Dystopia: SJO Dominion of the Chandaar Hex

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

THE PLANET
C H A N D A A R
900 YEARS EARLIER

That ol' Thisspiasian was too slow!

The small boy was a flurry of motion before the loading ramp had even hit the ground. Vaulting from off the still-lowering platform, the young Corellian flipped through the air like a hellspawn gymnast.

It helped that he'd napped most of the way here.

The aerial display looked impressive, but only for about two seconds. Probably less.

He went to make the landing on his feet... and instead, he went face down onto the ground.

Oh well. If it bothered him, the youngling didn't show it at all. Instead, and oblivious to the cut on his chin, the child picked himself up off the ground. He might have meant to wipe the dirt off his nose with his sleeve, but all he'd succeeded in doing was smearing it across his face.

And getting blood on his sleeve now.

The child's hair was a short crop of dirty blond that stuck out wildly. A padawan braid bounced off the shoulder of the deep green tunic he wore. As he'd straightened up, a strange look crossed his face.

Both hands came up to clap over his nose.

"Ewwwwww," the youngling declared, turning back with the proclamation: "Master, this planet stinks like poodoo!"

Trailing in the wake of the padawan menace, the serpentine form of a Thisspiasian Jedi slithered across the land. The Jedi's beard had started to go gray with age, a fact that was likely only hastened by the Council's decision that he should take a padawan learner for himself.

"Pollution in the air," Master Gol remarked simply, looking down at the silly boy with his hands clamped over his nose, and then turning his head up to gaze out at the haunting cityscape beyond the landing pad. Folding his four arms across the simple, brown robe that he wore, the Thisspiasian knight seemed to frown deeply behind the mask supplied by the beard. "Chandaar's atmosphere has suffered centuries of abuse at the hands of those who prize profit over the well-being of others."

The youngling's removed one hand, leaving the other firmly clamped over his nose, as the now free arm reached out to grab hold of the hem of the Jedi's robe. Giving it two tugs, which Azul had come to interpret as the boy wanting attention, the Corellian turned his head and blurted out, "Can we go now?"

Just a few minutes ago it had been, are we there yet? Now the youngling was ready to depart.

For the life of him, Azul Gol was certain that he'd never understand this boy named Sor-Jan Xantha. Nor what celestial crime he'd committed that the Jedi Council had seen fit to entrust the boy to his care.

Coiling his body, the serpentine figure bent low so that his head was roughly eye-level with the youngling. "We can," the Jedi answered softly. Taking the boy by the shoulders, the Thisspiasian gently turned the boy so that he could peer out at the buildings just visible through the smog. "The people who live here cannot." After a moment, he turned the boy to face him again, and asked, "Wouldn't you like to try and make this world a better place for them?"

"Can't they find another planet?"

Apparently the answer was 'no'. Drawing in a deep breath, the Jedi worked to calm his own mind before he made a second attempt at reasoning with the most unreasonable creature he'd ever met.

And then he said something, which the boy hadn't really heard before.

And it was something he hadn't forgotten since.

"Sor-Jan, most people in the galaxy do not get to choose the place they call home."

(cue the music)​

The Star Destroyer Intervention​

In Orbit of Chandaar​

A single tear slipped down over his cheek.

He still had the same round face. The padding of childish fat and the ever-so-slightly pug nose of youth. He was older now, though not by much. Older as a child, though not quite a teen. A tween perhaps. His hair was longer as well. Gone was the padawan braid. That had been cut off by the Jedi Council at his knighting ceremony -- and that had been so long ago that Sor-Jan had later cut the braid off his own padawan.

Many times over now. He wondered how his former padawan, [member="Noriko Ike"] was faring. It had been some time since he'd last heard from her.

Reaching up a hand, the tow-headed youngling wiped the tear from his face. The problem with old age was nostalgia.

And the problem with being an Anzat was that Sor-Jan was both very old and very young. It was easy to become nostalgic. About the Republic. About the Empire. About his Master. Or his padawans.

The boy was barely aware of the Tion Cooperative representative who was still talking. About what, specifically, he had no idea. Sor-Jan had tuned the man out at least twenty minutes ago, and yet the bugger was still at it.

"If you're serious about aiding the efforts here, an investment by Corell Financial would likely signal heavy trading among the InterGalactic Banking Clans."

Corell Financial. Corellia Digital's slush fund out on Denon. Well, politely speaking, it was a slush fund. Let's be real: it was a money laundering operation to ensure Corellia Digital avoided paying taxes to any of the major political factions through which the company invariably did business.

Bottom line, the Tion Cooperative was looking for money.

Turning his head, the child tucked his head down as he peered over the top of the dark sunglasses he wore. "Corellian's make terrible martyrs," the boy answered bluntly.

"...and even worse Jedi."

The representative from the Cooperative paused, the expression on their face clearly stating: Oh, I'm sorry, did I just say that out loud?

