Access Denied

[Ugoto Chivaro]

NAR SHADDAA
THE CITY LEVEL DIRECTLY ABOVE NETWORK ACCESS

The back loading bay doors slowly, surely creaked open. A pair of Syndicate Enforcers, Wyndom and Pericles, were standing there under the glaring fluorescent lights. As soon as there was enough space to let them through, in came the Houks. Two giants. All muscle, no mind, or so the saying went. They were working together to carry something huge. It was a giant black case, cylindrical almost. It looked like they were having a hard enough time with it. Must have been a pretty big package. Despite their obvious struggle, Pericles couldn’t help but ask.

He rubbed the back of his helmet. “Jeez Louise, fellas. What the hell is that thing?”

Wyndom had no idea what was in the package either. They didn’t tell the security spooks what the plan was. Risked getting important information compromised. Neither of the two were yappers, quicker on the draw than most Enforcers too, but better safe than sorry. The Houks did not look pleased with Pericles’ question, but they were too strained to tell him to get bent/kark his own face in. Instead they waddled to the center of the room and slowly, delicately, set it down.

There was a soft thump.

The Houks got up off their knees wearily, rubbing their backs and grunting. There was the sound of a door opening as someone exited the warehouse office. Weequay in a suit. Sunglasses, even though it was dark in here. Mr. Shun himself. Wyndom and Pericles snapped to attention, but Mr. Shun did not seem interested in them. The bay door was now closing again with a miserable, rattling sound. “Either of you followed?”

“Nah,” said one of the Houks. This one had an eyepatch. “We got a squib for the driver. Jumpy guy, but alert. He woulda known.”

“Good,” said Mr. Shun, now making his way over to the cylinder. The Weequay crouched and ran his hand over the surface. Eventually, he found a handle. He pulled, and the panel slid forward, revealing a control module. Assortment of buttons, blaring red screen. Jumble of wires.

Was that a bomb?

“That a bomb?” Pericles asked. Wyndom resisted the urge to sigh. Mr. Shun glanced over his shoulder and gave a small, knowing grin.

“So to speak.”

“Ah, I think I get it,” said Pericles. “We’re above the target, aren’t we? I checked the maps, I think we are. We’re gonna set the timer on that thing, blow open the floor on this level, and rappel all the way down.” Pericles tapped his holstered pistol. “We’re the vanguard, right? Gonna go in first, give ‘em a what-”

Mr. Shun turned a switch. There was a loud, violent hum as the ‘bomb’ began to power up. “No.”

There was a lengthy pause. “Oh. I get it. We’re just the demo guys. We’re gonna set the charge, blow a hole in the floor, and then-”

“We’re staying,” Mr. Shun said, now sounding stern. There was now a furious beeping countdown coming from the cylinder. The Weequay stood and stared at Pericles. “You didn’t know?”

Pericles stiffened. “Know what?”

“This is a neutron bomb. It’ll level the whole building, the whole district. Everything.”

“A- are we going to… Leave?”

“No. It has been decided… That we shall all die. For the glory of the Syndicate.”

There was a long and dreadful pause. Both Houks looked at one another. Wyndom looked at Pericles. Not because he particularly cared what Pericles was doing or feeling, but because he started to smell piss. Pericles had pissed himself. Oh, the humanity. But the urine wasn’t even finished running down the Enforcer’s leg when Mr. Shun suddenly barked laughter, doubled over, and slapped his knee. The Houks, still unsure what was going on, started to chuckle.

They could smell the piss too.

“Aw, hell no, you idiot. It’s not a neutron bomb, get out of here,” Mr. Shun made his way over to both Enforcers, a deft finger maneuvering under his glasses so as to wipe a tear that had formed. “It’s an EMP.”

“What the hell is a-”

A word too late, the EMP detonated. And what a detonation it was. Gigantic bomb that it was, the ensuing electromagnetic pulse swept a huge radius through the underlevels of Nar Shaddaa. The first thing to go were the lights in the warehouse and just about every electronic device the Enforcers, the Houks, and Mr. Shun were carrying. The warehouse wouldn’t be the only casualty - it would be lost throughout the entire level currently stood on… And the level above them… And the level below them. A large number of surrounding districts would be without power or be suffering from deactivated electronics for a long time. This included Network Access, which did not have any failsafes for such an attack.

There was no room for precision. Precision is the death of reliability, Mr. Shun once said. It probably didn’t make any sense, but when you’re a Weequay in a business suit who wears sunglasses everywhere, you didn’t need to. Pericles swallowed in the now darkened warehouse. “N- now what?”

Mr. Shun clapped Pericles on the shoulder, walking over to the now-spent EMP bomb. “Now we wait.”

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTZtRHTxCi4​

NAR SHADDAA
GORBA THE HUTT’S PALACE

“Are your troops in position?” A steady set of footsteps marched purposefully through Gorba the Hutt’s palace. Tytos Ardik was in his governor’s uniform. It was dull grey, very military. He was also accompanied by two Death Troopers.

In addition to them, the commander of Hell’s Heralds and the Screamin’ Demons, a posh looking Toydarian, flapped his wings rapidly to keep up with the Umbaran. “Yes, of course, sir. They are with Lord Vulkan. I can give the order for them to move now...”

The Toydarian he was speaking with was Clelon of Pol’Zum, commander of Hell’s Heralds and the Screamin’ Demons. Tytos did not particularly care for either name, but apparently they were catchy. Sold more contracts that way too. They were the best the Syndicate had to offer here, and so they would be deployed accordingly. “No, not yet. They’ll come later,” Tytos said. “What of the others?”

