All hunts have to start somewhere...[Fringe Leaders Only]

[Lina Djo]

Mia sighed and rose from her chair at the Councillors suggestion. "Not gonna happen." Anders might have been able to set her words in concrete but to get that memory he had to trawl through a vast bank of other. Memories that did not belong to her and that she was unwilling to share.

At least with these people anyway. "I don't trust any of you as far as I can throw you. The only person among your people that I would consider letting in my head, isn't here." She pulled a datapad from her pocket and dropped it on the table. "You have my word. Now you have my number. You want evidence, you send Ashin to get it." She turned on her heel to leave. "Call me when you're done screwing around." She paused at the door.

"For the record, Councillor Sivas is right, this was only a courtesy call. You do not want to stand in my way."

Then she was gone, escorted back to the Veil which rose smoothly into the air and vanished before it had even begun to head towards the sky. Mia would wait in orbit, and she would watch.

@[member="Anders Sivas"] @[member="Rave Merrill"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"] @[member="Lucien Cordel"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

@[member="Anders Sivas"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"] @[member="Lucien Cordel"]

Once Mia was gone, Rave massaged her temples. "It's Penumbra. I fought with him on Tar Mordren, and he has the skillset -- and few people do. He's also recently gone into business with the target, my brother, so that would explain the Styx trackdown. He's also fething huge.

"So here's the thing. Penumbra's one of ours, a founding member, not someone I'd willlingly cross. But my brother does a fethton of business in our space. Whichever way this goes, it's bad for us. When I was Velok's lab rat, I was party to an awful lot of information about the woman who just left us. She'll cause collateral damage, even if we make her vanish right now. Too many powerful and reckless friends.

"If we let her go off on her hunt, she'll tear up our space and cause a mess. Things will escalate. If we stop her now, things will still escalate. If we redirect her toward another target -- well, I'd say we could send her after the stealth specialist Je'gan Olra'en, but Olra'en is shorter and doesn't use armor." She grimaced. "And Monroe...knows everything Velok knew. It's only a matter of time before she digs up memories relative to Penumbra's time in the Empire, and figures it all out on her own, at which point our power to redirect her goes poof.

"We have two options. We could say this person is part of one of the Sith splinter factions that sprang up after the Empire died, send her off on a wild nuna chase...or we could tell her about Val'hala, Penumbra's personal world, and inform her that while we won't interfere with her hunt, if she causes collateral damage to Fringe assets or worlds, we'll put her down regardless of her friends. That's how Varanin used to do it in the Empire, when people came to her on courtesy calls about hunting her people. 'Take your best shot at them,' she used to say, 'but as soon as you cause problems for anyone else of mine, you have a problem with me.' Or something like that. I'm honestly not sure which solution I prefer, but we need to stay in control of this situation."

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Lucien webbed his fingers this was a tricky situation "Lady @[member="Rave Merrill"], during your time as Veloks assistant did you clone anyone?" He asked curtly. Leaning forward he continued "My plan give our guest the clone of Mr. Penumbra and let her kill it ... she gets vengeance and we get peace" Lucien was speaking with a layman's experience he had no idea if a clone would be suitable. He looked to Rave the expert in this matter "will that work?".

 

[Arage Bao]

@[member="Rave Merrill"] @[member="Anders Sivas"] @[member="Lucien Cordel"]l


That woman really had a stick up her ass, though Jared could not really blame her. Having a Sith Master attack you might make you a bit.. tense, to say the least. Rave's thoughts coincided with his, sadly. For a moment he had hoped it had not been Penumbra, not that he had any particular feelings for the man. But he was still a part of the Fringe, family in some strange ways. In the end that did not matter though, if he had attacked Jorus; the situation was clear to him.


"I agree with your sentiment, Lady Merrill. There are few Stealth Masters in the world and our friend seems to fit the bill. I have the distinct feeling that if we try to play Lady Monroe.. well let us just say we would probably be karked. Penumbra attacked Jorus on his own account, without our orders, let him take responsibility. I vote to tell her about his MegaPlanet of Vice and Pleasure, what say you? Aye or Nay."

