All That's Far From Us [Primeval Dominion of Belkadan]

[Mishk]

Objective: 2(?)
1/20

Mishk had absolutely no idea what they were doing here. Oblivious to any of the structures or creatures around him. His world was much smaller. It centered around a twisted form of worship and hate-love relationship with the most beautiful entity he had ever encountered.

He sat, riding back to back with his master and focus. His legs dangling over the edge of the mighty [member="Zambrano the Hutt"] s hover throne. There he was occupied trying to figure out how he could attach a chain to the throne and strap himself to it. It was a hard task but if ones highest desire was to become one of the warlords friends one had to go over all options.
He tried to force his small hand through the chain, it was tight. He pushed, it hurt. Mishk felt agitated, why was this so hard. The magnificent darkness had so many friends, why did he fail where they succeeded?

He bit the chain hard. A tooth cracked and the jawa screamed in pain! A pitiful cry, but a cry non the less.

"Oh, loved one... I wish I was worthy to play with you some more... " he whimpered, not sure if Zambrano even would acknowledge his prescence.

 

[Brooke Waters]

Location: Listening Post
Objective: Murdering Pirates
8/20

Working together?

Token could do that. The blonde was pretty much a lover, but when pirates showed up? That wasn’t anything that was going to get love out of her. No, she wasn’t a Warden, she was just Token, and her parents died because of her, because of pirates. And now? Now she needed to eliminate them.

All of them

Starting with these.

The blonde was behind her bubble, looking over at the others that were at the post. Were they all her team? She knew Anja, but Khaleel? The Jedi? He was throwing shadow punches while she was.. cowering? No. She closed her eyes for a moment, strengthening her shield before stepping forward. She pulled her lightsaber out, only really good with whatever form it was to block blaster bolts… She learned that in the Fringe.

Rolling, she activated her lightsaber and muttered a spell, lightning came blasting from her fingers at the pirates. A shield again? Maybe next post

 

[Blackthorne]

Location: Listening Post
Objective: Honor the Jedi
Allies: [member="Anja Aj'Rou"] [member="Setzi Lunelle"] [member="Khaleel Malvern"] [member="Token Waters"]

She felt them approaching. Felt him approaching. The wave of Force power was not one to be missed - and as the fallen Warrior became still on the ground, his blood pooling within the shadow of his figure, Loxa silently prayed for his safe and timely arrival to the Great Hall. For the benevolence of Inari to see him through.

One from the left, one from the back. They came in savage fury and were plucked by he from the ground. Mastercraft Telekinesis. She'd witnessed it before by the very two he stood to emulate. Shorn, Kerrigan - the Silken Asteroids had been their playground many years ago. Loxa remembered that day with great clarity - as Darksuns were made and subsequently eaten, as massive warships hellbent on annihilation turned tail to retreat from the onslaught of Moross. Many Vong had perished that day in a blaze of heathen glory. Ships had been torn asunder by the minds of great beings. History.

History...

"Are you alright?!"

Those eyes, sharp and biting with a flame like the sun, swept up from the dead Warrior to him.

"Yes," Loxa replied calmly, rising to a stand and lifting her staff, turning the end to briskly greet an attacking enemy through the gut. The Pirate sputtered, Loxa firmly pushed his body from her staff with a boot.

"Asanté, friend," she was just about to ask after the Host Lord but found there was no need. Though the Priestess had never met Anja, she recognized her easily as the woman made her way into the chaos, "let us end this."

"Priestess?" another Warrior, a Wraith donned in the ebony armor of Erebos, eyed Khaleel before looking to Inari for direction, at his back a Sword and Shield held off incoming targets.

"Burn the heathens," Loxa replied and watched as the Wraith nodded then stepped forward chanting, conjuring flames along his figure and shooting them out into the Pirate throngs. Pyromancer. Devourer. She fed the flames with a chanted spell that called in the winds, bringing on a growing holocaust scene.

