She’d just escaped far enough to avoid it.

A part of her didn’t regret it. There was no shame in choosing personal happiness over contributing at your own detriment. Genuinely, if anyone else wanted to save themselves from the chaos, she’d have congratulated them for getting out. But that was just it: Not everyone would, and Eilen had the misfortune of knowing from experience that she could help.

That was why. Obviously.

I’m actually crazy. Maybe she’d live to regret it, but hopefully this would amount to something good.

The tunnel of pouring interdimensional starlight finally spiraled out into the gaping astral black of mildly familiar space as Eilen’s YT-2400 freighter pulled out of hyperspace. She hadn’t seen Arx in longer than her old abandoned home. It didn’t quite look familiar, but then again, it had never looked the same way twice between each occasion she’d visited before. Too many wars. Thankfully, this wasn’t supposed to be another.

The Envoy Corps had cropped up around the time Eilen had gone underground. From what she could gather, it seemed like the kind of organization Sera or Sully would have happily served. It was time to see whether it really lived up to its reputation. Either way, they had her for a job. What came next, she could only wait and see.

As she maneuvered into a steady descent to Arx Minor’s surface, Eilen opened a channel to broadcast to the meeting coordinates nearby. Apparently they had a shield dome on this desolate moon. “This is the Crooked Quest, requesting permission to dock…”

The facility looked oddly small, once it finally came into view. Even the spaceport wasn’t particularly large, but as long as they weren’t calling in a crowd of disparate spacers, it would get the job done. She’d just expected something a little more grand, given what she remembered of Brotherhood architecture. Maybe these Envoy guys took more economic consideration with their work. Anyway, she was distracting herself.

I can’t believe I was crazy enough to come back…

This was it, though. Once she’d set down, Eilen double-checked her outfit - dark, lightweight, quiet - and pulled up the hood just as a matter of comfort. Somehow, that extra bit of head coverage seemed to help her nerves. She went ahead and pulled her pistol and toolbelt from her locker, but only did a quick run-down over the rest of the equipment she’d readied for this job. A little safety glance never hurt with a seismic charge amid the other explosives.

With everything clear, she looked over to her droid and gave him the most confident grin she could muster. If she really was crazy for doing this, best to just live it, at this point. “Come on, Beads!” The BD droid scurried onto her arm and settled behind her shoulders as Eilen disembarked into something new.

Syk made it aboard a transport ship to Arx Minor. It was her first time on an envoy mission, but she really did need the credits. Docking, she slithered out of the ship and glided smoothly along the ground. The Thisspassian Sith soon made her way into the briefing room. Who she would be alongside, she wasn’t sure, but whatever job was given to her, she would get the job done. She found herself a back wall in the briefing room to coil up and meditate quietly while waiting for others.

“… It’s all going to be ax-cellent! I am sure of it!” Dusa grinned as she glanced over to the once-black haired Marick. He never really had an expression on his face so he was a bit hard to read.

Now she understands why Wyn teased him so.

It doesn’t help that Dusa joined in the club.

“So, while I’m doing the mission, try not to flirt with any more white-haired chicks.”

Marick’s deadpan expression had somehow, seemed even more deadpanning than before. Dusa chattering was also a way to try to hide how nervous she was about this mission. She had been sober from drugs for a while and this would be a test. She should be fine.

She will be fine.

“Wyn said if I was a good girl, I would get rewarded when I get home.” She winked at Marick and she thought she can ‘feel’ a mental sigh from the stoic man. The ship shuddered as it landed, the ramp opening with a hiss.

She dramatically gasped, “Was that a twitch I saw? I saw it on your jaw muscle! Yes! Yes I did!” She laughed as she grabbed her axe handle and headed down towards the ramp.

“Thanks for the ride! It wasn’t very choppy after all,” Dusa placed the axe down for a moment only to fingergun Marick, the trademark she had picked up from Wyn.

She made her way into the briefing room.

“Okie dokie, folks, I am here!”

As Eilen finally reached the meeting space, she had to stop at the door for a moment. She’d almost forgotten: Some kind of voidborne magic prevalent throughout the clans commanded there would always be at least one immediately attractive lady in the room when she was least prepared for it. Absolutely terrific - except for the part where she hadn’t put any effort into looking presentable for this job.

A quiet sigh escaped her as she tried not to let her thoughts go there. This was professional work, not another shipping run where she could goof off within an hour of docking.

There weren’t many places to stand, of course. Eilen shuffled over to the big pretty - was that a giant battle axe? - pale lady and stood a few feet to the side, fidgeting her thumbs and trying not to get caught up looking.

On her shoulders, Beads held no such concerns and immediately began scanning the axe lady with a wave of his little leg. The thisspiasian was next.

Darn little bugger. “Uh– hi,” Eilen muttered, glancing at her droid but avoiding eye contact. “Don’t worry, he’s just… looking.”