Holding up one hand, the small Corellian vampire extended his middle finger out toward the Cooperative representative, before using it to push the sunglasses back up on his head.

Turning back toward the glasteel viewport, the youngling peered out over the planet below.

 

[Kaiza Pawaro]

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: [member="Valae Kitra"] [member="Sky'ito Yumi"] [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] [member="Eri'anya Forr"] [member="Leah Winsclav"]


Kaiza decided to help the medical team. Moving the supplies posed no trouble and she wanted to help, even with little things. Following the group also gave her a chance to familiarize herself with the environment and marvel at the technological wonders far beyond her understanding. Grunting under the bag’s weight, the Mirialan’s heavily armoured form used her strength to push a bit further in order to deliver the medicaments and perhaps get to know the medics. Little did she know they had a similar plan in mind. Unsurprisingly, many eyes expectantly spied on her armour – considering most would never meet a Jedi in their lives, this blatant sign of curiosity was completely understandable. Kaiza would have done the same in their shoes, anything to peel away the veil of mysticism that surrounded the Jedi Order. It did not take long for the first inquiries to arrive.

“Excuse me, but aren’t you quite young to be a Jedi?” One doctor blurted out, to which Kaiza smiled.

“Age is but a number – and I am a Jedi in training. Not a full-fledged Jedi just yet.”

“Why the armour if you’re a student? Do you fight the Empire?” He asked again.

“Yes. I have fought Imps a few times.” The Mirialan revealed, earning a few pairs of quizzically raised eyebrows.

“Doesn’t fighting go against your code?” Another assistant chirped, clearly sceptical about the order and how they handled things. It was understandable – many misinterpreted the Jedi as pacifist monks who rejected the very idea of combat. A pacifist at heart, the young Padawan felt like she needed to clear up this misconception.

“Jedi are the guardians of civilization, yet do not allow civilization to destroy needlessly,” Kaiza quoted one of many tenets, “If we refused to fight altogether, our order would have perished long ago. Fighting to defend others and for the sake of self-preservation is permitted and encouraged by our tenets. Does that make sense?”

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Objective: Arbiters
Allies: SJO [member="Rozalyne Kurganova"]

"What do Jedi know about where the lower classes fit in the socio-economic fabric? Jedi are usually better known for dealing with security issues" one of the oligarchs asked.

"Too much red tape can be an impediment; what you're planning amounts to adding red tape" another representative chimed in.

"I believe most of the problems are due to lax enforcement because tax law, and more generally, economic law, is too complex, streamlining the fiscal structure will actually reduce red tape. The proposal includes a simplified, yet progressive fiscal plan that will be much more easily enforced and that will make life easier for everyone; reducing bureaucratic costs will be to your advantage and back into people's pockets, but also economic policing including proper forensic accounting and all the tools required to combat corruption"

There were just too many fiscal regulations, deductibles and rampant tax evasion, she thought. Few Jedi could wrap their heads around fiscal policy or tax law, and the proposed fiscal plan included closing tax loopholes in exchange of which two things are introduced: a progressive tax scheme with a component applied regardless of pollution footprint, as well as pollution taxes, whom she knew was going to be a major component of any plan to address the environmental health issues Chandaar faces. And she would believe that it might be more effective than enforcement of environmental regulations alone; pollution taxes are known by a variety of names across the galaxy, and the local names of such things depended on what the environmental focus was: one would see carbon taxes if the main local concern was greenhouse gases, radioactivity taxes if radiation was the big thing, and so on, so forth. She knew that tax evasion was a thing, and that tax loopholes were often a root cause of unrest. Agan, she knew that empowering the parliament, which was another aim of this summit, would require an independent watchdog in place, and proper forensic accounting as well as enforcement of economic crime law; corruption, collusion can undermine a parliament.

"In parallel to the whole story about enforcement of economic law, another topic that is important to us is empowering the parliament. The reason why I mention empowering the parliament is that it will do us no good if there are no safeguard mechanisms to ward against corruption" one of the people's representatives confided.

"And also strict but simple to enforce political financing laws, lest one wanted to operate a legislative and/or executive branch with people selected at random"

"In my experience, I know that sortition makes a parliament harder to corrupt, but by no means impossible. However, if you are amenable to a mechanism allowing sortition, there should be a mechanism allowing a person to reject an office; there is a possibility that people drawn for office can potentially be unable to assume its responsibilities. Also, in democracies, you all know there are often disenfranchised people who would be willing to bring fresh ideas to the table but are unable to do so"

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

​

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: SJO - [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"], [member="Leah Winsclav"]

Inside, the area was vast and full of lush greenery, contrasting strongly with the toxic environment outside. It was almost like walking into another world entirely. Valae’s eyes widened, it was a most impressive sight. The campus included serval different areas – living quarters, gardens, laboratories, medical ward, and more.