 

[Mard Szaks]

Objective: Long Vong?
People most definitely nearby: [member="Auswyn Nothrael"]
People most definitely nearby but OOCly away because they're having fun in the sun somewhere around Spain: [member="Orkamaat"]
People possibly nearby: [member="Nickolas Imura"] | [member="Caine"] | [member="Zambrano the Hutt"] | [member="Mishk"]
[4/20]

"Oh, it's most definitely impressive, all right."

Mard had little patience for beauty, or anything else impressive. They were on a mission, they had to do said mission. He'd normally be all for lingering, especially since he liked taking things slowly in general, but there was a small issue with that in this specific instance. He had just finished navigating a maze of organic corridors together with the Anzat priest, and the place they had started that navigation had been infested with some kind of giant centipede.

The giant chamber felt a bit safer than the corridors, since there were no ceilings directly above them. No ceilings meant nothing could drop down unexpectedly. At least he hoped - the fall from such a great height should kill anything. Anything he could hope to handle, at least. If it survived, he might just decide it was worth retreating into the corridors, and waiting for reinforcements.

The wine bottles the new arrival was carrying suddenly registered in Mard's mind. Wine bottles? He liked wine, but here? Pretty unusual surroundings for getting drunk. Or just enjoying a drink. Or doing... anything else with those. Except maybe hitting some weird Vong monstrosity over the head with them.

"I'm sure you have a reason for those, but I doubt this is the time for it... I'm Mard, by the way."

 

[Caine]

Objective: 2
Location: inside a ship
Allies: Unknown
Enemies: Also unknown
2/20
_______________________________________


What Caine found inside of the ship was...surprising, to say the least. He hadn't spent much time outside of his ship for a while, and he knew he was out of touch with the majority of the galaxy, but this ship was just flat out weird. Uncomfortably weird. It appeared to be alive, although that made no sense. He didn't know of any species that made living ships, but then again there was very little he did know. Life was one big mystery. He crept his way through the corridor, looking around for any hostiles. Technically, the whole ship was a hostile, but it couldn't harm him. At least he thought it couldn't harm him.

Out of curiosity, he felt the wall next to him, finding it surprisingly spongy, and definitely alive. He could feel a faint pulsing in the wall, maybe a heartbeat or a creature drawing breath. Of course, he was a little too interested in the ship, and being a man of very little foresight, he decided to shoot the ship.

The blast rocked the ship, and the noise was deafening inside the small corridor. He could feel the ship recoil underneath the blast, the smoking hole in the wall reeking of a putrid odor that even a Hutt would wrinkle its nose at. More importantly, he woke something up. He could hear a loud cracking noise, and a scittering sound that was highly unnerving. Like any sane man would do, Caine started to run.

He could hear something gaining behind him, and there was definitely more up ahead. He was caught between a rock and a hard place. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Fight or flight didn't really apply when flight is no longer an option. His only course of action would have to be fight, and just hope that somebody friendly would hear the noise.

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Objective: Secure the shipyards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][14/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“So mister… Maijora.” the Muun addressed the Agent of the Bleeding Sun over his own datapad, truthfully he wasn’t exactly sure why he had decided to come along to this mission. He could have easily just have his mercs handle this case without his presence - but there was something of curiosity found in the long silhouette of the Magister.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“How much does the Host Lord pay for your loyalty?” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The question was fairly innocent, and honestly Vassik didn’t mean much by it. He had enough agents and mercenaries of his own, buying this one seemed to be a waste of perfectly useful coin - which wasn’t an insult of his capabilities, rather an underlining of how much credits he would have to pay to ensure his longstanding loyalty.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]They were off to secure the Yuuzhan Vong shipyards that were embedded into the planet's crust, he was slowly becoming a more… recurring face in the courts of the Host Lady, finance and economy were the things he lived and breathed by.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]So the opportunity to be at the heart of reforms and changes that swept through an entire Empire?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Very exciting stuff.[/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

[14/20]

"Paid?" He chuckled softly, the ominous laugh was followed by more words, "there are places in the galaxy where monetary wealth matters little." It wasn't really an answer, but he suspected the Muun was smart enough to paint a mental picture on exactly what he was referring to. He wasn't paid like a mercenary, or security officer; not even as a soldier. What rewards he did get was all that he could claim for his own in the line of duty, a new gun, maybe even a comfortable home on a distant world. An Exemplar secured their profits on the job, as long as they didn't jeopardize the mission in the process.

