Populate [Black Sun] Shut Up and Drive || BSS Populate of Celegia

[Rixa]

Rixa Vey

She noticed a woman with a sword slide near them and grinned at her. "Interested in something a little faster than the race?"

The crowd surged like a living thing, all elbows and sweat and shouted bets. Rixa drank it in with a grin.

Pod races were one of the few thrills left in the galaxy that didn’t involve someone trying to shoot her. Or complications the morning after.

The scream of engines and the stink of burning engines made her pulse tap out a rhythm she hadn’t felt in days.

"The race looks pretty damn fast to me," she called back. Her hand fell to the purse of credits tucked into her jacket.

 

[Vashra Foss]

The Boonta Eve finally came to life with a cacophony of scorching engine heat and a thunderous roar of racing pods no longer held back.

But it wasn´t the race that occupied Vashra´s mind.

Finon´s proposal was crazy but it actually sounded like something. And perhaps it would be good for her in more than one way.

„Nar Shaddaa, favorite tourist spot of the galaxy..." Vashra mused "Never thought I would want to go back into this Hutt brothel but yes, actually it´s an idea if only to prove that I left it behind for good ad can go any time I want. I´m in Finon. Let me deliver my cargo and then I´m coming. "

And while she was there Vashra would prove to al the street scum that her edge was sharper than ever, a lot sharper than theirs…

Finon Nalle

 

[Eaton Waters]

Waiting. He knew he was going to be fine in the race. The engines started. He had his controls. The droids had done their calculations and measurements on the repair work. The results were good.

Looking up, the lights were changing, the race start was being called. Ready.

Engines on.

Marks were set, he knew the course, he had a small heads up on his goggles to help, hopefully track himself around the course. Without a droid co-pilot, it was going to up to him to navigate, to feel his way through the race. Something his people have always done.

Pamarthean and Blubreen alike.

Set?

Up ahead was the starlight flats, the mushroom mesa, the crater valley. A lot of technical driving and flying. Once he got through it, he’d be able to catch up on the Dune Sea. It was a Sea, for Force’s sake. And he was an aquatic.

This heat though.

Go!

Tightening his grip, he pushed both throttles forward, hoping to leap from the stadium and get ahead as he moved to the winding flats.


Das Jericho Kurt Korrado

 

[Eaton Waters]

forgot roll.

 

[Eaton Waters]

Forgot its a 6

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Mauve du Vain //: Velzari Tharn //: Raylin Fall //:
//: Attire //:

It didn't take long. As she finished speaking, she could feel the shift in the air. Boots scraped against the floor, and Quinn's eyes flickered towards their source. It was then she saw past the armor and the guns to the woman who was surrounded, chained — Mauve. Quinn felt her chest tighten, the guilt clawing at her throat as she held her breath.

Every bit of anger began to surface as the room's temperature dropped suddenly. The Force shifted, ebbing and flowing to the Sith Lord as she remembered the sounds of that day: the gunshots, the shouting, and the shuttle whisking away the Zeltron. She had never stopped thinking about it, nor did she stop trying to fix it.

As the room grew colder, the air thickened. A sick feeling of dread loomed in the room as the woman drew upon the Force, gathering power as she stewed in her seat. If she wanted, she could snap every neck that got in her way to the chained woman.

But Quinn remained seated, her eyes locked onto Mauve. It wasn't until the self-entitled trooper decided to speak. He felt himself worth her attention. His words muffled against her ear as he commanded her and the Underlord to pick.

"How cute..." She spoke down to him, her eyes flickering over to the man, then to his gun.

"You assume that toy will protect you? End the life of either the Prince or me?" She stood, laughing at the man and his entitlement. "I will choose then,"

The weight of the Force began to bear down on the room, suffocating it with dread and despair. Every emotion that the woman felt bled into the Force, affecting those around her.

"You. Show me how much faith you have in that armor and weapon against a Sith."

 

[Raylin Fall]

​

Another long breath in. Acceptance.

“It’s a rifle.” He said, his index finger curling around the trigger.

Slugthrower.

Steel core rounds.

Penetration up to seven inches of durasteel. At this range, maybe not so much.

“It’s worked before.” He didn’t move yet. But he could. He was fast. A box drill. He could get at least three, four. His split times were that good.

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Raylin Fall //: Velzari Tharn //: Mauve du Vain //:

He was either stupid or unaware of the situation he had put himself in. A rifle versus the Heir to the Sith Empire. She pitted him, but at least he could die with a fool’s courage.

