An End to The Madness

[Revenchent]

The apartment had been packed up quickly. Calico had few personal objects, and as such, it took little to move. He strode off of Zenith Prime's space elevator into the hull of the Ge'hutuun. The San-hill Star Destroyer had been emptied of all organic personnel for repairs. It was perfect.

He took a turbolift to the bridge, and made sure that his comm unit was completely deactivated. The last thing he needed was anyone to be eavesdropping.

I've had enough of your dictatorships.

He stood tall over the cacophony of ship systems, staring out from his helmet at the many abandoned consoles. Outside, vessels of all shapes and size hooked up to the docking rings around Zenith Prime. It was a beautiful view, a shame it wouldn't last.

He brought his hand up to his helmet--cueing in the single comm channel left open. "This is Calico. I'm on the bridge." His voice echoed through the comms. He had invited everyone for a private meeting. Hopefully, they would show.

@[member="Zius Aurus"] @[member="CC-117 Canal"] @[member="Keziah Denko"] @[member="Krest"] @[member="Ven"] @Galaar Tal'verda

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest moved into another elevator, already on his way up to the bridge. There wasn't much to do, much to say. So he moved onto the bridge with @[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]. "Commander." Nothing else was needed. For now, he would wait for the others.

 

[Djorn Bline]

Canal grabbed his equipment: his Czerka arms assault rifle, his concussion rifle, his DC-17 pistol, and his ARC trooper armor. He walked through Zenith Prime and finally arrived at the space elevator. He took one elevator and was on his way to Calico's personal ship.

He walked to the bridge of the ship. He nodded at Krest and said to Calico, "You summoned me, sir?"

@[member="Krest"] @[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

The neutral world of Zenith Prime was as good a place as any to start investigating rumors of Dark Side activity near Black Sun territory. And, more to the point, it had Vong. Vong like the ones that had so recently assaulted the Mandalorians at Myrkr to save a known Darksider.

This was nothing more than covering bases.

Jedi Shadow Boolon Murr, passenger in a standard Republic shuttle, examined the sensor readouts. The planet was a veritable fortress world, but independent. Background data suggested the planet also had agrocite, which could be used to make low-grade superweapons.

"Master Jacobs, I'm detecting a Confederate vessel. Should I hail?"
@[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Rusken Shaxx]

The clack of his durasteel plated boots resonated with each step on the metallic floor. This a time of utter importance, no more oppression over the heads of the few so bold enough to take a stand against the reign of a pressure that loomed over their every decision. One may even call this a revolutionary moment, and the rise would soon begin. Zius took a look back at the operations taking place for one last time, seeing the cadets salute their drill sergeant with a sense of pride that had been instilled by a devotion to this dictatorship.

He turned to look forward, walking towards Calico's position. This day would prove the willpower of the few who stand their own ground, no matter the odds.

Freedom was at hand.

@[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Keziah Denko]

Keziah had packed up what little things she had at the Temple on Zenith Prime before heading to meet Calico and the others that would follow. She had known this was coming for awhile now by the way things had been going. She stood beside him one hundred percent in this and was ready to follow him.

Before heading to the bridge of Ge'hutuun she stopped by the lake for old times sake. This was where they had met and as such was special to her. This planet would always hold a special place in her heart.

As she made her way onto the bridge she noticed two familiar faces besides Calico. Smiling she nodded in greeting as she went to stand next to Calico. Keziah was glad to see them here.


@[member="Calico Tal'Verda"] @[member="Krest"] @[member="CC-117 Canal"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer looked up from her web comic which was about a young wayward padawan who seemed to get her nose into places she shouldn't. Looking towards the Ithorian she blinked a few times, they were on a mission to investigate rumors. Spencer of course wasn't too sure about this, yet she knew it was something she needed to do. Duty and all that jazz. Looking up towards the monitors.

"Hail them Knight Murr. At least to make sure we aren't taken as a hostile group"

@[member="Boolon Murr"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Calico Tal'Verda"] @[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

"Telesponder reads Ge'hutuun. I get the feeling that is a ship I should know. At least this is neutral space." Boolon toggled the comm and leaned close as the shuttle approached the planet. "This is Jedi Knight Boolon Murr to the commander of the Ge'hutuun. My team is investigating reports of Darksider activity in this sector, near former Black Sun space. If I might ask, does your presence here have anything to do with these reports?"

 

[Galaar Tal'Verda]

Galaar had recently traveled from Kamino to meet with his brother. It was a seemingly urgent enough message, he arrived in a recently purchased Thundering Spire, a ship that he had sold his CIS holdings for and attained from a Former Fel Military Officer. It had its own compliment and crew and was flashing his transponder at the current moment. "Ca'ika, the Strill and I have arrived. New ship too. Rather flashy. You sent out the general message?"