“Excuse me, Grandmaster Kitra,” Spoke a bespectacled man to her side. “My name is Soren Nobu, welcome to Alpha.”

Offering a nod, Valae glanced towards her party, noting that some had already set to work.

“Thank you, Mr. Nobu.” She smiled, “We’re happy to help. This is like nothing I’ve seen before,”

Soren gestured for the group to move down the path, and he paused near the center of the structure.

“As you can see, we have our work cut out for us here on Chandaar. Alpha is only the beginning. There are several other biomes being constructed, and we are pleased to say that we have another cluster that is nearly complete. We need to work fast, we are thankful for the help of the Silver Jedi.”

Valae turned her eyes up towards the ceiling, letting her gaze wander for a moment.

“Let us know how we might best assist you, Mr. Nobu.” Valae nodded.

“We could use help getting the supplies sorted; most of it will be going to the medical quarters -- there are patients seeking treatment as well. There is work to be done in the gardens and science labs for any that might have expertise in those fields. And of course,” He paused, and glanced away for a brief moment. “There is the question of… funding.”

 

[Leah Winsclav]

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: SJO - [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"], [member="Valae Kitra"]

The Noble had remained toe to toe with Valae for most of their stroll, she had long since had all of her supplies and such loaded and moved to where they needed to be. She didn't formally greet everyone she walked past, most would receive an incline of her head or connection of the eyes. Normally she would adhere more strictly to what she had been taught to do, but that was thrown out the window with the urgency she had.

"Funding..." she spoke the word softly, as though it left a bad taste in her mouth, though it was much the opposite. Despite having a lot of it, money was one of the many sources of the worlds problems, the material behind the most benevolent of inventions and the most merciless of weapons. It was a sad engine, but there was at least a way to be exempt, to throw it towards a better cause.

"Pardon to the interruption Miss Kitra, Mr Nobu, but money is little to no object. I already run a company alongside the funds I inherited. If they were to be alive, I have no doubt that they would be pleased with this."

She reached into her clothing and produced a pad of sorts, which she flicked up and browsed into her store of funds. Moving across to her transfer section, she then rolled her eyes back over to the pair.

"Where will this money need to be sent? If you have no place for me to transfer it, the funds will need to be withdrawn, which shall take time. Not to mention I'd rather not move about with such funds on my person."

Despite her serious air, the Noble then shattered it with a single motion, reaching inside her coat once again and producing a flask, complete with several small cups. Before setting them down. She quickly moved to pour 4 cups for those nearby to enjoy, filling the lid of the flaks herself.

"Feel free to help yourself to tea while we wait, there is much to discuss and I am sure that some of you could do with a little something to calm the nerves."

 

[Arlen Rossi]

Objective: Assassination

It wasn't long before her accomplices found their way to the safehouse. A nice mix of characters*, from a more practical type like herself (Belgarath), to a more flamboyant character (Leon).

There was no small talk between the group, each either setting up or looking to get started with the mission. Having a head start, Arlen was ready to answer some questions and move right along.

"It looks like everyone is here," she told Belgarath. "If not, then that just means a bigger cut for those who did show up. Let me share the details of the assignment, then you can share what you've gathered so far."

She cleared her throat. "Evening everyone. You all can call me Tapioca, and that's the extent of all you need to know about me. As you all know, we have a date with the good King in a few days, but we've also been presented with additional targets of opportunity. According to our contacts within the Chandaari government, the new Grandmaster Valae Kitra should be making her appearance somewhere else on Chandaar on a humanitarian mission. In fact, there will be several members of the Silver Assembly present on the surface."

"Having so many VIPs is too good of a chance to pass up, but they would be alerted to our presence if we went for our original target first, and vice versa. So there's been some adjustments made. There will be two teams for a simultaneous attack, the first to target King Aegon and the Silver diplomatic mission at the palace, and the second will tail Kitra when she shows up. So then, who's going where?"

*We have some NPCs with us as well, controlled by me. They'll be hitting up Jessica's group at the palace.

[member="Belgerath"] [member="Jaedan Fray"] [member="Leon Grado"]

 

[Eri'anya Forr]

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: SJO - [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Leah Winsclav"], [member="Valae Kitra"]

"...'Scuse me?"

Eri'anya blinked out of her reverie, returning to the present moment to regard the young woman before her. She was clad in all black from her mask to her boots, the aesthetic made even more striking by how pale her skin was. It made the Knight feel somehow underdressed for the occasion, sporting little more than a standard tunic and cloak under her environmental gear.

Come to think of it, she did​ recognize her! Her mind went back to that nasty business on Nar Shaddaa, hanging bodies and burning buildings flashing behind her eyes and bringing a frown to her face. She and her fellow Jedi, Charity Luckless had found themselves wrapped up in the seedy underbelly of the Smuggler's Moon, and two siblings had gotten themselves involved as well. Despite her initial hesitation, the pair had proved themselves to be experienced beyond their years, and capable allies in a tight spot.