They turned a corner, drawing closer to the room Tytos had requisitioned from Gorba. If they were to fight a war, they needed a war room. “Coratanni have reported in, yes. Nadir and the Equalizers are with them! Shall I-”

Tytos abruptly stopped in the door of the war room, casting his gaze upward. Just below the high ceiling, hung on the wall, was the carbonite slab containing the captured Collective agent [member="Janeth Farr"]. Gorba had a very peculiar sense of humor, it seemed, hanging her up in here like this. Tytos had yet to negotiate how much he be paid for delivering her - the first prisoner of war this conflict had created.

Hopefully among the last, if things went well today.

“Ah, sir?”

Tytos glanced at the Toydarian then away, marching into the room. It was crowded with a number of electronics stations manned by both droids and Syndicate technicians. An array of communications devices ensured the Syndicate would be able to punch through jamming attempts. Tytos nodded a curt approval at one of the supervisors and found his way to the large, circular table. It currently displayed a holomap of the Network Access district. Entrances and all, including a secret passage that took them through mainframe access and into Bloc 1. And he bet they didn’t think he would find out. The amateurs. “And where are Gorba the Hutt’s men?”

“They are in position outside of Blocs 1 and 2. Shall I give the order?”

Clelon was something of an eager beaver. He certainly had the military background for it. Instead of answering right away, Tytos checked his chronometer. “Wait a moment.” Any second now...

Three moments ticked by, then a protocol droid marched its way over to Tytos from another part of the war room. “Sirs, massive power outages have been reported in the Network Access and adjacent districts.”

The corner of Tytos mouth twitched in what might have become a smile if he had let it. No, no smiles. Smiles were for when things proceeded better than expected, not when expectations had merely been met. “Give the Hutt men and our friends outside of Bloc 3 the go-ahead.”

Clelon’s snout twitched in agitation. “What about the Heralds? And the-”

“They’ll await further instructions. That will be all, General. Thank you.”

The Toydarian did not look particularly pleased, but orders were orders. He grimaced and flapped away, off to relay orders. The signal was given. The assault would begin in earnest.

[member="Darth Vulkan"] | [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Loray Tares"] | [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Thrukk Gulpdar"]​

 

[Subject 37]

[member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Natalia Thawne"] | [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | @others

Slevin flipped the small blaster over in his palm, lips thin, eyes somewhat glazed over.

The armor that he wore weighed heavily on his shoulders, the odd sort of creeping underlay digging into his skin as it squirmed and took hold. He frowned for a moment, still not quite comfortable with a parasite living off of his body while he fought. Natalia had assured him that it was perfectly safe, that it would help him fight, but...Slevin still would have preferred to wade into this with something more...loose.

Armor often got in the way, though at least this particular piece allowed him some good range of movement. The Crime Lord frowned slightly, slowly squatting down to help the armor adjust somewhat. He frowned as the creature squirmed on his back, shifting with his movements. The feeling was one that he'd likely never get over, though at the very least it was something he wouldn't be caught off guard by. The armor had served him well on Utapau, though the forces he and Natalia had faced there were barely anything of note.

Slevin frowned, turning the blaster over again and flipping off its safety before sliding it into the holster on his thigh.

He slowly stood, stretching slightly and moving his mechanical arm.

This fight would be something of note, or so he had been told anyway. Slevin had never really cared for Nar Shaddaa itself, the planet was an absolute cesspit filled with nothing but garbage, but he and Natalia had a promise to fulfill. The compact, or whatever the kark they'd decided to call themselves had laid out simple terms. Mutual defense, neutrality among one another, and most importantly; territorial divides.

Every Cartel and Syndicate had their place. Those borders were to be respected, and so far they had been.

A part of keeping that respect however was tasks like this, aiding the other organizations within the pact. Slevin didn't mind it too much, sure it distracted from the growth of Coratanni but there was always something so satisfying about the spilling of blood.

He couldn't help but be excited.

"Are they ready, my love?" Slevin called out to Natalia, his eyes wandering over slightly obscured forms standing upon the edges of the roof tops. His beloved gave him a short and curt nod.

As he spoke Slevin heard the slight pop of breakers and watched as the lights far below began to slowly turn off. In an instant everything around them was plunged into complete blackness, his HUD lighting up half a heartbeat later. He perked an eyebrow for just a moment, then motioned to the Human Replica Droids behind them.

It seemed everything was going according to plan.

 

[Aver Brand]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkT-aMgZvQI​

A week and change.

A week and change of observing, cataloguing, and drinking crappy caf.

Aver glanced at the pile of plastic cups in the corner of the unfurnished room. She’d stacked them into increasingly inventive shapes over the passing days, then proceeded to knock them down one by one by flicking spent shells at them.

A fun game for stakeouts.

Only a couple more minutes. Compared to how time dragged its feet before, it was practically flying now – like it was trying to make up for its lazy pace. The merc rolled up from the thin mattress and swept the dust from her armor. She glanced over at [member="Loray Tares"].

Maybe he’d come with. Maybe he’d just enjoy the view from above.

Figured it was gonna be one hell of a show – the Great Clans, Helix, the Coratanni… oh, yeah. Aver flexed her fingers around a phantom hilt.

Gaze flicked over to the edge of her display. She smiled.

Three

Two

BLACK​

A small message blinked across her HUD. Unnecessary, but appreciated.

Blue eyes laughed in the darkness.

“Move in.”

[member="Darth Vulkan"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Thrukk Gulpdar"]​

 

[Janeth Farr]

NAR SHADDAA
Network Access

Janeth--presumed captured or killed--had managed to communicate with a Collective agent during her final moments of 'freedom' in the hands of Tytos Ardik. They knew someone was coming, and that Helix would be with them. This gave Xira and the Collective time to plan and prepare.

