Private A Dangerous Path

[Ariel Yvarro]

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Ariel Yvarro found herself in the navigator’s seat of an aging Corvette. Beside her was Decima - and admittedly, Ariel was rather uneasy about being near her. But there wasn’t much of a choice, they both had a goal - to seek out the facilities left behind by the First Order within the Dead Nebula. A place that didn’t exist on any typical star chart. ​

​

The young woman was lost in thought, as she recalled how it was that she was now on her way to a place called Port Avalon. Port Avalon was as far from Dosuun as you could without actually leaving what used to be known as the Home Sector on the old First Order sector maps. Ariel scoffed, to think that the self-doubt had crept into the back of her mind. She’d gone through the trouble to sift through all the recovered artifacts to try and find words of wisdom from her late cousin Natasi. There were none, and understandably, Natasi Fortan hadn’t foreseen her own demise. If she had, it most certainly was not in the manner in which it arrived. ​

​

Frustrated, Ariel turned to the Commander of the Concordia; she had been confessing her own self-doubts when the Commander mentioned Qeravert IV. It seemed the Commander’s family had once been well acquainted with some of the First Order’s darkest secrets. Or at the very least, be close enough to hear scuttlebutt about it. Ariel, on the chance to either debunk the scuttlebutt or confirm it, had taken off to Qeravert IV.​

​

There she found resistance to the questions she asked, though there was a willingness to rejoin the First Order. The government of Neritria could not help, but the citizens of Neritria provided her clues - which lead her to the Empress of Dosuun. An old luxury liner from Galidraan that somehow made it to Qeravert IV without so much as a scratch. There aboard the Empress, she met Decima and after tense first meeting, they were able to find their way to a facility beneath the surface of Qeravert IV’s seas. ​

​

The facility not only contained classified information regarding projects within the Dead Nebula, but this prototype Furious MK 2 Corvette. Lacking the ability to pilot anything, let alone a corvette,Ariel found herself at the mercy of Decima and the ship. The Furious was not nearly as pristine as either of them would have liked and had a lot of trouble simply sustaining power let alone attempting to push out of sea waters and up through the atmosphere.​

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Port Avalon, according to Decima at least, wouldn't be too far from Qeravert IV. The ship, thankfully, was able to hold itself together for that long. They reached what Ariel could only describe as a jagged sheet of durasteel strung across a rock. Port Avalon - where the former FIS Avalonia, a Galidraan-class Command Station met its end with an Asteroid during the Ssi-Ruuvi’s invasion of the Home Sector.​

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End is perhaps too harsh a word, Ariel thought. The station or at least parts of it managed to survive the impact and the survivors began to make repairs and recover. “And you’re certain that we’ll find the people that we need, in here?”​

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Decima shot Ariel a look.​

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“Right, uh, well tell the mechanics to send the ship’s repair bill to my sister. Ryssa Yvarro of Primo Victorian Shipwright,” Ariel didn’t want anyone on the Moff Council to figure out she was all the way out here when she should’ve been on the goodwill tour. The Moff cleared her throat, “I’ll uh, I’ll just head this way then and uh, be on with it.”​

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Decima Fortan | Kurayami Bloodborn | Kassandra Distorith ​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Kuraayami had taken a public transport here after having placed a bid on what looked to be a run down Corellian ship. It had been listed as a 'Bulwark class Corvette (Prototype)' and very little else as far as description went. That led the man to dive into a long and drawn out search among the Holonet to see what the listing was for. He never found any actual history of the ship. Plenty about the bulk freighter by the same name though. The starting bid was far lower than expected at only 30k creds. So why not bump it up a bit? 40k. Soon after another offer came through, this one for 50k. Well, as the bids started increasing there were some interior shots added as well as descriptions of the weapon systems and other information.

Looked like the seller was trying for a quick flip with minimal oversight to get the most out of the listing. The bidding stalled at 70k for awhile, Kurayami wondering if it was a scam or if he could afford to try and drive the others out. 100k was enough to note the other bidders dropping out quite fast. That left him waiting to see if the offer was...oh a new message on his datapad.

'Re: Bid on Corvette
Congratulations, as soon as the payment is verified we will have the ship docked at hangar 8163-A within Port Avalon. An out of the way place for a trade to occur. Once you have taken delivery all costs associated with the craft and fees incurred for the docking bay will be yours to settle. Enjoy your purchase.'

