Public Assault on the Turbid Star (Open to All)

[Talsin Lota]

BETWEEN CORUSCANT AND BRENTAAL IV

The war between the Dark Empire and the Galactic Alliance was in full swing. Fog of war meant that it would be days if not more before it was clear if Coruscant had fallen or if the Alliance managed to push back the invaders past their borders. In the meantime a steady flow of refugees fled Coruscant, on their own private ships, cargo haulers or transit liners, and many of them ended up on the Turbid Star.

The Star used to be a mining colony that processed ore from nearby asteroids. Halfway between Coruscant and Brentaal IV it had been a booming economical hotspot. All of that ended as the progressive governments pushed the boundaries of their nations further and further away from the Core. It became unprofitable and when economic engines became profitless they were abandoned quickly.

Since those glory days it hosted everything from smugglers to pirates.

Currently it served as a refugee center run by a band of ex-Sacred Lotus members. After the disappearance of Jedi Master Bethany Kismet many had left the order in pursuit of their original mission, serving the Galaxy by any and all means. The colony wasn't small, but it was never meant to hold this many sentients in one place.

It was a stationary target for the scum and villainy plaguing this Galaxy. Already a pirate crew demanded a tax for occupying 'their region of space'. The Sacred Lotus members were hardly warriors, but refused regardless on the understanding that agreeing once would put them under their thumb forever. The Alliance and Jedi Order were too busy holding off the Dark Empire and planning their next move to spare any serious manpower to save the Turbid Star and its refugees.

This is why the Healers reached out to basically anyone willing to listenn. Offering little in tangible rewards but plenty in gratitude.

Talsin had arrived earlier that morning and offered his assistance. He was nothing more than a Padawan by Jedi standards, but he had money to spare and brought with him a few mechanics that were already busy fixing up the auto-turret network in the hangar bays.

The Pirates could arrive at any moment, it could be minutes or days, but it would be a bloodbath if nobody stood up to them.

The Jedi Padawan would do what he could... while praying more people would answer the call.

_________________________________
​

OOC: Idea is to do a scrappy low-key thread, so please don't show up with huge fleets or enormous armies.

 

[Enki Rak]

Talsin Lota
​

This was a classic -- little colony out nowhere, abandoned by every intergalactic nation that ever laid claim to it, now in desperate need. 'Course, they were poor, which meant everything Rak sold them would be marked up double.

Today's baddies were the Big Bosuns, a crew that split off from an old acquaintance of Rak's that moved to a new territory in hopes of new loot. Last he checked they had a small cruiser and a couple of gunboats, plus some positively ancient X-wings and uglies. Compared to what he was seeing on the Turbid Star, it might have well been the legions of the Sith rolling up.

Normally the Captain wouldn't be caught within twenty parsecs of a saber jockey or half a jump to the Core, but the tip was to take job, so take it he did. Now he and the big man, the ex-marine Sack, rolled into the hangar in a souped-up L4000, asking around for- "whoever's got the money. I got a turbolaser graded for cruisers and my boys can have it installed in an hour, plus I've got a case of disruptors, some sturdy repeaters- well, anything you can ask for, really."

 

[Is'ekapi Rex]

An extremely large bulk freighter finished it's maneuvers. Those with a window view would despair as the engines fired and the ship accelerated away from the station. A couple of minutes latter it jumped into hyperspace, without so much as care to their plight. Of course the refugees wouldn't had known that it was lending them aid. A single starfighter had launched from the vessel. Too small for them to see.

Someone named Talsin Lota seemed to be leaded the defense of the refugees on the station. He'd explained the situation briefly. Pirates, refugees, the war. She wasn't buying that it could really be pirates though. Being basically in the center of civilized space and a stones throw from a war zone. This reeked of the DE just looking to pull off more chaos. She could be wrong of course. Not like she could sense what was happening.

The starfighter slowed as it neared the hanger. Reverse thrusters bringing it to a reasonable speed to pass through the shielding. Rex wasn't an Ace hotshot pilot yet. But she knew the basics. The ship was brought in and landed to one side of the hanger. Red tapped a button on the side of her helmet for comms. "Talsin, this is Rex. I've touched down. You in Hanger Bay 03 yet? I'd love a proper briefing." She popped the starfighters canopy open, letting that stale recycled station air in. Her sensitive nose wanted to refuse her need to breathe. But she overwrote it and resumed doing so, albeit manually.