An EMP, although not too surprising, would have been far more effective at an even closer range. Essentially the pulse acted as a powerful surge which could severely damage electronics and either mitigate their effectiveness or disable them completely. Network Access, however, did have a few failsafes in place. The first one was naturally incidental rather than intentional. Because the network was constructed to handle billions of transactions, and is indeed a server system, it was able to maintain an enormous flow of energy and had surge protectors in place; no such system ever existed without them.

Then of course there were various backup power systems in place should the primary ones ever go down. They immediately took on the weight of giants when the primary power went offline, virtually unharmed by the enormous blast and gave Xira sustained control over the Network Access. All hard-wired defenses remained active too. Turrets, ray shields, surveillance systems, etc. Xira was designed after the BRT model supercomputers, which were known for their ability to manage power regulations, irrigation systems, and other aspects of planet-wide systems. Even limited to just this one place she proved a dangerous adversary that should not be underestimated.

Xira's impulses began to move throughout the system and sealed off the inner blocks. Those on the outside would find the air ventilation system compromised, and that the proper venting of exhaust was now being pumped through the airways. In several minutes from then, the exterior of complex would be subjected to a toxic haze that would only grow more deadly and blinding as the siege went on. Only the interior filters remained active in the area.

Unfortunately there were setbacks. Many wireless systems were damaged or disabled. Including the ranged communication devices of Collective's Gank Killers and local security forces. This meant that they had no choice but to rely on squad-based tactics, or receive orders from the loudspeaker system which also could be heard by any enemies in the area. As well, because the network is now on backup generation, Xira would require the cooperation of several skilled Slicers to extend her capabilities to multiple areas of defense.

The EMP attack may not have had the lasting effect the enemy had hoped for, but it was still enough to limit the effectiveness of the Collective's defense.

Collective: [member="Bann Sundorah"] | [member="Delilah Keyes"] | [member="Dyxra'a"] | [member="Evoros"] | [member="Faceless"] | [member="Itash Mecetti"] | [member="Jest de Rous"] | [member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Lassiter"] | [member="Malen"] | [member="Mara Kellarov"] | [member="Mheralis"] | [member="Sanguinaria"] | [member="Sola Tymon"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member="Vilaz Munin"] | [member="AU-R0RA"] | [member="Jeryk Solus"] | [member="Kiliar Seral"] | [member="Null"]

Compact: [member="Tytos Ardik"] | [member="Darth Vulkan"] | [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Thrukk Gulpdar"] | [member="Loray Tares"] | [member="Aver Brand"] |

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

“Move the holocam to the right Moko, Gorba wants a better angle, ya dig?”

The Rodian cameraman grunted, shifting so that it took in the Hutt’s whole mass, along with the Devaronian, LeFrange, standing next to him.

“[member="Lok Munin"],” rumbled Gorba, “Mala tram pee chock makacheesa.” The Hutt fell silent, his sole eye swiveling to regard the horned humanoid.

LeFrange, taking that as his cue to talk, cleared his throat. “His Excellency, the great Gorba, wishes you to know that the assassin we captured squealed before the end. Clan Munin will not be forgiven for this attempt on the mighty Gorba’s life. The punishment for which… is death.”

The camera panned to the left, taking in four speeders bikes hovering above the ground. The drivers were all Ganks, including Keeta. Cyborg contract killers were not, however, what drew the eye. A Mandalorian, stripped down to his undergarments and bereft of armor, hung suspended between the speeder bikes by taut chains - each attaching a limb to a speeder bike. He thrashed about weakly, resisting until the end. A brave Mandalorian.

The air smelled of refuse, speeder fuel, and terror. The Ganks revved their engines, then each took off in a different direction. Over the sound of the throttle came a horrific scream and a series of loud pops as the limbs tore away. What was left died of shock and blood loss in seconds.

Grimacing, LeFrange waved a hand. “Alright, alright. Cut the camera.” He jabbed a finger at a nearby tech. “Hey you, remember to freeze the remains in carbonite. Gorba wants it for his collection. Oh, and uh, send the video to the Munin clan.”

He stalked away, shaking his head and muttering under his breath as two mooks scurried over and picked up the corpse. A third got out a bucket and a mop.

“Remember to mail the limbs to Munin too. One every week.”

* * *

Gorba squirmed into his throne room. One eye fixed on [member="Tytos Ardik"].

He’d had his technicians set up an alternate router for the communications traffic of his forces as soon as Kalashnikova confirmed that they were being monitored from the Network Access. Obviously, it couldn’t handle the billions of beings on Nar Shaddaa, but that didn’t matter. It was a temporary fix for a larger problem.

A problem he was about to solve right now.


“General Grothma,” he rumbled, referring to the gigantic Cragmoloid leader of his forces, “has begun the assault.”

All manner of mercenaries had been hired for this particular event. Gorba wore a smug smirk as he glanced up at the carbonite decoration. Soon he would have a few more to add to the collection.

Underworld Allies:
[member="Teroch Werda"] | [member="Ar'ekk"] | [member="Nor'baal Durga Bareesh"] | [member="Causstik Rahn"] | [member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Thrukk Gulpdar"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Loray Tares"] | [member="Natalia Thawne"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member="Xian Valart"] | [member="Ji Powak"] | [member="Okh-Verg"]

Enemy:
[member="Janeth Farr"]

 

[Eye of Solomon]

Next to His Excellency, [member="Gorba the Hutt"], stood a humanoid male dressed in black combat gear with an ominous looking helmet held in the crook of his arm, his worn features were stricken with scars and his cold steel gray eyes swept the room with scrutiny.

Commander Calixtus wasn't too keen on being so visibly associated with these underworld ruffians, but his master had dispatched him to their side as a military advisor to the Great Gorba along with a commando group of thirty well-trained and cutthroat Blackblade Guardsmen. It was but the tiniest sliver of the Guard's true might, but the Dark Lord felt that it was a fair contribution to the already sizeable force at the beck and call of the Syndicate and the Hutts.