 

[Velok the Younger]

@[member="Lucien Cordel"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"] @[member="Anders Sivas"]

Rave chuckled. "Elegant, Lucien, elegant. As it happens, there's a contingency plan in place in a secure portion of Soledad -- codeword clearance SLATE. Operation SLATE is, well, us. Clones of us, mindless, grown and kept frozen just in case we need to create genetic evidence that we're dead. Varanin set it up, and Penumbra was one of the subjects --- all of the top founding members were.

"So here's my suggestion, based on what you've both said. We tell Monroe about Val'hala, and we tell Penumbra that Monroe has somehow found out he's hiding on Val'hala. We give him two options: Take care of it in person, or use a clone we provide to fake his death."

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Oh, trust this bit of me, @[member="Mia Monroe"]. I wouldn't dream of standing in your way." I flex an arm and there's - not much there - a loose self-deprecating chuckle wanders out of my chest, "But these guys? They could." She leaves in a huffle and a 'Call Ashin' and I wait on the Council.

"Penumbra the Gargantuton. Great. Wonderful, I'm sitting here thrilled." I shove my empty appletini glass on the table and stand up, rubbing my forehead. Mia's ... like a bunch of bruises on someone's chest. My shoulder feels out of hilt. "Do we have time to clone a real boy? Big one? Good idea, @[member="Lucien Cordel"], but Mia's going now. We don't have a few months or weeks to fith around."

And again the vote comes back to @[member="Jared Ovmar"]. I put my hands on the back of my chair and nod. "Show her where he is. Let her duke it out and give her @[member="Rave Merrill"]'s edict of coming down hard if she damages much else but Penumbra's discount pleasure bin. She gets blood, Penumbra gets a slap on yee stealthy wrist, and you guys get to play."

 

[Velok the Younger]

@[member="Lucien Cordel"] @[member="Anders Sivas"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

"Sounds like we have a consensus, then. I'll write something up."

@Penumbra-

We've been made aware that you've been tracked to Fringe space by Mia Monroe. We've contacted Monroe and told her to make sure that personal grudges don't damage Fringe property or territory, or endanger Fringe personnel apart from you. This is between you two, but we can give you options. Either solve the problem in person when she comes to Val'hala, or we can provide a clone of you from Varanin's contingency plan project, SLATE, in order to use genetic evidence to fake your death.

The High Council

***

@[member="Mia Monroe"]-

The man you seek is on Val'hala. Keep this between the two of you, in the sense that any collateral damage against Fringe assets or people will be a serious problem for you. Resolve your issue, die in the attempt, or leave, but don't let this end up on our desk.

The High Council

 

[Matreya]

High Council,

This is a direct reply to the message sent to me in regards of a Ms. Monroe seeking me out. I am aware that one, or all of you, gave my information away. The amount of people to know these things is to minor, and those not hearing this that know are family that would take my name to the grave. I have done tremendous amounts of good, aiding nearly every one of you Councillors in one time or another - ask Jared. Without even signing a contract with the fringe, I have provided droids, arms, and plenty of other miniscule things. I even attempted to run for a seat on the council, as a way to aid further.

But when I attack a known antagonist for the Fringe, I am knarked on. Nigh instantaneously. Is this acceptable outcome for one whom has done so much? No. As of yet, I do not know how I plan to respond to such betrayal - it may end bloody, with a lot of regret on your end, or I might choose to continue working with the closest person I know. Basically, pending a conversation with Ashin, you may all come to wholly hate having turned in one so loyal. One who knows nearly every secret the fringe has, one whom is never seen, but is every where when the tine is right.

As well. Let Mia know. I'm ready and waiting.
-Supreme Lord of Val'halla,
Zaiden James-Greyson

As the message arrived, the nearest door moved ever so gently. Had Zaiden stood witness to the event?

@[member="Lucien Cordel"] @[member="Anders Sivas"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"] @[member="Rave Merrill"]

 

[Velok the Younger]

OOC/ Confirmed in PM that he's actually in the room as implied.

IC/ @[member="Penumbra"] @[member="Lucien Cordel"] @[member="Anders Sivas"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"]

Rave's head whipped around, and her eyes narrowed. "Fething illusionists," she spat. "Spying on the High Council, attacking his own business partner, a High Councilor's brother, on the ship she called home, jeopardizing our bacta revenue, especially now that you control Santhe's portion of Consolidated Bacta, Jared -- and threatening bloody revenge on the High Council when we could turn his world to glass in five minutes flat? That overgrown infant can deal with the consequences of his own actions for a change. I think Varanin can talk him down. If she doesn't, the amount of poodoo I give is infinitesimally small."

