[Echoes of Eternity] The Bones of Zakuul [PM to join]

[Frontier Tenacity]

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• Echoes of Eternity
  Chapter I

Death, destruction, rebirth. It is an ancient cycle that has continued on for millenia. Civilizations rise, they prosper, they grow fat and complacent and then they fall, torn apart by the spinning wheel of fate, which prevents the people of the galaxy from ascending past a certain point.

Many have sought to break this cycle. Nations had struggled long and hard to find a solution, none have ever succeeded, but some had gotten very close. None more so than the enigmatic ancient nation known as the Eternal Empire.

Once, their nation had spread across the galaxy, their might unchallenged, until they were brought low by their own complacency, like every nation before them. Now, wishing to preserve the Confederacy from a similar fate, one man who spent his entire life building one of the many nations that made up this great galactic power, sought to unravel the secrets of Emperor Valkorion's ancient empire and continue its legacy.

Rising from the ashes of the Dominion and the Ancient Eye, the Shrouded Republic has cast away the last vestiges of a broken, failing system and has proclaimed itself the new Eternal Empire. At its helm, the enigmatic Sith Lord known as Darth Tacitus, has proclaimed himself Valkorion's Heir, claiming the Eternal Throne.

His burgeoning Empire's search for Valkorion's treasures had begun in the archives hidden away on Nelvaan, the Empire's new homeworld. Within the vault that contained many of the treasures taken from Lorrd by his nation, so long ago, lay a diary that pointed towards an old, abandoned military station near Druckenwell, forgotten and undisturbed for many thousands of years.

Once, it was an outpost of the old Eternal Empire. It was key to understanding its secrets and recovering its power,

OOC: This is an Indiana Jones-styled campaign. The ruins we are investigated are ancient and forgotten, but not unguarded. Ancient traps, droids and monsters may still lurk within these ancient structures, seeking to keep out any intruders. This thread is not GM-ed, feel free to improvise. What treasures you find, are up to you. Non-CIS members are asked to PM [member="Darth Tacitus"] for permission to join.​

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Spoiler: Tag

[member="Adron Malvern"]
[member="Akabane"]
[member="Alexandrite"]
[member="Alvarex Zambrano"]
[member="Alwine Lechner"]
[member="Amarant deWinter"]
[member="Amaya Cardei"]
[member="Amethyst Atreides"]
[member="Amethyst"] Sovereign
[member="Andi Americus"]
[member="Anya Malvern"]
[member="Arabella Darkhold"]
[member="Archim Calixis"]
@Ari Zanereth
[member="Arlox"]
[member="Aston Jacobs"]
[member="Aya Clarke"]
[member="Azmodan"]
[member="Betty Americus"]
[member="Billy Americus"]
[member="Braan Kell"]
[member="Bandit Six"]
[member="Cardinal Vi'dreya"]
[member="Carith Thelcar"]
[member="Chikako Liona"]
[member="Cim Salro"]
[member="Corvus Dravere"]
[member="Daisy Americus"]
[member="Dalton Kenway"]
[member="Daniel Americus"]
[member="Darth Rixas"]
[member="Darth Tacitus"]
[member="Darth Zurvan"]
[member="Daxton Bane"]
[member="Derek Dib"]
[member="Dhakarta"]
[member="Drauchir"]
[member="Ella Nova"]
[member="Erin Tenel"]
[member="Fawn Alzi"]
[member="Gerwald Lechner"]
[member="Hadashah Vi'dreya"]
[member="Isarn Apis"]
[member="Ithiel Verd"]
[member="Jade Isara"]
@Jasmine Zittoun
[member="Jennifer Blanchard"]
[member="Jorco Czeku"]
[member="Jorge"]
[member="Jyoti Nooran"]
[member="Kalee Bladesworn"]
[member="Kaptan Americus"]
[member="Karlie Lynn Destat"]
[member="Kasca Fen"]
[member="Katria Vekarr"]
[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]
[member="Kayla Wylen"]
[member="Kilia"]
[member="Kingsley"]
[member="Kip Ridel"]
[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]
[member="Kurenai Yumi"]
[member="Kyber"]
[member="Lady Psyona"]
[member="Luna Terrik"]
[member="Lyla Quinn"]
[member="Maple Harte"]
[member="Marek Starchaser"]
[member="Minerva Vessia"]
[member="Muad Dib"]
[member="Natasha Darkstar"]
[member="Nine Lives"]
[member="Petra Cavataio"]
[member="Popara the Great"]
[member="Razelle Breuner"]
[member="Roy Americus"]
@Rylen Kordel
@Samatha Jade
[member="Sander Europa"]
[member="Scherezade deWinter"]
[member="Sola Marr"]
[member="Sor-Jan Xantha"]
[member="Srina Talon"]
[member="Tex Americus"]
[member="Teyla Ee'everwest"]
[member="Thalira Kiing"]
[member="Tmoxin Temi"]
[member="Traveler"]
[member="Tytos Ardik"]
[member="Umai"]
[member="Varick Lechner"]
[member="Veronika Fleischer"]
[member="Vyra Silara"]
[member="Xenro"]
[member="Zenva Vrotoa"]
[member="Zephyr Carrick"]
[member="Zhai'ellev"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

[-SOUNDTRACK: TENEBRAE-]​

Gear: Wither (Sith Sword) | The Shrouded Blade (Lightsaber) | The Triad (Lightsabers) | Shroud of Desolation (Armor) | Ri Akuti, the All Seeing Eye (Amulet), NPCs: Whisper (Sithspawn)​

Attn: To whom it may concern​

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• CNS Invictus
  In space, near Druckenwell

The fabric of the universe warped and heaved as the Eternal Emperor's personal vessel dropped out of hyperspace over a nameless gas giant, somewhere near Druckenwell. The massive battlecruiser bore the scars of the many battles it had seen, yet it was still an undefeated ship, one which had served with distinction in the fleets of two galactic powers.

It was easy to see why this station had not been found until now. Tucked away from any trade routes and hidden from deep-space sensors by the lifeless gas giant's proximity, the ancient structure had survived for many millenia, enduring long after those who built it became dust and ashes.