Blackhawk looked around the room. A familiar Thisspassian, to whom he gave a polite nod, a woman who was completely unknown to him carrying a backpack droid, land a… okay, he had to pause at the giant axe. Such things were a bit brutish for his taste, but he respected the lack of subtlety in such large weapons. It’s wielder was also unknown to him. No matter. He’d get to know all of them soon enough.

As the brilliant blues and whites of hyperspace streamed past the viewport of the Voidskipper, Taro sipped a glass of Tevraki whiskey that produced a pleasant burn in his throat and chest. Having a drink or two had become something of a ritual whenever he took a job. In his line of work, every mission had the potential to be his last, so he preferred to go into them after doing something he enjoyed. The tenor of his envoy droid’s vocabulator cut the silence within the ship’s cockpit. “Apologies for the interruption, Saint, but you have a transmission coming through on an encrypted line. Shall I patch you in?”

Taro downed the rest of his whiskey and set the glass aside. “Go ahead, Stetson,” he said. ST-10 floated around so it was in plain view, then activated its holoprojector.

Disparate motes of light materialized into the image of a human man dressed in a uniform typical of the Brotherhood rank-and-file. “Name and purpose,” he intoned, staring forward with tired blue eyes.

“Taro Priak. Here to assist on the Envoy mission,” he replied coolly. Normally, he would’ve been a bit more nervous about venturing this deep into Brotherhood territory and freely giving his name, but the details of this mission and the fat cache of credits the Exarch was offering for its completion was too good to pass up.

The customs officer’s eyes drifted down for a beat, then narrowed as he met Taro’s again. “The Revenant pirate currently wanted by the New Republic?”

“The one and the same, sir.”

“And you intend to take a mission on the Brotherhood’s behalf?”

He shrugged. “Credits are credits. Besides, everyone knows the Brotherhood ain’t exactly choosy about its Envoys.” His lips pulled into a thin smirk of satisfaction when he heard a scoff from the officer’s end. Once he cleared him for passage, he tipped his hat (war shield) before disconnecting the holocall.

—

Clink. Clink. Clink.

The tinny rattle of Taro’s boots echoed in the hall leading to the briefing room. He had spent more hours than he was willing to admit perfecting his saunter, which he had convinced himself was necessary to make a good first impression great. But as he approached the door, he raised a hairless brow beneath his helmet when he saw how small it was.

“What the …” The automatic doors opened when he got closer, but he still had to crouch to get through it. Evidently, this building wasn’t designed for someone of his stature; few places were, but it didn’t make it any less irksome for ruining his entrance. ST-10, never too far away, floated in behind him.

Once he was inside, Taro removed his war shield from atop his head and secured it to his back. The helmet came off next with an audible hiss produced by its air-tight seal being broken. As obsidian tresses cascaded past his shoulders like streams of silk, he tucked his helmet between his arm and side before taking the time to regard each of the room’s occupants with a pair of eyes each partitioned into countless orange ommatidia.

“Evenin’, folks,” he said to the others before leaning against the wall with one leg crossed behind the other.

The new arrival actually spoke, drawing Eilen’s attention. Two more had stepped in, actually. She faintly winced as Beads hopped off to scurry over for scans. Naturally, she had to step after the tiny droid. That time he’d gotten punted really hadn’t taught him anything - or of it did, he was just too sure it wouldn’t happen again.

“Hello,” Eilen offered with a meek grin, eyes darting between the droid and the new faces. Wow, one was tall, if even she had to crane her neck a bit. “Don’t mind him,” she quickly stated, crouching down to pick the droid up. The BD-unit’s head steadied in motion and tilted to the second person for scans. “Very proactive programming, you know? Eheh.”

Tra'an Reith ducked into the meeting space, saying nothing as his masked visage examined the room, reviewing and cataloging those who would be along for the ride and those who were actually there to do the job.

His hands flexed, the thumb touching each of the other three digits in sequence as he steered around the commotion, *‘Maybe coming along as muscle on a Stealth operation wasn’t the best choice", he wondered, before holding up a wall.

At catching Blackhawk’s eyes, a nod passed between them in recognition, and together they resumed people watching their comrades to learn of and about them.

The protective film covering her oceanic blue eyes peeled back as she stirred from her brief meditative state. She looked around at the group now gathered. Though she was still really shy, she attempted to actually speak out. “Hello everyone, so who all exactly is coming on this mission? I see quite a few here; who will I be working with on this job?” Slowly, she uncoiled herself and began to stretch her arms out a bit before returning them to her sides. “I usually work solo primarily, but I have done a thing or two with others.” Her eyes then focused on Blackhawk. “You..” She smiled showing her fangs a bit. “I know you, Blackhawk, slayer of Lyleks.” She grinned. “Good to ssee they chose another professional to assssist.” Her ‘s’s lingering in her speech slightly as she spoke in a warm low feminine voice.