 

[Yasha Cadera]

I feel the twitch and my eyes flick at the door. Man, I knew @[member="Lucien Cordel"] wanted my head but this and my big mouth are getting ridiculous. Maybe I ought to …. not talk…. nah!

Only live one! Especially with these guys around! Rock on. "So, let me get this straight, buddy illusionist Master is afraid of a little Mandalorian hit fest? Is he scared? Or peeved that we didn't let him play all them reindeer games? Helping us out doesn't give license to screwing over everybody does it? 'Cause if that's the case I want a mansion and some fuzzy slippers. Maybe a cocktail… ooooo with gin. Good ole gin. And an olive.

Make it dirty. Shaken, and-- ahahhh sorry. I mean, what are the chances one man could stand against the Council? You know, with this little paramedic and his band-aid kit sitting on the sideline waiting to patch you actual fighters up? Also, where does one learn said illusionist techniques? 'Cause they looked cool to my timid bones." @[member="Rave Merrill"] @[member="Jared Ovmar"] @Penumbra

 

[Velok the Younger]

@[member="Anders Sivas"]

"I will make you that dirty, shaken cocktail if it means you never screw us over like this. You don't take a dump where you eat. Sure, my brother's fought us everywhere from Zaadja to Tar Mordren, all through the Neutral Zone, but we've never gone after his private life elsewhere -- not when he controls our bacta. Not when he's gone head-to-head against Jared and Vazela simultaneously and won. Not by means of a business partner of his selling him out. My brother and I aren't exactly close, but it's pretty fething clear to me that this was a very bad idea on fething Penumbra's part. If-" She sat down hard. "Yeah, I give up. Time to contact the rest of the High Council, and Varanin."

 

[Matreya]

Instead of feeling any form of remorse, something Zaiden hoped for as a sign of humanity, they decide to belittle him? Did they forget during the recent invasions that Zaiden now controlled the Undead? If they knew Faenroven was dangerous, wait until they got to see several undead dragons raining fire from the heavens.

Turning on his heel, Penumbra made way to return to his ship. His greatest attentions on retreating with no way to track, he walked up the ramp and straight into his cockpit. Firing the engines of his StealthX, he shifted his stealth to the craft as it lifted off and made way for space.

Ashin would need to say a lot to stop him now.

(A side note. This is all strictly IC lol. I told Mia to find a way and that I'd be game. This is solely Zaiden getting overly butthurt)

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Wouldn't dream of it. I'm the nice guy, remember? Here to bandage wounds and keep everyone together. I've got no designs on war, or duels or battling anything. Don't even know which end to hold on a saber." I tap my forehead with a knuckle, "Just got that kinda mind. Get in folks' head and sometimes get taken up by them. @[member="Rave Merrill"], it's going to work out."

The chill follows the room, I feel a twinge as if my body was angry at a wound I didn't have. Change of seasons I had no part in. I shove it off and the sensation passes. "Yea, we don't have enough healers to fix a sudden bacta shortage. Could work around it, I guess, what with the penchant for cloning and all… this isn't helping is it?"

I go around to Rave's chair and hand her a drink, sitting down on the table top beside her. She seems to take the brunt of this, a boat in the wake's immediate shakedown and well, it's her own brother. Looking around the room, I see Cordel, Jared, the Council is a hefty group of terrifying characters, and to think that they're seemingly uneasy about this upcoming slug fest gives me more than a couple of chills and lots of pause. "Varanin'll know what to do. Meret, too. She's smart with the interplay between the knife point and the peacemaker's pen. I'd love to hear the future Lady Cordel's advice. Remember Ms. Merrill. We got saddled with this just like we'll get saddled with a cornucopia of plentiful and tricky situations. Ultimately, we didn't start it. Penumbra did. He didn't ask for our protection and sanctuary after he did it, he went on, business usual it seems. It's part of our endless grace and mercy that we're letting it take the course which seems more natural. Gave him an option or two, regardless of favours bandied if the Mand'alore Emeritus wants to start firing slug bullets in random directions, that'll hurt our people more.