Afterall, one couldn't divert too many resources away from the Sith Empire's every present policy of expansion and territorial acquisition.

The Commander would say nothing at the moment, standing in silence a respectable distance away from the Hutt Kingpin while the battle was about to commence. Despite his reservations about these criminals, he was eager to see the carnage that would unravel in the wake of their wrath.

 

[Sola Tymon]

s o l a _ t y m o n

---

Network Access, Nar Shadda, Y'Toub System, the Outer Rim Territories.​

---

Xira would require the support of skilled slicers, so it was certainly a good thing it had those. Sola furiously tapped into her obscure computer, linked through a collection of assorted cords and cables into the core mainframe, with several images flashing through her VR headset at any one time. To one side of her, lying besides her, was a fairly large backpack mostly filled bar her extensive slicing equipment - to the other side, a large device not unlike a magnet, fitted to a handle with some kind of trigger - and sitting on the table with her computer, a meaty external hard drive and a dataslate, all connected to her computer.

To help Xira keep up with its processes after the attack, Luyioth was hard at work performing a number of functions on its behalf. Through her VR headset, she quickly browsed through security camera footage on a rotation, watching for any differences as she ran through her work; meanwhile, she tracked the locations of the Steel Sleens, as contracted by the Collective, relative to everything else going on in the engagement. It was what she usually did, on the most part: the only challenge was the PA system, which she'd had to get creative with. They had worked with compromised communications before, but that didn't help the rest of the forces in the facility. Concurrently to all of this, she had scripts and programs mostly of her own design running to monitor other sensor data and for enemy slicing attempts; Compact forces couldn't be allowed to breach the core digitally, not with so much with stake, and she was willing to bet that they were going to try.

Luyioth let out a quiet 'hmph' as she continued to cycle through the feeds and reports. While it had some semblance of order now, she had no doubt that it would turn upside-down soon enough, need not mention the Steel Sleens relationship with Gorba already. She found herself reassuring herself that it was going to pay well, to some brief and grim amusement.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Nar Shaddaa
Network Access
Location: Unknown

“But haven’t you at least considered it?”

“Honestly, Cybele, no. I haven’t.”, he said with a sigh as he sat on a flimsy chair.

Clad entirely in his almost iconic armor, the only thing missing was the fact he held his helmet in his lap and a radio in his ear. Various rags from enemies littered the armor, making it a makeshift show of trophies already collected prior; but it retained a calm aesthetic of black and orange. An armor that held in its depths the ability to cloak in a moments notice, but lacked in a single thing.

“I’ve never considered what it would like to sleep with a ship, and you’re honestly-”

His words were interrupted by a surge of darkness as each of the light fixtures where he was flickered into an untimely death only to come back moments later slightly dimmer.

“- creeping… me out…”, he said, letting his words drag out as he glanced around.

“Cybele, you there?”

It was hopeless. As he attempted to contact the AI, who was only just outside the system’s detection range, the only noise he could make out over his headset was the quiet buzz of a damaged unit. Snarling, he ripped the device from his ear and smashed it beneath boot heel before donning his helmet.

The EMP might have knocked out his armor’s various tech systems, but it wasn’t the armor that made him deadly. A sword slowly found itself free of its sheathe, its glistening gold face seeming to glow in the dim light; but it wasn’t the reflection that made it stand out. With it came a slow and mournful song, something that echoed through the halls of Network Access like the song of a dying swan. A final cry, not for it nor a lover, but for all those who were to face it today.

It sang a song of tribulation and damnation, and it played its cacophony for anyone within earshot. It was their challenge, a taunt that dragged the foolish in on a whim.

Only a matter of time now before the first thought themselves strong enough to silence the music.

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

Up to this point, Maena had remained rather quiet. It had been a year since Matsu Xiangu had started exerting control over its Underworld - a tumultuous but ultimately rewarding year that left her with more credits and access to untold markets than she’d ever imagined. At first it had seemed just the sort of place to find desires forbidden elsewhere, a living and breathing web for which there was no monitor to hide safely behind. All pleasures catered to, every vice in abundance. That might have been enough. It had reminded her of home, of the seedier parts of the Fringe, of her start in the Unknown Regions. It was not the sort of place any one person could control, and neither did she want to. It would seem a great shame to completely tame such a beautiful animal. But for the first time since her days spent with those outlaws of the Unknown, she’d found a place that felt like home.

Not since the Fringe did she feel she could truly, and finally, dedicate herself to something. There was a simplicity to the “order” of the underworld that appealed to her far more than the pretentious and quiet backstabbing, the flamboyant world-burning of current Sith culture. Crime held a more brutal, direct aspect that she could respect.

I have my toys over here, you have yours over there.
We earn our respect.
And then we leave each other alone unless one of us crosses a line.

So Matsu Xiangu showed up on Nar Shaddaa with a contingent of men and women collected off the hideous streets of the New City. Within the group her son, [member="Onley Xiangu"] put order to his men as well, and the droid with whom she’d started further building in her corner of the galaxy, (that's not all, admit it) [member="Six-O"], stood silent as ever. Somewhere...out on the planet, she could feel Them.

“Remember - don’t press that trigger unless you mean it,” she overheard as Onley told one of his men to mind the Obsidian crystal grenades strapped to his person. Carefully housed to remain inert until they were needed, they would eviscerate any of the piecemeal Underworld agreement’s enemies that were unfortunate enough to be close.

A loud powering down echoed through the streets and filtered in to the building in which Matsu and her crew were housed.

“Let’s go,” she ordered quietly. It was time to throw her hand in with the others, put Maena on the map, and show the Compact that she was willing to play the game.

