Into the Mists [Free Worlds Dominion of Hapes Hex]

[Myles Davorak]

Myles stood outside, carefully surveying the area quietly. He nonchalantly spoke over comms to Raven Squad "Keep your eyes peeled gentlemen, we are in unfamiliar territory". For some reason, Myles felt.....something. His gut was telling him that this mission could potentially be high stakes.

He brushed the feeling off and disregarded it for the time being as he thought to himself need to stay focused

After walking the length of the balcony he turned back around and saw a young woman step outside. She had silver blonde hair and her skin was pale. She was elegant and gorgeous in appearance but Myles had to concentrate on the mission. He would casually walk over to the female and casually prompt her
"I hear the wine is pretty good. That's the rumor around here anyway. " He looked at her, she wasn't like the other women he has seen here before. He kept this to himself though. No need to be rude.

[member="Cecile Miraxus"]

 

[Myles Davorak]

**got posted twice. VOID*****

 

[Theo Vereen]

[member="Laira Vereen"]

"Sure you smile pretty at them and see if it helps. I"ll just sigh and lean against the wall." He smiled teasing his sister, "Hey by the way how's your friend [member="Joza Perl"] the very pretty zeltron? You see her often?"

He nodded to show the direction that the crowds had gathered, "might be someone there, but I'm thinking over there the windows that face this way. You know how it is someone always looks even if they know they shouldn't"

It had happened a number of times curiosity they wanted to see but not to see and often couldn't unsee what they did see. No one likes to see murder. Even he couldn't always take the site of a dead body and lately there had been more. Kuat, Onderon and now here. He couldn't shake that bad feeling. It was out there, it would happen they'd find it, them, him, or her and it would end for a bit until someone else got it in their head that killing was a good idea.

 

[Lucienne Sinclair]

Hapes Prime, Ta’a Chume’Dan
The Fountain Palace

Wonderful. And just when she thought her life would not get anymore worse. Faith Organa herself was here.

It was clear that the takeover was imminent. Especially when it came to the attention of the Hapans sovereignty was at risk. She rolled her eyes as she approached the female outside. Even if she was a woman, she was still a barbarian, and no way, that she was going to just... touch or let barbaric filth like her attempt to roam freely. Peasant barbarians must be shown their place. Yet again, this barbarian was a leader... so she had to, somewhat show her proper respect as a noble. But she cleared her throat and fixed up her uniform, preparing to act dominant, and Hapan as she always was.

"Quite an impressive place, isn't it?" she said to Faith. "Of course, you need to understand that it still belongs to us, and won't bend to the whims of such... people who might invade the cluster like yourself." she then proceeded to fold her hands behind her back ."I am Lucienne Sinclair, head of the noble and elusive Sinclair family. I come from a long line of nobility, so I expect you and your second class citizens, your men, to know your place. You are in Hapan Space, not your little coalition's. I'll be watching you, and your little friends."

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[H3xle]

LOCATION: Docks, Kavan Orbital, Hapes System

A soft wave of vibration went up Ryn's legs as the shuttle docked with the station. His grip on his satchel tightened, and he took an involuntary step forward, towards the door that had yet to open. The mood in the cramped space of the ferry shuttle turned slightly, moving towards impatience as the end of their communal journey was within sight.

The light above the shuttle door pinged, then turned green. A soft release of air followed, then the doors opened, sliding into recesses in the shuttle hull. Ryn had his foot on the otherside of the threshold while the doors were still opening. Nostrils flared as the scent of burned circuitry assaulted his nose. Hairs prickled on the back of his neck as he glanced about the hallway the gangway disgorged them into, then he took a left and tried to slip into the crowd around him. Eyes unfocused, he felt himself relax slightly as the crowd surrounded him, another innocuous soul on the way from here to there.

A ping sounded from somewhere in front of Ryn, and another airlock door slid open, and Ryn's heart sank as three men who had seen better days stepped out and began looking around. Ryn was familiar with remaining hidden in crowds, but the spike of fear froze him for an instant too long, and the tall one with a long nose and narrow eyes zeroed in on him and grinned cruelly.