Well that was fun that there had been no actual name associated with the message, still he shrugged and began to navigate through the station, or what was left of it, to find out where exactly this hangar bay was. It was a long and boring walk to get there, but in time he did, still wondering if this was anything more than a con. Once he stepped off the lift and into the bay though, it was empty save for a ship far better looking than the pictures had shown. This could not have been a legal sale, could it? Ah well, wouldn't be the first time he bought a ship that was unregistered, probably wouldn't be the last either. Walking up to the ship he ran a hand over the once polished hull, now showing signs of age, though under the dirt and grime he had the feeling was something worth the price he had paid alone, and probably much more. His footsteps echoed as he walked around the outside of the craft, finally finding the controls to lower the boarding ramp. It would need a bit of TLC but much of it seemed unused. Luxury seemed to have been the name of the game with the furnishings, yea this was going to make a fine home.

After completing his tour of the inside, he stepped back out and began the arduous task of checking the systems functionality while the droids worked on cleaning the rest of the ship. So many years of grime was going to be a long project for those droids, but at least he didn't have to try to do it by hand. Turrets were frozen, hyperdrive was in need of a new motivator and injector, on drives were shot to hell and back...well getting the parts sent here would take a bit, but it could be done. Until then it was waiting and planning exactly what was going to be the rplacement for those frozen dual laser cannon turrets.

Decima Fortan | Ariel Yvarro | Kassandra Distorith​

 

[Decima Fortan]

Decima glanced sidelong at her companion. "You know, the Dead Nebula isn't going to be a walk in the park," she told Ariel. "Doubly so because this ship could charitably be described as a bucket of bolts. From what I could tell, poking around in its computer, it has some kind of transponder signal that's separate from the main First Order fleet. If the Dead Nebula is as secret and scary as I think it is, there are probably at least some automated defenses there. So as much as I'd like to dump this rust bucket and get a real ship, I suspect that IFF code is the key."

The Praetorian sat back in her seat and chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully. "The mechanics shouldn't need to mess around with the computer to do their work, but I put encryption on that section of the drive anyway." She stood to gather her things, drawing her cloak over her gear to conceal her lightsaber and blaster. "I'm a decent pilot," Decima continued, "But I'm not confident in my ability to navigate the Dead Nebula. Maybe we should get a professional. Someone loyal and reliable at a preference, but if we can't think of anyone someone expendable. We'll have to kill anyone not implicitly trustworthy, otherwise, there's a chance the secrets fo the Dead Nebula may fall into the wrong hands."

She paused, then shrugged and added: "Not that there are right hands for it if all this secrecy is hiding something terribly sinister."

Decima frowned at Ariel's instruction. "I guess we don't have a choice, with the extent of the repairs needed," she said, "but I suspect the operation is no longer covert. I'll catch up with you -- think about what I said about a pilot."

Ariel Yvarro | Kurayami Bloodborn | Kassandra Distorith​

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

Careful, measured steps carried the lady’s cloaked figure through Port Avalon. A magnificently serriform remnant of the Ssi-Ruuvi invasion, it was a veritable opus magnum of ingenuity in the face of utter destruction. Her glowing crimson gaze was cast across the melange of sentients and structures alike, allowing herself a respite from her search to absorb the sights and sounds of the bustling area.

Kassándra lofted a brow as she pushed the velvet hood back to cascade across her shoulders. There was a skirmish between a handful of Twi’leks, and to call the lot of them anything other than scruffy would have been entirely too charitable for her taste. A flick of her fingers saw the rusted durasteel plating beneath their feet become unstable, which turned the fracas into a fascinatingly graceless dance of limbs and lekku. It was difficult to hide her smile at their discomfort, and she took note of the blue skinned male’s name as she strode by.

He would do to slake her thirst, she mused, glancing at him over her shoulder as he followed at what he thought must have been a discreet distance. Fingers gently tucked an errant curl back up where it belonged as she rounded a corner, then carefully set her cloak atop a shipping crate as she stepped quickly around another. It would not do to have the garment stained again so quickly...blood was distressingly difficult to remove from vinesilk as it was.

He didn’t have a chance to make a sound as he slunk into the darkened alley, as serrated fangs sank into the flesh of his throat. While she did not strictly need to drink to feed on a being’s energy, there was something to be said for the visceral satisfaction of the prey struggling in the predator’s grasp. She drank deeply and savored the initial rush of energy that coursed through her senses until it settled in like a comfortable warmth in her veins.

She paused in the moment before death, healing the jagged wound in his throat with a touch of energy, before letting him slump to the ground in the shadows. Kassándra breathed deeply and ensured the crisp white silk of her shirt was unmarred and tucked neatly into her leather pants. Stiletto heels clicked softly as she sauntered back to her cloak, once more letting it settle across her shoulders. It hid the tarnished, curved silver hilts settled against her lower back, but left the shatterblaster on her right hip visible as she walked.