[member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Loray Tares"] | [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member="Kaine's NPCs"]​

​

[member="Janeth Farr"]​

 

[Arage Bao]

N A R S H A D D A A​

​

Network Access​

​

This entire thing was a waste of time.

But Xian wasn't the one to complain when the money was good, looting was encouraged and there was little in the way of rules of engagement for their side. Helix had bought their services this time around, presumably after hearing good things from organizations like the Exchange with whom he had worked together just the other month. Their job was simple, assist the specialists to utilize some kind of secret passage way to get straight into the heart of the district.

It would be dangerous, suicidal and worth the extra pay.

The Twi'lek had taken half a dozen of his best with him for this one. They were to link up with some other operatives and then enter the passage together, to ensure a reasonable success margin.

Two things happened along the way: four or five bodies were littering the streets... a bit down the line Xian could just make out a figure snapping the sixth's neck and then the lights went out. "It has begun," One of the pirates mumbled as their HUD scrubbed the area of shadows and intensified any and all light-sources. "Aye, take the other path, I am going to see what this is about."

They knew better than to argue with him.

Moments later, as the last of his men disappeared into the alleyways, the emergency reactors popped in.

Lights were dim, flickering, they weren't getting the power they really needed to work at full light. But it was enough to see that the figure had turned around and was staring him down.

The rasp of his blade shedding its scabbard sounded next. "I see strength, fight me."

[member="Delilah Keyes"]​

 

[Kael Rose]

​Nar Shadda
​Bloc 2 Entrance
​Shootin Baddies


"This your first job with the Hell's Heralds?" A rodian to Kael's right spoke to him. He was wearing a mishmash of a leather duster with some reinforced plating. Duraplast shoulder pad on his right. Kneepads. A breastplate that covered his upper chest. He sported a pair of heavy pistols in his hands, one looking heavy in his right hand. "I heard they hire you on full time after you run five jobs with them."

"You heard that hunh?" Kael replied as he put on his visor and fastened it. It didn't have any electronics, so the EMP wouldn't mess with it. Just really helped him 'get in the zone' so to speak.

"Yeah. They're supposed to be real good, and the name's real catchy. You tell someone you work for Flop's Phalanx and they're liable to forget you, but they'll remember a Hell's Herald." The rodian continued. They really did hire just any old merc off the street didn't they?

"Listen kid, it is gonna get hairy in about four minutes. You don't need to think about catchy names, or what dental plan they have, or how many jobs you need to do get tenure. You need to keep calm, be aware of your surroundings, and focus on getting through this job. Alright?" Kael inspected Natasha one more time. Barrels were cooled, firing was synched, trigger was firm. Everything was in place.

"Nobody gets big without looking at the big picture man." The Rodian scoffed as Kael shrugged. Kael had seen his type before. Most mercs had. Most only saw them once. Kael kept silent, and the Rodian left him alone for three and a half minutes. Maybe his feelings were hurt.

"GO!" The deep voice of 'General' Grothma echoed throughout the ranks, just a few seconds after the blip​ of the EMP made its way through Network Access. It didn't take long going through the streets to find opposition. The higher ups of The Collective, or whatever the target was might have been prepared to an EMP, but the grunts on the ground sure didn't seem to expect it. They were panicked, a bit trigger happy, but most importantly off-balance. Combat became less training and more instinct, and they took more risks than they should have. Kael couldn't see them, but he could feel when a body popped up to take a shot or survey the mess. He pulled his trigger and felt the life leave one, two, three, four, then the rodian to his side.

"Shoulda listened pup." Kael said to the dead man a few feet away from him. He wanted to feel sorry, but you know what they say. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.


Allies: [member="Gorba the Hutt"] [member="The Slave"] [member="Slevin Thawne"] [member="Tytos Ardik"] [member="Kaine's NPCs"] [member="Aver Brand"]

Enemies: [member="Janeth Farr"] [member="Sola Tymon"] [member="Xian Valart"]

 

[Dyxra'a]

'Huh, so I can go cross-eyed.' Perhaps it was an odd thought to have while you know that the location you were in was soon to be under siege, but, never the less, it was the thought that ran through the Falleen's mind as she stared down the length of her cane as the sharpened point was held directly before her face. What had led to such a situation, well, she did not care really as the confusion from the sudden shock as well as the absentminded thought slowly ebbed away so that all that remained was a spark of fury. Slowly, that spark roared and fought to burn brighter until her features were twisted in a rictus of rage.

"May I ask what has lead to this betrayal, my dear Aso?" Her tone of voice and words at odds with her emotions, Dyxra'a corrected her vision so that she was staring into the red eyes of the one that held her own cane to her face. That person was the one person that she truly trusted within the galaxy and held even the slightest bit of affection for within her cold heart: Kana'sosul'ligue.

Scoffing, the Chiss responded, with an eye roll accompanying her words to drive home her point, with dry words and a droll voice. "Don't be so dramatic, you damned lizard. You an' I both no that this ain't a betrayal." Slowly, she lowered the cane slightly so that it was no longer pointing at her friend's face, but instead directed towards her chest instead. "But if y'think for one bleedin' second I'm gonna be lettin' you charge forward like the bloody idiot you are then y'dumber than I already know ya t'be." With an anger born from an urge to protect, Asosul's accent, the very one that she had worked hard to suppress, bled through into her words once more. "Did ya already forget that y'still injured, ya daft lizard?"

"It happened ages ago, it's not like it still has an effect on how well I can fight." The anger that had coloured her features - literally as the green of her scales had begun to shift red - faded slightly in the face of the fact that the 'betrayal' was purely because the Chiss cared for her well being. "Now, move out of th-"

A raised brow had greeted the Falleen's first statement, while a soft jab to the stomach had interrupted her second. Said jab wasn't done harshly enough to actually cause harm but, never the less, Dyxra'a's words were halted as she fought to stifle a pained gasp; failing to actually do so. This was due to the fact that the jab of her metal cane had caught the still raw wound that had been inflicted against Dyxra'a before her return to Nar Shaddaa and subsequent association with the Collective.