"​Oh, right! I do remember you!" She remembered that rather distinctive scar, prominently emphasized by the woman's fair complexion. "I'm Eri'anya, but Eri's easier, so let's just go with that.​"

She smiled up at Sky'ito, gesturing towards the approaching welcome party with a tilt of her head. "Looks like I'm about to be relieved... Appreciate the offer, though!" She shrugged out from under the oversized pack she was carrying, her polite smile taking the form of an easy grin now that her sore shoulders were freed from their duties. "Maybe next time?"

Rolling the stiffness from her shoulders, the undersized Jedi dutifully followed behind the Grandmaster and Noble. While she hardly looked the part in her typical robes, Eri's primary duty on Chandaar was to stand between the two women and any danger that manifested to halt their efforts. She was not expecting a concentrated atrocity like the Empire had shown a penchant for on Charros IV and Bimmisaari, but one could never be too careful.

They were trying to save the life of a planet, while the darker forces around them seemed content merely to squeeze all hope and joy from the entire galaxy. She would not put it past them for even a second to try another deranged attack, even if it was here. Especially if it was here. Those animals were only good to the galaxy as fertilizer, and she could only hope she would have the good fortune to see those monsters struggle through their final gasps.

...Here I am getting angry again. Smile, Eri! Master Kitra will know if you lose your cool!

Unclenching her tiny fists, Eri realized she was just standing around awkwardly while the two women she meant to protect droned on about money... or something. She had drifted off into her memories and feelings again, at the potentially dire expense of the moment. She was fortunate nothing happened beyond her missing the meaty share of an important dialogue.

...Is that tea, I smell?

Snapping out of yet another bout of introspection, Eri'anya found herself walking over to the freshly poured beverage, taking in the pleasing aroma that caressed her senses and transported her somewhere distant and comfortable. She had never considered the idea of bringing her own tea with her like this noblewoman seemed to, but it was seeming more and more like a stroke of genius.

Taking a careful sip, the tiny Jedi could hardly contain the sigh of contentment leaving her lips. Before she could recall her manners, she found she had cut into the conversation to address the noble. "Thank you! This is lovely!" Maybe it was a bit rude, when there was still planet-saving to discuss, but it really did​ smell heavenly.

 

[Beatrix Chaucer]

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: SJO - [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Leah Winsclav"], [member="Valae Kitra"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"]

A curious Beatrix had decided to join the Silver Jedi down on Chandaar on their humanitarian mission to aid victims of pollution. The Galidraani's skills as a healer and alchemist (and deep pockets) would be useful in this venue.

Chandaar was very different from Canterbury, she could see that the moment she laid eyes on the polluted world from high orbit. Where her home was still mostly dominated by endless forests and mountains, Chandaar was a patchwork of urban sprawls and scarred pockets of land that stretched kilometers - the product of strip mining. Chandaar and its people were sick, their collective disturbances dominating the Force like a stifling smog.

She followed along with the group as they made their way along the surface, just quietly observing with the party until the question of project funding came up. Winsclav was quick to put up credits, but the Duchess held off on making any such financial commitments. She wanted to see exactly what she was paying for.

"Mr. Nobu," she started as she stepped forward to introduce herself. "I am Duchess Beatrix Chaucer of Galidraan. I would be happy to join Countess Winclav in providing assistance, but first I would request that I be able to review your cost reports and timelines for construction."

 

[Jaedan Fray]

Objective: Assassinate/Reveal the power of the dark side
Allies: NSO
Enemies: SJO

He has been silent for the most part staring at Arlen as she explained, she was secretive, something to be expected from a sith, yet that would only make him want to be more careful. "I am taking the Grandmaster." he states after the question. There was no one else here who could make sure his personal mission is a success other than himself, the king remained a minor prize he could find no use for as of yet.

The problem was that there were more jedi around than the Grandmaster, these jedi could be padawans, could be knights, or masters, stealth and careful planning were in order but even so if they had some way to communicate they would alert the others or if it takes too long the others might figure out themselves, not to mention the plan itself was not yet revealed. It was a great opportunity yes but at a great risk as it seemed, Jaedan did not fully know these people and was not about to put his life in their hands and risk betrayal or worse.

"What is the actual plan? It must be more than just finding them and attacking. How are we going to do this without alerting the other jedi?"

And then it came to the most important and basic question "How do we get out at the end or if things don't go as planned?" besides these one more thing had to be settled. Does the Grandmaster have to die? While new leadership could make the jedi order stronger should she be weak, there were several uses for her alive, enough possibility to make him wonder "And one last thing. Are we to kill the grandmaster at all costs, or can we attempt to bring her alive?"