She resumed her trek to the open air market stalls, a fleeting frown crossing her features as the distinct lack of what she needed made itself apparent. Seven hundred some odd years make a search for original parts difficult, but what was rapidly making it impossible was the lack of parts in acceptable condition. She certainly wasn’t about to slap just any replacements on her beloved ship, but it’s deteriorating condition and her inability to keep it from falling apart further drove home the point that it was time for something new.

Kassándra turned and allowed her steps to carry her towards the landing bays that bore ships available for purchase. She doubted she would find something to her tastes in such a place, but it was worth a look regardless. She glanced down at the datapad in her fingers as the information scrolled across the screen, listings of ships and their prices along with images of their condition and expected repair cost. Nothing caught her eye, and she began to give thought to the possibility of designing a craft from scratch to suit her needs instead, and weighing the cost of customization versus new design and creation.

Something, however, distracted her from the course of her thoughts. She made notes before the thoughts eluded her completely, and allowed a measure of her energy to slip free from its reins. While she knew all too well how mysteriously the Force could ebb and flow, it didn’t often grab her attention in such direct manner. The Lordess stopped in her tracks, head canted to the side, half lidded eyes pulsing with crimson light as she followed the threads the Force left disturbed in its wake.

Ariel Yvarro | Decima Fortan | Kurayami Bloodborn​

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

You know the Dead Nebula isn't going to be a walk in th- Well, no, bloody chite, Decima. Ariel thought as she tromped through the cobbled durasteel plating that made for the surface of Port Avalon. Rewashed air filtered through the vents with must and age, most people here were either used to it or wore a mask. Ariel opted to hold a handkerchief over her nose until she could purchase a mask or two, four really. Two for herself and two for her cousin, although she hesitated on using it formally. ​

​

Decima was right, though, they needed to find someone trustworthy. In the meanwhile, she had a holocall to make. It was only at that moment that Ariel realized she did not have her tablet. She chewed on the inside of her bottom lip, must've dropped it on the Empress, bollocks. It's twenty thousand leagues under the sea and I'm without any means to call Avalonia. Even if she had the means, Ariel didn't make her call to Avalonia, she slid into a booth and wiped it down with the sleeve of her jacket. ​

​

It also occurred to Ariel that she did not have her credit stick. ​

​

Embarrassed, she opted to use the collect number provided on the holobooth. No tablet, no credit stick, just the clothes on her back and only one memorized number to call. The call would be routed to Taeli Raaf 's direct line, now, it was a number for both Taeli and Fiolette and normally Fio would have been the one to answer, however Fiolette was still out of town. While Ariel waited in the holobooth for her mother or step-mother to pick up, she swore that she saw Kurayami Bloodborn an employee of her mother's. What in the Sithspawn is he doin' out here? Wait. Mr. Bloodborn is a pilot and a damn good one, if that is him - then he is exactly what Decim and I need. Besides, he won't remember half the trip anyway. Of course if her eyes deceived her then she was just out of luck. ​

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The holobooth she called from was old, and covered in graffiti and smelled like alcohol and regret. It was located on the market level of Port Avalon as hovels and shanty-racked businesses sat packed tighter than a set of Galidraani bricks left to roast in the summer sun. ​

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Decima Fortan | Kassandra Distorith ​

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[Taeli Raaf]

In a scenic house on the tropical world of Genesia, a hololine would start ringing. The house was the second home of the famous Fiolette Raaf, former CEO of Primo-Victorian, former Grand Admiral of the First Order Navy, former Lord Admiral within the Sith-Imperial Navy, and Taeli Raaf, Darth Arcanix, the Great Deceiver, the Dark Councilor of the Pyramid of Galactic Influence. Two rather powerful and influential figures within the galaxy, people that received calls at all times of the day, usually with someone requesting this or that...

Ariel would expect Taeli to answer, to see the Lady of Secrets ensconced within her study and instead...

An extremely bubbly dark-haired and purple eyed eight year old in a bright turquoise bathing suit would answer the call, a girl's whose curious head tilt would grow into a wide happy grin when she saw the person on the other side.

"Hi Ariel!" she exclaimed, waving. "How are you? Where are you? It looks really messy and dirty! Did you do something different with your hair? Did you need Mommy for something? She's outside at the pool! One sec!"