Lowering the cane so that it now rested against the floor, Asosul titled her head questioningly. "You an' I both know that y'wound don't need a harsh jab t'hurt, let alone th' movements of fightin'. Now, will ya listen t'me now?"

Panting softly from the sudden burst of pain, Dyxra'a made to response before the lights around them flickered, shutting off briefly. Locking eyes with the Chiss, she sighed and bowed her head in acquiescence. The siege was now upon them, there was no need to fight back. Besides, Asosul's point had been proved well enough.

"Okay, okay, you win. I won't fight. Now, bugger off, leave me to the only duty you'll let me do." Rolling her eyes at the sulking tone of her friend, Asosul backed away after handed Dyxra'a back her cane, leaning against the wall of the room they were in and falling silent as her eyes began to flicker from entrance to entrance; constantly on guard for any threat.

Pulling her chair up to the desk before her, resting her reclaimed cane against the arm of the chair, Dyxra'a cracked her neck as she stared at the scrolling screen before her. From the looks of it, the EMP, for that was surely what had caused the systems of Network Access to falter, had placed strain upon their resident AI and also weakened the ray shields at two key point as well as causing turret failures across the base. Muttering under her breath, absentmindedly noticing that a fellow slicer was working to assist in supporting Xira, Dyxra'a set her own programmed running to serve as yet another layer of defense against the data contained within the core while beginning to work towards embedding the access points dotted around the Network Access with viruses designed to corrupt any data that anyone might try to extract from those points.



Allies: (The Collective) [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Sola Tymon"] | [member="The Slave"]
Enemies: (Others) [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Tytos Ardik"] | [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Xian Valart"]

 

[Delilah Keyes]

[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKAnyk0E6RY[/media]​

"Janeth you're a queen you know that?"

She wasn't talking to Janeth of course.

The day had gone from bad to 'oh chit' faster than she'd expected. She wasn't even supposed to be here. Not for something like this anyway. But somewhere along the line someone had mixed up whatever they were calling her in their system with 'general mercenary', and here she was, slamming some schmuck's head into a brick wall and then feeding him her knee before letting go of the back of his head. He slumped slowly to the ground, his face a mess of blood and teeth and Delilah grimaced.

"You're not paying me enough for this," she muttered, heading farther up the alley.

It wasn't that she couldn't fight. She would when she had to. But she didn't fight for other people. That was a part of her heritage she'd thought she'd put squarely behind her when she'd left Mandalore. She'd steal, lie, cheat for credits without hesitation. But she didn't put her own safety on the line for something like this. Well, she might, if the money was good. But most people could hire a half dozen mercs for the price she'd find worth considering, and it wasn't beneficial for anyone. Del might be impulsive in the moment, but at her core she calculated and assessed before going into a situation. Weighing if the payout was worth the risk. Sometimes, she was wrong of course.

But she hadn't gone into today expecting to be trapped in an alley by criminal thugs. If she could have, she might have talked her way out of the situation. However these arseholes seemed to only want to talk with their fists, so she was happy to oblige them.

After all, she was kind of irritated.

Mostly at Janeth honestly, but since she wasn't here to slap a couple of times, they would have to do.

Del wasn't dressed for a fight. Not obviously anyway. She wasn't wearing armor, wasn't carrying a weapon. Boots and jeans, a tank top and heavy leather jacket, she had managed to keep her hat on her head so far, not particularly impressed by the idiots who'd so far come in swinging like gibbering mynocks. Woman alone without obvious weapons on their enemies turf? Easy mark, surely.

The hard line her lips cut across her face didn't seem to dissuade them of that.

But her fists? Well, they wised up *real* fast when those came out.

A blaster retorted behind her, passing far too close to her shoulder for comfort. She dropped into a controlled fall, 'sprawling' on the pavement as the goon came running up behind her. She rolled, pivoting her hips and landing a kick somewhere that sent his eyes rolling back. Kipping up she was on him in a heartbeat. Snaking her arms around his shoulders from behind and cupping the nape of his neck, she dropped him, a sickening crack-

And the lights went out.

Del froze there for a moment, eyes wide in the dark. Slowly, silently, she lowered the man's body to the ground. Fingers found his blaster carbine, pulling the strap over her head as she swiftly tracked down his hold out and stuck that into the back of her jeans.

She was standing slowly when the back up generators kicked in, the lights low and red, flickering malevolently.

Not nearly as malevolent as the eyes and voice of the man she was turning to face.

Del cocked her head.

"Seriously? You see a trail of bodies and think 'oh hey, this'll be fun'? You must be great at parties."

She aimed the carbine at him, settled at waist level. Steady and firm. Del didn't prefer guns, but she'd rather that than fists in a knife fight. She pulled the trigger without waiting for him to reply.

The trigger clicked impotently.

"Well chit."

[member="Xian Valart"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Death came to them all eventually.

No, Xian was not afraid when the barrel of the carbine suddenly rose up. There was no quip, no joke, nothing when Delilah squeezed the trigger and in response... nothing happened.

Was that something in his chest? A sudden fire burning bright at another minute to breathe fresh air and enjoy life? Perhaps the Twi'lek would change his mind, find a better occupation for his time and leave this violence behind him. A lesson learned from staring down death's barrel and escaping alive by miracle only.

Sadly Xian wasn't a philosophical man.