--------------

LOCATION: Heaven's Hole Bar and Grill, Kavan Orbital, Hapes System

"En hushjelp, det var rettferdig, med stjernelys i håret hennes, holdt mitt hjerte en dag." Dair's voice was deep and resonant, and the only thing he could hear through the haze of mead that doused the emotions swirling deep within him. "Selv om pliktet tok meg og ære oppfylle, holdt denne jenta meg fortsatt."

Patrons of the local establishment just coreward of the docks on the orbital station looked rather uncomfortable. Dair hadn't ever become violent, but he was very large, and very loud. Valkyri blood was evident to any who had seen the like before, and it flowed as strong in Dair as the mead he'd been drinking. He wasn't an uncommon sight in the bar, the only one on the orbital that served mead imported from Midvinter. Some nights he was a welcome sight, offering free entertainment with his drinking songs. Today, however, his songs were louder, and sadder than they had ever been. Dair was trying to drown something, and the alcohol only did so much. The rest he tried to drown out with volume, and was only mildly successful.


"Men år i mørket, Flytende meningsløs og sterk, Tok meg helt bort."

Dair drained the last of his mug of mead, then set it down on the bar and watched it with a morose look on his face.

"Og nå er alt jeg er igjen med kaldt."


--------------

LOCATION: Docks, Kavan Orbital, Hapes System

Ryn turned down a corridor and sprinted. Shouts of surprise rose up from the stationers that he bumped past to get to the corridor, then more followed as the three men shoved through to follow him. He had a headstart, but shorter legs. They wanted to capture him, and not kill him. Yet. Corners became dangerous for him, if he slammed into a bystander and fell, they'd be on him before he could get back up. Only his agility and the adrenaline pumping through his system gave him an edge.

"Boy!" Ryn heard the tall, hawkish man yell from far too close behind him. "Stop now and give us what's ours and we'll show you mercy!"

The words themselves seemed genuine enough, but the tone of voice held an edge Ryn knew all too well. Ryn also knew these men, and their boss. The mercy they would show him would not be the type he would want to live through. His only safety would be in losing them, then getting out of the Hapes system.

Ryn dug down deep, and pushed himself harder.

 

[Talon Vosra]

She turned to the man and arched a pale brow as he spoke to her. His bearing would have told her military even if his dress had not but did he know just how high he had decided to cast his voice? Surely not, not yet.

She drank the last of the wine she had and held the glass out to a passing servant as she looked at the man. A slight tug at the corner of her mouth spoke of some inward amusement before she casually raised a hand and slapped the man across the cheek.

"That was for speaking with out a proper introduction." she said as she looked up at the taler man, "I'm not some street tramp to be prattled to. However, you are forgiven. You may introduce yourself now."

She stood waiting semi-patiently with her hands folded at her waist. She had to remember there were beings of lesser quality in the galaxy that only needed proper training to become more. She would give him a chance. Just the one though.


[member="Myles Davorak"] [member="Theo Vereen"] [member="Lucienne Sinclair"] [member="Dair Cotarin"] [member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Myles Davorak]

The moment literally hit him without warning. A slap on the cheek was something he wasn't new to, his mother and various other women have shown displeased demeanor by slapping him. She did have a point though, he didn't introduce himself.

Giving the woman a brief smirk he added "Sincerest apologies, m'lady. Myles Davorak at your service. I did not take you for a street tramp, that was never my intention. Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?"

He wasn't sure whether to be upset, confused or intrigued. This woman was invoking all sorts of these feelings. The woman didn't give him a soft slap, it was a 'woman divorcing her husband' kind of slap. His burning cheek was relieved somewhat with a slight breeze washing over it. He comically thought to himself: This isn't home, that's for sure.

This....woman was interesting to say the least, she must have a story of some kind.

[member="Cecile Miraxus"] [member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Lucienne Sinclair"]

The Alderani Guards stiffened at the approach of the woman Faith with a single glance however kept them at bay. She smiled warmly at her, "Yes it is quite beautiful but then everyone on Hapes is beautiful. WE didn't have to invade we were invited

Faith had her own sarcastic tongue and knew that she needed to be careful, "I and my family also descend of nobility but is lineage really what you want to try and insult me with?" She knew that Hapans were sneaky and tended to search out position and power. Lucienne wanted to make it know that the coalition wasn't welcome and who she was. Politics. Faith had a little practice at this.