“Fearless or stupid, will be how you are remembered.” She spat, the room’s weight grew heavy as the temperature continued to chill. As she exhaled, the heat from her breath condensed and her hate only grew.

“Come on, shoot it. If you have so much faith in your skills — shoot me. Wave your rifle around and prove how much you’re compensating.”

Quinn opened her arms, giving the man a clear target.

“I’ll give you a free shot, but after that — I’ll have you twisted inside out, so you can watch your wretched heart beat as you breathe your last breath.”

 

[Velzari Tharn]

BLACK SUN SYNDICATE
NO TAKESIES BACKSIES​

​

Tense silence fell over the chamber. It felt like a slab of solid beskar sitting directly on the festivities. Only the distant roar of podracers on the dunes threatened the icy atmosphere. The minor Vigos and criminal elements had ceased eating and drinking; the Black Sun Guard stood at attention, hands resting on blasters; the Republic diplomats had turned pale… one looked as though he might lose his lunch.

And then there was Quinn and the Republic trooper.

The princess and a soldier… in a pissing contest.

Velzari’s laugh slashed the air like a lightsaber through durasteel. And it wasn’t a chuckle; it was a deep, boisterous laugh that carried for several long moments. He was the only one amused, but it was deeply so.

“Ah,” the Underlord mused, wiping his eyes with a small linen cloth, “I haven’t laughed this hard since Madclaw ripped Hakar’s arm off on Reuss VIII!” A few more laughs followed before Velzari’s eyebrows settled into their typical furrowed shape above his sharp, intelligent eyes. He looked like a bird of prey, sizing up a meal before diving in for the kill.

“I applaud the Republic’s courage,” he said, “but that loose tongue of yours will get you into trouble. Especially when you’re wagging it in a room full of criminal minds and Sith Lords. Not a wise place to be so… bold.”

The Underlord took this moment of statuesque silence to step aside and reach for his glass. A thin, bright-green liquid gently swirled as he brought it to his lips. He swallowed, faced the mouthy trooper, then smiled.

“Were I not so preoccupied, I’d have you all beaten, chained, and shipped to Hutt Space. I imagine the Republic would pay top-dollar for their High Chancellor, two senators, and a handful of commandos.”

He took another sip, as if ransoming prisoners were casual talk… though for Black Sun, it certainly was.

“I’m afraid I simply don’t have the time… or the patience, frankly. And I certainly don’t want to miss the races.” Velzari nodded as the words left his lips, a signal to his enforcers.

In a split moment, their dual-blasters were raised and their fingers hugged the triggers.

“Your families will thank me for this kindness. There are far worse ways to die,” Velzari said to the Republic party.

And to his enforcers, a single command: “Try not to kill Miss du Vain. She and I have some catching up to do.”

They let loose on the enemy, firing at will. Velzari watched icily, sipping at his drink; to him, ordering the deaths of a half-dozen men was equally entertaining as the Boonta Eve Classic.

Tags: Mauve du Vain | Quinn Varanin | Raylin Fall​

 

[Raylin Fall]

Velzari Tharn l Mauve du Vain

Your time has come.
​

Fearless was indeed the word. Not a twinge of it. Not a single strand of it existed in his body. Quinn Varanin could feel that. There was no fear in that man. Even at the end. He'd spent the whole coin of courage, it seemed at the last moments of his life.

The Black Sun's sheer numbers won over the security element-

And Raylin felt the first impact of the blaster.

He fell backwards, his body broken. He collapsed against the wall, breathing raggedly. This was it. This was the end. He looked up behind his visor. Towards one of the Enforcers- the one that shot him. He was not dead yet.

He still had a fight in him. He was full of holes, his armor was compromised. He probably had a collapsed lung, if not one already. But he could still fight. He braced the weapon against his chest, bloodied against the wall, and raised it to his shoulder. Every fiber of his body was on fire. Everything screamed for release, for the end. But his spirit- the tenacity, the ferocity in that man did not end. Only death's icy grip would cease his anger.

The anger came in the form of six shots. He was fast- even wounded. No telling how fast he was when he wasn't- at least the Black Sun wouldn't know. But they'd remember the Republic trooper that despite being shot six times- shot three of theirs back. Well-placed shots, too. Two in each of their chests. His gun was loud, chaotic in the small room. Blasters were relatively quiet and without concussion- slugthrowers were loud, very loud, especially in enclosed spaces. The sound bounced around the room, echoing all around the walls.