In all reality, Galaar was sick to his stomach. They were seemingly jumping ship right before the outbreak of a major war. What made him even more nervous was the fact that an unidentified vessel was nearing Zenith Prime, a military stronghold of the CIS. The Clone in his full armor, decided to hail them. "This Chieftain Galaar... May I ask who the kark you are and why you're nearing Zenith?"

@[member="Boolon Murr"] @[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

As @[member="Boolon Murr"] spoke out toward the ship, Spencer did what Spencer did best. Closing her eyes, she spread her influence through the force searching for anything that would connect the ship and its owners to something either she knew or Boolon knew. There was only one figure she mildly recognized, but she couldn't put a finger on it. Though only one person felt through the Force? Even if someone was unable to manipulate the force, they still had a reading in it. The Force connected everyone and the fact that she felt nothing, but road blocks bothered her. Opening her eyes she drew herself inward and looked towards the Knight.

"I felt a forcer, don't know who...several personal running around...still really odd that they're out there this far."

 

[Revenchent]

I should be anxious, but I'm not. I'm happy. This is right.

The approach lights signaled a Republic vessel coming into Zenith Prime's space. Normally, Calico would have hailed, but the alliance between the CIS and the Republic labeled Prime as a mutual posting. The Marshal didn't mind. He kept a bit of an eye on it out of paranoid caution, if nothing else.

"Vode, ad'iike, cyar'ike." Calico reached up remove his helmet. The man was determined. "We have given our blood, sweat, and tears for our freedom. Fought on hundreds of worlds. Liberated whole civilizations." He made a fist. "What we fought for, was a lie. You are my family. My vode, my clan, and you must be the first to know."

Calico slipped an arm around Keziah's waist, more to keep himself steady than a show of affection. This was elating, but it was difficult.

"The Republic stands at war with the Mandalorians. The Deathwatch Empire, they have no honor. We were supposed to help our allies in our time of need. Our leadership...refused. We stabbed them in the back." His smile morphed into a frown. I-" The Ge'hutuun's comm systems came to life. Calico held up a fist for silence.

He turned to the comm systems, and clicked in, ignoring his brother for a moment...though he did laugh. "This is Grand Marshal Calico Tal'verda, Master Jedi. That's a negative, we're simply enjoying the view. Zenith Prime is primarily CIS used, just a refuel. Continue on."

@[member="Boolon Murr"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

@[member="Galaar Tal'Verda"] @[member="Calico Tal'Verda"] @[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

Boolon's head tilted. "I sense nothing, but that is not my forte." Once more he leaned close to the comms. "Chieftain Galaar, I the kark am Boolon Murr, Jedi Knight and Priest of Ithor. This neutral world's sector has had puzzling and concerning reports of Darksiders who may be involved with Black Sun. Do you have any useful leads for my investigation?"

He switched channels to Calico. "Grand Marshal Tal'Verda, my team and I will be investigating this planet and meeting with local leadership. Since you have an orbital overwatch position, if you happen to spot anything hazardous, do let us know."

The shuttle arced toward the planet.

 

[Rusken Shaxx]

Finally. Zius made his way towards Calico, his ragged cloak flapping in the breeze with pride for the freedom they've all earned. Standing strong was the right thing to do indeed, and no one would tell them otherwise. Not unless they desired trouble.

"Calico. Are things going as planned?"

He'd give a quick salute to respect his brethren of war. It didn't matter if he was a clone, no words or evidence would persuade the now Ex-Templar to feign his true feelings for the Grand Marshal, or any other tube-born that he had served valiantly alongside on other worlds. He would be willing to kill to prove that dedication to the ones he saw as "family". Zenith Prime had reached its use and no longer had a real purpose to serve his beliefs or drive to fight for what he could never truly hold close to his heart, or raise his lightsaber to defend.

@[member="Calico Tal'Verda"] @[member="Galaar Tal'Verda"] @Boolon Murr @[member="Spencer Jacobs"]

 

[Allyson Locke]

Spencer remained in her seat as they descended towards the planet. Wrapping her arms around her waist she looked out the shuttle's window. She had grown accustomed to trusting her gut instinct on things such as this, though with Ashin she was able to say 'kark it' and dive head first. Looking over at the priest she smiled nervously.

"I've got a bad feeling about this one @[member="Boolon Murr"] , why would the CiS be hovering over a planet that they do not own, especially with a huge ship such as that..."

 

[Revenchent]

@[member="Boolon Murr"]

"You'll fine the majority of the Confederacy's people down there Master Jedi, Templars included. They might have your dark side signatures."