"My turn." His free hand moved like lightning, the glint of metal shining as light reflected against the casing of the knife. Well, for Xian it was a knife, but for any reasonable sized individual it would be more akin to a short sword. Before anything else was said the Twi'lek threw and almost immediately after jumped into a run.

Who knew how long the effects of the EMP would hold on?

It was time to close the gap and eliminate the ranged advantage.

[member="Delilah Keyes"]​

 

[Arekk]

NAR SHADDAA​

Bareesh Kajidic Pleasure Palaces​

​

The Jedi had been resting in the Bareesh Kajidic Pleasure Palaces for a few days now, preparing for the subsequent battle in deep meditation. His room remained in complete darkness as he attuned himself with the Force and cleared his mind from clouding thoughts as he did many years ago on Malachor V during his tenure as leader of Bravo squad, the bravest group of soldiers in that battlefield. Ar'ekk wasn't an unexperienced man, his body a clear example of sacrifices made for others disregarding his own life. Gorba had offered him a better deal this time and putting his ideals behind for a greater living.

All mercenaries were called to the main room where the briefing would commence for the upcoming carnage. In the meantime, His Excellency claimed the heads of Clan Munin after their attempted assassination and (barely any) destruction of the Bareesh Kajidic Pleasure Palaces. Two Mandalorians were executed and their body parts sent to the leaders of the Mandalorians as a clear message, a gruesome one that would put them in place.

Familiar faces from earlier gathered with the Jedi in the Palace, awaiting patiently for Gorba's instructions on how to proceed. Their faces demonstrated fearless intentions and nervous feelings, all mixed up between eachother. A young warrior like Ar'ekk didn't feel the pressure breathing down his neck, this would be a battle as any other for the man. However, underestimating their opponents would be an indication of immediate failure.

They would be going to hit the Network Access very soon.

The Compact, Bareesh Kajidic & Underworld Allies:
[member="Teroch Werda"] | [member="Gorba The Hutt"] | [member="Nor'baal Durga Bareesh"] | [member="Causstik Rahn"] | [member="Koda Fett"] | [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Thrukk Gulpdar"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Loray Tares"] | [member="Natalia Thawne"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member="Xian Valart"] | [member="Ji Powak"] | [member="Okh-Verg"]

Enemies:
[member="Janeth Farr"] | The Collective

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

NAR SHADDAA
GORBA THE HUTT’S PALACE

[member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Kaine's NPCs"]

Tytos looked up and, for once, seemed rather puzzled. Of all the sorts of people he had expected to follow Gorba into a room, the last he would have expected were soldiers of the Blackblade Legion. Tytos' own token escort of two Death Troopers would have been indistinguishable were it not for the sigil of the First Order emblazoned on their pauldrons. Aesthetics aside, Tytos could not help but feel blindsided by their presence. How had Gorba managed to get a hold of Kaine Zambrano's ear? Or was the Sith Emperor now trying to curry favor with criminal despots on the other side of the galaxy? Most curious. The Umbaran composed himself and nodded politely to the Hutt as he slithered forward.

"Very good. The district will be ours in short order, your eminence." Did he like calling Gorba his eminence? Not particularly, but Hutts tended to demand such honorifics. And since Tytos would be controlling Network Access from here on out, he would have called Gorba Sally Two-by-Four if that was what the Hutt wanted. Pride was useless. Undisputed control of a vital HoloNet junction, on the other hand... "I must say, I did not know to expect support from the Dark Lord of the Sith..."

His eyes shifted to Commander Calixtus, evidently wary. He trusted there would be some explanation that either man would offer. Any moment now...

 

[Mara Kellarov]

Location: Nar Shaddaa, Network Access
Allies: The Collective & Allies: [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Sola Tymon"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member="Dyxra'a"] | [member="Delilah Keyes"]
Enemies: The Compact/Underworld: [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Tytos Ardik"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Kaine's NPCs"] | [member="Xian Valart"] | [member="Kael Rose"] | @Ar'ekk
In Scene With: [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Six-O"] | [member="Onley Xiangu"]

Earlier in the day...

It had been shortly after her little 'tenure' with a low-key crime boss, that Mara had already found herself thrown into matters concerning the Collective. Apparently not long after her and [member="Evoros"] had wrapped up their business, that an alert had come through the group's various encrypted channels. There was an imminent attack soon to hit the Collective's core base, and every possible agent was being called back to help defend it. And given she was already in transit with Evoros, it was only natural she would join.

But nothing about this was Mara's scene, even back when she was SIS. She always had an eye for subterfuge and shadows, much preferring to stray from outright attacking unless necessary. Albeit, some aspects had changed since leaving Intelligence, but Mara was still not keen on being near the frontlines defending.

Currently she was standing on a nearby rooftop with Evoros, both overlooking the Network Access as things were being prepared for the assault. The pair had talked and discussed, mainly over the situation currently laid out before them and the current situation with Janeth. Both agents had their own missions and would soon be splitting up to attend to them. Silence fell over them until Evoros spoke up again.

"So, you want to meet up after this, get some drinks?"

"Oh, for sure," Mara had grinned. "I have a feeling we'll need it after all this is over and done with."

Moments after the EMP hit...

Mara cursed quietly as she ran across rooftops. During the inbetween time she had gotten changed into some more suitable armour, something more akin to what she had worn during her SIS days. When the EMP had struck, it had caused havoc on it. Several systems had been shut down, making it useless beyond it's basic benefit of keeping her protected.

It wasn't something she could complain about too much, she could still use her natural abilities and senses but the benefits the suit had built in would've been incredibly handy in this situation.

The agent finally stopped on a roof, sliding to a stop and settling down near its edge. She had a decent view of things going on below, a perfect advantage for some sniping. Her position was just to the side, so while the Network Access' defences kept the enemies focus on them, Mara had an opening to attack from their flank. Although it meant she was presently alone, and it was going to take one hell of a sprint to find backup, especially with comms down.