Within it, lay ancient secrets that awaited to be uncovered. Information on military tactics, technology, hidden resource caches and secret communication protocols that had been in use with Valkorion's Empire, so long ago. These were all things that Valkorion's self-proclaimed successor, Darth Tacitus, wanted to obtain, for his Eternal Empire and the Confederacy.

His nation had endured much over the years, yet it always emerged stronger. Now it stood poised to reclaim an ancient legacy that had been buried long ago, but not forgotten. So, the ruler of the Eternal Throne gazed out through the viewport of his vessel's bridge with eager eyes as the battlecruiser slowly approached its destination, maneuvering carefully as it entered within range of its shuttles.

Sensors had already told them that the station had been powered down and it was likely that they would have to install a backup reactor in order to reactivate its ancient systems, as the station's own reactor was likely too old to function anymore. Besides, they only needed enough power for the life support and computer systems.

Droids were sent in first. They could operate in vacuum and swiftly installed the back-up generator and ran a general diagnostics of the station. As suspected, they were locked out of many of the station's systems and areas, however the structure did not bear considerable damage and could be repressurised, at least for the duration of their expedition. The Eternal Emperor smiled at the report.

Switching on the ship's intercom, he spoke to his expedition, a crack team of experts from various fields, along with warriors and adventurers along for the ride, to help them deal with any active defense systems they may encounter inside. "We stand at a crossroads," he spoke, his voice loaded with gravity and meaning. "Ahead of us, lies a vault that has not been opened within thousands of years. A vault that contains many valuable secrets which the Confederacy could use."

"Our objective is clear. Whether we are here for personal gain, or duty towards our nation, our actions here, shall insure that the Confederacy will endure for ever. Eternity awaits!" the Sith Lord spoke impassioned, his voice rising with each word. "We will resurrect the glory and wisdom of the Eternal Throne! We will rebuild what was lost and recover that which was forgotten! With these first steps on our journey, we will ensure that the endless cycle of stagnation, collapse and destruction, is finally ended!" he said into his comlink even as he took the turbolift down to the hangar, a shuttle already waiting for him and a few select companions. "Go forth, my brethren, and claim your rightful place in history! For the Eternal Empire! For the Confederacy!"

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Near the entrance
State: Drunk
Wearing: purple fur coat, jeans, t shirt, combat boots
Wielding: 12 Czerka Knives, 3 Glitter Bullets

Scherezade sighed and wrapped her purple fur coat tighter around herself. The cold was seeping down into her bones. She was a creature of Spring and Summer, she loved the sun and the warmth that her ancestral home had to offer. Lacking the ability to actually go there, she often chosen planets with similar climates whenever possible. After the events of the last few weeks though, she was constantly cold. It sometimes felt like no matter how warmly she dressed and how many pelts she added, she would never be free of it.

Today was not a mission. Today had been... A strange sort of invitation. Scherezade sighed again, taking another drink from her bottle. She had not slept properly in weeks, her ability to even eat normally almost entirely gone. She was tired, she was exhausted, and above all, she still felt broken, like a glass vase that had broken into so many pieces that it could never be reassembled. She could even feel the bags under her eyes now, every time she blinked. And she blinked more than she wanted to.

She didn't know why she had come here. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she was at a sore lack of credits. Treasures and artifacts could take care of that. But she was too far one from a state in which she could enter caverns like this, filled with traps, and expect to come out in one piece. She barely noticed when pretzels flew above her head, and she doubted she'd be able to respond quickly enough to move aside if something sharp was tossed her way.

So Scherezade said on the ground, leaning against the wall near the entrance, and kept drinking. Sooner or later, she figured, she'd get up and either get in or leave.

 

[Razelle Breuner]

Where: ???
Who: [REDACTED]
What: [DATA EXPUNGED]

It was astounding how even an unlisted, deniable exploration pod on the far side of an abandoned military station from before the beginning of time itself wasn't immune to Sith egotism. Razelle sighed and leaned back in her seat, taking a long drag of stimstick. The life-support inside was only very recently restarted, so since she'd need to rely on her own oxygen supply for at least a few more hours, she'd be without her fix for that whole time. Best to get one in before she even disembarked.

There was a whirring sound as Raz's exploration pod hissed into position, locked itself to a bulkhead, and began cutting. Ancient metals were rugged, even if they weren't unbreakable, so she had several minutes to properly enjoy a bit of sunshine before the inevitable dreary, depressing, possibly dangerous solitude she was about to be dumped unceremoniously into. Allegedly, she was supposed to be running a systems and equipment diagnostic, but frankly, it was unlikely Blackwatch gave half a damn about what she was actually doing out here, as long as she didn't sabotage their Dread Leader Guy's plans, make a break for it, or blow up the whole station.

She'd need more explosives to do that last one.

The comms were silent while Darth Blusterous was giving his "I'm an evil genius with a proud heritage which you will all be tools to help me reclaim" speech. Raz assumed that was because of protocol. There was no way everyone in this whole damn organization was a mindless zealot. Normal people existed everywhere. Nothing was simply one thing.

Eventually the noise pollution calmed down and Raz's Blackwatch earpiece crackled again. <This is your first mission, Albatross. This is your chance to prove that you're worth the considerable investment we've put into you.> Another grand jest of an uncaring galaxy. Raz was used to it by now. About the only thing they invested into her was enough explosives to make her head pop like a cherry and the willingness to accept the vague idea that one of their operatives didn't want to be here.

"Just clear me for insertion, command," Jane Starkiller replied, snuffing the butt of her cig inside a disposal tray. She zipped up a sleek but perfectly-sealed environmental suit, tightened the collar around her own, and prepared her helmet. Eight hours of life support, light amplification, temperature regulation, mag boots...no real protection, but enough bells and whistles to keep her active for a while. Total generator uptime to get life support functioning at the extremities of the station had been estimated at five hours. She'd be fine.