Dusa frowned as she patted down her own body as if she was searching for something. She reached into a jacket and triumph ‘aha!’ can be heard from her.

She removed the wrapper from a lollipop and started to suck on it. She blinked when she noticed the droid, her head tilted to the side until a furry stranger appeared. Dusa smiled and then gave her a little playful bump on the shoulder.

“Looking huh? That’s alright, I’m an axe-citing person!” Dusa winked to Elien before looking around some more. The fact that the beings were much taller than her didn’t bother her.

She had been in odd situations before.

And this wasn’t even odd.

Dusa listened but admittedly, whoever was talking had lost her long ago.

Once he got to the questions part, there was a loud pop as she removed the lollipop from her mouth.

“Nope! You hit the bullseye there.”

Blackhawk stepped forward.

“Does the cartel know the identity of the pirates that are supposed to be on this ship? Because if they don’t, there is a professional pirate among us who would lend credibility to our deception.”

While Eilen had never been a pirate, she’d certainly been on the wrong side of the law more often than she cared to admit. All that was mostly long years ago, but a lot of her applicable knowledge had been repurposed, never quite forgotten. Plus, people tended to think shitavanen looked scary. Pirates often had a bit of a scary edge to them. Yeah, she could probably pass for a pirate.

On another look around, all of them probably could. That left the other half of the ruse up in the air.

“What are this team’s skills?” Eilen asked more for clarity than any semblance of doubt. Some of the others had a pretty obvious schtick just looking over them, but she had to assume most (or all) of them were Force-users, and that blew open the doors on their hidden potentials. Whether or not the rest of these folks knew each other, she had the disadvantage of being a stranger to all. Figuring she should correct that while the question was already open, her fingers interlocked to fidget as she started, “Speaking of which, uh, hi. I’m Eilen. This is Beads.” She gestured to her backpack droid, who waved.

Not quite sure how to present it with any grace or formal build-up, she simply stated after a pause, “I’m a pilot. Ship expert. Astro-mechanic… But that kinda stuff aside, I know demolitions, too… A bit of slicing, but that’s more on Beads.” Her thumb pointed to the droid. “…So, if it flies or floats in space, I can figure out how it breaks, systemically and, well, the old-fashioned way.” Her hands spread with a light puff of air, mimicking a small explosion. “…And I know a lot about the ugly underside of the galaxy’s trade - how people like this network and deal. Not that I’m a drug expert or anything, just…” Her long ears flicked back. “…Anyway, probably should have led with that.”

That was at least thrice as much as she’d meant to say. Eilen bit her lip before more came out. Her eyes darted between the others expectantly.

Melek looked up from his seat at Karracca’s question, his attention shifting away from the hyperspace rushing past the cockpit windows.

“My midi-chlorian count?”

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.

“No. I don’t think I’ve ever had it measured.”

His eyes wandered briefly toward the Wookiee before returning to the viewport.

“I’ve had blood tests before, but nobody ever told me anything about a count.”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Why? Is yours high?”

The question was accompanied by a faint, genuine curiosity. Before Karracca could answer, Melek’s attention drifted toward the other people aboard the ship. There were still quite a few of them he hadn’t really spoken to.

He glanced toward Karracca again.

“Are all of them going to be on the mission?”

His gaze lingered for a moment on the various members of the group he’d encountered earlier. The giant axe had been difficult to forget, as had the strange pirate-looking man and the little droid that seemed determined to inspect everyone.

“They’re… interesting.”

Melek looked back out into hyperspace, his expression thoughtful.

“I haven’t worked with this many people before.”

There was a short pause.

“Usually it’s just me and my master.”

He seemed to realize that might have sounded a little too serious and shrugged.

“I suppose I’ll have to get used to it.”

Then he looked back at Karracca, curiosity returning to his face.

“But why did you ask about my midi-chlorian count?”

<@1178915035049902120>

“So collect money, and kill the collectorss.” Syk mused as she glanced at the Diathim. “I can wait in the shadows and strike quickly.”

Taro nodded before shifting his attention down to the little BD-unit. “Of course,” he said with a smile, “Stetson here’s the same way. Always watchin’ my back in case things go sideways.”

<@152256842473406464>

When the Wookiee started speaking, he shifted his attention accordingly. Although he wasn’t familiar with the Bilbringi Cartel, the Black Sun was one with which he was personally familiar. A half-Falleen himself, a few distant relatives of his came to mind who were members of the infamous criminal syndicate. He crossed his arms across his chest and sucked his teeth.

He looked to the Clawdite, evidently named Blackhawk based on his earlier exchange with the Thisspassian. “Not a bad idea,” he admitted, “Posin’ as members of my crew might be our best shot at gettin’ the job done.”