The girl would bounce away out of sight, although Ariel would very clearly hear her calling for Taeli as only a little girl could do. "Mommy! Sister is on the holo!" Outside, Taeli opened her eyes from where she was laying pool side, Aerys paddling around in her pool floaties, when she heard Nerralyn calling for her. Taeli was under orders from the wife to relax after the month-long siege of Mygeeto and to make sure her arm was fully healed. Sister? Which sister? Lucy would be working, Ryssa wouldn't call unless she had no other option... ah Ariel then.

"Thank you, Nerra," Taeli replied, smiling at her elder daughter. "Can you watch your sister while I talk with Ariel?"

"Uh huh!" was the response from the girl that looked so much like her mother. She promptly jumped into the pool and swam over to her sister to play. The Moff would only need to wait a few moments before Taeli, wearing a purple swimsuit but her right arm was covered in a bacta cast, appeared in the transmitters radius.

"I must say I'm a little surprised, but it's not unwelcome," she said, giving her step-daughter a small smile. "Did you need something Ariel?"

 

[Decima Fortan]

Decima settled up with the mechanic, who seemed to regard her instructions to provide the invoice to Ryssa Yvarro as only marginally better than an I.O.U. She manipulated the Force subtly, seeking to influence the mechanic's mind to be more amenable, but using the Force to persuade wasn't one of Decima's strongest suits. Perhaps she had succeeded in getting him to avoid an outright refusal, but it might have been her earnest smile and wide brown eyes too, and in any event, he insisted that he'd have to be in touch with this Ryssa Yvarro person to confirm prior to releasing the ship.

Satisfied that that was the best they could do, Decima shrugged and nodded and left the office. She cast one last glance across at hangar at the rustbucket she had improbably flown to Port Avalon, shook her head with a smirk, and turned to leave.

Something shivered in the Force.

Force-sensitive people weren't so uncommon in the galaxy that Decima hadn't encountered any since the Sack of Dosuun, so she understood both that they existed and how they felt in the Force. She reached out into the Force as she moseyed along the promenade outside the hangar, seeking to discover more information about this mysterious stranger. Was she imagining things, or was there something predatory about this new presence in the Force? Perhaps she was being paranoid.

Then again, perhaps not.

Kassandra Distorith | Ariel Yvarro​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Still working away to get all the systems working and checking through the maintenance logs he could find, spotty as they were, learned that the engines were needing a complete overhaul. Damn it all, those were ancient and even if parts could be found they would be exorbitantly expensive. Could he afford it? Eh, maybe...still would be a better idea to simply rip them out and replace them with something newer. With that decided he set some nearby droids to the task of ripping out the old systems associated with the new paperweights the station had acquired. All he knew was that new stock engines were surprisingly going to be cheaper, so now it was just getting the new engines ordered since he knew the Ter58's were reliable, tough, and weasy enough for him to work on for basic tasks.

As he waited on the payment to go through he turned his attention back to the logs on the ship and making sure that was the last major issue for the moment, he stood up and began walking through the craft again, taking in more of the details this time around. The ship was made to be comfortable, rivaling the nicest of yachts in materials and craftsmanship of the decor and furnishings. While doing this he reached out in the Force, having felt a ripple that wasn't far off, no it was surprisingly close. Not an immediate threat but there were two notably dark presences onboard the station, well that made him want to finish this task that much quicker and get out. For all he knew it was the former owners of the ship coming to reclaim it. One of the presences flared a moment before settling back to its previous state. Most interesting. Well he had limited options to take on any threat until this thing got moving again. And given what was needed to get it flying again that was not in the immediate future to say the least. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the wall, closing his eyes as he continued to wait for the beep confirming delivery of the weapons systems at the very least. A few breaths to center himself he resumed his tour of the interior of his new ship, mentally cataloging what things would need cleaning or minor repairs that weren't critical systems.

Decima Fortan | Kassandra Distorith | Ariel Yvarro​

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

Ariel toyed with the coiled cord of the holo, the device's tether to the booth. The market sat overlooking much of the busy space lanes and ports, smaller vessels in and out. Crowded shanties, hovels with a dim glow of the low-lit neon signs. Ariel had been hoping that one of her parents would pick up on the call, most especially since it had been a charge call. It seemed instead of either parent she got the miniature version of her step-mother. The woman's younger sister, a rather cheerful child at the age of seven had answered and practically machine-gunned her greeting.​

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"Oh, hi Nerra, I'm good - hey can you - Uh, well I'm at- I, well, no I- Yes actua- Okay." Scarcely a word had been uttered before her younger sister practically zoomed away to fetch one of the adults. Again, Ariel played with the coiled cord as she looped her fingers in and out of its grasp. She leaned her body against one of the plexiglass frames, and watched as her step-mother answer call. "Uh, yeah, actually - well..." Ariel took a deep breath and exhaled. She looked around and didn't feel very comfortable explaining the situation on an unsecured line. "I need several things, but the first of which is a new credit chip, apparently I'm not... authorized to get one for myself? Something about I need to go into a bank with you or mum and show my ID, or something but..."​