"The Sith came and glassed your planet, set events into motion that have further isolated your people, and if I have the information correct have also set society back to the days of the pirates. Who are once again filling the space of the Transitory Mists and kidnapping your people." Whether Lucienne wanted to admit it or not Hapes was in need of a little help to balance out.

She knew that the number of planets within the Hapes Cluster was immeasurable and that others were not happy to see the Coalition in the Cluster.

"So did your Queen set you out here like a common door greeter to speak with me or have you been relegated to stand in the foyer and spit barbs at guests just for fun?" She smiled. "OH and by the way you will address me as Queen Faith, for I am Queen." This was not her kingdom her planet or her people but she would be addressed properly.

She also wouldn't back down that would be a sign of weakness and the Hapans would eat her alive.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Myles Davorak"] | [member="Cecile Miraxus"] |


"Keep your eyes peeled gentlemen, we are in unfamiliar territory".



Delila heard the order crackle over the comm in her ear. While the redhead was in charge of the Embassy on Coruscant she was often dispatched to perform security duties elsewhere. Hapes was no exception. Due to the delicate nature of the Hapan Royalty meeting Alderaan Royalty extra bodies had been called in to make things ran smoothly.


Dells was taking a backseat on this job though, Director Davorak was back in charge, overseeing the grand scheme of things. Not that she minded-there was enough to worry about without overseeing a logistical nightmare of a security operation. Her blue-green eyes caught movement, a woman slapping the Director. Two guards nearself tensed but she raised a hand, stopping the pair in their tracks.


"Keep an eye on Davorak but don't approach yet. He seems to be handling himself thus far. Let me know if the situation changes.This woman may be wanting to interrupt the diplomatic meeting."


Comm was toggled as she spoke to her fellow security crew.


"Fan out and make sure she doesn't have any associates waiting in the wings."

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"If it works, its not stupid." Laira smiled at Theo, walking down the sidewalk alongside her younger brother. "And Joza was fine the last time I saw her. It's been awhile though. Next time I see her, I'll tell her you were worried she hadn't been doing enough squats." She knew why Theo was asking, he was trying to get under her skin by seeing if she had a love life. She'd never had much of a romantic life, she didn't have any serious or long term relationships to speak of and was fairly innocent in that regard. Though she did have budding feelings for a certain redhead that she wasn't sure about.

"Whoever did the kidnapping knew where she'd be and when. Unless they just followed her around until an opportunity presented itself they must have figured out part of her routine." Laira's time with the Ranger Corp hadn't been completely wasted. "And given the number of abductions this month, the culprits have either been planning for a while, or." She paused to see the window above the bodega suddenly darken, as though someone had been looking out at the commotion and suddenly turned the lights out so as not to be obvious. "Someone is helping them pick their targets."

She didn't know what it was, but something told her that this bodega was more than just a coincidental spot. "After you, Prince Vereen." She grinned, waiting for Theo to have the pleasure of knocking and all that.

[member="Theo Vereen"]

 

[Theo Vereen]

"I don't recall using the word stupid sister." There were times she put words into his mouth probably because her hearing was selective. He wouldn't let her get away with it though, never.

"It's not the squats push-ups Laira." He shook his head geez when did his sister get such a dirty mind. Did he care if Laira had a love life? Sometimes, not always. Sometimes he just wanted to know how she was, they were blood related after all. Eh, they were so far apart anymore he figured she probably forget about them being kin. She was too busy off playing e spy being a Darkhold like their Grandfather.

"Yes someone would have been watching. That means also checking out everyone close to her. Just in case." The number had increased but then a lot of things had been happening around the galaxy lately that didn't quite make sense. "Let's not jump to a conclusion let's learn more about her then we can pick her life a part and find out the who, and the reasons."

Could be ransom too, maybe.Theo stepped up to the door, "That's right Prince Vereen" He knocked on the door there was a shuffling sound of slippers on the floor as the door slowly opened, "Can I help you?" A dark haired man with laugh lines, and saddle bags under his eyes opened the door.