<@280930981983289345>

After hearing Eilen’s introduction, Taro stepped off the wall and strode toward the gray office table where most of them had gathered. “Name’s Taro Priak, but most people just call me Saint. As for skills, well …” He paused to lightly tap one of the holstered pistols on his belt. “I’m a helluva shot. The best here were I a bettin’ man. Fast, too. I’m far from an ace, but I know my way around a ship and the Galaxy.”

Taro gave a slight nod in Blackhawk’s direction. “And as our friend here mentioned, this is my world. The name carries weight.”

“You’re planning to put a new Padawan in danger? Not very Jedi of you, now is it, old man?”

Syk smirked at the response. “Hey be nice to the ancient wookie, every padawan needs a good trial to test their skills, Blackhawk. I am ssure the padawan will be just fine.”

“Oh it’ll be a thing at all right. A test of resistance against bad puns and fur everywhere.” Blackhawk joked. “But in all seriousness, once we get there, perhaps we should covertly remove one of their crew from the board so I can assume their identity?”

The Sith’s oceanic eyes gleamed. “I can asssisst in removal and replacement of crew.” she volunteered as the end of her tail swished eagerly.

Tra'an Reith spoke up at last. “What need have you for my muscle? I am not very stealthy, but I can clear many rooms of enemies.” he said Karracca before he could get far.

“After all, I didn’t come just to do nothing, though if you have no need of me, I will still be ready.”

“I look forward to it then. It has been some time since I last had a good fight.” Tra'an Reith looked down upon the swole being and decided that perhaps, they could be friends. So many others were just so much smaller.

Despite the inherent danger of the mission, a part of Eilen tried to hone in on the positive side. They were going to let her fly an Onyx. That bit at least put a light grin on her face.

One hour to departure? “Guess I’ll go get my stuff, then,” she said with a nod. Best that she hurried, too - the sooner she could get set up in the cockpit, the faster she’d be familiar enough to make the vessel dance.

Syk looked at Eilen a moment and nodded. “Always good to have a ssolid pilot to esscape and get cover if we need it.”

Two things occurred to Blackhawk as Karracca turned to leave.

“Kar! Two questions for you. First, if the targets attempt to escape, do we allow it, or do we remove them from the sky and deal with the rubble later?” This question was asked mostly for his pilot’s benefit. The composite beam cannon on the Wraith had recently undergone it’s first performance, with highly satisfying results. Against a target it was actually designed for, it would likely be the last thing an escaping ship ever experienced. “Second, and on a related note, if you would like, I can have an interdictor or two jumped into the system, possibly with some additional forces just in case. Would that be of interest?”

Tra'an sighed and scratched his head with a long red claw. “Chasing rumors and half truths. We lost Jusadih because I wasn’t strong enough to defeat a Force Wraith.” The large crimson scaled head shook side to side, before tucking down I to the broad, robe covered chest.

“I have yet to find any meaningful information for combating them at anything short of Grandmaster. Obviously, the Darths have no interest in reclaiming a forgotten home for a Clan most of them despise. As such, I have come back to restock, rearm, and work on my own improvement.” with a sigh, the Reaver lifted his head and fixed Karracca with a stare, golden eyes luminous behind the ivory mask.

“As such, I’m here and elsewhere, learning, growing stronger. All to one day, take back the Jusadih system.”

“A home ican be a calling.” Blackhawk said as he entered the room. “Ome some will spend a lifetime trying to answer. I recently made progress on such a calling myself.”

“Just Kapsina. Alas, even as temperamental as it was, it was home. Guilt knows so little reason my friend.” The di Plagia sighed and stared at a wall for a moment. “Coming back was as much about admitting defeat and understanding that it was time to move on as anything else.”

Dusa became oddly quiet. She had some ringing in her ears. The voices in the briefing room and now in the vessel were becoming dulled out with small echoes. It wasn’t until the drool of hte lollipop stared to threaten to spill over as she inhaled deeply in surprise.

Which resulted her saliva to get lodged at the back of her throat as she stared coughing rather harshly.

“I’m fine, choked on my spit-” Dusa laughed as she continued to cough. When did she get on the ship? She was going to be fiiiine.

“So! Would any of you pretty fellas like some lollipops?”

Dusa started digging around in her pocket. She got out several lollipops.

“I’ve got Meiloorun, Jogan… Muja…”

Syk chuckled softly. “Aww no lollipop for the other lady?”

Dusa handed one to the wookie and smiled. He got the Muja.

She heard Syk and blinked which was followed by a frown.

“Right. Sorry, I just call everyone pretty fellas. I forgot to ask first. What would you like, lady?”

“Ah ssorry, my bassic knowledge of words and phrasses can be a little lacking.”

She replied her accent enlogating her s’s again.

“Hmm I will take Jogan. Never had before what iss a lollipop?”