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She learned that the hard way on Qeravert IV, but hadn't thought to call her mother at that point in time. "Aside from that, I uh, well, I'm out in the middle of what I would assume to be nowhere, called Port Avalon just past Qeravert IV. It's not on any chart that I know but, also, I need if you're able to get her to send them. Any and all of mum's files from her days with the First Order. I, uh, I found a few things that I can't mention on an unsecured line but I can tell you that whatever it is - it involves a trip somewhere that is also not on a... any chart that I know of?"​

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"Listen, I can't, I can't explain much there's a lot that I've uncovered but I do know that I will probably need you both, for various reasons."​

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Ariel looked around a moment, "yeah so, sod all that I just said and if you and mum could meet with me and my cousin... at Port Avalon. Formerly the First Imperial Station Avalonia, that would be fantastic. Also... Do you know anyone who specializes in resurrections?" An alert from the holobooth, "oh, bloody hell, okay, I don't have much time, just - please you, mum, Port Avalon, I gotta go, bye." Ariel hung up the call and dusted herself off before exiting the booth. Now if Mr. Bloodborn is here, where would he be... ​

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Taeli Raaf | Decima Fortan | Kassandra Distorith ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Ariel Yvarro

Taeli tilted her head in curiosity, in a similar fashion as her daughter, as Ariel started listing off why she had decided to call Serene Sunset. Out of range of the receiver, Rose was already checking to see if her Master's Order of Shadows had any assets that far out in the Unknown Regions to help Ariel with supplies. Then came the next request which was... interesting. The patented, and yes it was patented as she constantly told her wife, Raaf eyebrow slowly rose.

"Her secure files?" she pondered, but no explanation was forthcoming as Ariel didn't feel the line was secure. Port Avalon? A quick glance to Rose produced a datapad with information on that area of space. They had no active assets there, but Port Avalon was listed as a shadowport formed from the aforementioned station after the Ssi-Ruuvi assault on the First Order.

Resurrection? The eyebrow rose higher, but again Ariel didn't think it was appropriate to explain why she needed such knowledge. Taeli knew the rituals of course, spells to raise spirits, transfer souls into new bodies, but necromancy was generally distasteful for the Lady of Secrets. She especially hated the zombies that constantly got created. But that was another whole thing.

The signal beeped and a rushed goodbye was all she got before the call ended, requesting a credit charge. Rolling her eyes, she paid the charge and grew thoughtful.

"Rose, send a message to Kaalia Pavanos ," Taeli ordered. She wasn't exactly dressed for the occasion of speaking to another high-ranking Sith within the Empire. "It would seem there is something rather curious afoot and she is more in tune with the Netherworld than most Sith. I need to contact Fio."

"At once, you Eminence," the maid, and secret bodyguard and newly promoted Sith Knight replied, bowing out of the room. With the continued thoughtful expression, Taeli keyed in her direct line to Fio's personal communicator. Her image, bathing suit and all, would appear to her wife wherever she might be at the moment.

"Hi Love, so Ariel just called the house from a shadowport called Port Avalon out near Qeravert IV and requested that we come meet her and a cousin there and she wanted you to bring some of your classified files from the First Order along. She was intriguingly vague about the whole thing. Interested in coming to pick me up so we can what she needs?"

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia's office at home wasn't particularly tidy. Retaking her place as the Triumvir of Strength wasn't something Kaalia had strived for and nowadays she often wished there were more hours in a day. Life had become more than busy enough without being involved with any governmental responsibilities and less of a hand in the training of new Valkyries. As rewarding and precious as raising four children was, it also was quite the handful - that was the reason why she had stepped down from the Dark Council - but this was a time when the empire needed her.

Engrossed in the information on the datapad in front of her, the woman didn't hear the door behind her opening. The little footsteps and a young child's voice afterwards did however break through her concentration. She turned her head away from her desk.

"Mommy," Xariah said as she carefully shuffled forwards, holding a mug in her hands, "I have tea for you."

Kaalia smiled as she turned the office chair around and gratefully took the mug, setting it down onto the desk before getting off the chair and giving her daughter a quick hug. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"I love you."

"I love you too. Mommy's going to finish her work now, okay?"