[member="Arlen Rossi"] [member="Belgerath"] [member="Leon Grado"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Objective: Arbiters
Allies: SJO [member="Rozalyne Kurganova"]

"How can we trust Jedi for proper economic policing? My impression is that the Jedi's scope of policing action is almost entirely within the realm of public security" the king asked.

"That is more within the jurisdiction of the Tion Cooperative Organization than the Jedi proper. The TCO handles the economic policing and affairs of the SJ member worlds"

However, the TCO has limited jurisdiction when it comes to environmental policing. That was the final topic that needed addressed: environmental standards. If such-and-such standards are not met, they become liable to pay the pollution taxes. Or so that's how it operated on planets that actually implemented pollution taxes. But the representatives were bewildered that there actually were Jedi that had any competence whatsoever for policy stuff that lied outside of public security. True, public security is a galaxy-wide concern, just that, for the time being, the oligarchs had yet to offer an actual rebuttal. Something isn't right... what's taking so long for any opponents to submit counter-proposals? Would such counter-proposals require comprehensive answers to the main points? she thought. But somehow, somewhere, some hired guns could be laying in wait somewhere, perhaps even among the security hired for the venue even. Yet who could gain the most from disrupting the negotiations?

 

[Leon Grado]

Objective: Assist in the Assassination. Show his power/make a statement.
Allies: New Sith Order ([member="Arlen Rossi"], [member="Belgerath"], [member="Jaedan Fray"])
Location: A run-down studio on Chandaar

The Planning Continues...​

Barely any reaction. What a seemingly dull group he was stuck with for now. He could work with them, though. They were at least focused on the task. He supposed he would need to remember he wasn't actually the leader of this group as they all seemed to be around the same overall skill level. He looked towards Jaedan Fray, another little "friend" that arrived. He could not feel anyone else approaching so it looked like it was only the four of them.

The only woman of their group began to speak to everyone there about their plans. She also wished to be referred to as "Tapioca". He found it an odd choice for a codename, but he was not one to really complain about such things. Usually anyways.

Jaedan Fray seemed to have similar plans in mind compared to Leon with wanting to show his power. Instilling fear... He also was one who actually asked questions. Leon kinda liked this fellow already. "Hmph... I wanted to show this Valae Kitra my power... Given that the rest of this Assembly is there, there are probably more of them ripe for the task at least... Yes..." Leon said quietly to himself after Jaedan, his tone of voice briefly growing a little creepy.

On the topic of such questions, this warrior fellow also called into question how they were going to go about the task and if they could actually take the Grandmaster alive. Leon was interested in this proposal. It would definitely be a prime way to instill fear besides just killing her and probably provide an extra challenge. He had to make sure his power was adequate... He was not sure if it was... And if not... He would need to hone himself further in the darkness... He would not be dominated. Heheheh...

Leon held his head slightly with one of his hands as he felt a pain growing, but it subsided for now. "Nnh.. Taking the Grandmaster alive, you say? I kinda like that proposal. That could be a way to get some extra leverage over these Jedi... Maybe they would know then..." Leon said, agreeing with what Jaedan said. He would, of course, wait to see what the other two thought before any outright considerations. If it wasn't an option, it was nothing for him to concern himself over. He would then go quiet again and wait to hear more about the plan. His presence still rang a bit cold, but the way he spoke had a sort of politeness and quiet determination to it.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Objective: Oasis​

Location: Biome Alpha​

Allies: SJO - [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Valae Kitra"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"], [member="Leah Winsclav"]​

​

The entourage of the interim Grandmaster was on, and soon enough were stopped while Kitra began to talk business. Josh remained quiet throughout, stoic in expression. Silent, quiet, stoic, cold... The bare opposite of the demeanour he'd had before. There was time for his goofy antics, and there was time to be quiet and listen, and learn. He listened as they began to talk of funding, and he had to keep from rolling his eyes.

Funding... It was always about the money. Even when Jedi didn't always have much... It was always about money. Luckily, one of the Jedi seemed to have it in some way, shape or form, and that situation seemed to be settled. He would steadily nod his head in turn, glad to see the situation resolved.

The Jedi would take a deep breath, an exhale to calm himself as he would continue to watch the proceedings... But something just didn't feel right. But what was it, exactly?

 

[Belgerath]

Objective: Commit Regicide
Allies: [member="Leon Grado"] [member="Jaedan Fray"] [member="Arlen Rossi"]
Location: Run down studio

Belgerath had expected that the more 'excitable' ones in their group would rather go for the new targets that appeared, namely the Silver Jedi and their headmaster rather then the original objective. As it turned out, he was right. At least they proved to have more sense then some of the others he had run into before, the one fellow even asked what exactly they would be doing with the Jedi Grand Master. As for what the actual plan was to get in and out, well Belgerath could help with that. "I have a few items that will come in handy for extraction at the palace." He said, putting the suitcase ontop of the table. Popping it open, he showed the sensor jammer along with the datachip. "This data chit has nearby area information on it, focused pimarily on the palace and the surrounding city." Plugging it on into the holoprojector, the light blue image popped up.