From the cockpit, now that the coordinates were set for the first hyperspace jump, Eilen had leaned back from the ship controls to simply admire and fawn over all of it. What a vessel, what a setup. Not by far the largest ship she’d helped fly, but probably one of the nicest for this class. It was almost too good for her tastes.

Though, as the voices reached her ears, she peered back past her seat. A little sugar sounded good for kicking back along the first jump. With folks mostly in the main hold, it hit Eilen that she wasn’t sure whether this was more of a shout-across-the-vessel crew or hit-the-intercom crew. But hey, if she could hear them, right?

A hand raised, not that it would make much difference, and she called out the cockpit, “Can I get one? Uh, please?”

“Oh! You are in for a good time! Okay, so, in our species, I don’t know about yours, but a male-” She heard Eilen call out for a lollipop as Dusa smiled and made her way towards her.

“You betcha.” She showed her the flavors and let her pick one as she made her way back.

“Right. As I was saying-” She blinked and realized this may not be the time to go too deep.

“You lick and caress the lollipop. You don’t really eat it. You use your tongue and saliva in your mouth to really bring that flavor forth and you let it swirl around in your mouth, tasting that sweetness before you swallow it.”

Green apple. So delicious. Eilen could already smell the sweet little snack before she pulled the wrapper. She was just opening her mouth when Dusa continued her rambling.

She’d said something about men a moment before, hadn’t she?

Eilen’s ears slowly flattened as she glanced down at the little bit of candy. Great. Now the image was all in her head. A quiet groan escaped her, but, hesitantly, almost ashamedly, she plopped it into her mouth anyway. It tasted too good for this.

Eilen flinched as soon as the wookiee spoke. In her awkward moment of silence, Eilen had lost touch with her surroundings. She frantically ran her hands across all instruments, trying to recall where the scanners were without looking as new as she was to this layout.

“Not yet,” she hastily declared. It was technically true - she hadn’t seen anything yet. But, she actually stopped to properly read the instrument when she came back across it.

“Now-” Dusa said as she leaned over to the snake lady will popping the lollipop out of her mouth with a loud pop, “- as for ladies, I don’t know anything about your anatomy but we do have…. something you gotta bullseye with your tongu-”

Her datapad went off as she answered it. Then she started giggling as she was rapidly messaging back.

<@1385116824814878940>

For a moment, Eilen wished for ear plugs. Or just less sensitive hearing.

Blackhawk rolled his eyes at hearing Dusa explain mature intimate activities to a killer snake woman.

“…Oh. Terrific.”

Yeah. Cool. Just a few days’ worth of sensor scanning ahead. Not a drag at all. Normally, just setting a scan alert was enough to leave the cockpit and only rush back if it went off, but under the potential eye of hidden hostiles, that just didn’t cut it.

Eilen glanced over at her backpack droid standing and watching from the all-too-large copilot’s seat. “Guess you and I are stuck right here, Beads.”

The droid rolled its head and chittered with arrogant confidence.

“Don’t worry,” Eilen said with a resigned grin. “You’ve always got my back. Literally.” She leaned over with an outstretched finger, and the droid bumped it with a clamper on its little foot.

Dusa rose her eyebrow.

“What’s wrong with a bit of education? Got something to axe me?”

“Oh nothing wrong. It’s rare I get pre mission fun. At least for free.”

“Lick it..” She took the lollipop and stuck out her tongue trying to lick it a few times and resisted the urge to just swallow it whole. *Not in front of them..*She was trying to figure out how to suck on it and stared a moment before attempting. She started to and then the eating urge instinct took over.

Her jaw unhinged and she ate the entire lolipop in one gulp.

Then her eyes got wide as she realized, she just did that right in front of everyone. At that moment she was mortified and froze.

Blackhawk tried not to chuckle. He really did. But he couldn’t. “Well, at least now we know she has talents beyond sneaking and murder.”

Dusa smirked as she rolled the lollipop on her tongue.

“Well.. that’s one way of doing it.”

“Is the stick edible. Or should I be worried about someone gagging on it?”

Dusa tilted her head in amusement, “Can always take her to the medbay and find out. I dont know what’s edible to her but if she can eat us…. well then…” Dusa trailed off with a purr.

“I think Karracca forgets I actually speak Wookie. He requests you please not attempt that trick on him.. Though his protests were weak.”

“Jedi aren’t supposed to Lylek that!” Blackhawk called back, still chuckling. “Then again, they’re also not supposed to have fun lek that.” He continued, cocking an eyebrow

Syk unfroze as she watched Karracca roaring out stuff and Blackhawk answering back. “Is he okay? Are you okay? You sure you didn’t let my eating the lollipop get to you?” She shook her head. “Sssso Sssstrange sssometimess. Why would I eat you? Only way I’d ever do that is if we run out of food and Im sstarving really bad.” She looked at Dusa and smiled.