"Mhm!" With that, Xariah cheerfully ran back out of the room, forgetting to close the door. With a chuckle Kaalia went to close it herself and as though it was on cue, her holo lit up. Not many had the means of contacting her home office holo, leaving the woman wondering who it was that needed her. After sitting back down in her office chair and taking a small sip of her tea, she picked up.

"Rose, it has been a minute. I assume Taeli has a message for me?"

Ariel Yvarro Taeli Raaf Decima Fortan Kurayami Bloodborn Kassandra Distorith ​

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

It happened that Fio was aboard her personal ship, the Fleetwood, and on the way back to Genesia when she got the call. The former admiral listened to what her wife had to say and thought on a response. "Yeah, I'll be there to get you," it took only a moment for Fiolette to decide on an answer, "I'll see if I can't put in the coordinates for Port Avalon." ​

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Qeravert IV wasn't a name she had heard of in a long, long time. The call died not too long after and Fiolette was left with two important questions, who this cousin was - because as far as Fio knew. Both Natasi and Pierce were dead, and the Yvarro family wasn't exactly close so unless one of Josef's nieces or nephews crawled out of the woodwork. Which could be the case, and second, what in the hell was Ariel doing way out in Port Avalon? She was supposed to be on Dosuun, and getting ready for if not attending the Charter Day festivities. ​

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The fact that Ariel was vague with Taeli, didn't make Fio feel any better on the subject. Unfamiliar with the area, Fiolette decided to put in a call to an old friend, Ishana Pavanos. At least between the two of them perhaps the former Grand Admiral could figure out how to make an approach to Port Avalon and see if Pavanos knew anything more about the shadowport. ​

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Taeli Raaf | Kassandra Distorith | Decima Fortan | Kaalia Pavanos | Kurayami Bloodborn ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Rose bowed to Kaalia Pavanos as was only proper of a Sith Knight to a Lady of Darth Avacyn's position. Straightening, she nodded at the statement from the Triumvir.

"Yes, my Lady," she replied. "Her step-daughter contacted her from a shadowport in former First Order space and asked if she knew anyone that specialized in resurrections. While Lady Raaf has knowledge of such subjects, she felt it better that an expert be consulted on the matter. Miss Ariel was quite insistent that Lady Raaf and her mother travel to this Port Avalon, but did not give a full meaning. Lady Raaf would like to request your presence at this meeting if at all possible."

Rose would wait for the Sith Lady's response while her Master was busy getting herself put together. One couldn't go on a galaxy jaunt in their bathing suit. The contact with Fiolette had placed her somewhere near Denon so it would not take her long to reach Genesia. Taeli was already putting together her list of what she would need to take with her and what could stay at the house. The secure communicator for Dark Council meetings would need to come along, that she knew, just in case a council session was called. The aftermath from Mygeeto and Muunilinst had sparked worries among many within the Empire, but the rapid advance from the New Imperial Order meant their beachhead into Sith-Imperial space was... susceptible still.

Shaking her head of war thoughts, she started going through her wardrobe.

Fiolette Raaf

 

[Kassandra Distorith]

Deep, measured breaths were taken as she allowed further tendrils of self to slip free of the bindings that so often contained them. There was something to be said for the freedom of simply being...and the comfort she’d felt in her own skin only in the latter years since she’d woken from stasis. Her senses fairly vibrated with the depth of detail and information that came flooding into them as they slithered around the disturbances she’d felt a few moments before.

One, a presence she’d encountered before. By no means a friend, but Kurayami Bloodborn had been at some fair few of the same social gatherings she’d attended while still in Sith Imperial space. It did make her wonder if Fiolette Raaf was or would soon be near, given that the two were often together, deep in alcohol-fueled discussions of ships and designs. Kassandra made note of his presence, proffering a mental ‘tap’ by way of a greeting, before continuing to seek out what had drawn her attention out of it’s post-feed reverie.

Ahh...there.

A touch of the Force with a flavor she’d not encountered before. The sensation was new, and the Lordess took a moment to greet the one wielding it with a brush of energy as was only polite. Head canted to the side, her glowing crimson orbs opened wider as the gulf of sentients around her parted. It always happened, she mused as she strode forward, and this time she wondered if they moved because of her slowly unshielding darkness or her predatory nature.

The tip of her tongue stroked along the edge of a serrated fang and Kassandra smiled as some few of the crowd took notice and stumbled, shrieking, out of the way.

Sometimes it was the simple things that entertained a near millennium old being the most.

Pausing briefly to correct her course to ensure that she encountered the woman she’d sensed, she let her hood slip back to rest along her shoulders once more. //I’d be delighted to make your acquaintance, should you be amenable. I do promise not to bite...I’ve already had a snack.// the Lordess veritably purred through the Force.

