Dead Trees [SJO vs The Cabal]

[Coratanni Cartel]

Kashyyyk - Shadowlands
Kara Thawne

Ugh. This place is disgusting. The thought ran through her mind as she sat perched atop a small supply crate, half a dozen of Coratanni's Synthetic Enforcers working diligently around her.

The Human Replica Droids were about as stiff as you could get, no real personalities and no inclination for personal thought, but they were at the very least useful. They did their work without complaint, and here in the Shadowlands there was plenty of work to do. Clearing an area large enough for what they required was difficult, near impossible in fact. The only advantage they had was the fact that finding them was near enough impossible.

Kashyyyk was a massive world, and the majority of it was covered with Wroshyr trees that towered into the air.
The forest was thick, thick enough that most Wookiees didn't even travel to the surface of their world in a lifetime.

It was an impressive feat, but there was another reason for it besides just the trees of course. The Shadowlands were rife with creatures that even the Wookiees were scared of. It all came together and meant that the area was hardly ever looked at; the perfect place for people like the Cabal. Of course, that was if they could survive it, though Kara didn't seem worried about that aspect.

"Ma'am."​

A voice called to her, the Twi'els head twisting slightly as she spotted one of the Sarcina walking towards her.

"The creatures in the area have started to pick off off the Synths."​

Kara frowned at the statement, her gaze flicking towards the swamp like for. Irritation prickled across her skin and slowly she drew herself up. The Cabal was along for this little venture, though they wouldn't be much help to her here. "Find them. Kill them. Then skin them."

She frowned for a moment. They would need to set up sonic projectors to turn the beasties away.

"I want a new coat by the end of the day." The Mandalorian nodded, lingering for a moment as he stared at Kara and then turned to leave.

 

[Azimuth Industries]

​

Capo One-Eye​

​

Kashyyyk,
Shadowlands

A group of Rodians stalked the forest floor, separated from the Coratanni synths by a kilometer of dense undergrowth. They carried a motley array of equipment and weapons, but each bore a svaper patch on their shoulder, indicating they all belonged to the Tanwa Goa-Ato: a Rodian hunting guild that did contract work for the Bareesh Kajidic.

A Rodian with one eye, the other a cybernetic implant, scanned the surrounding terrain. He wore a Vanir Tech proton rifle on his back and carried a Sliid pistol in his hand. A morp knife sat in a sheath at his belt. His scarred mouth worked silently, antennae twitching as he counted under his breath.

"No game yet, Si'rin'ha," said one of the Unblooded to him.

Capo One-Eye did not respond. The Unblooded lacked discipline. Capo thought it would be a surprise if this particular Unblooded survived the hunt.

The ambient noise here was haunting. Deadly. Beasts lurked in the darkness. Waiting for weakness. Capo cocked his Sliid gun.

"Set up the noise perimeter. Establish base camp in this clearing."

Quickly, hunters began erecting a series of pylons around the clearing until they formed a rectangle. Once activated, they produced an invisible sound barrier that ran between each pylon. Any beast that tried to stomp through the camp would be turned away by the noise.

But the Wookies were another matter entirely.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"] | [member="Cradossk"]

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

TRANDOSHA
LORPFAN

By Trandoshan standards, the feast was magnificent. It had all the staples of a wealthy Trandoshan's diet: meat, and... Just meat. Most of it under-cooked, if it had been cooked at all. It went without saying that such a menu did not sit very well with the delicate palette of Tytos Ardik. He squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, making no moves towards his loaded plate. For his role in establishing New Hsskhor station, Tytos had been awarded a seat at the head table - next to Elder Kraknor of Lorpfan - in the city's most prestigious dining hall.

It did not feel very prestigious.