“Karracca is a curmudgeonly old Wookie.” Blackhawk stated. “He’s fine, just easy to target.”

A long, exasperated sigh fell from Taro’s lips. He shook his head and pulled out one of his twin MW-20 Bryar Pistols, nicknamed Cheap Lesson, and started to clean it while trying to ignore the conversation happening in the room. If things continued like this, he’d rather be back in prison.

“When are we leavin’?” he suddenly asked, “Time is money.”

A Day Later

After completing several specifically calculated jumps, they were halfway there. As the blue and white lights disappeared, they came out of the umpteenth hyperspace jump, and calculations were begun for the next, there was suddenly a blip sounded from the sensor array within the vicinity nearby and then nothing.

Before Eilen could check out what it was, off a little to the front and starboard side next to their ship, a sleek black Star Courier class shuttle materialized out of the inky blackness of space, though it was still hard to against the space surrounding them.

<@152256842473406464> <@1178915035049902120>

Eilen was already twisting the ship away by the time he arrived. Her fur stood on edge up to the back of her head, still recovering from the sudden shock of a ship emerging that close.

“Star Courier,” she quickly replied, orienting the ship to minimize its silhouette from the surprise shuttle. “Starboard– well, there now, Si-uh–Captain!” She pointed out the cockpit, eyes darting out only for a moment before returning to the dash. “Scanning now– wow, that is some high-grade tech… and… well, uh. It’s armed, but it’s not powering up its weapons.”

It would be one hell of a coincidence to run into literally any ship this close between hyperspace jumps. Not sure whether to blame insane luck or someone having a plan for their route, Eilen only glanced at Karracca with a tense expression.

“…Hailing,” she quickly said, now that the ship was in a more defensive position. With a quick look to Beads, the droid kicked on a switch at the co-pilot’s side of the console. “All yours, Captain.”

<@1178915035049902120> <@375384499770359819>

The look left frozen on Eilen’s face was naught but flat, resigned mortification. “Oh.” The note of acknowledgement came out dry as sand. Effectively suspended in place, she didn’t budge another muscle until the next order.

Beads catalogued a hologram recording of the moment into his databanks. All flight logs - that was one of her standing requests for him.

Blackhawk gave the Wookie a friendly slap over the back of his head. “You sure your memory isn’t fleeing from you, ya old carpet?” he joked.

Syk had braced against the side of the wall. Her eyes narrowed, glancing to the Wookie and Blackhawk as they conversed in Shryiwook. She then looked up at Eileen, who was focused.

“You all right there, Pilot?”

At the word ‘pilot’, Eilen shook herself out of her little stupor. “Uh, yeah! Yeah. You know, just… working off the adrenaline. At least we’re not getting shot at, like I was told to expext…” A faint huff of a sigh escaped her.

A feminine chuckle came through the open hailing comm channel.

“Hehe You two are lucky I made this a secure channel. Karracca, Blackhawk, it’s good to hear you both,” the tone of her voice was light. “And yes, Max, with some suggestions from an informant, has charted the optimal route through to our destination. We’ve been waiting here for about an hour now, for you guys to finish that last jump.”

“And I’m glad to see that, Miss Ru'tyari, has such good reflexes as a pilot. Very quick thinking, well done. Sorry about almost giving you a heart attack, Regent Zxyl had thrown in the works on upgrading my ship after a mission, and Max, my pilot droid, is having far too much fun with the systems.”

A hearty light laugh came through, before a droid voice could be heard as well.

“Mistress, we are on a mission. For the record I am not ‘having to much fun’. I am simply optimizing the efficiency of the upgrades for this unique mission…”

“Alright, alright, Max,” Tahiri chuckled again. “I’m messing with you.”

There was a short pause, before the Togruta’s voice became a bit more serious. “Now that we’ve met up, Max will transmit the calculations for the jumps of the route.”

<@152256842473406464> <@1178915035049902120> <@280930981983289345>

Aaaand they already had Eilen’s name, which probably meant they had her entire dossier. A little warning for any of this would have been appreciated. At least the vessel was indeed friendly.

“Calculations received,” she replied. “Thanks. Saves me the time…” Looking over them, Karracca was right about the complex jumps ahead. At least Baro had raised her on jobs that needed this song and dance.

Eilen turned to Karracca, but asked with the channel still open, “Are we flying separate ships, or are we converging here?”

Syk hissed a bit…“A word of warning would have been really nice indeed.” She replied as she heard the rather cheerful voice. Her gaze then turned back to Eilen as she listened.

A heavy exhale of breath escaped through the comm channel.

“Converging here, yes. I will explain more once I’m on board, this may be a more secure channel, but we shouldn’t be so flippant as to talk at ease. Prep docking and I’ll be aboard shortly, with a better explanation,” the transmission feed was cut then and the Star Courier began to maneuver into position.