Decima Fortan​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"Hm..."

Taeli's request was quite the strange one. A lack of context made it impossible to know what was going on, though it seemed Kaalia's fellow lady of the Sith was equally in the dark. She wasn't particularly looking to get involved something she knew so little about, but after a moment of silence to think Rose would receive an answer.

"I will trust Taeli's judgment. Please inform her that I will attend the meeting."

If resurrections were indeed involved, then so was the Netherworld. It was a place not to be callously disturbed and as its agent in the realm of the living, it was Kaalia's duty to prevent those who sought it out from upsetting its balance. An unprepared soul venturing in to retrieve another often paid the ultimate price.

There was another reason why she agreed however, that being a sense of empathy. Even if she didn't know Fiolette's daughter well, she knew her family. It wasn't unthinkable that she was in a similar situation as Kaalia herself was after Ishana's death and that small tug at her heartstrings did make a difference. Perhaps it was healthier to let go, but she herself couldn't either.

"For now, though, I will have to make preparations." With a nod and a final exchange of words later the feed dissipated.

The first thing she needed was a pilot to get her to Port Avalon, and there was only one person on her mind. Her hand moved back towards the holocommunicator and with swift, practiced taps Kaalia made another call.

"Hey, miala. Got a moment?"

Ariel Yvarro | Taeli Raaf | Kassandra Distorith | Kurayami Bloodborn | Decima Fortan ​

 

[Ariel Yvarro]

Ariel felt as if she needed a series of immunizations after being inside the holobooth. Port Avalon, a shadowport - she finally figured out as the slime-covered barrels to the left of her spoke to the years of decay. Expendable or trust-worthy people, Decima's words echoed in the back of her mind. The young woman tugged at what was left of her coat and headed back for the ship she and Decima had arrived on. The dinge of the light combined with the smoke that wafted in from the market made this place feel like a dystopian holofilm. ​

​

On her way back toward the ship, she saw a crowd around a kiosk or three. Curiously she stepped toward them to have a look, "bloody hell..." her voice escaped her. An auction house from what she could gather, there was a Rodian practically machine-gunning Huttese and auctioning off a series of ships, from Fringe-era to First Order and others. Others behind him worked the HoloNet. Ariel took a step back and surveyed her surroundings. She patted herself down, "I've at least got the one."​

​

A slicer spike, but she needed a tablet. A curious glance and she was able to find one laying on a bench. Ariel grabbed it without a second thought and attached it to the slicer spike via the connector port. The Galidraani sifted through the data and began to look through who had bought ships recently. If she knew anything about her mother's friend - it was that he shared her mother's penchant for purchasing ships off the books. "Son of a Hutt, there he is - and... he is here."​

​

Ariel disconnected the tablet and grabbed the slicer spike. ​

​

From there it was only a matter of tracking down the ship that Mr. Bloodborn had purchased. It took Ariel longer than she'd like to admit, Port Avalon was like a labyrinth at times having been built on top of the old structure or having had some of the old structure repurposed. Nevertheless, she was able to find both the ship and Mr. Bloodborn. She took a deep breath and exhaled, because if anyone could get both her and Decima in and out of the Dead Nebula it would probably be him. Assuming he wouldn't ask as to why the daughter of his employer happened to be out at a rundown, overworked station that should've been dead on arrival was standing there before him... ​

​

"Mr. Bloodborn, might I have a moment?"​

​

Kurayami Bloodborn ​

​

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

"FRAKKING PIECE OF-"

Kurayami was about to finish his rather colorful sentence with a string of curses in multiple languages, but was interrupted by a familiar presence entering and an even more familiar voice breaking him out of his angered state at the current issue with getting the new turrets situated. Someone had to be using a voice modulator and masking their presence through a mind trick or something like that right? Certainly made sense, mostly. He gave the old turret one more good smack with the hydrospanner before setting it aside and turning to see if it was actually the young woman that it seemed to be.

Indeed, it was Ariel Yvarro which immediately set off possible alarm bells and made many questions race through his head all at once. A veritable logjam of nonsensical and some very sensible questions caused him to pause before addressing her. Was he in trouble? Was this about the ship? Damn, he should have thought of a cover story for this thing...oh well no time to worry about that now, he'd just talk his way through it if need be. OR he hoped he could at least.

"Ms. Yvarro, what brings you here? I mean, I suppose probably just checking on the people of the First Order again...as for me I figured I should be familiarizing myself with the local stellar cartography since I was a bit bored recently. Anyway, is there something you need from me? Answers to questions about a ship or something?"