The shipyards on Belkadan were an oddity for sure, unlike most traditional yards they weren't metallic monstrosities that floated in orbit. Rather they were deep pockets constructed into the ground, a living organism that created the starships in flesh and bile. It was almost like a massive womb, the world was mother to the ships manufactured on Belkadan.

Some downsides did exist in this, of course. Like any living thing it died and unlike metal it can't be simply welded back together. The Vong spent a lot of time and efforts to condition the world to be suitable for their creations and the slightest change could spell disaster. Caution was at an utmost importance here.

[member="Vassik Kilvaari"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Objective: Secure the shipyards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][15/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The curl of the Muun’s mouth turned slightly down, a singular gesture of distaste, because he knew exactly what Catalys was referring to and it was [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]exactly[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] the thing that he was trying to reform - at least in the more urbanized and profitable regions of the Primeval. It was fairly clear that the Host Lord did not concern herself with the academics of prolonged ruling, and in the end… if nothing changed and the Primeval fell?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Well, it would be up to him and sentients like him to pull the pieces out, start anew.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Such was the way, and such had been the way always. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But even still, if Catalys wasn’t exactly paid for his troubles than it was a reasonable assumption that he would be able to take a job on the side every once in a while. With someone more experienced within the spheres of the Primeval?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It would be easier to feel out the edges and boundaries of the fledgling proto-Empire.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“And yet... a little bit of coin on the side never hurts, one would think.” the Magister would ask with a slight upturn in the curl.[/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

[15/20]

"My self-interests are personal at best, wealth doesn't matter much." He replied to the subtle offer, "I do what benefits myself as well as others," and on that note he glared outside the viewport and down to the world. Belkadan was not a strange one to look at, from a distance there was nothing special to see; it was humid and lush like many.

The Exemplar had interests for sure, things he wanted, and perhaps the Muun could provide those things in the future. For now? Catalys wasn't banking on trusting an outsider more than he had to, surely he was more outgoing than Anja was but in the end if he didn't see something he needed he'd never take on the job. So for now he aimed to quietly observe, get to know the Muun and weigh the potential. If everything went right then Catalys could definitely see himself working with the man in the future.

If it didn't? Wouldn't be the first time.

[member="Vassik Kilvaari"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Objective: Secure the shipyards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][16/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A sage nod followed.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]If the Magister knew anything it was not to push an issue when it was clear that it needed [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]time[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] to properly sink in, he held no doubts that in the end - after perhaps a few missions more, that they would be able to return to his subtle offer and go over it in detail.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]As it stood the transports breached the atmosphere and were heading for the deep organic crevices that marred the earth of the planet. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Dietrich.” the Muun calmly pushed a button that established a commlink between their room and the hangar bays that were currently filled with the scores of soldiers under Vassik’s control. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]He simply wished to see how the morale was of the group.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“How are the men doing?” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Eager to kick some ass, sir.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]This inspired a mirthless smile on the Muun’s expression.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Let’s hope we can execute this efficiently and above all [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]quickly[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px], so we can return home again.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Vassik missed the Spires of Harnaidan already.[/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

[16/20]

Catalys was ready for whatever awaited them and whatever he had to do. That was his job. To be the final solution, and the first. As an Exemplar he was not only an elite soldier and capable agent, he was also an example and symbol of The Primeval; he represented their power and upheld their laws even when he stood above them. If there was trouble for The Primeval on Belkadan he would put it down, if there was an opportunity awaiting he wouldn't hesitate to claim it. In the end what he did was always for the cause, and nothing else

What his personal interests were, what he sought beyond The Primeval, that was undisclosed information that only he knew and he intended to keep it that. Should the day come that he must call upon allies elsewhere, he would, but any Umbaran knew inherently that you never cashed in your chips until you needed it and you never placed your bets until you knew who your opponent was. Patience is a virtue and by waiting and quietly observing you could wait until it was just right before acting.