A very large Togorian woman jumped out of her ship, landing with a felines grace on the steel flooring despite her size. Her outfit was a black pilots suit, custom fit. She would be really hard to miss unless you tried. Her white hair, though most of it was tucked into the suit, contrasted with the black. And the orange of her fur really stuck out for some real color.

Enki Rak

 

[Talsin Lota]

Enki Rak | Is'ekapi Rex

Talsin didn't really consider himself the leader of anything, but the Lotus elders seemed to be content to letting him handle at least some of the organizing. They had a more important job anyway in Talsin's opinion. Keeping the refugees calm, safe and healing them as best as they could. Even if the pirates cut their way through Tal and the others... they'd be waited on by wizened Jedi Healers and be confronted by a realization that many scum came to too late:

Never get between a doctor and their charge.

He was haggling with a Humbariner on the cost of medical supplies when he heard Rak's calling out for attention. "Yeah, that would be me." Stepping up towards him and letting one of the Lotus' finalize the deal.

They had a better idea what a medpack ought to be worth anyway.

"Price doesn't matter within reason if you start asking me for Death Star profits on the backs of the refugees' suffering, we can cut that short now." A glance towards some of the encampments being disassembled to be moved deeper into the facilities. The hangar bays would be the first line of defense if the pirates managed to dock.

"We will take the turbolaser, the weapons. Do you have any power supplies? We have been dealing with black-outs. If you got a spare generator or two to plug into the network... well, we might be able to hold them off long enough to really make them pay for it." The black-outs were a real problem, with most of the power routed to life-support, it meant that every so often the auto-turret network and the deflector shields cut off for a few seconds at a time. That added up. It would allow the pirates to get through key junction points basically unimpeded. If they could solve the black-outs it could save a lot of lives.

That's when Rex's voice filtered into his earpiece.

<< Yeah, I am here, Rex. >> Tal didn't know much about the Togorian, except that she was build like a mountain and had the personality to match a stampede of feral banthas, but Talsin considered that a positive thing. He speculated her personal interest had to do with the fate of her homeworld. How many times had the Sith Empire burned and ransacked Togoria? At a certain point suffering became universally shared and felt by everyone wronged by the worst this Galaxy had to offer.

Once Rex leaped out of her fighter she'd see a human, decidedly shorter than her, waving at her.

"Hey, we were getting anxious when we saw the freighter reverse into hyperspace. I am glad you are sticking around." He pushed down the anxiety of knowing that a single starfighter wouldn't make much difference, but Tal wouldn't refuse any helping hand.

"We are moving the refugees deeper into the facilities. The Lotus Healers will be looking over them, the last line of defense, if we... fall." Tal grimaced because he knew exactly how that sounded, but his father had always taught him that while inspiring people was important, it was even more crucial to be honest and forthright with them.

You couldn't ask people to fight without giving them all the stakes so they could make an informed decision.

"We are already hearing about scuffles between the refugees. Tensions are high, Rex, we can't both keep order between our people and stand up to the pirates."

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

"Well, it'd be mighty cool if—-"one of the healers gave the girl in the wide-brimmed hat a stern look. Beneath the shadow of the hat, she turned sheepish. "No, no, you're right." Her excited lilt slanted more to a sombre drawl. "It would be right awful if the pirates showed up."

Tansu had never seen pirates. She'd heard of some once or twice in Concord space, but her Pa and brothers took care of the threats. The concept of them seemed fascinating, though. Aside from the penchant for violence, a whole life dedicated to gallivanting through the stars felt dreamy. But her enthusiasm for gallivanting heroism was not shared by the inhabitants of The Turbid Star. Their anticipation felt different than hers. She was like a brisket on a low simmer and they were like jittery hens knowin' a fox was on the prowl.

"Dun worry. I reckon s'all talk. Bark worse than their bite kinda thing."

Someone made another face at her that seemed to condemn the idea of assuaging concerns at ALL. Tansu blinked, huffed, and passed her hydro spanner off to someone else to figure out. Her fuse was shorter than some outpost electrical boxes that kept shorting out.

Fine. She'd find something else to do if she couldn't give faux pep talks. So far, the station's adults liked bossing her around and finding random jobs to get done. For the most part, she was happy to help. For the most minor part, less so, because of how bummed out all those with all anxiety and trepidation made her. Didn't they know attitude was half the battle? Absolute downers.