Boisterous Trandoshans filled the other long tables, rabble rousing and feasting themselves as close to capacity as they could get. They loudly exchanged the usual stories of Jagannath Points, of Wookiees slain, of slaves captured. That sort of thing. These Trandoshans were nothing like Derrenger. Maybe that was why he had left. Tytos felt a very powerful urge to leave as well, but it would be rude to get up in the middle of a banquet. Besides, he had business with the Elder. The Syndicate was looking to invest in more holdings both inside and outside of the Alignment, and Elder Kraknor was the Elder to talk to if you wanted to get things done in Lorpfan. Talking to him, however, was quite difficult when he was consuming a large Bantha steak with both hands.

"Elder Kraknor," Tytos began, cautiously, voice strained to be heard above the considerable din, "I was hoping we could discuss..."

The Elder held up a single claw, indicating silence. Once he had swallowed, he pointed to Tytos' plate. "You going to eat that?"

Tytos pushed the plate towards the Trandoshan, only to watch as the Elder callously knocked it to the ground. On cue, an Akk pup came bounding over and helped itself to the scattered contents. Nothing went to waste here in Lorpfan, it seemed. Tytos watched the Akk pup wolf down whole chunks, seemingly without chewing, and noted with some distress the lack of differences between it and the rest of the dining hall.

 

[Nadir]

Kashyyyk :: Forest beneath the ruins of Yugwaaargh

Krellan ‘Smiley’ Rahn

Noghri, Trandoshan, potato, potahto.

Smiley picked his teeth clean of raw flesh. Durasteel toothpick – harder to break, easier to jam into someone’s eye.

Tip #2 from the street. (The first three are free.)

The Clan soldiers around him paid him little mind. They had their orders and their pay glittering just beyond the figurative horizon. The real one was some two odd clicks up, swallowed by the darkness of the wroshyr canopy.

While the scaleless toiled in the sweat, Smiley felt just fine. Humid? Dangerous? Black like the mouth of a Hutt? (Smelled like it, too.)

All a-okay with him. So far things were fairly quiet. Orders had come from on high about where to find swaths of open, scarred land. No burning needed – somebody else had already done that job for them, though it looked old as hell.

But he wasn’t getting paid to ask questions.

“Hey, you!” He took out the toothpick and yelled at one of the men. Broad and stocky… for a human. His instinct to glare was quickly quelled when Smiley pulled to full height, arching well above the impudent fleshling.

“Yeah, boss?”

“Take a couple and go secure the next plot.”

The soldier visibly relaxed. “Sure, boss.”

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

Kashyyyk - Shadowlands
Kara Thawne

"I can't believe Mara convinced me to come here." She said to herself quietly, still sitting perched atop the small crate.

Most of her time within the shadowlands had been ironically spent avoiding walking on the ground. She'd never really thought that the earth would be so swamp like, mud and animal dung covering nearly every surface. The massive roots that seemed to break into the air every few feet didn't help either. It was unpleasant, and a strong scent of death hung in the air at all times. Her nerves were very quickly beginning to fray, and she found herself thinking about just what she would do to her sister when she saw her next.

Lips thinned, fingers drummed against the crate.

Slowly her head swiveled to her left, the Coratanni Synthetic Enforcers working diligently to set up a perimeter through the use of a mobile laser fence. It was the first stage in securing their little territory down here, keeping the beasties out long enough for them to actually cultivate the land that they needed. The going was slow, trees needed cutting, brush needed clearing, and the muck made it rather difficult to move around.

In the distance she heard a blaster shot followed by an echoing roar.

The Sarcina had set to work on her command. Each of the Thirteen Mandalorians had set out with an almost child-like glee. Their culture was a silly one, built around machismo so strong that even the women seemed to be infected with it. "Brutes."

Kara said with a loud sigh, leaning back on the crate and watching her droids work.