There was a long pause between responses as the little ship she'd been piloting drilled a roughly human-sized hole into the armor of the station, lifted the panel away, and stowed it to one side. <Insertion cleared, mission timer started. Good hunting. We'll be in touch.>

Raz didn't key her commlink to reply. "Yeah, I bet you will." Fastening her hardware belt around her waist, she reached up to grab a support beam, opened the pod's airlock, and dropped herself into the station. Allegedly, no one involved in this operation would be anywhere near her. Not within several miles of her, even. She was alone out here...which was the least intolerable thing she'd experienced since being shanghaied by these assholes.

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

STAR DESTROYER INTERVENTION​

Corellia Digital Corporate Flagship​

gear_load={HUD-G \\ OM-P 376 \\ Paperweight \\ HoloBoy Advanced \\ Howlys}​

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Druckenwell was where Corellia Digital laundered its money.

So when something the size of a space station popped up on com-scan, it merited investigation. And it seemed as though Sor-Jan wasn't the only one who had taken notice.

"Shall I signal the Invictus, General?"

Captain Gerald. The master and commander of the Intervention. The man that Sor-Jan had placed as responsible for the safe navigation and well-being of a ship that represented a significant investment on the part of the company.

The Confederate ship was no surprise here. This was Confederate space, after all.

"That won't be necessary," the boy noted simply, before explaining, "The Intervention will hold position here. I'll take the Alderaan Queen over and see if I can get a look inside."

Turning, the boy started to make his way off the bridge.

"In the meantime, send out some Stingrays to map the exterior of the station."

 

[Ursula Vizla]

GEAR: (1) Mandalorian armor fully made of bes'kar, (1) Pair of R82 jump boots, (1) Utility Belt (Two thermal detonators, one grappling spike launcher, one holoprojector, one comlink, one datapad, two hand granades), (1) DXR 6 Disruptor Rifle, (1) T 6 Heavy Blaster Pistol, (2) MT 14 Heavy Blaster Pistol.​

In her own experience, Ursula hated fancy ideals about how to make the galaxy a better place, or how awful things were in some strange nation. She lived by the Resol'nare, the core of what meant to be a mandalorian, and although she believed in loyalty, honor and pride, she also believe that every question was solved through a rifles end, or maybe a with a knife. Her mind was still a bit grumpy for not being able to bring her sword on that job, a brand new blade like that one needed to be used, but in that gig she had no place for blades like Masamuse, for she knew that fire power was much better in a 'rescue' mission. Approached by a Sith lord named Darth Tacitus, Vizsla was offered to participate in that campaign about rescuing some old technology for half a million credits in payment, an amount so enormously great that Ursula could remember her old father quoting an old line to her: "Always keep a loaded gun when an offer is too good to believe", doing exactly that with the disruptor gun tightly held in her hands covered in the crushgaunts, the other hand was on the gun cable in her waist, the eyes behind the helmet looked both bored and angry following behind the employer, her own black armoweave cape slowly dangled one side to the other as she walked behind the Sith, listening to his big talk about some eternal shab this and that, but he also talked about a vault, a valuable vault, and probably a well secured one. One that made her call her fellow bounty hunter, Jorge, to help with the mission she had. Half a million to help the dark lord with his vault and keep him alive, off course, her only demand was advanced payment, and so listening to Tacitus talk about the mission, and the future, she couldn't help to start tapping her left feet a bit impatiently in the floor, only paying real attention to the strong words about 'claim your rightful place in history', words that made she humble to herself with a rusty tone. "History, hm?", those were powerful words for a man that sweated a dark feeling of shadows for his force powers, powers that she could feel coming from his body, something that made her grip even more tightly to the rifle in her hands, only imagining what kind of trouble she could expect. Her feet only followed the employer passes, but the mind could not stop itself from being alert, with her mouth shut and eyes quite open under the helmet.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Gear: Wither (Sith Sword) | The Shrouded Blade (Lightsaber) | The Triad (Lightsabers) | Shroud of Desolation (Armor) | Ri Akuti, the All Seeing Eye (Amulet), NPCs: Whisper (Sithspawn)​

Attn: [member="Ursula Vizla"] | [member="Sor-Jan Xantha"] | [member="Razelle Breuner"] | [member="Scherezade deWinter"]​

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• Abandoned Station
  In space, near Druckenwell

Even as his first scouts boarded the station, agents of Blackwatch who's loyalty had yet to be proven and thus, were expendable assets in the eyes of their superiors, the Eternal Emperor led his own strike team into the station. The droids that had been in the first wave, had already identified and secured the hangar bay that the Emperor's shuttle was flying towards, so they would have a few moments to plan things out and set up a camp in relative safety, but nobody knew anything about what they would encounter when they went further in.

"Vac suits on, everyone," the Emperor spoke, even as he fitted his own helmet onto the harness which held it firmly secured to his belt. The hangar had been pressurized, yes, but the ancient station had not been properly serviced in thousands of years and a malfunction could occur at any time. "Make sure your helmets are secured and within easy reach, so that you will be able to put them on, in case of rapid decompression. Remember to check your weapons and supplies and stay sharp at all times."

It was easy for the Sith Lord to slip back into the efficient, military professionalism that he had grown so accustomed to, after being a part of his life for the better portion of a decade. Instructions were delivered in a swift and precise manner, with the minimum amount of word required for their meaning to be carried across.

Entering through the improvised forcefield that had been set up to block air from escaping the hangar, the shuttle touched down upon the cold metal of the landing bay with a simple thud, sending dust and flakes of paint flying in all directions. As the ramp descended, the Emperor's feline eyes scanned the assembled individuals, checking one last time that everyone's equipment was in order.

It was a fairly diverse crowd and several faces stood out. Amongst them was a Mandalorian mercenary that had cost the Sith Lord half a million credits to hire, but would likely be worth every penny, while another was Scherezade deWinter, whom Tacitus had brought along to give her the chance to clear her mind and maybe make some money to pay off the rapidly growing debt that she had began to amass.

"Your highness, our sensors are picking up a Venator-class Star Destroyer entering the system," a voice warned him over the comlink. "The ship is registered as affiliated to the Corellia Digital corporation. They are launching probes and scanning the station."

"Copy that, Invictus," the Eternal Emperor responded. "Let them through, but keep an eye on them in case they cause any trouble," he instructed his flagship. He did not mind having the presence of another ship, here, since its crew may be useful for dealing with whatever awaited them inside the station. They could have their fair share of the loot, especially since any important technology that was recovered, would be labeled as a Confederate state secret and would be impounded.

