Mission Kiltik Kerfuffle

[Talohn Atar]

KILTIK KERFUFFLE​

Salvage Beskar and Set Up Device - Cathar, border of clan Atar territory.


It was midday over the sweltering desert of cathar. An Aranar-type corvette was in orbit over the horribly miscolored orb of a planet. Though Talohn was given the full authorization to mobilize the heathen army...things were delicate with the cathar clans at current due to previous experience with Mandalorians. Even with the kiltik threat looming, arrival with a ship any bigger than a corvette would cause more harm than good. This corevette had served as the base of operations for data collection in the past few months. It is also where those who accepted the task Talohn sent out would be invited to board for briefing.

When they all arrived at the helm of the corvette, they'd see the mission director in question with his back to them, orangish eyes gazing down upon the planet. It was a poor, sickly planet. It was even prevalent from orbit. Massive spans of desert with the occasional patch of green. Barely any patches of blue, Even the seas had suffered, the water levels lowering to the point that what had once been massive seas had lowered to great lakes with mountains in between. Amongst it all were the black swerving lines crisscrossing the planet. The Kiltik hordes so massive that they could be seen from orbit, shifting ever so slightly as they moved over the planet like serpentine clouds. The cathar's shoulder's were slumped, gaze somber as he looked upon his home.

Upon hearing people enter the room, he automatically straightens his posture with a deep breath, adjusting his jacket. The cathar was dressed simply, a pair of brown trousers with black leather boots and a black shirt under his jacket. He sighs, running a hand through his hair as he makes his way to the center of the room where a circular hologram projector was positioned.

"Thanks for making it on such short notice. I covered most of the details in the dossier, but I'm of the personal opinion that a team should, at minimum, have introduced themselves to eachother in person before going out in the field together. I'll send you down on a transport shuttle shortly." He chuckles.

Clawed fingertips move to tap about on the configuration panel of the hologram.

"You all do that while I get this running. I have a few extra details to show you before you go planetside. "

He then suddenly claps his hands together, his eyes widening in an expression of surprise upon the realization that he had forgotten something. He points out Kivah .

"This here is Kiva, I made contact with her recently. I know bringing non mandalorians on an op like this is odd, but I assure you she's competent, and more importantly, a native of the planet. She'll be helpful down there."

His attention returns to the holograph projector, fingers tapping about as he flips through a variety of options.

Zlova Rue Kivah Elian Abrantes Aselia Verd Korda Veydran

 

[Korda Veydran]

The corvette's helm remained quiet except for the low, constant hum of systems and the distant vibration of the ship's engines holding them steady in orbit.

The Cathar at the center of the room continued working at the hologram console, but his introduction had already set the tone. Brief. Practical. Controlled. A mission waiting to happen rather than a speech waiting to end.

Then the rest of the team filtered in.
Korda Veydran arrived with them, not separate from the group but also not truly part of it in the way most people would define "together." Heavy beskar filled the doorway like it was deciding whether the structure deserved to keep standing. The helmet was on, sealing his expression away behind scarred metal and narrow intent.

There was a faint irregularity to his posture, a subtle stiffness in his ribs that suggested old damage rather than current weakness. He carried it without acknowledgment.

His gaze moved first to the Cathar, then to the room itself.
Recognition followed.

Elian Abrates was noted immediately. A pause, just long enough to register familiarity. Korda gave a single nod in return, deliberate and restrained, the kind of acknowledgment that carried history without needing explanation. Someone he had sponsored. Someone he had once placed trust in.

Aselia Verd came next. House Verd. The name carried weight even before it was attached to a person. Korda's helmet tilted slightly in her direction, a quiet, warrior-to-warrior acknowledgment. No words. None needed.

The third was unfamiliar.
A red Twi'lek, standing at roughly five foot ten, marked with black tattoos that ran from lekku to body in a continuous pattern. Golden eyes. Sith presence, unmistakable even without effort to announce it. Korda observed them for a moment longer than the others, not in judgment, but in calculation. Threat was not assumed. It was measured.

They were still alive and standing in a Mandalorian briefing room. That was enough for now.
His arms crossed slowly over his chest, armor plates settling into place with a muted clack. The movement was controlled, economical. He turned his attention briefly toward the planet below through the viewport.