[member="Nadir"] | [member="Tytos Ardik"] | [member="Bareesh Kajidic"]​

 

[Ashin Varanin]

TRANDOSHA
LORPFAN

Nobody ran a feast like Elder Kraknor. From the moment he'd disembarked, Cradossk had pumped out saliva at a prodigious rate. Now, halfway through his second plate, Cradossk confessed his high expectations met and exceeded. The Wookiee filet, a rarity in this infuriating age, went down like the finest eel. Tender wagyu bantha, served with only the slightest glaze of heat, contrasted richly with barbecued nuna kebabs. Each kebab held four whole nunas stuffed with Verpine ichor. Absolute bliss. Kraknor's cooks really knew how to tease the flavor from a fine cut of meat without overcooking.

Cradossk sipped human whiskey from a human skull and let out a belch of profound praise. Kraknor favored him with a gracious nod.

[member="Tytos Ardik"]

 

[Komoda]

Komoda's scouts came back to report where the blast came from. After they gave him the layout of the area, they went back up into their sniper roosts slugthrowers ready. Komoda ordered the rest of his troops, outfitted with only primitive spears and short swords into the strafe. He began to follow watching coldly from behind his scales sparked at the thought of new prey

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

TRANDOSHA
LORPFAN

A belch rose above the din, sufficiently enough that it attracted Kraknor's attention. Tytos followed the Elder's gaze and found the perpetrator: a perfectly terrifying specimen currently engaging his beverage from a human skull. Charming. Tytos could feel himself having flashbacks to a shareholder's meeting on Point Nadir. Not a pleasant experience. Tytos pursed his lips and decided he needed some air. "If you'll excuse me, Elder..."

Kraknor did not appear to hear him, as he was now engaged in arm wrestling the Trandoshan opposite of him. Which one was that? It didn't matter. They were all harsh C and K sounds. Tytos slid himself out from his seat, relatively unnoticed by the celebrating Trandoshans, and made the long and uncomfortable journey from one end of the feasting hall to the other. His security escort would be waiting outside if they knew what was good for them.

 

[Hazel Scheler]

"How're yeh feelin?"

An ironic question at the time considering she'd nearly died from Darkside Corruption and hadn't even known it. Turns out sometimes knowing a little bit about your cargo could come in handy. Life-saving measure, really.

"I'm alive," she'd answered.
"Are yeh fit to take the next job er do yeh need to recoop-rate."

She was never going to get used to this man's way of talking. Marbles. It sounded like he had a mouth full of marbles.

"I'm fit. Just...let me know if I'm shipping a ticking time bomb this time, yeah?"
"Roit. 'ats not the case this time. This'un'll be cake."

Hazel made a face. She hated cake, too sweet, but she understood the meaning.

"It's a rock."
"V'ry observ'nt of yeh, Cap." Kep slid the container lid shut and helped her secure the crate within the cargo bay of the Egris, "It'sa special rock."
"Is it going to kill me silently while I sleep?"
"Noh, I don' sus'pekt it will. Jes a rock. A rock that likes to meddle in th'way o'things."
"Perfect. Good and lost?"
"Jes the way, Cap."


That had been nearly a month ago. These distances weren't so bad in bite-sized chunks, but it had been a long time since Hazel had taken to travel without the intention of stopping. Had it not been for the pay and the gracious nature of her new benefactor she likely would have turned it down. At least he was paying her way and fixing her up as she went. The newly fashioned cybernetic arm was a testament to the worth of the long hours.

Hardest part? Picking a destination.

Take them anywhere, he said, anywhere they will get good and lost. Leave them with complete strangers if you like, just don't tell them what they are or where they came from. If I see these items again in my lifetime it will be too soon.

The galaxy was a big place to choose from, but if there was one planet she knew could swallow a rock into the abyss it was Kashyyyk. So that's where she went and that's exactly where the Egris broke atmosphere, leveling over an endless sea of unforgiving green jungles. Hazel's memory of this place was oddly clear. Somewhere down there she'd lost a droid.

Maybe it was time to go find it.