Okay so the train had clearly stalled at the station in this instance and the rambling questions likely didn't help clear anything up for the woman who was simply in need of a pilot. Had he known that then things would likely have gone much smoother, but alas it seemed it was his destiny to overanalyze and complicate pretty much every surprise greeting such as this one had been. Truly, eloquence was his strongest suit, none could claim otherwise.

 

[Decima Fortan]

Decima felt the presence of the other Force user on a trajectory to intercept her. She inclined her head and centered herself in the Force, drawing on it for energy. She reached into the Force and found her pursuer, returning her brush with one of her own, part greeting, part ping, part curious question. With it came confirmation that the other was coming her way on a collision course.

Decima happily returned the subtle invitation with a dignified response: //Always up for meeting another with the gift,// she telepathed, wondering how much of her actual voice and tone would go with it. In the Force she felt tendrils of alarm from her general direction, heard echoes of shrieks of shock and -- could it be? -- terror. //Do try not to bring station security with you.//

She could visualize it, like the scene was an old-timey war holo replaying in slow motion: she was the destroyer, sleekly cutting across the waves, bristling with weapons. The other figure was a torpedo, speeding just under the surface, racing, striking, until --

The one-time Praetorian half-turned, gaze instantly leveling at Kassandra Distorith . Decima thought she would have recognized her anyway, without benefit of the Force. Something about the woman, her hood pulled back to expose attractive if -- to Decima's untrained eyes -- predatory features. Decima stood in front of a doorway to a smoky, dimly-lit cantina that smelled vaguely of sweet t'bacc. She cocked her head towards the doorway. "You caught me," she said, channeling all the Fortan subtlety she had at her disposal. "Buy you a drink?"

 

[Ishana Pavanos]

Ishana in fact had a moment. Bottles flew behind her as she casually drank her beer, "yep, what's up?" She answered as the Corellian-influenced rock music blasted. "One sec," Ishana put her beer down grabbed the stool she had been sitting on, and smashed it into the guy heading her way with a broken bottle of beer. Kaalia began to talk something about Port Avalon, which was all she could gather before taking a massive punch to the face. ​

​

"It's fine, habibti, I'm fine." Ishana fixed her nose with one swift motion of her hand and laid the guy out with another stool she managed to get her hands on. "Yeah, uh, well, Port Avalon was uh - it was a station that the First Order used to have. Ended up smashing into an asteroid and instead of everyone dying, most somehow survived and they've turned it into a charming little spot."​

​

The Balmorran finished her beer and proceeded to smash it on some poor sod's face, "yeah no, I'm fine, uh, well I'm not near you - but uh the Blue Star should have coordinates to Port Avalon. I managed to head here when I was cruising around, so uh just punch it up in the navcom and she'll get you there no problem. I just uh, I just bought an old bird so I'll get to Port Avalon and meet you there."​

​

Someone attempted to grab Ishana from the shoulders and were met another beer bottle to the face, "excuse me, I am trying to talk to my wife." ​

​

"Alright, habibti I'll see you there, stay safe." Ishana ducked one oncoming punch, shifted to the left and brought her knee to meet with another poor sod's bits. ​

​

Kaalia Pavanos ​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"You too-"

The call ended before Kaalia could finish. Ishana just had a knack for getting herself into trouble, that much had become abundantly clear over the past decade that they had been together, but after all that time the woman still continued to be a little worried everytime her wife landed in another situation. The Balmoran would be fine, though. She always would.

Besides, it was that same knack that brought the two together in the first place.

After a quick call to Kaalia's parents they would be underway to keep an eye on the troublemaking quartet that were Kaalia and Ishana's imanhan, little ones, much to the latter's delight. In the meantime Kaalia kept herself busy loading everything she needed into the Blue Star, from the mundane such as clothing, to the much less mundane, among which a small stone. Those with the gift of the Force would be able to sense there was much more to it than met the eye.

With Gideon and Syrin's arrival to watch over their grandchildren, Kaalia walked up the Blue Star's boarding ramp one more time as it closed up behind her. She had never flown the fighter out of this garage before, and hadn't been in the pilot's seat for a very long time. Ishana was always the one to fly and as she sat down, it even felt a little blasphemous.

"Okay, now how did this thing work again..." Kaalia let her eyes sweep over the controls, imagining her wife sitting where she sat now. "She would do this, then this..."

The Blue Star came to life and with a confident nod the woman got comfortable. "Alright, here we go." Her hands grasped the steering handle.

She had managed to fly it out of the garage in one piece, and off she went. Destination, Port Avalon.

Ishana Pavanos ​