Cathar.
Scarred. Starved. Crawling with the black lines of Kiltik infestation even from orbit. A world being slowly overwritten.
His helmet angled slightly as if committing the image to memory rather than observation.

Then, without ceremony, he looked back toward Elian. A short pause.
"Been a while, freind"
No warmth added. No embellishment. Just acknowledgment of time passed and the fact that it had, a small smirk tugged at his lips under the helmet visor.

He said nothing further, letting the room fill in its own silence as the Cathar continued working at the hologram. The mission was already forming in the space between them, whether anyone had spoken it aloud or not.

Elian Abrantes Aselia Verd Zlova Rue Kivah Talohn Atar

 

[Kivah]

Cathar
Tags:
Gear: Goggles, Jacket, Udyr Biosuit, Autoblasters

Not a Mandalorian? Kivah's ear flicked at that, but she kept her back turned to the room as she surveyed the latest maps of her home. Ran Dom Kuun and the surrounding jungle still stood as one of the last large areas of green on the planet. But it was under threat, even with the monumental efforts of people like her father to sustain it. That she could remember participating in fundraising drives as a schoolkit to build a generational ark for her people and their culture, complete with biodomes, was almost ironic. They'd expected the end of their world to come from the sky, Mandalorians raining down fire, not from their other old adversary, the Kiltik below. Though if you listened to some, the Mandalorians were responsible for the imbalance causing the current crisis too. She was fine being counted as not Mandalorian. Despite her home being within their borders and flying under a Mandalorian Empire IFF (when she wasn't using a fake one), she didn't consider herself a Mandalorian or part of their culture despite her love of fighting and her secret membership in the Crimson Dawn. And now she was working with them to try and start putting things right. Now that was ironic.

Closing down the map, the amazonian turned, taking them all in as they shuffled about the corvette's command deck. The big guy was a little stiff, but looked like he could be fun. Of the others, only Zlova caught her eye. It was nice to see someone else with suitable tattoos. Kivah folded her arms. Over her usual dark bio armor, she had military fatigues, a black tank, and her well-worn tan field jacket. She knew she didn't look like much to these beskar armored soldiers, but she was willing to bet she had twice as many jobs as any of them behind her tail. "I've been running contractor gigs for well over a decade." She picked up her introduction where Talohn left off. "Bodyguard, corp espionage, battlefield extraction, you name it. Solo, small teams, all across the galaxy. First time work's brought me home." She smiled, though it did not reach her emerald eyes. "Spare me any macho or kitty chit. You want to fight, we can do that. You want to get horizontal, bring a bottle. Otherwise, I'm here to work." Sitting back on the edge of the consol, Kivah looked to the next person to speak.

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova Rue stood off to the side with her arms crossed. The black wrappings covered her legs, with criss-crossing wide bands crossing her chest; the ruby red of her skin and countless Sith-black tattoos covered every visible inch of her body. Her headed rolled a hair to the side when Talohn instructed them to introduce themselves while he worked on the hologram projection. Golden eyes shifted from him to Korda and then Kivah as they each spoke.

The Lethan's smile broadened and her eyes narrowed slightly as Kivah took her appearance in. Korda noted her existence, but this one seemed to take in the sights. Not to mention her attitude. Zlova could appreciate someone with a sharp tongue or a mouth. Mandalorian stoicism was adorable, but not entertaining -- it was perhaps the greatest feature of their culture she did not like.

"Zlova Rue. The answer to your questions are 'Yes.' Yes, I'm an amoral monster. Yes, I'm a Mandalorian and I've trained Mandalorians how to fight Force Users; blame the Cat," she nodded in Talohn's direction. "And Yes, I am a Sith Lord and shamelessly use the Dark Side to do whatever is necessary; to survive or to complete a mission. Pretty much anything Talohn wants, he gets; and any one that screws with him is screwing with me."

She uncrossed her arms and planted her hands on her hips. "Look forward to exterminating some bugs with you."

Elian Abrantes | Aselia Verd | Kivah | Talohn Atar | Korda Veydran