"We have several possible entrance locations. One is here, using the hedgemaze in the garden as cover to sneak up through the back. Anyone with proper stealth training could work their way through that hedge maze easily without being spotted, though the going once you get inside is another matter. I also heard rumors about a escape entrance that was made with the sewer system and still connects at a point underneath the palace. From what i could gather, it is still blocked off but would be simple enough to bust through. It would end up somewhere in the servants quarters, past where the majority of guards are. Its a gamble, but depending upon the strength of security having someone make the attempt might be worth it. Given my eyes, or lack there of, i could find the hollow wall without needing any equipment. Which brings me to my idea, for extracting out of the palace at least." He said, zooming the hologram back out to look at the palace as a whole.

"Whatever insertion method we use, i am making the assumption that it is a success and that we are now known and spotted after fulfilling our objective. I plan to set up the signal jammer in this area." He said, showing them a place nearby in a abandoned house. "It will jamm their attempts at communication in our area. Even if someone sees us going into the escape passage or hedgemaze, they will not be able to tell anyone else. If we are going through the back and not the underground passage, then we will go into the sewers here." Belgerath pointed to a area near the abandoned house, then to a bazzar area that had several exits. "We break up when we get to this bazzar and use multiple exits to get out into the crowd. Past this point, your plan for getting off planetside is yours and yours alone. If one of us somehow gives up the information, this amount of knowledge won't get any of us screwed over, since they will not know the most important part of how we plan to get out. I would ask that you all remember the most important part of these missions is the groundwork you lay beforehand. Use this and get a good idea in your head of how you plan to get out before anything else. I have already done fact checking on the information on this layout, it is up to date and where it was not i updated it."

That was his own personal plan for getting out of the palace alive at least. But plans always had this thing with going awry, so he did not plan on sticking to it religiously. "As for myself, i will be going for the palace. That had been my intnetion from the start, not going to change it now." Though he would have to admit, he was curious as to what this mottely group they had here was going to be able to accomplish as far as the Jedi Grand Master went. He did not have any data on that however, not where she would be coming in from or how. That would have to be played by ear by whoever was gunning for her. "And if you are wondering why i don't have any ideas for you guys going after Valae Kitra, i don't have enough information to give you any ideas. You will need to play it by ear unless someone else here knows something i don't."

 

[Arlen Rossi]

Objective: Assassination/Capture (Three Days Ago)

Arlen nodded along as Belgerath provided his report and plans for the palace. The former FOSB agent was impressed with his thoroughness during his presentation, a real professional. When he offered to take point on the original Palace objective, she made no complaints.

"It looks like you have all our bases covered as it pertains to eliminating the King." she said with a nod. "I'll leave you to it."

"As for Kitra, you're correct that we'll have to stay fluid with that development. I know she'll be at Biome Alpha about 70km north of the Palace district, and will be staying at the local community center with her party for the duration of their stay on Chandaar. The best route may be to tail her once she arrives at the biome, then strike just before dawn when most should still be sleeping. Ideally, I'd like to time this attack with the Palace team's hit on King Aegon."

The other operatives present brought up additional questions like escape options and contingencies, and the possibility of capturing Kitra and other VIPs instead of simply killing them.

"If we have the opportunity to capture them, then I would prefer it, but that is going to be difficult. Kitra isn't known to be a great warrior like her predecessors, but she still shouldn't be taken lightly as a Jedi Master. There will undoubtedly be a whole horde of other Jedi and soldiers to deal with, on top of local security. It's unlikely we'd get away with her and slip away from the rest."

"Fray, I appreciate your enthusiasm on targeting Kitra, but I already have plans for her." From the table covered in her equipment, she picked up a large jar, filled with several mutated spiders with oversized fangs - Sith Spawn. "My specialty. Each of these spawn secretes a specialized neurotoxin especially designed to target Force Sensitives. It's one part muscle relaxer and another part Force inhibitor. A few milligrams of their venom is enough to paralyze a humanoid sized target and leave them unable to wield the Force, not without extreme difficulty. If left untreated, within an hour they'll stop breathing altogether and die from suffocation. The venom compounds then break down into harmless proteins that won't be detected as toxins later."

"Aside from that, I brought canisters of coma gas. We can pump this into the compound through the ventilation system to put down all opposition within. However, we'll need to disrupt their surveillance systems and comms before we get to that point. Not only will it help us with infiltration, but exfil as well. Once we're clear of the biome, it's no man's land and they will be unlikely to follow. If there are no other questions, then that's all I have for now. By tomorrow morning, I want us to head out and get set up before Kitra arrives."