He turned his gun on the Underlord.

And fired.

But was off target, because in that last moment- the space between seconds, the barrel of his weapon reacted to him getting hit six more times. Raylin's round went whizzing by the Underlord's head. Missing by not even half an inch. Raylin lurched forward, his rifle falling out of his hands. He breathed deeply, blood in his throat. He felt his hand go limp around the rifle. But he'd go into hell with it in his hands-

He tightened his grip, looked up- and grinned a little at the Black Sun, before he breathed his last.

The last thing Raylin did was grab his rifle, hold it tight.

 

[Kivah]

OBJECTIVE 1:
BOONTA EVE CLASSIC
Maia Racing Swoop | Udyr Biosuit

Kivah laughed at Das's proclamation, "Winner? You'd do anything to avoid buying!" She shouted back, grinning as the warning buzzer sounded. Sitting on her swoop's formed leather seat, Kivah swung her leg over the front of the bike, lifting it high as the biosuit shimmered and formed a helmet to protect her from the sands. She checked over the controls, making sure the bike was nicely warmed up. With Das competing, she'd have to play it fast and tight, the Zero knew the Maia's tricks and basic specs, but not all of Kivah's tricks.

The staring buzzer sounded in time with an upwelling of cheering from the crowd, both were quickly drowned out to Kivah's ears as she twisted the throttle ring to send the racing swoop screaming out of the starting gate. The straightaway flashed by, but she kept her speed up through the turns, using the gimmicked breaking thruster of the Miai to push her through the twisting mesas. Through it all, Kivah was drawing on the Force, enhancing her already lightning reflexes and turning the mad scramble into an almost leisurely ride over the sandy track.

Cutting into the valley, Kivah kicked on the afterburner, setting the swoop racing towards Beggar's Canyon at full speed. The tight loops at either end and hairpin turns would be prime chances to pick off an unwary racer or two, and her fingers flexed around the controls as she prepared herself to fight through the chaos.

Das​

 

[Tales of the Underworld]

BLACK SUN SYNDICATE
BOONTA EVE CLASSIC

​

“Aaaaaand they’re off!” the announcer called. His voice barely touched the crowd over the sound of all the racing craft.

“This is it, folks! This right here is racing! We haven’t seen a Boonta Eve this lively in years. Wonder if it has anything to do with the third sun in our atmosphere?” He was jovial, keeping the crowd on fire. His voice was joined by another’s, a woman who had built an equally strong rapport with the Boonta Eve’s annual patrons.

“Suns, Hutts, Royals—who cares?! As long as there’s good eats, cold drinks, and a functional gambling terminal, it’s a good time!”

The digital panels around the Grand Arena flicked from the hosts to the track, showing the racers speeding toward the second leg of the race…

Kurt Korrado is in the lead, followed by Eaton Waters on his tail.

The other racers fell in a tight cluster just behind them. Kivah and Das are swooping through the plains, with Ronhar Tane not far behind. Jericho Dragr is having trouble getting his pod through the leg.

The stakes are high! … and growing higher … as a distant sandstorm threatens racers entering the Dune Sea.

LEG 2 CURVEBALL: SANDSTORM
Thanks to a GENEROUS sabotage bribe from one of your fellow competitors, we have a TRACK-WIDE modifier: a massive sandstorm!

On Leg 2…

• if you roll an ODD number, -2 from the result
• if you roll a POSITIVE number, +1 to the result
• we will calculate for you
• yes, you can go below 1 or above 6 depending on your rolls!

Spoiler: Podrace Dice Rules

• The Boonta Eve Classic (902) is a single-lap race consisting of four legs
• Each leg, roll 1d6
  • If you're using Discord dice, please link a screenshot of your roll (or use the dice bot in the BSS server!)
  • If you're using Chaos dice, no need to link; we will see it at the bottom of your post
• The results of your rolls will be added together. The winner will be the racer with the highest total number at the end of the race
  • If there is a tie, a tiebreaker lap will take place (four more rolls) to determine the winner
• CHEATING: A racer may CHEAT by paying 5,000 UCs to First Bank of Nar Shaddaa - this enables you to add +2 to your final total
• SABOTAGE: A racer may SABOTAGE another racer by paying 10,000 UCs to First Bank of Nar Shaddaa - this enables you to -2 from an opponent's final total
• GRAND PRIZE: The winner will receive 50,000 UCs and x1 custom podracer/speeder/speederbike submission of unique quality, to be made by BSS staff