Once Eilen did the same and the two ships were docked, a petite woman dressed in chief Inquisitorius armor stepped aboard. The hood portion of her cowl was pulled up, casting a shadow over most of the top of her face, leaving only her fanged smile fully visible, her eyes catching only a little light as any who greeted her could see sulfuric yellow. She was followed closely by a sleek black male Vornskr.

“Max, I’m on board. Detach and stay within the area till we jump. Then do I told you too.”

“Yes Mistress.”

The ships detached and Tahiri turned to those who came to greet her.

“Well, shall we gather everyone, I’d like to introduce myself.”

Tra'an stared at Tahiri, eyes narrowing.

“I leave for Nine years and come back to find that you sacrificed everything for Power. How very Sith of you Tahiri. Tell me, do you regret it?”

The already cold room got even colder, as if the very air had been sucked out of it.

Tahiri stared back up at Tra'an for a moment, her sulfuric eyes glowing slightly as she met his gaze.

“If the sacrifice you mean, was the endless hours I spent worrying about the safety of my friends and family within Plagueis. Then,” she chuckled softly. “No, I don’t regret anything. I worked hard for the power I have, and I’m using it to help those who need it. I may be Sith, but I help raise others, I don’t suppress them.”

Though relaxed, she stood slightly straighter, showing that she wasn’t intimidated by the tall di Plagia in front of her. She then pushed back against the cold with a bright smile.

“Just so you know, I’ve felt colder places than Cilix, and most all of those are within the Yridia system. The cold doesn’t bother me anyway.”

Syk felt the distinct cold chill in the air, radiating from Tra’an. She rose and let her own seething darkness flare against the man; its power was much more intense.

“And what about you, Plaguein Sith?” She cackled darkly. “You left your clan for nine years? Tell me then, what good did you do during that time to help your own clan? Who are you to ask if she regrets her decisions? Do you regret leaving your clan and going off doing nine hells, whatever?

From what I see right now, she has grown much in power and from what she has already said, she does not regret it, nor does she even need to prove anything to you.

Tell me, weaker SITH, do you plan to get stronger or just dwell in your own weak endeavors? If I were you, it would probably bode well to think before you try to throw your laughable intimidating presence around stronger Sith.”

An audible chuckle escaped Taro’s lips as he listened to the others bicker. “You sure are a touchy bunch, aren’t ya?” he said before shaking his head.

Syk turned to Taro and chuckled at him as she stopped seething for a moment and relaxed again. “Perhaps so, tall one, but I can at least chill. I’d rather save my anger for the enemy ahead.”

Tahiri turned slightly and glanced at the other two, bowing her head slightly to each in turn. After listening to both of them, there was a small silence, before she burst out laughing, the kind of bubbly laugh people would not expect to come from a Sith.

“Every person has a reason for leaving their clan for while to find their way, or to grow. In either case, I do not fault Tra'an for this, nor do I ask his reasoning. He has his reasons, even if he tests me as to reason I left. Which for the record though, the main reason for leaving the clan and title, and go to Arcona, was to help a friend and fellow di Plagia.”

She tossed back the hood of her cowl, and bowed to both the di Plagia and the Thisspiasian female.

“Miss Varshin, I appreciate your forwardness. However, it’s just how some say hi. I was a di Plagia, same as Tra'an still is. I’m simply used to it, as I’m a bit unique among Sith.”

Turning to the curious looking tall man, she nodded to him.

“It’s more of a headache than what it’s worth honestly… Mr Priak, I assume? Unless you prefer to go by ‘Saint’?”

Meeting someone new while they were parked - finally, a good reason to get up and stretch again! But, Eilen was just about to the door when hear ears twitched forward at the sound of arguments already happening. Not so thrilling. From the doorway, she just quietly backed out to let them sort out whatever that was all about.

Then Beads scuttled past her feet at full speed into the room. New person, new info required, immediately. Great. Eilen quietly groaned, but followed the droid in.

On point for his overly-ambitious programming, Beads wasted no time skittering right up to Tahiri and initiating a scan.

As the little droid stopped at his Master’s feet, a soft huff came from beside her leg. The sleek Vornskr stepped forward and snuffed the droid curiously.

“Oh hello little fellow, I know your designation, but what’s your name?” Tahiri glanced and smiled, between the droid and Eilen.

At the sight of the animal, Eilen quickened her pace and swept the backpack droid off the ground. Naturally, his head remained focused and level to complete his scan and start one on the animal.

“Beads,” Eilen replied with a nervous grin. “I call him Beads… Sorry, he is very forward, eheh.”

The droid’s photoreceptors retracted as he completed his initial viewing and cataloguing. He glanced back to Eilen and reported in beeps and trills.

Eilen’s brow slightly raised, eyes darting to the vornskr. “Oh. Really?” She turned back up - well, up relative to the animal - back to Tahiri. “So, your friend there is… friendly, right?”