"Yes sir, we'd like to talk to you about an incident here tonight, do you have a moment?" Theo smiled, hoping to keep the conversation light.

[member="Laira Vereen"]

 

[H3xle]

LOCATION: Heaven's Hole Bar and Grill, Kavan Orbital, Hapes System

Dair's eyes were drawn to the entrance as he was about to order more mead. Patrons of the bar looked at him, but as he hadn't moved more than was necessary to look into the corridor, most thought the show was over. A feeling tugged at him, at once familiar and alien. It thrummed in time with the cold, pure light he could feel from the leather wrapped hilt on his hip, a weapon he touched twice a day. He drew in a deep breath through his nostrils, the scent of winter covered pine was alien to this place, but was never far from him.

He knew that he had been shirking his duty, drowning his sorrows over failure after failure. It wasn't who he was, but who he had become. All at once he was sick of it, and drawn to it like a moth to flame. He knew continuing would hurt him, but the process felt too good.

The corridor beyond held a few people walking by, their stories their own, but their lack of hurry evident in the lack of danger.

Still, something alien and familiar drew him to his feet, and towards the door with a slow gait.

--------------

LOCATION: Docks, Kavan Orbital, Hapes System

Ryn hit a wall trying to dodge around a couple strolling back towards the docks. They hit the opposite wall, then Ryn was gone in a flash as he pushed back up to speed. His pursuit knocked the couple down, practically running over them in their haste to get Ryn and his bundle.

A few more turns in the back corridors, and he burst onto a wider one, with businesses on either side. The thought to try to blend in with the crowd ended as his pursuers cleared the back corridors behind him, and leveled hand cannons at him. Ryn dodged through people as they started to scream, trying his best to get away.

--------------


LOCATION: Heaven's Hole Bar and Grill, Kavan Orbital, Hapes System

Dair's left the entrance to the bar as a young child plowed into a crowd. His eyes snapped to the men following him, wielding hand cannons. Nostrils flaring, Dair took a deep breath.

"HEY!" His voice pounded around the corridor as he strode into the middle. Sound and people stopped for a moment, enough time for Dair to step in front of the child. The child hit him full force, but the Valkyri warrior didn't waver. His hands were on the child's shoulders, and he held the boy in place for a moment before positioning himself between the boy and the men pursuing him.

The corridor wasn't clear by this point, but everyone had pressed themselves to the bulkheads, or huddled in the entryways of restaurants. They watched as Dair faced the three men, with the boy huddled in the shadow of his presence.

Dair took another breath, both his mind and body had forgotten the mead, and his sorrow at his failings. He stood at his full height, his stance balanced, and his arms hanging loosely by his side. He brought his left hand up and cradled his chin almost delicately, then proceeded to crack his neck. First one way, then the other, the sound echoing off like gunshots. His eyes bored into the man with the hawkish face.

"The boy has stolen from us, move aside stranger, and let us get back our property." The hawkish man said. His wariness was evident from both his stance and his words, but he wasn't going to back down at three to one odds, no matter what the size of the one was. Dair could feel the familiar sense of a fight coming, and he smiled for the first time in years.

"If I let you take what the boy has in the satchel...you will let him walk away?" Speaking slowly, as if the act were almost alien to him. The hawkish man got a greedy glint in his eye.

"The boy is a thief, we need to make sure we have everything back. All of our property." The hawkish man chuckled, his head tilting to the side as if to look at the child behind Dair's back. "We'll make sure he gets what's coming to him."

It was obvious that the man had mistaken Dair's smile. Dair closed his eyes as he took in another breath, taking stock. He had Winter, but the lightsaber was closer to a holy relic for Dair at this point. Not something he was going to wield at a whim. So this was going to be a hand to hand fight, which Dair made sure of with a twitch of his fingers. The air grew a bit colder, like the feeling of a first snow fall of the Winter season. The weapons flew out of the slavers hands, Dair recognized the type. The weapons hit bulkhead walls with enough force to dent both the weapons, and the bulkhead. Next, Dair flexed his force connection by ripping the collars off of the hawkish mans belt. It was sloppy of the man to carry them onto the station, they identified him as a slaver quite easily. The collars sparked as Dair crushed them with a thought.