He stood there quietly, he had nothing left he needed to say and listened to the eagerness in the man's voice. The Muun did not seem to share that eagerness, then again it was probably all business for him. One way or another everything was likely about profit. Hell; it might not be too far fetched to consider whether or not he ever placed an exact monetary value on his own mother.

[member="Vassik Kilvaari"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Objective: Secure the shipyards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][17/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]cr8,349.12[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]That was the precise amount that the Magister’s mother was worth, after several rounds of calculation and proper deduction skills when it came to accounting and the sort. It was simply in the nature of the Muun to make sure he knew exactly what he was working with at any moment of the day, his mother’s value had been an early calculation that was only rarely shifted up and down according to the current inflation of the Galactic Credit.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Regardless.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The mercenary hadn’t asked for that particular nugget of information, and so he was left blessfully unaware of the foreign, cold thoughts of his companion. Instead Vassik simply kept writing on his datapad, only taking a moment to look up when he noticed Catalys was standing awkwardly in the shuttle.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“You know I once read that it was bad for the blood flow to simply stand around before a battle, cramps up the muscles and the sort.” the Muun remarked with a raised brow. “We are still about twenty two minutes and forty two seconds away from the LZ.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]With that particular nugget dispensed the Muun returned to his datapad.[/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

[17/20]

"I think my blood is happily unaware of what's good for battle." He made a slightly grim remark, "Besides... Whoever said I'm fighting?" It was a rhetorical question, although if the Muun wished to retort it was his prerogative in the end. Catalys wasn't your typical head on fighter; he wasn't a commando. Instead he preferred to strike in his enemy's weak points, dirty fighting and all that. Many societies had turned war into a ballad, romanticizing death and glorifying victory in an effort to make the populace blissfully unaware of how truly cruel loss was. If you could make every victory worth ten defeats and ten thousand deaths worth another month of fighting then you needn't worry about protests and concerns.

For Catalys? Two facts were true.

One: Honour mattered not if you achieved victory.

Two: Fighting was pointless if others are doing it for you.

The Muun had his own men who were more than eager to die for him in battle it seems. Unless they became hopelessly outmatched--doubtful as a Muun doesn't make a bad investment--or something extraordinary happens he could sit back and let them handle the grunt work. No, the Exemplar was here to offer specialized assistance rather than fight his way through whatever might be waiting for them. That didn't mean he was unprepared, however. In his right holster was a heavy blaster pistol, strapped around his back was an assault rifle, and on his left thigh a combat knife.

[member="Vassik Kilvaari"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Objective: Secure the shipyards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][18/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]A shrug was all that Catalys would get as an answer, the nugget of information was already there and it was on the Exemplar himself to use it to his benefit or not. In the meanwhile the Muun had more important things to worry about, for instance the information that was currently displayed on his datapad and the flow of money that he was presently manipulating.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]See. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Primeval and its [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]agents[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] assumed that it was [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]easy[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] to take control over an entire system, that they simply needed to waltz into it with an army or two, clear out a few pockets of resistance, maybe fight over a listening post or two… and that it was done.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But the truth was that it only [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]started[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px] when all of that was finished, it would Vassik’s job - well him and the legion of bureaucrats of the InterGalactic Banking Clan that were dedicated towards this particular branch of the Galaxy. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]At any rate, it would be their job to make sure that the integration into the Empire happened as fluidly as possible, that the logistics would not be hideous and that the investments done towards the shipyards and the other infrastructure… would be [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]acceptable.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Not a joke, the Muun would remark later.[/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

[18/20]

Catalys drifted off momentarily, his mind went elsewhere as it sometimes did. He recalled a time on Nar Shaddaa which he spent his entire day spying on a Jedi in a cantina before capturing the woman. It was times like those that really tested his skills as an operative but for some reason he always had a talent for capturing Jedi. Fighting them? Not so much, but he could capture them given the chance. It wasn't a difficult task, actually, it just required patience, intelligence, and a blaster set to stun. Have that and timing will provide the rest.

He didn't know how much time had passed, or how awkward it must've been for the Muun to have a living, breathing man standing behind him but not saying a word for that length of time. Looking down to his pistol, Catalys took out the weapon and examined it; making sure he didn't miss anything during maintenance.