[member="Aver Brand"]

 

[Komoda]

Komoda was alerted of a ship entering the vicinity he had lost troops in the last skirmish on this planet he wouldn't make the same mistake. He was going to be a one lizard welcoming party this time. He touch his cold armor to his scales, and it fastened magnetically. After arming himself with a slugthrower and a broadsword he set out alone towards the landing ship. His prey wouldn't escape again.

 

[Preliat Mantis]

The Shadowlands.

Preliat had been alerted to a possible threat there. Movement that wasn't natural. Preliat ran the paint over his face, blotching and mixing where he needed it, to blend in with the darkening shadows. He was wearing nothing particular special, and had nothing particular special, save for the Ranger pistol and Ranger SMG he was carrying. He leaned against the tree, perched with the climbing hooks attached under his wrists. Vertical attacks was a true predator's moveset, in the chess game that occurred between killers.

And Preliat played for keeps.

He was silent in his movements. Something was off down here. Something was afoot in the Shadowlands. He came to determine what exactly that was. Preliat maneuvered his body, scanning the ground below for signs of movement, signs of any infestation of beasts- or worse.

 

[Komoda]

Komoda put his snout to the air and smelled the ship's engines, and something else. He smelled blood pumping. Too close to be the ship's owner, and too high. His scales vibrated under his armor, crackling with electricity.

 

[Komoda]

[member="Preliat Mantis"]

 

[Aver Brand]

KASHYYYK
Near Kachirho

A soldier was swooping up the beach, kicking up sand. Aver puffed out a cloud of smoke and looked up.

“Boss!”

She tilted her head. Pinched the cigarra from her lips.

“Boss, we have a ship landing three clicks from here.”

“Any markings?”

“Nope. Looks private.”

Aver ashed her Black Label, slow-like. “Send a platoon to check it out, ship and all. If they’re neutral… let ‘em go about their business. But if they came here to mess with our shet… shoot them up. Oh, and—” she pushed off the speeder, “whoever’s running that thing? Bring ‘em to me.”

“You got it, boss.”

Sadrov took off again, and Aver relit her smoke.

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

Kashyyyk - Shadowlands
Kara Thawne

The screams of dying beasts had settled down finally, and the Sarcina had managed to drag several large corpses back into the perimeter that had been set up by the Coratanni Synthetic Enforcers. A large laser fence had now been set up, corralling an area of the shadowlands large enough for their purposes. Things would still be able to enter from above, but since most of the creatures that one had to worry about down here traveled by foot it wasn't too much of an issue.

A yawn passed her lips as she watched one of the Mandalorians slowly skinning a Zakkeg, the large creature still twitching slightly as it's muscles reacted to the blade slipping beneath it's flesh. Blood pooled beneath it, and Kara couldn't help but wonder how they'd actually managed to drag the thing back here in the first place.

"Ma'am, your tent is set up."​

The voice of another one of the Sarcina croaked up behind her. "Finally."

She had accepted her own comfort as down the list of priorities down here, but with the laser fence set up and the perimeter most secured she had at least wanted a dry place to walk. Cultivating the ground here would be easy enough, the soil was rich with nutrients, but for now it was little more than muk. She frowned slightly, hopping down off of the crate and casting one last glance over towards the nearly skinned Zakkeg. Her eyes wandered away.

"Start the patrols." She told the man besides her. "I don't want anyone finding us."

[member="Preliat Mantis"]​

 

[Preliat Mantis]

Three. Three mechanicals. Couldn't tell if they were droids or cyborgs. Didn't matter either way.


The Wolf unsheathed his tomahawk and curled his crushgaunt-adorned fingers. They were about six feet below him. Without his armor on, he was very, very quiet. He landed with the softest of thuds, and it set off the droid's dampeners. The droid turned around, but it's head was quickly removed by a swift chop from Preliat's beskar Tomahawk. He gave it a firm kick with his cybernetic leg into another droid, causing a chaotic crunching noise of metal and circuitry to go everywhere. The third barely had time to target him before he swept it's bipedal appendages upwards, causing it to tumble into the air. While it was mid-air, Preliat slammed his Tomahawk into it's chest, driving it into the ground.