Spoiler: Racetrack

Spoiler: Racer Placements

Racer	Leg 1	Leg 2	Leg 3	Leg 4	Final Total
Das	2				2
Eaton Waters	4				4
Jericho Dragr	1				1
Kivah	3				3
Kurt Korrado	6				6
Ronhar Tane	1				1

Tags: Das | Eaton Waters | Jericho Dragr | Kivah | Kurt Korrado | Ronhar Tane​

 

[Ronhar Tane]

Fate to be determined...

 

[Ronhar Tane]

CAPTAIN RONHAR TANE, TK-3301
MOS ESPA, TATOOINE
OBJECTIVE I: BOONTA EVE CLASSIC

Things were off to a rough start for Ronhar Tane .

Between his apparent "false start" and the near concussion he had almost given himself, Ronhar was clearly lagging behind the other racers as he got into the second leg of the Boonta Eve Classic. He had hoped that he might be able to make up for lost time, but the Black Sun seemingly had other plans for him. For just as Ronhar entered the Dune Sea, a straightaway that should have allowed him to blast past his competitors, the weather around the race began to change both dramatically and for the worse. It wasn't something that Ronhar didn't expect, given the planet he was racing on, but the suddenness in which it came on certainly did.

A sandstorm! And a pretty massive one, to boot.

Normally, this wouldn't have been any sort of problem for Ronhar. Hell, he had even driven through one during his last Podrace, and he had come out of it completely unscathed. Unlike most other Podracers, Ronhar's custom TIE Podracer had been built with a fully enclosed cockpit, which should have allowed Ronhar to completely negate any negative effects that the sandstorm might bring.

Unfortunately, unlike last time, Ronhar's Podracer had sustained some damage from when Ronhar slammed into the transparisteel viewport, causing a massive crack to appear in it. As Ronhar drove through the sandstorm, it buffeted his Podracer, and Ronhar could only watch with growing alarm as the crack grew wider and wider, until...

SMASH!

Rather dramatically, the transparisteel viewport shattered into a tiny million pieces, and the full might of the sandstorm came rushing into Ronhar's cockpit. His only saving grace was the fact that he was still wearing his helmet, but that barely made a difference as Ronhar desperately attempted to exit the sandstorm and find his way onto the third leg of the race. Barely able to control his Podracer with the torrent of sand rushing at him, Ronhar was forced to slow down as he dealt with the physical discomfort and difficulty that came with battling his way through the sandstorm. He did eventually manage to work his way out of it, but he had lost even more time, time that he knew he could not afford to lose.

Things were looking rather bleak at this point. If Ronhar was going to have even the slightest hope of winning, he was going to need some help. An ally, perhaps? Having someone dedicated to stopping his rivals might just make it easier for him to catch up to those ahead, not to mention the possibility of eliminating them from the race altogether. Ronhar thought back to the last Podrace he was in, and he remembered a particularly nasty trick that the Black Sun had tried to pull on him. That gave him the idea that he needed. He opened up a secure commlink channel to the First Bank of Nar Shaddaa as he called in his first favor:

"I need you to get that Holodroid ready as soon as possible. Remember, it should be piloting the vehicle of whoever the frontrunner is. And when you set its racing parameters, you best make sure it doesn't come after me at any point during this damned race, or I can assure you that the hell to come will be the least of your worries!", Ronhar threatened. His first favor called in, Ronhar desperately continued forward, trying to make up any distance that he could between him and those far ahead...

TAGS:
Das
Eaton Waters
Jericho Dragr
Kivah
Kurt Korrado

Spoiler: Whoops!

Real talk, I meant to post this in the previous message since I wanted to roll first to see how things would go for me. Whoops!

​

 

[Velzari Tharn]

BLACK SUN SYNDICATE
NO TAKESIES BACKSIES​

​

It wasn’t fear that made the Underlord flinch, it was the piercing explosion of slugthrower rounds being fired in a chamber the size of a large living room. He hadn’t expected the trooper to survive the attack, let alone get any shots off; luckily, the split-second movement Velzari made was enough to clear him from the line of fire.

The slug meant for him zipped by the Underlord’s head and lodged into the sandstone behind him.