Especially since Talsin was doing such a stand up job recruiting help, funding relief, in general making things a thousand times better than if the outpost had missed his attention. She wasn’t sure how to say that politely though, so she just found herself frustrated with the glum reality of impending doom.

Skirting from one spot to another, Tansu slid onto the scene just as the supped-up transport's engines cooled. Their supposed captain was out of sight, and she was all goggly-eyed and gasping at the custom job done on the L400. After asking around for under a minute, some of the hangar's crew pointed a finger at the would-be captain. He was near Talsin for a second or two before Talsin seemed distracted by something else.

It was probably inappropriate to fangirl on the eve of an attack, but Tansu couldn't help it.

"Laser cannons AND blaster turrets?" Tansu used as an introduction, nearly skipping onto the scene. "Usually it's an or, huh? One or the other for 'fendin' 'gainst threats right? You got other mods on that cayuse?" Her thumb just over her shoulder at the beetle-shaped L400 parked and administering retail solutions to people in need. "It's real cute, but is it just meant to planet hop and not get involved?"

She hadn’t caught the entire exchange, but it sounded like the dealer was more the type to wheel-n-deal (equal emphasis on both) — but with a vehicle like that, it’d be helpful for them to hang around.

Thus, she embodied her best version of backwater charm to try and appeal to the ego of someone who might want to dodge a fight. Bright eyed, she tilted her hat up and back on her head a bit so more of her face showed beneath the brim. "Y'ever use 'em at the same time? The Rrets 'n the cannons?"

____________________________________________________________
HI LEMME NERD OUT: Enki Rak
LETS SAVE PEOPLE: Talsin Lota | Is'ekapi Rex
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Enki Rak]

Tansu Treicolt Talsin Lota Is'ekapi Rex
​

"Mm. Yeah, I got a spare Novaldex OZ-10. We'll install it, she's finicky."

Lota had other places to be, leaving Rak and his second alone. They watched as a huge Togorian hop out of a starfighter across the hangar. Sack gave a low whistle. "Wouldn't mind a-"

He got a slap on the back of the head. "You mudcrutch, we're working. Go get the boys and the merchandise."

"Yeah, yeah. Mopak, man."

Enki thumbed his nose, his guard walking off to get their techs. Some kid was checking out his ship, but before he could tell her off, she skipped on over to him to yap. She sounded dumber than a skag in summer but behind those eyes was an idea. He didn't much like the idea -- but maybe she had something for him. So he lied like a Trandoshan on a hot rock.

"Lucky I haven't had to," he said. "I'm a man of business. Getting shot at, shooting? Bad business. I'd get out of here if I were you. I mean- you ever even shot with that piece, kid? I've seen five people packing on this station so far and two of 'em are me. Seems like this place has enough defenses to fend off a couple of rats, not a pirate gang. Unless you got some trick up your sleeve, everyone on this station's probably dead."

 

[Is'ekapi Rex]

If Togorian's could show that they blushed, then her cheeks would be flushed. Talsin had only spoken with her over comms, no holo-image. She had to stifle the thought of just snatching him up and flying away. "Yeah, sorry about the ship leaving. The crew wasn't very cool about the situation. I can't blame them eh. I friggin' hate Pirates though."

Talsin laid out some more info on her. The situation was pretty bleak to say the least. The odds were up in the air without knowing how many enemies they'd be facing though. How much time they'd have to prepare. She wasn't going to sweat it. It seemed with her observation work was already underway on the defenses. Folks fixing stuff up. And a freighter unloading weapons.

"If we fall." Rex placed one of her large paws on Talsin's shoulder. "Don't think for a second we will." She paused for a moment. Trying to think of something more inspiring to say. "Well then. Keeping order among the refugees seems like a good start if we have time before we have to fight. A rousing speech from our leader would suffice. "Rex gave a shoulder squeeze of assurance. "You've already taken the mantle Talsin. Time to lead."

Talsin Lota Enki Rak Tansu Treicolt

 

[Alvis Hafey]

The soft whine of one of the cargo bays, more notable Cargo Bay Nine would issue a soft alarm. One of the workers would notice that a specifically narrow coffin was moving...erratically. It had been placed here some time ago for pick up, noted to being some remains of a droid that was to be picked up...well, eventually. After a few more thunks of the coffin moving side to side, it would burst open as suddenly, a human male would pop up with a strange cowboy hat. Looking side to side, he would see the worker as there was a sudden moment of fear as they stared at each other. With a small motion of his left hand, he tried to speak as the gentleman yet cheery voice broke through.