"I could ask where you stole the boy from, or any of your other victims." Dair said as he slowly began walking forward. The air around him getting colder and colder. "I could ask you what horrible, mind numbing punishments you had in that mind of yours. The ones that put that sick, twisted gleam in your eyes." Dair thrust out both hands, sending the two goons with the hawkish man flying back. Then his fingers wrapped up in the front of the hawkish man's ship suit, and hauled him bodily off his feet. "I don't need to, though. I know what you were thinking, slaver." Dair's eyes sparkled with emotion, as ice began to form on his hands. "I was like him once...long ago, I was in the hold of someone sick and twisted like you. A parasite on this galaxy like you." His voice grew harsher, as ice began to pierce the clothing of the man.

The Hawkish man, stirred from his fear induced paralysis by the pricks of ice, tried to push away. Dair's grip was too strong, though, and the man struggled only in futility.

Emotions that had no business in the mind of a Jedi flashed through him. Visions of his childhood with collars around his neck surrounded him. The ice on his fists grew, pushing into the mans skin.

Killing him would be easy. It would rid the galaxy of a parasite. It wouldn't be an evil act.

A beacon of cold, pure light pierced Dair's vision. The lightsaber at his side glowed with the light of the force, pushing through the solari crystal at it's heart. It didn't so much push the dark thoughts aside as assuage them. The ice receded, and Dair dropped the man to the ground.

"You will not be going back to your ship. It is mine, now." He took a breath and turned to the boy behind him. "If I find any of your people on it, they will not like the method of their egress."

Dair knew the man could communicate with the people on the ship. If they had any brains, they'd be off of it before the kid led the Valkyri to it.

"You can't take my ship!" The hawkish man's voice squeaked, and Dair grinned.

--------------

 

[Andulf Nicholas Teraan]

Objective 4
Hapes Prime, Ta’a Chume’Dan
Post :2
[member="Gordosa"] & co.

It was then after patiently waiting and counting down the min then second to the appointed time stated in the message. That he began to doubt his earlier presumption about the meet when from out of the blue a small child approaches him. And say not a word hands him a small box before eventually running off so fast that he barely had time to process or make sense if it all. Left alone with the box by his side infuriated him somewhat thinking perhaps it was all nothing but. But then before he could et the thought finish that the box rang and he instinctively opens it to notice the lone com withing. Pick it up and glance at the screen to see the symbol that made him slightly shudder as the memories came to him leaving him no choice but to pick it up and answer.

"Well....well Andi its been a while...."

At which time he blunts out cautiously thought still slightly miffed.

" Who the hell...."

"....now buddy... old friend ... I know its been a while and well have to say your one hell of a person crack and get a hold of these day. But here the thing seeing I know how you hate waiting so I'll get on to the point. See we're in a bit of a pick and me the boss need yah back for a job. And this time boss says yah can't say no or else your pretty little sister along with all those in Alderaan would know. What a piece of work you turn out to be .... cuz they'll get know your pretty little secret. Come on now just this once for old time sake ....."

At which time with that said let out a deep sigh of defeat knowing all too well the consequence such a revelation could entail he replied.

"...Alright fine."

At that time with a faint hint of glee the caller then soon responded.

"Great I knew could count on yah....now follow the direction and go the address I am sending you. And oh don't try any funny business ...will be seeing yah soon buddy."

 

[Laira Darkhold]

She laughed softly. "Trust me, it is stupid how often it works out." Sometimes just a little touch from the Force and a pretty girl batting her eyelashes was enough to get people who had no reason to listen to her to open up. It was funny how often it worked out in her favor out in the galaxy. "But I haven't seen her since the gala, but we chat over comms every now and then. Joza is just a mentor, she taught me some dances and some Force tricks." As sweet as Joza was, she wasn't the type Laira was looking for.

"I haven't done too much on my excursions. I fought at Kaeshana with the Alliance, I met someone I thought I liked, but I don't know if that is going anywhere." Her grey eyes kind of avoided eye contact while she remembered her adventures with Elpsis. Things never went poorly for them, and it wasn't like they weren't still playing that will they, won't they. Laira just at heart wanted something serious, she wasn't one to sleep around. She wanted commitment, and she wasn't sure if Elpsis did and hadn't built up the courage to ask.