The shuttle's ramp touched down, exposing the passengers within, to a sight not seen in millenia. As always, the Eternal Emperor personally led the way, being the first in the group to set foot upon the undisturbed metal of the station. He had always been the kind of man who led from the front lines, always in the thick of things and working just as hard as those who followed him.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Location: Emergency meeting with the Cabinet, Castagne
Objective: Station near Druckenwell
Equipment: Yet to be determined
Post: 1



"I could well guess what this could mean to us...." Her eyes made a circle, literally dropping her stylus on the desk, as she slumped back in her chair.

This meeting was not about another sith Viceroy seeking to upset the balance of power within the CIS. Or so the Cabinet head of Castagne, Karlie's father went to point it out to her. The Galaxy had changed. Castagne had to change. Change in its view of the sith...at least the sith who were Viceroys in the CIS.

"Pft..." She let her opinion of them be known.

Naturally her father curtly advised her to sit up, retrieve her stylus from the Admiral's space and discuss the matter objectively or excuse herself from the meeting.

Karlie reached for the stylus that had wound up near one of the Admirals across from her and sat up straight.
"My apology, Admiral Lands... " She said to him before taking a deep breath.
"You know my feelings for them. It's not just an opinion...its a fact, Viceroy." She replied to her father, eyes locking upon his. Well, for a moment at least....maybe less. Karlie couldn't stare him down by no means...ever. She not only loved him, but respected him. Same on her father's end. That look was something they shared... a reminder of who Karlie was and the length she went to stay as such.
The two Destats both experienced the treachery and the lengths by which a sith seeking power could do. And that had changed Karlie forever.

"Sigh....fine.
Yes, I wish to remain. Hard as it is, I'll keep an open mind...." She then said, succumbing to be objective than biased. Her word given, was as good as written.

The Cabinet meeting was about the rediscovery of what had once been the epitome of an ancient Empire...a sith Empire. Intelligence had reported that the ancient military station had been found in system Druckenwell... another system within CIS space. Soon following the report, and to the cabinetry surprise, the finding had been reported across the Viceroyalty. This alone had come by as a surprise for it had originated by @Darth Tacticus...head of the Admiralty of the CIS.
Tarssin's argument was that if the rediscovery of the ancient station had been for selfish reasons, that it would not have been made public.

Karlie naturally hadn't bought into the open house tactic, as she referred to it She simply had no trust, let alone ant liking for sith... be they Viceroys or trusted figureheads within the CIS. Karlie had preferred Castagne remain totally independent and not have been inducted into the folds of the CIS.

"So this treasure hunt...this gathering of old tech and weaponry...what exactly does it have to do with me...or put simply the IBI? Why not have someone like @Iansade from the ICI go and make like a puppet on a sting?" She asked, to the suggestion that she be sent over with her team.

The reason given was that Castagne wasn't looking for ancient outdated weaponry or tech....but possibly something by which the sith were notoriously known to often deploy...disregarding ant moral codes. Bio-engineered pathogens, agents and chemicals. And who better to find these kind of weapons or cachets than her?

"Heh.... I see..." Karlie said, quite perked up. Now it all made sense. Castagne wasn't considering going on a treasure hunt, no. They were interested that if any ancient biological weapons were still on that station...that they had to be exposed...and eliminated. They needed a bio-engineer..karlie to go and see about finding them...if they existed.

"Then I'm your girl, gentlemen."

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Near the entrance
State: Drunk
Wearing: purple fur coat, jeans, t shirt, combat boots
Wielding: 12 Czerka Knives, 3 Glitter Bullets

Scherezade blinked as she heard Tacitus' words. The entrance she had thought she was sitting next to appeared to be the exit of the hangar, and... Well, there were suits. She let her head drop a little, cursing internally. Of course there would be suits. There were always suits. It was just that, usually, she wasn't told about it, and found out much after missions were done that others had proper defensive clothing while she'd been around wearing little more than jeans and t-shirts. Her first instinct was to blame the CIS for it. Then a moment later she realized that it was probably another one of those things that were her own fault. It didn't make it any better, or any less worse.

It took more effort than she wanted to admit to get up from where she was sitting. A glance around showed where the protective gear was. Scherezade managed to walk in a mostly straight line towards it, and just stared. She'd never put on of those things on her before, and glancing through the memories left to her by her grandmother, neither had she. But her grandmother had people to do it for her. Scherezade was going to be fumbling and figuring it out.

She sighed, realizing that she'd have to remove her fur coat to get into it. Maybe the rest.

Taking another long gulp from the bottle, Scherezade began to remove all her weapons from her body; a dozen knives, a gun, a bottle, scattered all across, hidden underneath what looked like an was very civilian clothing. And then she stripped all her clothes off before starting to fumble with the suits. Getting hands and legs in was simple enough and only took moments, but then setting it, tightening it... She wasn't even sure she was getting any of it right. And if it wasn't right, it was just torture clothes that would be inefficient.

Still, having nothing better to do, the drunk Sithling resumed to fumble. She'd get it, sooner or later.

 

[Er'in Tenel]

The Eternal Empire.

Now there were words to catch a girls ear - particularly if said girl was an Archivist of the Knights Obsidian with an obsession for Force mysteries.

Er'in was not at all sure she agreed with [member="Darth Tacitus"] desire to recreate a fallen empire - her personal belief in Sith ascension was much more individually focused. But... there were some offers you did not pass up.

She locked down the visor on her strike armour and checked the additional vac-seals the droids had applied - not, she admitted, that she knew how they worked, but even she could tell that a green tell-tale light was good.

Now another faceless Knight, distinguishable only by her light-shield and the cloak she wore clasped around her shoulders.