No one spoke. Everyone listened.

In the distance, podracers roared toward Beggar’s Canyon while the announcer’s voice communicated the standings. The background noise was accompanied by the deep, gurgling breaths of a dying man on the floor. Velzari accompanied the grotesque sound with a laugh that began as a snicker but grew into a boisterous fit.

“If I’d have known it’d be this easy, I’d have arranged the meeting myself. Miss du Vain,” he said, turning to her with teeth bared in a crooked grin. “Your ‘get out of jail free’ card.” From the rich purple fabric of his garment, Velzari withdrew an aurodium-plated holdout pistol. He held Mauve’s bound hands away from her body, then promptly shot the electro-cuffs. They slipped from her wrists, which the Underlord noticed were a bit thinner than last time he saw her.

“Join us,” he offered, in as warm of a tone as could come from the galaxy’s vilest crime lord.

“Food and drink—but partake slowly.”

Then he turned to the Republic trooper. Velzari was certain the grim expression on his face and the lack of sputtering meant he’d breathed his last, but the Underlord would never let slip an opportunity to have the last laugh.

“You missed,” he purred, glaring into the man’s lifeless orbs. “But never fear that your life was spent in vain; it’ll serve as an excellent reminder for the Republic, who cannot seem to grasp my mantra: don’t fuck with Black Sun.”

Another triumphant chuckle escaped the Falleen. He stood upright, aimed the aurodium blaster at the trooper’s face, and fired once.

“Someone clean this mess up,” Velzari commanded. Sarlacc pit, black market organ dealer, it didn’t matter. The Underlord left the specifics to his underlings.

He had a Vigo to welcome home, and a damn-good race to watch.

Tags: Mauve du Vain | Quinn Varanin | Raylin Fall​

 

[Marlon Sularen]

S H U T_U P_A N D_D R I V E
Objective I : Boonta Eve Classic

IMPERIAL CONFEDERATION
TATOOINE, OUTER RIM TERRITORIES

​

The Boonta Eve Classic. One of the galaxy's largest and most prestigious podraces also known for it's high mortality rate. Here some of the best podracers in the galaxy would compete for the number one stop in order to make a name for themselves in the galaxy. So much talent and potential that was wasted on a sport that so easily claimed the lives of it's participants often putting an end to the life of individuals who could achieve far greater things in life.

Nevertheless despite this, Sularen had developed an interest in podracing mostly due to two factors : the first being the participation of Ronhar Tane, a decorated soldier within the Imperial Confederation and the second being the pool of talent amongst the other participants of the race that had the potential of being something greater then mere podracers. Plus it was nice to be outside his office for once, especially given the ongoing stress that came with preparing for future military campaigns against the enemies of the Confederation.

Thus, the Imperial Supreme Commander would find himself inside one of the private spectator booths seated comfortably with his trusted aide Rackham , the Acting Director of the Imperial Security Service by his side as they both watched the ongoing race as it entered the second leg with a couple of guards standing watch within the booth to keep the pair protected from any possible threats.

So far Kurt Korrado was in the lead with Eaton Waters right behind him, while Ronhar trailing at 6th placed tied with Jericho Dragr. A less-then-impressive start but Sularen was certain that Tane would manage to pull through and make some sort of comeback. Until then Sularen would keep his focus on the leading racers as they would begin pushing through the second leg just as a sandstorm approached.

That being said, Sularen was looked forward to see how this race would end as things looked like they were just about to get interesting.

Tags | Ronhar Tane | OPEN ​

 

[Eaton Waters]

Not a bad start, not a bad start at all. Eaton was feeling good as he was leading his pod through the turns. The other humanoid alien, Kurt, was out ahead of him and he was not caring for that, no not at all. Gripping the controls tight, Eaton was moving through the track, taking all the outside variable, and doing his best to do what Parmatheans did, race.

Find the path, take the path, and adjust as it changed around him. And of course, it was going to change around him. And he got where he wanted to be, the Crater Valley. Pushing his pod, the Blubreen felt the sand hitting against the less-damp-than-at-the-start. He could hear the sands whipping past his ears as he entered Beggar’s Canyon.

Womp rats, everywhere.

Someone should handle that issue.

Still, another turn, through Butte City, and something else was on the rise.

Drifting the pod into the Dune Sea, he saw what it was.

“Feth.”

Tightening his goggles and wrapping the scarf around his mouth, he buckled in.