Besides her complicated love life, which wasn't exactly spicy or heating up, Laira spent most of her time helping the Ranger Corp with their various tasks. "Surprised you didn't ask how I lost my arm." She held the stump a little forward so it was more visible. She had lost it saving a hapless, but pretty Eldorai aristocrat which resulted in her being bit and having to have the appendage amputated on the spot. "You should meet my partner one of these days. Dimeria is one of the Knights of the Flame." It had been a while since Laira and Theo had spent time together, but that was mostly because Laira was trying to avoid her responsibility as Princess for as long as possible. Becoming Queen wasn't something she was looking forward to as an eighteen year old rich girl.

The dark haired man opened the door and Laira stood by, watching him subtly while examining his facial features and reactions. He didn't seem surprised he was being questioned, but also didn't seem like he was interested in helping them find out who took the young woman.

[member="Theo Vereen"]

 

[Theo Vereen]

[member="Laira Vereen"]

"AFter this tell me about the arm." He nodded to the man, "A young woman was kidnapped, her family is very worried. Maybe you saw something, or maybe you saw something unusual" He smiled that Vereen smile, "you know someone's daughter" Theo could just see beyond the man's shoulder there were pictures on the wall of family.

"Her mother and father are scared, she's their only child" He said it without slipping stating something he didn't know but wanted to guilt the man into saying something, if he had see it.

He leaned on the door, "Is that tea? I love a good cup of tea." His Great Aunt Tia gave him lessons on tea...he felt bad for her. Her husband was killed recently, his Uncle Ordo she was adjusting. So...maybe he could put his knowledge of tea to use..

"Laira you cold?"

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Yes, I'm freezing." Laira didn't need to pause, she caught the hint. Theo and her were twins after all. Despite the distance between them they would still share a bond for the rest of their lives. "I'm not from Rynar and this nighttime cold is getting to me. Do you mind if we talk inside?" Her arm wrapped around herself, holding the warmth in as best as she could with short sleeves and vest. It was not cold weather clothing, however it wasn't all that cold. It was just an act to get inside. She added a cute look with her bright grey eyes at the man, adding to the poor young woman out in the cold act she was playing at.

"Uh, sure I guess." The man stepped out of the door way so that they could walk in. A beat cop might have immediately began looking around the little apartment as obvious and as conspicious as possible, like a rancor in a tea shop. Laira instead kept her eyes forward respectfully. For some reason, people got protective of their secrets if they could see you looking for them.

Laira walked in with a decent dainty pep in her step, smiling widely. "Thank you mister, oh. We didn't catch your name."

"Debbin Mairts." He responded dumbly, trying his best to seem normal and unassuming.

[member="Theo Vereen"]

 

[AdinKolansky]

Can I join somehow?

 

[Theo Vereen]

[member="Laira Vereen"]

Good he nodded Laira had followed his lead on this and like a charm they were inside. Theo looked around, "Mr. Mairts you have a nice home sir." Yes he did and with it came windows that faced the very alley where the abduction took place. Great now...to get Laira to work some of that feminine wiles that she had. You know blink smile, toss the hair and feign some weakness.

Like being cold.

"This is my first visit out this way. Do you know if they've had trouble like this before" He tilted his head towards the alley, were they other abductions ? Maybe around here but first questions first..."oh the tea my bad. Smells a bit minty, are you feeling alright?" Mint he found folks found it comforting when sick or just feeling blah. He wanted to assure the man that they were looking out for him they'd reel him in slow and then ask the big question.

 

[Duxil Rylver]

Location: Hyperspace, headed to Hapes Prime
Allies: [member="Faith Organa"] , Galactic Alliance, the Free World Coalition (hopefully)
Objective: Negotiate exchange of munitions and military support to the FWC from the GA

No matter how many times Duxil found herself on this bridge during a hyperspace jump, the sight never ceased to amaze her. As a personal request towards the ship's manufacturer, she'd requested the Negotiatior's bridge be installed with a near panoramic view of the space around then, rather than the closed off windows that, at the cost of visibility, would provide the ship with heavier hull armour.
She was glad she'd chosen the latter. Amidst beeping and whirring computers and holographic displays, she was now free to witness hyperspace in all it's astounding beauty, the blue glow of the wormhole tunnel flexing and shifting like some sort of eldritch, incomprehensible creature that had engulfed their ship.