After all, tell me honestly. In a duke out between Penumbra and Monroe, who'd win?" I wish @[member="Meret Blackmoon"] were here. Then again, with @[member="Lucien Cordel"] and @[member="Jared Ovmar"] around, we've got some of the brilliant galactic minds.

 

[Meret Blackmoon]

Meret rushed to gathering. She had just received a brief noticed that there was a "situation" that might need a neutral voice. She quietly joined the meeting. The chair next to Lucien was taken so she sat next to Anders. She smiled and made eye contact with everyone. The "situation" was serious and the tension was felt in the air. She gathered that mess was about a member of the Fringe attacking another. Meret felt sick again. " Is it our business, our responsibility to clean up after others? Why are we responsible for the vendettas of others? This is such a waste of time and resources. I suggest we wash our hands of this and let Ms. Monroe find her own solution." Meret was nauseated from the thought of gratuitous violence, and the short sightedness of such reptilian fight or flight responses.

 

[Meret Blackmoon]

Maybe the council members were in shock by the statements Meret had made? Constant in fighting, pompous ego driven vendettas had no place in Meret's world. She apologized to the council. "I am so sorry that I bothered you with my perspective." Meret excused herself but gave Anders a quick look...You know I am not like them.

 

[Lucien Cordel]

Lucien had Phased out after all that business with Mr. Greyson,how quaint that he had been watching. He had focused his mind on important matters like dinner and which opera to see, His mind wandered to his wife but surprisingly he didn't hear her enter realising only as she spoke the second time. She was upset he stood up "no need to be sorry your perspective was desired, Our minds were elsewhere it appears"

 

[Velok the Younger]

Some time after @[member="Jared Ovmar"] hurried out, a message came in for the High Council.

The message told Rave, @[member="Meret Blackmoon"], @[member="Anders Sivas"], @[member="Lucien Cordel"], @[member="Kitt Solo"], @Lord Exedo, @[member="Faenrovon The Radiant"] and others that Zaiden had been confronted by a group of Fringe Masters not far from here and had died in the process. Though he'd dispatched forces to attack Fringe worlds, in the process of dying he'd called them back. His manor on Val'hala had been bombarded with ion cannons to disable further hostilities.

"Well...that went well," said Rave with a grimace. And that about wrapped that up.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Looking up, @[member="Meret Blackmoon"] shines her way in, and gives her five and a half cents and I for one am glad to see her. I give a timid sort of wave, my fingers under the table so only she can see them, a small uplift of my lips to show her that although I'm terrified of losing my spleen if I say more than a cordial 'hello', she's got me in her corner.

"Do things always end so flash-in-the-pan explosive around here?" I wince as @[member="Rave Merrill"] advises us to the ultimate fate of Penumbra.

'It's ok, Meret. I know who you are.' Did she know me, I wonder? In the end, does anybody know anybody deeply? I trot onto my feet and give a hasty wave. "Well! In and out before the Dragon got here. Sounds like a… well…. we'll get the hang of this eventually. See you people around."

 

[Velok the Younger]

@[member="Anders Sivas"]

"If I'm reading this right, he called for them, made demands, they tried to bring him in quiet, and things got loud instead. And something about...shiploads of zombies?" Rave grimaced. "One of these days, we need to start codifying standards of conduct."

 

[Yasha Cadera]

I'm halfway off from the door when Rave starts telling me what happened. My lips purse and I swerve around slowly. She couldn't have… but she did. "Zombies. He was… gonna… zombies? Walking dead zombies."

A whinny strangles out of my throat and I put my hands on the back of the nearest chair, chewing on my cheek. "He was going to throw zombies at us? 'Cause he had trouble with a Mandalorian chick with b-hhuuuuh… Code 1: No zombies. Code 2: Zombies will be conflagrated. Code 3: We… need to… so the Masters that be tried to reel him in and chit chat, then boom! Bang! Clatter, clatter, clatter, undead and now… well I'll give one thing to the guy. Appropriate level of dramatics. Maybe that's 'cause I didn't know him. What sort of standards are you thinking? A big sign painted in yellow paint saying 'Take Thy Drama Elsewhere' or maybe a 'Zombie Free Zone: Undead Purged on sight'. Oo! Or 'Clean Up Your Mess, We're Not Your Mum!' I like that last one, it's clever. Clever like a fox."

@[member="Rave Merrill"]