[member="Belgerath"] [member="Jaedan Fray"] [member="Leon Grado"]

 

[Valae Heavenshield]

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: SJO - [member="Josh DragonsFlame"], [member="Beatrix Chaucer"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"], [member="Leah Winsclav"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Sky'ito Yumi"]

Valae was relieved that the two noblewomen in their party had stepped up to assist with the matters of funding. After all, the Jedi were not known to have very deep pockets. While the Silver Jedi had come ready to assist here, they were not in the position to provide funding for such projects themselves. Thanks to the generosity of others, they were able to accomplish great things.

This was one such occasion.

“Thank you,” Valae nodded to Leah and Beatrix. “That’s very kind of you both.”

Mr. Nobu was wearing an expression of pleasant surprise. “Yes, thank you – we’ll get you in touch with our financial advisor. He will have all of the information you need for the transaction. And of course, we will provide the necessary reports and construction timeline.”

He would direct the two Galidraani women to the complex next door.

“As for me, I think I’ll go see to your medical facility.” Valae said with a smile.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

At the end of the day, the Silver Jedi would be shown to the Community Center. It was connected to the Biome, so it would offer a comfortable night’s stay. Their quarters were fairly close, but each would be able to have a bunk to themselves. Entering her own, Valae dropped the robe from her shoulders and draped it along the back of a chair. She kicked the boots of her feet and then padded across the floor.

Valae had a seat on the edge of her bed, immediately she felt the pull of sleep. Curling up on her side, she figured that it wouldn’t hurt to close her eyes for a few minutes…

[OOC: Skipping forward to nighttime! Feel free to wrap up your day, if you'd like.]

 

[Sky'ito Yumi]

Objective: Regin of assassin (counter assassinate or something like it)
Location: Bio Alpha
Allies: [member="Valae Kitra"] l [member="Josh DragonsFlame"] l [member="Jessica Med-Beq"] l [member="Beatrix Chaucer"] l [member="Kaiza Pawaro"] l [member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]

The sudden 'scuse me' from the purple haired put Sukai is an awkward position, maybe she should not have been so direct, it seemed as though her mothers lack of tact and proper manners had rubbed off. The other Jedi's eyes seemed to scan over her, in an attempt to recognize Sukai face and voice, made it a bit hard while wearing a mask but it seemed as though she did indeed remember the even on smugglers moon. She could have sworn though that the woman's eye lingered a bit longer on the left side of her face, was it that scar that made her remember, it was a fairly defining feature that Sukai carried with her.

"Erian'ya" her attempt to pronounce the woman's name fell a little flat, her accent not helping in any way "you are right that is a bit difficult to say, Eri it it then", she nodded her had at her upon politely refusing Sukai's assistance with carrying the equipment, "That is not a problem, I will let you get back to your own task, perhaps we can talk later, it is so pleases you". She gave a slight bow as Eri'anya walked away, following closely behind that grand master.

Again Sukai fell a in step to the side of the group, being ever vigilant while the continued to interact, politics was not something she wanted to dabble in anytime soon, and was more then willing to let others do it.

(Later that night)

The community sleeping agreements were decent enough, she had dealt with more uncomfortable abodes in the past. Slowly she removed her mask, slightly relieved to have it off, the device became hot over time and would often become uncomfortable from long use.

Sitting down on one of the beds Sukai would take off her finger-less gloves and proceeded to lay out her array of weapons on the cover, going through their regular maintenance, something her mother emphasized on greatly when undergoing training. Hopefully she would not have to use them tonight, but there was always that constant threat that lurked in the shadows.

 

[Leah Winsclav]

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: SJO - [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Beatrix Chaucer"], [member="Valae Kitra"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"]

"Shall we Duchess Beatrix?"

Leah would then quickly perform a curtesy, she was speaking to someone of importance here after all, not to mention she had a fellow high ranking Noble from her world. She wasn't all too familiar with the other woman, but of course had heard of her through various connections.

She had in her mind been slightly hesitant to provide full funding, as it could end up causing her company some problems if she used too much funding- Leah was perhaps a little selfish on that front. Snapping out of that reverie, she directed another question towards the fellow Noble as she headed towards the complex.

"If we are to go 50/50, we both will have equally contributed to this restoration? Is such a ratio unfavourable to yourself?"

This was more than reasonable in her mind, she was not expecting any sort of refusal, yet did not discount the possibility, she did not know how tight or otherwise careful Beatrix was with her money. Either way, she continued on towards the complex, blissfully unaware of the wider situation like the rest.

 

[Beatrix Chaucer]

Objective: Oasis
Location: Biome Alpha
Allies: SJO - [member="Sky'ito Yumi"], [member="Josh DragonsFlame"], [member="Kaiza Pawaro"], [member="Leah Winsclav"], [member="Valae Kitra"], [member="Eri'anya Forr"]

She was pulled aside by Winsclav to discuss ratios, looking split contribution evenly between the two Galidraani nobles. Beatrix grew silent, considering the offer but still hesitant to commit until she had the information she needed.