"Good day! Mind telling me where I am at?"

Then the worker screamed, rather high pitched and ran off, dropping several pieces of equipment with a plethora of noise. Slowly standing up, he noticed something on top of the metal coffin he pushed off and read it aloud, noticing a holster with a weapon inside it along with a datachip taped next to it and a large credit chit beside that.

"Dear Son, you have been a problematic program for quite some time and been getting into the affairs of the Galaxy. I thought you would have learned from your grandfather but I see you have not. I have stricken you from the family fortune for fifty years, your name intact and you will stay twenty years inside this box. When you awaken, hopefully the war will be over and you will have come to your senses. Signed, Angelus Hafey. Small Footnote, next time you are in pieces, don't expect to be rebuilt...Dad, you are a kriffer."

There was a bit of a blink from both eye sockets as he slowly pulled on the holster, ripping it off from the bottom of the coffin, a bit blissfully unaware of the accidental chaos that ensued. Holding the strange DN-1 Slugthrower, he would open the side to reveal five rounds of ammunition were already loaded into it. Flipping it back closed, he would pull from behind it a box of thirty-six rounds of ammunition, putting it into his pocket along with pulling the datachip and the credit chit, about twenty grand, into the other pocket.

"Alright Dad...where the hell did you drop me off at?!"

Is'ekapi Rex Enki Rak Tansu Treicolt Talsin Lota

 

[Tansu Treicolt]

​

More and more Tansu understood why the galaxy needed heroes. It was so much easier to just… not.

The teen looked disappointed beneath the brim of her hat.

"Is it though?" She tilted her head, "Bad for business, I mean. Or is it more a marketing tactic. Ya know, the name that saves the station." She pointed past the merchant to his supped up freighter. "That's a mighty recognizable ship. Easy to get people talkin' about it and what it can do." Of course she had zero marketing credentials, and even fewer toutable business acumen.

Convincing and recruiting was sort of the extent of Tansu's master plan.

"I—" she dropped a hand to her thigh where her blaster holstered, paused, and pfff'awed the air flippantly. "Dont'cha worry 'bout me mister." She had not, in fact, shot it at someone. Womp rats on a summer's night? Sure. Human flesh and blood? Not so much.

"I've gotta bit of an idea. Actually, helluv one. Since this place used to be a refinery station, right?" She used her hands to demonstrate, making sure she had the attention of the merchant still. "I've talked to a few of the locals, and they pointed me that-a-way." She thumbed over her shoulder, from whence she came "—We found these dusty 'ol automated drones 'n are working on activating 'em and turnin' 'em into something more kahmekahzee like." Hands planted proudly on her hips. "Could use help."

Someone nearby yawped out. The consequence of anxious whispers. One of the refugees overheard the disparaging comment about the station's odds of survival and latched onto it like a fact.

It only took one. Panic spread like wildfire. It started with one group, two families and a third wanderer. Then other mothers and fathers became concerned for their children and the uproar grew. Lost and scared, people started to claw over one another to ensure they had the first shot at getting deeper into the station's safety. Fists flew, knees buckled, teeth gnashed, and the entryway to the inner tunnels of the Turbid Star — quite near Alvis Hafey — saw itself bottlenecked by clambering crowds.

____________________________________________________________
Enki Rak | Is'ekapi Rex | Talsin Lota | Alvis Hafey
____________________________________________________________
​

 

[Enki Rak]

Tansu Treicolt | Talsin Lota Is'ekapi Rex Alvis Hafey
​

He put a hand up. "I don't work for less than the Alliance minimum wage. I'm charging by the minute."

But he seemed amenable to the idea. A dozen techs -- denoted more by their dress and equipment and less by their demeanour, as most looked rougher than a desert night on Tatooine -- filtered on out of the ship, towing out a turbolaser tower and a currently-inactive power generator. Enki yelled to his bodyguard, "Oi, grab my toolbox. B-B-1, on the shelf, you know the one."

Sack looked between them, then nodded, slipping back into the ship. He returned with a large briefcase and handed it to his captain.

"Drones," he said. "They'll throw themselves at the pirates, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I'll be back when you're done. Be quick."