Calico shrugged, turning away from the comms. The Jedi's zealous hunt of dark force users was part of this meeting. He flipped the system off for a moment, and continued speaking. "Jedi on a religious hunt. Exactly what I was afraid of. Zius, ad'ika, can you hide that?" Calico tilted his head back, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"Anyway, as Krest saw, the Jedi have been usurped by the Zealots. Those di'kut we all hate, religious idiots? Those. Same guys who tried to take over the Republic in the old days. Dark side my shebs, doesn't exist. None of it. It's just the force." He set his helmet under his arm, flashing a small grin over at Keziah.

"The Pubs will be busy searching our old world anyway...Prime isn't friendly territory. It's time to bang out, tok'kad, retreat. We aren't slaves. We don't fight for warlords. We're people. I won't serve a lie. We've developed the cure for our boys, if any of them want to join us, they can."

Calic strolled on up to the main group jaw set firm. "We are family. Everyone gathered here. We don't owe them anything. You boys need long lives. Happy lives. Lives that any clone, man, Hutt, whatever could live. So we're leaving. Quick and cut. I'll send a message to everyone of our men. We'll try and retrieve Josh, and bank system."

He clipped the helmet to his belt and folded his arms over his chest; proud of what he was doing. There would be no more pointless wars for the One-Hundred-Seventh. "Away from the lies, away from the religion, away from the slavery."

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest nodded his head to @[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]. He spoke true. Too many times he had to deal with lies in the CIS. And what happened with the Jedi's. What he saw first hand disturbed him. He was hated simply because he chose to walk both paths. Here were the people he cared about though. The people he wanted to be with. So he held up his hand, much in the way he was taught when he was younger. The Iridonian salute of trust. Respect.

"I'll get Ven."

 

[Galaar Tal'Verda]

Boolan would suddenly find himself being hailed for a holo-link, if he answered he would find himself staring into one human eye that took up the whole of the link. "You really are daft? Chakaar, that planet, that's a CIS Fortress world, newly built. The entire surface is hiding one big camp. We're deserting. However! I could do one last favor for my former employees and aim all five turbo lasers at you." He leaned back from the vid, which would still be going had Boolan accepted. "Jebs! Power the canons!... Or! I could show you whats in the 'fun pouch'." He tapped his chest with a goofy, rather disarming look at the responder. He had a joking facade about him but his voice was Mandalorian, and deathly, deathly seriousness around him and to his voice.

"Or we could all be friends and get same caf together, your call, di'kuts."

@[member="Calico Tal'Verda"] @[member="Boolon Murr"]

 

[Ashin Varanin]

Boolon exchanged a glance with Master Jacobs. "They're being rather...curt," he said. "I'm sure they're busy, but..."

As the shuttle angled toward the surface, he closed his immense eyes and stretched out to the Force, to attempt to get a sense of the beings on the heavy cruiser. "I sense the Dark Side on that ship, I think. Not some Sith Lord at full burn, but still. And something about it is very, very slightly familiar, but it's not as if I have ever spent much time around Templars-"

His eyes opened. "I wonder..." He'd been standing relatively close to the infiltrator that DragonsFlame had worked with. Force alone knew it might not be the same one, and there were plenty of Templars, but...

He clicked the comm again. "Murr to Ge'huutun. The Order would like to speak with a Templar who goes by @[member="Krest"], a Zabrak, heavily tattooed. Who should I talk to-"

He cut off as @[member="Galaar Tal'Verda"] powered up weapons. "Chief Galaar, violence will get you nowhere. Please power down your turbolasers."

@[member="Calico Tal'Verda"]

 

[Darth Ferus]

Krest rubbed the back of his head, glancing to @Calico Tal'Verda. Then, he shrugged. He moved over to the com, standing beside @[member="Galaar Tal'Verda"]. "Yes yes. If you're looking for more information on the Sith Council, I've given you all I can. Their homeworld was all I was given, but I figured it would be enough." He tapped at the consol, an annoyed look on his face. Didn't take the Jedi long to try to find him.

But again. His presence was both Light And Dark.

Light.

And.

Dark.

 

[Allyson Locke]

"Boolon be careful they seem on edge that we are here." It didn't take a genius to point this out with the weapons suddenly were noticed. She didn't know how she felt about them preparing weapons on a shuttle that has shown no threat. Still, she moved to prepare the ship for escape of the need came down to it.

"I sensed someone there, familiar...you think it's @[member="Krest"]?"

@[member="Boolon Murr"]

The answer was given to her, she of course understood the balance of the Zabrak she herself walked balance though she was never something light and dark, her aura had a calm about it, neither light or dark.

*edit after seeing Krest post lol*