This Darth lead from the front, at least - even if he was a military man like so many others, it remained to be seen if he excelled beyond that into recognising the value of what be found here, or if he viewed it as a weapon.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Location: Initial docking/landing on the station
Objective: Seek out any evidence of bio/chem weapons
Equipment: Bio suit
Post: 2



The clearances and approach vectors were confirmed by the current authorities whom had secured the station's perimeter. The jump from Castagne to Druckenwell had for the better part gone uneventful. Karlie had dropped out of hyperspace in her private starship the LCX-3 . A personal designed craft that slipped through hyper-space at a relatively fast .03

"Affirmative....I'm flying solo... is that a problem?" She curtly replied to the question as if she had come alone.
She certainly did, as she wasn't here for the so called treasure hunt. Like what kind of tech a thousand years old be good for, except possibly in a museum, or some loathing sith lord's personal collection? yes, she still wasn't too keen on force users, especially the sithy kind. And yes, it was a personal reason.

It wasn't a problem at all, her arriving alone. What possibly had been in question was did she know of the risks? This wasn't a vacation resort, she was informed.

"No?..??...No?!!" She suddenly replied shockingly...
"Oh my...what is a girl to do?...who's going to do my hair?" She mimicked the part they had most likely assumed, seeing her ship emerge from hyperspace. yes, it was a luxury ship, but what was she going to arrive in?..the same piece of junk transport they loaned her from Melida/Daan?

"Listen boys...I've got authorization from Castagne's Cabinetry...following an invite of my system from a Lord admiral..or the lord of Admirals...what's his name... " Lord, did she have to pull up that record?
Ah yes, there it was..." Ahem... an open invite from a [member="Darth Tacitus"]..." her eyes made a circle. " ...to come on some treasure hunt on the newly discovered station- " Karlie suddenly cut out in mid-sentence.
"What the...
"Say, I'm picking up a star-destroyer of sort....Mandolorean design. You boys on it?" She then brought up the image of the battleship up in her craft's HUD.

Yes, they were on it...they knew about it and along with other crafts that Karlie too was picking up.

"Hmm...Ok, well am I good to go or what?" She then asked, dropping her little blonde skit.

"Yes, you heard me... can I enter the station? I'm transmitting you boys my credentials...IBI." She wasted no small talk as she sent over her ship's registry and ID with the CIS.

"Well good for you... usually those who hear of the IBI are in for quite an audit. " She replied to their lack of knowledge of her Castan executive branch.

But yes, they gave her a green light to approach and land inside the station. There was a suggested dock entrance they transmitted to her and she followed through.
"10-4...thank you fellas. Have a good day...night....whatever..." She then closed off the comm and headed her ship inside.

The Castan LCX-3 slipped right in one of the landing bays of the old station. To her surprise the interior was relatively...clean. Well, being in a vacuum all those centuries didn't quite accumulate any dust.
"Hmm...not too shaby...for a relic station..." She said looking out/around her full duraglass cockpit.

In no time, she got suited up, as per the criteria and recommendation of Darth Tacitus and with her field pack slung over her shoulder, Karlie exited her ship...
"Shoot..." She then suddenly realized there were quite a few exits or doors to choose from. "No floor plan...no map anywhere around here?"
She sighed and picked one door. One most likely leading in, than out of the station.

The door swung open and to her surprise..

"You need help with that?" She had come upon another girl/woman...kind of a waif in her opinion. Poor thing was probably lost or separated from one of those treasure hunting groups. What else could she assume, as the girl was fumbling with ...everything on her suit. Unknowingly, Karlie had happened upon [member="Scherezade deWinter"]. Naturally, Karlie had never meet the girl..not even aware that SD (that's short for Scherezade deWinter...too lazy to keep posting the full name) , had been on the same campaign as she on Melida/Daan.
It just so happened that Karlie had entered as the poor girl was struggling with her hermetic suit. Apparently the girl had never been in an enviro/hermetic suit before...girl

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Near the entrance
State: Drunk
Wearing: purple fur coat, jeans, t shirt, combat boots
Wielding: 12 Czerka Knives, 3 Glitter Bullets
Tag: [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"]

She heard someone offering help. Green eyes moved to where the voice was coming from, falling on... A little blonde. Something about her reminded her of Katrine and for half a heart beat she just wanted to punch the woman. But it wasn't Katrine. And it wasn't her fault she reminded her of her.

With a sigh, Scherezade nodded.

"I've never worn something like this before," she admitted, fingers finally deciding to take a break. The people who had been in the hangar were no longer there. Left in the back, the end, again. It wasn't really surprising. She ought to be used to it by now.

She looked at the woman again. Much like the woman, Scherezade had no recollection of being on the same mission as her on Melida/Daan. Scherezade had been busy paving the way for them to move, killing one of the infected, and trying not to do die so... So she could come back alive and go to Stewjon with Gerwald to rescue his siblings. But that never ended up happening. But now was not the time for those memories to rise.

"Is there a button or something I'm missing?" she asked desperatly as her hand went for her bottle, needing to take a long swig. Tacitus had already lectured her several times on her drinking. Right now, she simply didn't care.

 

[Razelle Breuner]

Where: [REDACTED]
Who: Operator █████
What: [DATA EXPUNGED]

There was a humming noise outside the hull. Raz's heart rate must have spiked on her envirosuit's biometrics, because immediately she heard the crackle of her operator's voice over the helmet's comlink. "Salvage droids. Unsanctioned, but we've no reason to believe they're a threat." Letting out a low sigh, Razelle rolled her eyes at the words of false "reassurance." Of course they don't think they're a threat. They're not the ones inside this busted old wreck.

The corridor she was in was long, dark, and cold. That meant that it wasn't anywhere close to any power cores or propulsion systems. Too far external to do anything important. Considering what she was supposed to be looking for, it would be getting very hot before she got anywhere close. "Local temperature is almost a hundred below. Too cold for a server room." A quick tap of her databracer started a sonic imaging program, sending tiny pulses through the tunnel she was in to feed back a rough estimate of a local map. "Sonic cartographer works fine. Looks like there's something that looks like a gateway about a eighty meters away."

The artificial gravity hadn't kicked on this far out yet, let alone atmo, which left Razelle's movements not unlike swimming through oil. She pushed her way to a wall and guided herself forward like a tiny, latex-sealed, fleshy missile. An extremely slow missile, of course, because a lack of any atmo meant a lack of any velocity. It took her some time to build up proper momentum. When she reached the door in question and looped her fingers around the side to pull herself to a halt, Razelle tapped her databracer a few times, running through UI's until she found her light amplification. Sonic imager, light amplification...