"Yeah."

Sack left, and Rak went with the kid. "You work on droids before, girl?"

 

[Alvis Hafey]

Walking out of a potential riot was probably not something a regular human was able to do, but a Human Replica Droid? It was possible...though it was a droid questioning still where he was currently at.

"Excuse me! Why is everyone just running around! Mamn can you tell me-"

WHAM! He was struck hard in the face with a large purse, a purse no less holding almost all of her valuables as the droid fell over with a satisifying clang as people run over his body.

"STOP! STOP! GARGHHH YOU IMBELICLES! DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?! I AM METAL L-" CLANG! Part of his jaw was kicked as it partly dislocated as the vocubulator stopped working. Having enough, he moved his arms frantically and with his droid strength, threw some people off him or tripped them while moving to the side. Pushing his jaw back into position, it clacked like two pieces of metal with his voice returning to normal while stumbling into a room unknowingly, being these three.

"Animals! All of you are animals! I oughta-oh great, you going to stomp on me next? Why has the station lost their mind?!"

Enki Rak Tansu Treicolt Is'ekapi Rex

 

[Talsin Lota]

Enki Rak | Tansu Treicolt | Is'ekapi Rex | Alvis Hafey

He had been rather hopeful that Rex would step into the fray. With muscles and size like hers it would have been a natural thing for her to walk into the crowd and club a few heads together to get some sense in them.

Instead the Togorian's hand settled on his shoulder and Talsin's eyes widened a bit as he gazed up at her. Why was he so warm all of a sudden? And was it just the room or did his face feel hot?

"I... uh, well that is to say, I can try. Yes." Tal nodded quickly as he turned around and stepped towards the crowd. "People, please-" It became mayhem and a poor fellow had his jaw... dislocated? And then he popped it back into place like it was nothing? His arms so strong that he send a few people skidding to the side?

Oh, dear.

"PEOPLE, CALM THE FETH DOWN." Tal took inspiration from that time Tansu and him had encountered a huge sentient crocodile. The Dark Jedi had screamed at them with such force they had flown back into the wall. Of course Talsien wasn't going to do that much, but the wave of sound ran through the panicking crowd and appealed to the base lizard brain inside that froze up when in imminent danger.

Talsin wasn't proud of it, but with the huge Togorian woman behind him (he assumed she was there to back him up if it got nasty) he felt confident enough.

"Sorry about that. Look, this is a tough spot we are all in, I know that. Everyone knows that. But screaming, yelling, fighting each other isn't going to solve a damn thing and might even ruin any chance we got to win this." He spoke with a confident tone even if he had zero confidence in the moment. Fake it until you make it was basically a lesson spoon-fed to him the moment he was born to a Duke and Duchess.

"If you remain calm and listen to the Sacred Lotus Healers... we can get through this. If there is anyone with useful skills- engineering, fighting or is strong and capable of lugging things around... step forward. This is your chance to meet the moment. Together we can stop these pirates and protect the people we care about."

Faked it... but Talsin began to believe it and because he believed it his confidence began to infect the immediate area around him. Force Valor was beyond him, but a basic instinctive version of it seeped into the air as several people began to step up. It didn't affect the whole crowd though... and right around where Alvis was... some individuals began to tussle with one another again.

It was a sensitive moment.

If nobody put a stop to it all of this might spin out of control again. Sadly Talsin didn't see it, he was too busy beginning to organize the volunteers to notice what was happening on the outskirts of the group.

 

[Is'ekapi Rex]

It had worked, mostly. As her height allowed her to see over the masses of people. Some in the back didn't seem to get the message. "Nice work Talsin. You must be a natural born leader." A big slap hit him in the back. A friendly one of course. "We still have some stragglers though. Think I'll go play brute squad and get the rest of em on board with us. I'll be back in a few."

The crowd parted like a flock of prey. Not wanting to mess with a predator in their midst. Some of the stragglers folded into the crowd. Others ran off after she gave a low growl at them. She stopped for a moment when she heard someone angrily shouting just through a doorway. "Some of the station likely has. And who are YOU calling an animal?" Half way through the too small for her door her question was directed at a man who looked like he should be on some Wild Space backwater planet ranching Bantha's. How the heck is he among the refugees from Coruscant?

Talsin Lota Alvis Hafey Enki Rak Tansu Treicolt