With a deep breath, Mara shifted down onto her stomach and brought her rifle forwards. She was completely covered in the darkness, a familiar home for the agent. Once she was settled, comfortable but ready to move at a moment's notice, Mara leaned her eye towards the scope.

She took the moment to analyze the situation, but eventually her sights fell upon a particular trio. A pair of Atrisians; Matsu and Onley, as well as a droid; Six-O. Something made Mara pause, feeling a chill settle down her back as she looked upon the Xiangu's. It was the same feeling she had gotten years ago, in similar situations were she had Sith in her sights.

What have I got myself into...?

Taking another breath, Mara moved her rifle's sights away slightly. A second later, she pulled the trigger and a silent shot zipped down towards its mark.

 

[Zark San Tekka]

Location: Network Access (Exchange Forces)
Allies: The Compact/Underworld - [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Tytos Ardik"] | [member="Slevin Thawne"] | [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Kaine's NPCs"] | [member="Xian Valart"] | [member="Kael Rose"]
Enemies: The Collective - [member="Janeth Farr"] | [member="Sola Tymon"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member="Dyxra'a"] | [member="Delilah Keyes"] | [member="Mara Kellarov"]

​

Executive Suite, The Golden Nautolan
Corellian Sector // Nar Shaddaa

This was most certainly not what he had agreed to.

Ifan had arrived on a starliner from Point Nadir only a few days ago, too late to raise his objections as planning for the assault on Network Access was already underway. It was far too loud, far too aggressive, not at all the Exchange's style, and they had technically only agreed to band together if one of their own violated the terms of their Compact. The Prince could see the threat this new player posed, but his organization's holdings were diversified across the galaxy. Why should it be his mess to clean up if the others were more dependent upon the Smuggler's Moon for their profits? Why had he answered the call?

Hakar had asked the Salvatrucha representative the same question. Their syndicate valued neutrality in all things, but ben-Mezd had been placed in a position of making an enemy out of one or the other. Strangely he didn't know much about the independent operators who had taken control of Vertical City's Network Access, a detail that bothered him almost as much as his present circumstances, despite the lavish accouterments. He knew much however about his newest business partners, enough to understand that together they were capable of making life difficult for his employers, and of getting to Ifan directly.

But more important by far, it was too great an opportunity to resist.

If there was one thing the Underlord valued more than his (or her, Ifan mused) organization's neutrality, it was information. Both securing it, and obtaining it. And the target of the Compact's assault was a veritable treasure trove. So the Prince would send his token force in a display of solidarity with his newfound compatriots, expert slicers to run counterintel and trained enforcers to assist the others in securing the physical infrastructure. All the while, Hakar would lead a tactical team in an attempt to punch through the outer defenses, where their slicer would pull everything possible off the Network's systems before they were wiped completely. Speaking of...

"Are you in position yet?" he asked impatiently through the encrypted comm channel, a holographic display of what appeared to be footage from a bodycam on the crystalline patio table in front of him, "Remember, if you run across any of our...mutual friends, your team is on its way to secure one of the data centers. Nothing sinister about that. Well, besides all the knife work."

"Yessss bossss, I remember," the Trandoshan fixer and Ifan's right hand hissed in annoyance on the other end, his scales visible gripping a chalon double-blade in the frame, "Breaching ssshortly. We'll get the job done."

"See that you do," Ifan answered curtly as he severed the connection. Taking a long drag from his cigarra, he took in the grim Nar Shaddaa vista before him from the enviro-contained balcony abutting his penthouse rooms, "For both our sakes."

 

[Evoros]

"Yeah, you think?"

Red lips parted as though they might sigh, then she thought better of it.
Instead she smiled, a humorless thing that seemed to mean anything but joy.

This was the closest Yvonne ever came to being flustered.

Captured. Janeth had managed to get herself captured because the Helix Syndicate wanted the Network Access. Now they were going after the Network Access and Janeth (or perhaps just Janeth's corpse - goddamnit, Farr) was absent.

But it was all fine. Mara and whoever else could handle the attack. She would go and take care of Janeth's captors. See to it that the agent was alive. See to it that she was returned. See to it that this was the last fight the Syndicate brought them. Evoros knew how minds worked - how to work minds. She could take care of this.

It was still fething inconvenient.

________​

​

NAR SHADDAA
GORBA THE HUTT'S PALACE

The journey to Gorba the Hutt's Palace was quite enough time for Evoros to get her head on straight.

She'd been in more danger than this before. And she had survived. Evoros always survived. This wasn't a matter of survival (too easy). Better. It was a matter of playing her cards right, choosing her words, wearing her persona like a glove. Perfection. Precision. Painstaking detail. It fell more within her element than a fight by miles. She would be fine. Janeth would be fine. The Collective would be fine. Easy as that.

The gates stopped her.
A grin curled the line of her mouth.

"I'm here on behalf of the Collective. I would like to talk."
Even-toned words. Carefully chosen words. The voice reaching whoever waited inside of the palace held a magnitude of cheer and none at all.

You could almost believe her smile was sincere.
It was a smile made of steel.
But she was ever so good at pretending.

[member="Gorba the Hutt"] | [member="Tytos Ardik"] | [member="Kaine's NPCs"] | [member="Mara Kellarov"] | [member="Janeth Farr"]​

​

Spoiler

The Collective: [member="Delilah Keyes"] | [member="Sola Tymon"] | [member="The Slave"] | [member=Dyxra'a]
Underworld: [member="Aver Brand"] | [member="Matsu Xiangu"] | [member="Six-O"] | [member="Xian Valart"] | [member="Kael Rose"] | [member="The Prince"] | [member=Ar'ekk]