The room she was in was huge. Cavernous, almost. This was an ancient Sith boat, so there were a few possibilities on exactly where she was. "No systems access here, command. Probably a temple, or some kind of archive." Neither was what she was looking for. "Looks untouched. This place has been sealed up tight. Might explain why the atmo hasn't hit yet."

Her brand-new area map pointed to two doors. Judging by the orientation of the station around her, she found which one would lead deeper in and shuttled towards it, through zero-G, allowing her momentum to carry her. No power here meant no lockdown, but that also meant that she'd have to cut through the door if it was closed at all, whether or not it was locked. "Getting a thermal shift. Zeroing." She took a few seconds to play with her thermal sensors, but whatever the source was was far too far away from her to be detectable. "Can't get a solid reading. Breaching the door."

Slow going. Slow and lonely.

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Location: Initial docking/landing on the station
Objective: Seek out any evidence of bio/chem weapons
Equipment: Bio suit
Post: 3



"Ah...I see the problem..." She said, stepping over to the girl.

Her eyes first caught the fur and the small cache of weapons haphazardly sprawled on the bench. Obviously the girl's belongings... along with the container of what Karlie could only guess as being some sort of alcohol, rising up to the girl's lips. The strange markings and label on the bottle were foreign to her.
Knives?
The girl had brought knives too? Like...what would anyone do with knives? She could see the projectile weapon... a blaster of some kind; but to bring blades on an ancient relic of a station?
Yep...the girl was drunk.

Wait a second... How old was this girl anyway?...

"Sigh..." Karlie gestured like she were rubbing her chin, as she stood looking over [member="Scherezade deWinter"] . Although she were rubbing lower portion of her helmet face, more of habit and symbolic than anything. Difficult it was to even scratch her head if she had opted for that, being that she was in a sort of ziplock enviro-suit. Karlie was trying to evaluate how the suit got looking the way it did as it was totally misaligned...at least the seals were.
"...I'd say more than a couple of buttons or zippers you're missing..." What was she going to do...let the poor girl enter through the sealed door in a compromised suit? The girl had totally misaligned what had been designed as a fool proof enviro-suit seals!

"First...and if you don't mind... you're going to have to drink that all up or put it down before we fix you up in that ziplock bag.." She chuckled, as it was now apparent that this was indeed a young woman....or girl. Karlie was putting her at 5 years younger, maybe- .....Oh never mind. The girl was just a tad younger Karlie reasoned, before going off guessing into the possible teens, and left it at that.

The girl had misaligned the zip-seals on what was by all means, a simple and effective enviro pressure suit...nothing fancy. Karlie herself could have doned it on even in a drunken state. And believe it or not, she had been trained to do it in such an altered state.
Ok, truth be told, maybe not with alcohol..but definitely in an oxygen deprived atmosphere, laden with excessive C02, almost giving the same drunken state of mind. Then again, Karlie did have the same training as the Castan marines that her state (system) had as far as elite armed forces.

"OK...seriously... finish off that rocket fuel or put it down, if you want me to help you zip you up in that suit properly." Karlie had been there and done that...what this girl was at the moment. She knew no matter what she said or tried to do to swade her in giving up the bottle wasn't going to sink in. Besides, the girl was already three sheets into the wind. Finishing that bottle or not, she had a feeling this girl wasn't going anywhere fast. But if she was, then being safely zipped up in her own body bag..maybe she'd not succumb to whatever lay beyond the sealed doors to the inside of the station.

Everyone had been advised to wear hermetic suits as no one really knew for certain what kind of environment could be stabilized in this old relic of a station.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Near the entrance
State: Drunk
Wearing: purple fur coat, jeans, t shirt, combat boots this suit sucks
Wielding: 12 Czerka Knives, 3 Glitter Bullets
Tag: [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"]

Missing buttons and zippers? Scherezade blinked in disbelief. Of course. It made perfect sense. If there's be one damaged suit in the pile, it was only natural that she would end up with it. A broken suit, just like herself. She took another sip from her bottle as the woman told her she was going to have to drink it all or put it down. Well... If she'd finish it, there wouldn't be any left for later. So she set it down.

"It's down," she confirmed with words.

While waiting for the woman to undamage her suit, Scherezade stared at her. It was always the little blondes that were so eager to help, just like her former sister had been. Her former sister had also been more than eager to betray her and was now with the man that Scherezade loved.

But having no better option, she had to let the woman do her thing. It was either that or having the trip to this place mean nothing other than burned gas that she was having a harder and harder time to afford.

"Where do I hide weapons on this thing?" Scherezade found herself asking, "it's so tight."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Location: Initial docking/landing on the station
Objective: Seek out any evidence of bio/chem weapons
Equipment: Bio suit
Interacting: A rather odd, but peculiar younger girl. Interesting subject to say the least...
Post: 4



"Hmm..." She furled a brow behind her helmet. Karlie hadn't expected the girl to put it down actually. It was not something she would have done at the girl's age. Then again, Karlie had been more under the influence of her sith mother than the alcohol she used to consume at the time. But still, Karlie would have not thought of the next moment but the one present...would have downed the bottle. But nevertheless the girl did put her bottle down and was coherent enough to still want the suit to be on the right way. This was for the most part, quite entertaining for Karlie. maybe die to the fact that she had blindly skipped over her wild teen years. Again, under the influence of her sith mother whom had been secretively tailoring Karlie to be her apprentice. (But that story will slowly unfold through time...)

"Ok...just got to unzip that left sleeve from your right...arm.." Yep, the suit had somehow got twisted midway after the girl had managed to get her legs into it. Somehow or other, she had inadvertently grappled (yes, grappled; as Scherezade had missed grabbing the right entry sleeve altogether) the opposite sleeve to draw her arm into.

"Seriously....it's actually twisted around-
No, no...don't you turn around...." Karlie was tugging at one sleeve while the poor girl was working her other arm and trying to turn in her suit.