[member="Vassik Kilvaari"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Objective: Secure the shipyards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][19/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Fire, burning corpses and the agonizing screams of mutants being discarded like trash by the flamethrowers of his own personnel. The Magister did not seem to be perturbed or affected by the horrific display of violence and slaughter, if anything he seemed to be content with the contents of this particular day.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Perhaps it was just the contentness of a job well done and an investment already paying itself off, and what an investment it was.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The organical shipyards were gargantuan in its size, for Catalys and himself to try and tackle this mission alone? Would have meant days of scouting, exploring and eradicating the sources and threats of the infested location - but with an army at their beck it was quite simpler than that, instead they simply had to stand by and… [/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px]watch[/SIZE][SIZE=10.6666666666667px].[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Which Vassik did, with a few glances to his own datapad every now and again, but the deeper they went… the more the connection started to flicker. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]The Magister would sigh with something of annoyance made apparent.[/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

[19/20]

Catalys walked with the Muun, never directly at his side by neither too far back. It was the perfect position to have when you were escorting someone, for reasons he wasn't going to mentally get into. The place was dark, the floor was squishy, and there was a strong musky odor that reminded him of a barracks during war. It was unpleasant, certainly, but if this was where living, breathing starships were created then he really had nothing to complain about.

The silence went on long enough and the Exemplar noticed the sigh, "Something I'm unaware of?" He asked.

[member="Vassik Kilvaari"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Objective: Kill poachers of redcrested cougars
Location: In the jungle nearby the Listening Post
Allies: [member="Theseus Reneun"] [member="Boo Chiyo"] [member="Inger Strömfire"]
Post: 13/20

Perla could hear poacher voices close by, but so far her presence inside the camp hadn’t been detected. That could change at any moment given the bloody attack launched by the Primeval.

The spellweaver only had enough concentration left to control one of these animals, so breaking her Force bond with Theuseus, she focused her energy onto the mind of the most robust of the redcrested cougars.

Soothing it as she would her rancor during battle, she put her hand up to the cage and allowed the beast to smell her hand as she continued to calm the giant feline. Eventually it lay on its haunches and rubbed its muzzle against the cage like a house-cat would.

When the Dathomir exile felt certain that she had mollified the creature enough to free it, Perla released it from the cage and commanded it to follow her. This would be the cougar for study, so as she quickly escaped from the camp, she made sure the animal was behind her and wouldn’t be harmed by any sudden retaliation.

 

[Arage Bao]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Objective: Secure the shipyards[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Allies: [member="Catalys Maijora"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.6666666666667px][20/20][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Mhm?” the Muun looked up from his datapad, before noticing Catalys following behind him. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“Oh nothing critical. We traveled so deep that the datapad lost its connection, my men will have to follow the contingency plan I left them.” a shrug.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]It wasn’t the end of the world, but just a little bit annoying. He couldn’t have been sure of every angle, of every node in the plan, but they would work with it as best as they could - just meant that it wouldn’t be done at hundred percent efficiency which was irksome.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]But they would make do with it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]“How are the legs?” Vassik would ask, before shutting down his pad and making it disappear between the folds of his spacious robe. There was a reason Muuns wore them so often, you could literally hide anything between them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.6666666666667px]Well, within reason.[/SIZE]

 

[Catalys Maijora]

[20/20]

Catalys nodded at the fact he lost a signal. Of course a Muun would rely on his data and statistics; he wouldn't be shocked if the Muun made spreadsheets instead of battle plans. Still; to each their own and as long as things went well in the end it wasn't really any of his business.

"They're fine," he said as they kept walking.

The Exemplar was in peak physical condition for an Umbaran, he had trained since a young age and prepared for the role he now has. Walking, even a lot of it, was the least of his worries down here. If they had to march days on end he could, if they had to fight he would do it, but there was still an odd feeling riding in the back of his mind that suggested things weren't as they seemed. If there was one thing he hated, it was a a surprise. And in his line of work surprises tended to be deadly.

[member="Vassik Kilvaari"]