In truth, other than witnessing the view, Duxil had no purpose here, among the ship's pilots and technicians. Her motives, other than observing the beauty of space, was to reassure her crew, maybe inspire loyalty in them. Though only a few of them were novices to the space-faring business, this would all be their first assignment on a diplomatic ship, giving them good reason to be nervous. Though Duxil was no stranger to heading in (and more importantly, out) of hostile territory, she too felt a lump in her chest... One that, as a politician, she'd been trained to control. Hopefully, her feigned confidence would give them all a spark of courage.

"Dropping out of Hyperspace, Senator," came a voice from the engine controls, dutiful and polished.

'I'm not a Senator," is what Duxil should have said. Instead, she replied curtly and respectfully, folding her hands behind her back. "Good." And sure enough, that cosmic entity that had once consumed them opened up, revealing the contrasting darkness of Real Space, in the centre of which sat a lush, beautiful planet. Hapes Prime.

Duxil couldn't help but exhale sharply, reflectively releasing a tension in her chest. Even to her untrained eye, she could tell her crew was preparing to drift the ship into the planet's orbit, where she'd host the diplomatic meeting between herself (representing the Galactic Alliance), and the Free World Coalition's representatives, among them an Organa.
The royal family's prestige was legendary, but that wasn't the source of her unease. This was, admittedly, her first political errand done on behalf of the Galactic Alliance. It wouldn't be her last, hopefully, but the difficulty of the situation left enough doubt to spark anxiety in her.

Oh well, it didn't matter now. The headdress was on, the invitations had been set, and she'd already drafted a rough course of action she'd take during the meeting, with certain liberties, of course. Now, it was just a question of putting the plan into action, and supporting their allies during this time of need.

"O'Donnell," she spoke in the direction of the communications officer who turned her way, his finger hovering over a button adjacent to a microphone, "confirm our arrival on Hapes' Orbit to mother base." There was a pause, but you could tell by the glint in her eye that she wasn't quite done speaking yet. "And... Forward the message to Princess Organa. Have her know we're ready for her to dock at our ship; and offer them a ship, if they need a pick-up."

There came a thumbs up from the communications officer, before he droned the same message, in different languages, through the microphone over to their diplomatic headquarters on Sullust. Just a formality, of course; the ministry of foreign relations knew that the Negotiator wouldn't run into trouble. But the message was reassurance to them both, one Duxil greatly needed.
Leaving the officer to his duties, the woman sighed, and smoothed out her dress. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the answer, if it was deemed necessary from the princess. For now, she'd wait here. In a way, the clicking and droning of the crew was comforting.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Oh, do you mind if I use your refresher?" Laira asked with big grey eyes at the resident. It was a simple tactic, get out of their line of sight and begin a search with questionable legality but normally prominent results. Most people didn't put stuff up that they used often or recently, especially if they weren't expecting to be searched.

"Uh, yeah. Third door on your left." Mister Mairts waved down the hall and turned his attention back to Theo, "Yeah, just a little bit of a sore throat. You know, its that time of year." Common cold should mean something for the redhead to look for to confirm.

"Thank you sweetie." Once she was out of sight, she opened the door to the bathroom, flicked on the light and closed it, ducking into a different room to glance around. If she got caught it was easy enough to say she got turned around, and if not she could look at anything so long as she didn't go rummaging through everything.

The room appeared to be a workshop, a hobby room like their father had in his home, however its windows opened to the alley where the abduction took place. Laira quietly opened a few drawers and looked inside without moving anything. Nothing really stuck out as odd to her, a few gadgets here and there. Lots of tools and hardware. It seemed that Debbin Mairts was a bit of a mechanic, perhaps he helped the victim with her transport. She ducked out and went into the refresher, turning the sink on and flushing the toilet before returning to the main room.

"Yeah, news says its the third of fourth this month mister Vern. Ever since the defense force has had its hands full with the Murk Raiders there has been a spike in crime."

[member="Theo Vereen"]