"Uhm, wait...no...
...maybe...sigh...
Ok...just -
No.... wow...like, how did you manage to zip that like-" No wonder such a failsafe type suit...failed to fit the poor girl.
"Sigh...It's stuck.
No, no, wait... hold still a second..." So it went on a bit, as Karlie tugged on one end and her new play thing tugged on the other...unwittingly.

"Seriously.... come on, just hold your breath for a second, while I'll pull on-
YEA!!
OK, yes!..." She had finally gotten the girl's arm free. Upon a quick examination, it seemed the suit's integrity had held up. It was without say that it was well made. These enviro suits had to be, for they were more than the standard open space... uhm, space suits?
Yes, these enviro suits were designed to be quite flexible and rugged, as they were to withstand more than just the vacuum of space. They had to hold up to that and harsh corrosive environments too.
...and they were quite stylish many of them, for something designed to be so robust. Well, take a look at the one Karlie sported. It certainly was form fitting and she had some form... or so she was certain of it.

Finally getting that twisted jigsaw suit puzzled out, it zipped up quite nicely on the girl. And yes, it had taken some time, as the young girl was quite fidgety in her altered state, but the enviro suit finally looked like it could have been sprayed on, it fit so good.
It was during some of the girl's now forgotten conversations during the suit struggle, that she had revealed her name to Karlie. It was [member="Scherezade deWinter"] .

"Hmm...you don't say...." It was quite a unique and sophisticated sounding name. Karlie quite liked it. Well, it beat other names she had come across. Then again, Karlie hadn't gone out much in her early teen years and everything of late seemed to be a new experience as far as catching up on what had passed over her like a fog.

"Lol...you what?..." Now this was hilarious.
"You want to pack these where?...like where do you think you could hide them?" Karlie chuckled, standing back a step ot two. Looking over the slim fit of the suit, where in damnation did the girl think she could stuff her hardware into? Ok, maybe the knife could attach to her waist...or...or, maybe her leg?

"Gah!..." Karlie had to give up.
"Why hide them? Like, this floating mausoleum hasn't been in operation since...uhm...Oh I don't know...a good long time! If anything are roaming about this place other than those invited, it's ghosts...lol" Naturally she didn't believe in ghost. Well, she had never seen or experienced a ghost or apparition. Seen a lot of holograms that scared the piss out of her, for sure...but that was just Karlie after being freed of the midis and her mother's clutch on her spirit. Before that, she had been fearless and knew no bounds. Now she was just experiencing what she should have experienced as a teen years ago.

"Seriously.... what did you expect to find here..." Karlie took to pointing at the items on the bench. ".... that you've brought ...what ever that big gun is...?

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Near the entrance
State: Drunk
Wearing: purple fur coat, jeans, t shirt, combat boots this suit sucks
Wielding: 12 Czerka Knives, 3 Glitter Bullets
Tag: [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"]

Twisted around? Scherezade blinked, looking at the suit, trying to move with some sort of elegance as Karlie tried to help her out with it. Obviously, she was doing badly at it. Just another failure to add to her long list of such. Eventually her hand was free, and what seemed like an eternity later, she was strapped in, all the zippers and buttons in their place.

It was... A tight fit. Scherezade was used to freer clothes than that, more freedom of movement. This suit made her feel so restricted. She hated it. For a moment she pondered whether she should just take it off and go into the place wearing her usual clothes, but she knew that idea was bad in advance.

She sighed.

Karlie made a good point about hiding her knives. So they were going to go over the suits now.

"You never know," she said when Karlie mentioned that the only things they might face inside there were ghosts.

And then came the last question.

Scherezade grabbed the bottle she had set aside, taking a good long swig from it.

"The gun was made to fight Mandalorian armor," she explained, "as for what we can find inside... I don't know. I didn't even want to come here. And now everyone is already inside and if you hadn't stopped to help me with this stupid thing I'd still be sitting here slamming my head into the wall or something."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Location: Initial docking/landing on the station
Objective: Seek out any evidence of bio/chem weapons
Equipment: Bio suit
Interacting: A rather odd, but peculiar younger girl. Interesting subject to say the least...

Post: 5


"Meh...don't mention it...." She replied, giving Scherezade's bottle a slight tap when the girl took to righting the bottle again.
In truth, Karlie didn't want to come find the girl lying dead as a rivet just outside the corridor of the hangar, on her way back to her ship. It wasn't so much as she cared for the strange peculiar girl...just that she'd then have to either call for assistance from god-knows-who,and then go to explain as to not being her fault that the girl expired.
Sure, she could chance lying about not knowing anything about the girl lying dead in a compromised suit. But somehow or other there would be a video...and there always was a video that turned up out of nowhere; that would show Karlie passing Scherezade in the hangar with an obvious topsy-turvy ill fitted enviro suit.
And how would that look on Karlie if she simply passed the girl and not say or do anything?
So now, secured and quite drunk in her enviro suit, the girl was nearly good to go. That is, once she'd put the bottle of spirits down.

"Come on...save some of that for later...time to helmet up." Karlie said after tapping on the girl's bottle.
And without a hitch...except for another swig, the girl put the bottle down and Karlie secured the girl's helmet on.


.... tick-tock....


... tick-tock....


"Uhm...yo!...Well?" Karlie stepped up to the girl again.


...tick-tock....


...tick-tock....


Tap-tap tap...Karlie knocked on the girl's hermetic helmet.

"TURN YOUR LIFE SUPPORT ON!" She shouted.
Only it really didn't sound that loud. It more sounded like "turn your life support on" , as Karlie's voice came out muffled, for Scherezade hadn't turned the suit on, which incidentally also meant the comm.

Of course the poor girl's brain cells were pickled at the moment and she didn't know what Karlie meant or how to turn the suit life support system on. Karlie obviously tapped a few more times, even using hand gestures in a feeble attempt at some form of sign language. But still no suit functions.
Her own attempts at turning the girl's suit on from the exterior was kind of awkward as it could have flown that Karlie was frisking the girl. Only that somehow or other this particular suit could only be turned on from the inside...or Karlie couldn't figure out the exterior emergency bypass on switch. Well, more than a minute or two had passed by pretty quickly and the suit being quite body snug, as in almost painted on, Scherezade was running out of air.