“That is quite alright. May be forward, but at least he doesn’t seem rude like my brothers BB-8 unit,” the Togruta chuckled and then looked at the droid. “Hello Beads. I hope your scan was up to your standards.”

Glancing between the Eilen, her droid, and then her Vornskr, she nodded.

“Yes, Zuska is friendly to those I show friendliness to, and those who are my friends. You have no worries about you or your little buddy. The only time he’ll attack anyone is while protecting me, our group, or if I command him to. I am the alpha as it were.”

Tra'an turned to face the Elder and sneered. “You who know nothing of what it is like to struggle and face death and choose to live for others, should mind your business. I left for nine years after handing my Clan to a trusted Leader while I sought to restore what had been taken from us. I left to pursue not power, but understanding, and while I have not grown to match your raw strength? I know who I am now far better than you ever will until you find yourself forced to choose between losing an entire world and those who managed to flee its demise. So lecture me not you thin mistake for a Gammorrean! After all, it’s not like you understand what it is to have your entire solar system taken from you by a malevolent force so strong the GrandMaster could not stand against it,” he finished with heat behind his mask and a hand on his Lightsaber, ready and willing to come to blows over her insolence for inserting herself where she did not belong.

Turning from the Thispassian’s ridged ochre face, he face Tahiri once again. “I wondered how Alaris found his way back, and it seems like what goes around comes around. At least you had more than just yourself in mind to leave our halls after being hallowed as one of us. He does send his greetings by the way, and it makes more sense why he told me to not be too angry when I saw you next.” He chuckled at the little droid’s response to his owner’s comment.

“Tahiri, the little droid said, ‘I am the best, the fastest, the most efficient, and I commit to my work with neither hesitation nor pause for tact’. Beads truly is a remarkable specimen.”

That was certainly an apt summary of the droid’s programming. He must have been thinking aloud when he ran into the room ahead of Eilen. In any case, Eilen added, “He also says there’s venom in the– sorry, in… Zuska, right?

Beads beeped and whistled at Eilen with some excitement. ||[Eilen, that unit speaks binary. Its communication is superior!]||

"Yes, it seems he does,” Eilen quietly replied. Though, her eyes narrowed on the droid as its choice of descriptor hit her. “Hey, don’t be rude.”

The droid whistled back, then glanced to Tra'an. ||[It is a compliment.]||

Tra'an smiled beneath his mask, whistling and popping back at the droid, ||It is indeed my good droid.||

The di Plagia turned to Eilen, “He means well, and I understood his meaning. After all, they get tired of most of our kind not being able to be conversant with them. It’s like living in a strange kind of land in between, where you can understand without ever being understood.”

Syk ignored his insult and the irritated anger rolling off him. She was used to being hated, considered a complete abomination even. Driven out of her own home, spit on, beaten, in so much pain for years. He at least was never born being hated and ostracized for most of his life. Yeah, he was one to talk about not really having a home at all. She may not have had her home destroyed, but she knew the pain of never being wanted by anyone and being a complete outcast in society. She knew the pain of being so alone so well, but of course, what did she even know of sacrifice, facing death and bleeding to try to live? What indeed.” She stayed silent and coiled up in a corner away from them. A shadow she was and a shadow she remains again.

“Yess, I will be cloaked in the sshadows ready to take them out so Blackhawk can take their identity. ” Syk smirks as she now completely vanishes from sight while her force signature also evaporates and can no longer be sensed. Now the only tell that she is there is if she moves, causing very slight shift in the background. One would have to reaaly be concentrating to see it. True to her word, she is completely hidden. She now waits for the rest.

“Asss you wish."Answered the hangar wall to the left of him. "Be right back.”

Dark Side of the Moon

Their orders were clear. No identifying marks. Jump in, and if called, strike hard and fast. The leader of this strike force growled. A robotic voice eminated from his translator.

“Remain here until we are called. And make sure no ship escapes the system.”

Blackhawk couldn’t believe his luck. He’d entered the seedy tavern only moments ago, and already, he’d spotted one of the targets. He slipped off to where nobody could see him, and shapeshifted. He joined the Zygerian at the bar, having taken the form of an anonymous woman of his species. “Well hello there, handsome.”

“I’m always looking for credits. What are you looking to buy? Perhaps just a good time?”

“Hmm. Quite right. How’d you like to get together with me and a couple friends tonight before we head off for a business meeting tomorrow? I’ve got a real nice ship we can kick back in.”

“An Onyx class parked in the hangar. Docking bay 94. Ask for a Ms. Kervach.”

Blackhawk made a call of his own. “Syk, we’re about to have some company. Docking bay 94. Enjoy.”

Syk rolled her eyes, *just perfect.*She quickly made her way to the docking bay and hid herself, waiting to strike at one of the groups with Wightshade. Keeping her concentration, she maintained the shadowcloak.