Let'sa Go.

 

[Kurt Korrado]

​

Beggar's Canyon, what a bend. Maybe the ol' cowboy had been overconfident from his good start, maybe he just wasn't as used to being back in the saddle as he'd thought. As the racers hit one of the tightest corners of the race, Kurt watched as Eaton Waters overtook him. The roar of their pods was scaring a herd of womp rats back into their hidey holes, but between trying to swerve away from them and keep himself from slamming into the back of Waters' pod, the Zeltron veered just a little too close to the canyon wall on the outside of the bend. The huge right turbines scuffed into the red rock, tearing off a sizeable chunk of the metal plating before Kurt could steer himself back onto the track.

He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he could have easily crashed and died right there. Everything was fine, he thought. Then the smoke began to billow out of the damaged engine. As the racer broke from the cover of the canyon walls, Kurt's pod began to slow, not because be wanted to, but because the right engine was no longer roaring, but chugging. They all could see the sand storm washing in across the Dune Sea, the massive dark brown wall looming over them, the wind driving harder than they were. Kurt cussed and kicked, but there was nothing to do but charge forward.

He knew damn well he wasn't getting across the dunes before being engulfed. He adjusted his goggles to make sure they were tight, and ready for a fight. That was just a risk he had to take...

Eaton Waters Das Ronhar Tane Kivah Jericho Dragr​

 

[Kivah]

OBJECTIVE 1:
BOONTA EVE CLASSIC
Maia Racing Swoop | Udyr Biosuit

Frustrated, Kivah whipped her swoop through the turns of Beggar's Canyon, staying just ahead of Das while only catching tantalizing glimpses of the racer ahead of her. Every time she brought her cannon to bear in the twisting canyon, they either made a turn or she had to start breaking for her own turn, pushing her nose around.

Coming out of the canyon's last hairpin, the Dune Sea stretched out before her, a beautiful straight way over softly undulating sand hills. She cranked the throttle again, trying to make up for lost time when a shadow fell over her and the course. The wall of the sandstorm loomed large, sweeping across the desert flats. Spitting curses in three different languages, the Cathar dialed back the intake on the turbothruster to protect it from the sand. Simultaneously, she brought up the bike's passive sensor on the display, letting it highlight the terrain and high-powered engine signatures of her fellow racers. With the sandstorm cutting visibility to nothing as the billions of tiny sand grains blacked out the sun while blocking vision, Kivah further complicated matters for her fellow racers by running a stealth coated and sound dampened racing swoop.

The storm had forced her to slow down while crossing the sea, but she used her sensors and Force senses to her advantage, cutting around other racers without them ever knowing she was there, with no fear of accidentally wandering off the track in the midst of the sand storm.

Slipping into Arch canyon as the storm blow past, She took the ninety, opening her thruster up again and letting it shake the sand it's swallowed loose as she accelerated into the looping curve. This one she took at an angle, riding up the curving wall of the canyon, using it to push her around the turn and make up for lost time instead of slowing to ride out the curve on the ground like most beings would. A zig-zag latter and she was onto the third leg of the course.

 

[Mauve du Vain]

If I’d have known it’d be this easy, I’d have arranged the meeting myself. Miss du Vain,” he said, turning to her with teeth bared in a crooked grin. “Your ‘get out of jail free’ card.” From the rich purple fabric of his garment, Velzari withdrew an aurodium-plated holdout pistol. He held Mauve’s bound hands away from her body, then promptly shot the electro-cuffs. They slipped from her wrists, which the Underlord noticed were a bit thinner than last time he saw her.

"Quite. Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."

The sundered cuffs fell away and Mauve began massaging her wrists as she followed the Underlord, casting a look in Quinn's direction.

So many emotions warred in her chest. But business first. She glanced around the room until she located a device that the Underlord almost always carried with him - a jamming field. She plucked it from the table and drew close to him until they stood a hand's breadth apart, then she clicked the device on. The sound outside dulled as the bubble enveloped them, preventing those outside from hearing their words.

Mauve glanced once more at Quinn, then back to Velzari. Her deal with Veruna and Abrantes swirled at the forefront of her mind. Information. Money. Soldiers.

Power.

"Tharn, you once did not brand me when you had the chance, so I won't lie to you now. I'm going to get payback for what Arris did to me. I heard all about what she told you.

Are you going to stop me?

It's her or me."

Velzari Tharn Quinn Varanin