"Damn you!" she shouted, unclasping the safety collar and pulling the helmet off the girl.

"Come on...a little help here please. You see this chin rest?" She pointed to it on the open helmet in her hand.
"Push it...it turns green......or should turn green.... what the?...." Nope nothing was happening.

"Oh shoot...that's my helmet!" Sure enough, Karlie had inadvertently put on her own helmet on Scherezade's suit. The two models were incompatible, despite they locked the helmets in place.

"Ooooh..." She then saw..or remembered the 'ADAPT' mode of the suits. Pushing this button linked one suit's helmet and function to another.
"Ok...well, now you're wearing mine..." She then snapped it back on the girl and VIOLA!..it sprung into operation.
A quick check confirmed it's right functionalities and the girl was once more breathing oxygenated air.
"Whew..." Karlie sighed a relief, reaching for the bottle and taking a swig herself, before putting it down on the bench.

It really wasn't out of the ordinary for one in their mid teens to be off on their own and packed like the girl was. Not in boobs mind you, but in weapons of the nature Scherezade indicated.
Interesting though, and quite funny, as Karlie had not commented on the weird looking blaster that the girl claimed affected Mandolorean iron...which everybody knew was pretty tough.

"You always this much trouble?...or are you hitting some rough patches?
You're too young to be drowning something away in that bottle... Like, what are you, 15...16?..??" She asked, as Karlie activated her own hermetic suit...linking their comms together.




[member="Scherezade deWinter"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Location: Near the entrance
State: Drunk
Wearing: purple fur coat, jeans, t shirt, combat boots this suit sucks
Wielding: 12 Czerka Knives, 3 Glitter Bullets
Tag: [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"]

Time to helmet up? Scherezade blinked in confusion. No one said anything about a helmet. Why did she have to wear a helmet? They were... Claustrophobic. Tiny. No air. Just the sound of your own breathing. Who in their right mind would wear it willingly?

But there was no time to protest. Suddenly the helmet was on her head. Everything went dark, went silent.

Scherezade whimpered.

Karlie said something, but Scherezade wasn't in a place where she could hear it. For centuries, she had been trapped inside the Darkness, and once spat out, she had become frightened of the dark, hating complete silence with every fiber of her being. Being trapped in the Darkness a second time had traumatized and broken her, scarred her beyond recognition.

And being stuck inside this helmet... She was going to have a silent heart attack. She couldn't breathe. She could hear her heart beat in her ears, her pulse going up, the sweat coming down from her forehead. She was going to cry soon enough as she died in this skin tight suit and its stupid helmet.

And suddenly there was air, and she could see things, and...

Scherezade's hands finally remembered that they could move, and she quickly punched everywhere that was needed in order to get the damned thing off.

The sheer terror on her face was all too easy to say.

"18 months, 6 months, over 500, take your pick," she finally said after a long pause. Her knees bent beneath her and she squatted down, hugging her knees. She couldn't do this. She couldn't be in the suit, which meant she couldn't go inside. "Everyone else decides based on what they need or want at the moment anyway."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Location: Initial docking/landing on the station
Objective: Seek out any evidence of bio/chem weapons
Equipment: Bio suit
Interacting: A rather odd, but peculiar younger girl. Interesting subject to say the least...
Post: 6




"Whoa!...what the-?.." She had to drop the helmet as the girl was uncontrollably fighting it off her, trying to get it as far from her as she could. Karlie realized too late the girl's phobia.

"HEY!..." she took to block two wild and unintentional swings as the helmet bonked on the steel floor.

"Alright!...alright...it's off you!
...it's off you, Scherezade!" She had to shout to get the girl to stop fighting for her life, her fear.

"Frak...
Frak..." she then uttered , kneeling down to the girl's level. The sweat, the heavy breathing...it all came back to her. The moment of consciousness from emergence. It all came back to Karlie, as she looked at Scherezade.
"Sigh..." she gave the girl a moment to get a hold of herself. Karlie restrained from putting her hands on the girl's arms, as it would make matters worse at this moment still. The girl needed a moment to catch her breath and let the panic pass.

Naturally what Scherezade spoke of, didn't make any sense whatsoever to Karlie. And why would it? The girl had freaked out being claustrophobic for one reason or another. Karlie herself had to relearn, had to overcome her phobia. It had been necessary, otherwise she wouldn't have made it in the IBI.

"Hey...hehe..." she couldn't but help have it touch a funny bone in her.
" ...now how did you not think to be putting on an enviro suit wouldn't include a helmet?..Hahaha.." She lightly tapped the girl on her collar bone.

" It's no big deal really... I had to get over that feeling myself. You know,,the suffocation feeling you get when entombed." Karlie then reached for her own seal and snapped it open, taking her helmet off too.
"You should maybe just skip this trip.
Personally, I didn't find the need for my bureau to have sent me here. Like, what's a thousand year old derelict-...Ok, maybe not so derelict by the looks of it here." She had to admit so far the station looked like it could only have been dormant just a few years, not a millennia. It was for the most part, dust free.

"But seriously, what kind of tech the CIS would be concerned that this station could harbor? I mean, well it's old...a thousand years is like ancient. Who the frak would even care of something that old?" Of course she was trying to get the girl to calm down and give her time to recover. A little conversation and reassurance that she didn't have to go through the sealed doors..not get hermetically suited up, helmet and all.

"Hmm.." Karlie's eyes went back over to where the girl had put down that rocket fuel.

"Maybe a small swig?" She reached for the bottle on the bench and popped off the top. But instead of giving it to the girl, she put it to her own lips instead.

"Gasp!..." She nearly expelled what went down through her nostrils.

"Ewww... cough...cough..." she nearly dropped the bottle, but managed to hold it.
"Holy banta fodder...it is rocket fuel!.." Karlie's sour expression as she looked over the bottle was quite evident that it was of some concoction stronger than she was used too.

She then offered the girl the bottle. After all, it was hers anyway.
"Cough.." Karlie went to wipe what remnant of volatile spirits were still working on her lips...almost making them quite numb.

"So honestly... how old are you...really?" She asked, remaining knelled in front of the girl.