"The offer is tempting, but I'd still like to review their books before committing to anything. If I find everything to be in order, then I definitely believe arrangements could be made between us and the Chandaari government."

She turned away from Leah back to Nobu and Kitra. "What I can offer now are medical supplies and treatments. Now, let's see what's going on with these patients..."

-----------------------​

Later that day...

As it turned out, matters were even worse than the reports had led her to believe. Within the main facility established in the biome for the afflicted locals, there were whole rows of bedridden adults and younglings suffering from serious maladies like rapid tissue degeneration and even cancer in some cases.

The healer wasted no time getting to work, first working on a test case to see if her methods would be of any use here. She chose a human male in his mid-teens, suffering an advanced stage of lung cancer. Too poor for the costly Bacta or Kolto treatments needed to reverse the condition, he would have been doomed to die in hospice until the Silver Jedi had arrived.

"Hello there, Timothy?" she asked, standing next sickly pale brunette. He could only give a weak nod, hooked up to a breathing machine.

"My name is Beatrix, and I've been briefed about your condition. I'm told the Silver Jedi and their associates have arrived with advanced medical equipment to assist people in your position, but it will take them some time to set up. I, on the other hand, have a treatment that could be used to help you right now. It's a new grade of medical plasma that's injected into the body, and then absorbs and breaks down all containments and abnormal tissue. As it works, it also promotes regeneration of healthy tissue."

She showed him her datapad which gave a visual presentation of the plasma in action, reversing the devastating effects of illnesses. She could feel the boy light up with a small bit of hope as he watched the progress play out on screen. It looked like she had a taker.

"There are no risks with the treatment. At worst, it doesn't work at quarantine and then we had wasted our time. If it does work, then we can start to see progress within a matter of hours. Is this something you would like to try?"

It didn't take long for her to receive an answer, the boy nodding his head vigorously. So close to death, he was willing to try anything to survive at that point, especially if it was being offered for free.

"Very good. Give me 20 minutes, and then we'll be ready to begin!"

She was smiling then. The healer was all about helping others, but she also took great joy testing new things out in the field. The Maesters of Galidraan weren't all that well known outside their region, but she hoped to change that soon.

 

[Jaedan Fray]

Objective: Assassination/Reveal the power of the dark side


These people were surprising him in a good way, this attack was not just some brilliant idea that passed through someone's empty head and then came here with a poorly thought plan that would have possibly killed them all. It was actually something the jedi might not expect, something that could not only work but work very well. Th fact they knew so little about Grandmaster kitra was indeed a bad omen and might prove to be the very thing that would compromise the attempt, but it was completely understandable from his point of view.

Jaedan was trying to figure the best way to engage capture the grandmaster, it was going to be a extremely difficult for obvious reasons, but then Arlen explained such thing would not be necessary, it seems they came prepared for this too which made things much easier.

"Hm, that is a solid plan and it spares us many inconveniences as well as raising our chances. There are no more questions on my part."

The preparations had to be made, but eventually the moment of action will be at hand, there was enough time for him to figure his own role in the coming struggle.

[member="Arlen Rossi"] [member="Belgerath"] [member="Leon Grado"]

 

[Jessica Med-Beq]

Objective: Arbiters
Allies: SJO [member="Rozalyne Kurganova"]

"If I understood properly, your proposal didn't actually simplify the tax codes: failure to meet environmental standards means that we become liable to pay pollution taxes?" one of the oligarchs asked.

"Several planets have had success with implementing pollution taxes; however, enforcement of tax and business law have to be consistent in the long run for that to work. Yet there are far less stuff that needs to be taken into account, far less of an opportunity to abuse write-offs and other deductibles, and not simply because there are far less avenues for write-offs or deductibles. Which will make the life of fiscalists that much easier, including your own"

Naboo, and the Gungan-ruled territories especially, is a prime example of exactly how pollution taxes fit in the enforcement of environmental standards, and by far the best-known. What Jessica, the king and other negotiators don't know is that someone, something, is lurking into the background in an attempt to have it out for her or any of them. She would realize that itemized deductibles or write-offs often seem to be beneficial to the upper crust, individuals or businesses respectively. Then again she could feel that an accord is close, at hand even. And yet she could feel that is painted as a fiscalist (in common Chandaar usage, a fiscalist is a taxation expert, but here fiscalist instead means someone who prefers to deal with macroeconomic problems using fiscal policy rather than monetary policy, which is in usage internally among the TCO). Most Jedi wouldn't be able to tell exactly what fiscal or monetary policies are, nor could identify the pros and cons of each.

"So are we in position to say that we reached an agreement?"