It whirred and spurted for a second, before shutting down for the last time.

He removed the blade from it's chest and began to climb back upwards. He was following their tracks- the mud and wet ground made following them easy. He would soon find who and what exactly he was up against.

He just hoped that he wasn't the only one that was going against them.


[member="Coratanni Cartel"] l [member="Aver Brand"] l

 

[Komoda]

Komoda sensed magnetic fields of the metal droids trampling through the forest, vile creations. As he began tracking them he watched on as they we're ambushed. He emmited a soft growl watching the skilled warrior take them down. Now this was prey worthy of the King. We followed behind blending in to the green of the forest, yellow eyes gleaming in the brush.

 

[Hazel Scheler]

There seemed to be a peculiar amount of air-traffic today. Not that Kashyyyk was without economy and trade, but it struck Hazel as odd to spot anything at all this far out into the wilds. Or maybe she was the odd one out - a strong possibility in most cases. She decided not to think much of it and picked an LZ situated on a rare track of higher ground, clear for the fires that had ravaged much of Kashyyyk over the last decade.

The scars of war were still visible if one knew where to look. She'd not partaken in those battles, but word of such savagery traveled far. Even to a lowly Merc set up in a backwater space rock.

"Don't suppose you'd like a friend," words muttered to a squat cactus-like plant on the command consol. The thing vibrated, perhaps in response to the notion of a plant-pal, and issued a spurt of pollen into the air from one of its blooms. Normal state of affairs for the thing, as she'd come to find, but Hazel liked to think it was talking back in the way only a cactus could.

"I'll see what I can find. Mind the ship."

Would be good to stretch her legs again on real land, dirt beneath her boots and a breeze on her face. Would be if she weren't heading out in full armor. Stepping down the side entry ramp the Merc tapped in a scanning command to her remaining two DRK-1 Probe Droids, watching as they serenely hovered out over the ridge and down into the jungles. It was somewhere around here that she'd lost the third droid and while she had her doubts it would still be intact, she'd be remiss not to attempt a short look about.

Not as if she were on a tight time schedule.

 

[Kurenai Yumi]

Something was going on around the shadow lands of the Jedi Home world, and if Kurenai's last adventure with Jedi Masyer Yeoh Wu told her anything is that the planet was still very much routed with the dark side, but this time things where different. The feeling she had gained from the jungles was more sinister then anything else, similar to the Vampire she had met along the beaches that had been hunting in the jungle depths, but this time there was more then just one. [member="Preliat Mantis"], one of the rangers seemed to have gone on ahead, Kurenai not being far behind, the much older, but youthful looking woman decked out in her Operator Class Armor, looking more like a mercenary then a powerful force user, but it would work.

Just up ahead the sound of metal being punctured as no doubt the Ranger had found some enemies to take down, herself slowly stalking out of the jungle leaves, face paint over with splinter styled camo. "Driods hu, not what I expected, do you know where they came from"? she queried, keeping senses sharp for any hostile's, man and beast alike.

 

[Aver Brand]

A contingent of Clan soldiershttp://starwarsrp.net/topic/115477-clan-soldiers/ swept in with the steady speed of those who know they have the advantage of numbers. Sadrov dismounted first, walking uphill with a shotgun and a swagger.

“Good day, ma’am. If you would lend us a few minutes of your time, we’d be mighty grateful.”
He nodded at nothing in particular, still approaching. “Our boss wants to—”

He stopped. Stared. He’d got close enough to see [member="Ivy Lasranae"], right proper-like.

“Well I’ll be karkin’ damned if my ma ain’t a schutta straight from the Nest.” Sadrov let out a barking laugh. “No wonder boss wanted to meet ya.”

The soldiers had joined him by then, forming the quiet menace of a half-circle behind their leader. “You don’t got nothing to hide, you get to go on your merry business… whatever your business here is. Simple as that.”