Mining Diamonds - Orax - Vashtori and ORC

[Valut Amanya]

The Outer Rim Coalition's relatively decentralized nature was perfect for Valut's plans. Slipping through their territory had been simple -- no blocks, no detection, no danger. No danger to the Vashtori flotilla at least. With a series of small negotiations, calculated jumps, and the will of the Force, the Shard had arrived home.

Even the battlecruiser sitting above the planet was enough to outgun anything the residents of Orax could muster by an order of magnitude. But the Balmora was here to make a statement -- he was not here for war, for violence, for destruction... at least, for the most part. Shows of strength could be accomplished without the oft-accompanying bits of murder and explosions.

Thus, the small flotilla floated ominously above Orax -- the single black-hulled battlecruiser, a cruiser, a multitude of bulk cruisers, and a trio of frigates. It was the frigates that Valut most admired. He'd had a personal hand in designing them, and each time he saw them he felt quite inspired to cause fear in the same way. And he was more than capable of doing so.

That was the main reason why he was currently on the surface.

The black-clad conqueror's boots thumped against the hard dirt as he walked into the cavern. He looked at the old craggy walls, the ones he once sensed when he was part of the colony here. The Balmora might've felt nostalgic to be home if he didn't already plan to fully leave it behind.

Soon enough he arrived in the main chamber of the colony -- green-hued crystals covered the walls, pulsing with energy. Or at least it so seemed to Valut -- most could not sense the electromagnetic energy being produced by the Shard. "Valut Amanya," the colony said, "it has been a long time."

"Indeed it has," the Vashtori pulsed. There was an odd feeling of joy, almost ecstasy that the Shard felt. Vengeance -- no, justice -- was best served cold, but it seemed that its fulfillment gave his little crystal heart a bit of warmth. "Do you know why I am here?"

"We can only guess that you are here to destroy us."

"Please. The Vashtori do not waste resources."

"Is that what you call yourselves? You disgrace the name, Valut."

"On the contrary... I will make it known across the galaxy. And today I offer you the chance to join me."

"Do you truly expect us to accept?"

"No. But you are not the only ones who will receive this offer."

"The Shard will never agree to join you."

"But so many already have. We are entering a new age, old one. Change, or die." Valut raised his hands, already preparing to channel the Force. "Last chance."

"We are glad the groupmind cannot accept you once more. You would corrupt us."

"What horribly boring last words. And how horribly wrong." The Balmora chuckled. His hands began to pulse, just like the orange light flooding from the suit. He swept them across the room -- and as he did, the green crystals faded into a sickened black. Valut felt fulfilled -- and oddly enough he was whole.

He reemerged from the cave, feeling a heightened power in the Force. His subordinates felt it too, and knelt as he passed. Taking a seat on the command speeder, he tapped his armrest idly. "To the next," he pulsed.

 

[Atlas Drake]

KATHOL RUNABOUT​

ORAX​

[member="Valut Amanya"]​

​

"Captain Drake, you might want to take a look at this!"

Atlas whistled, "Now that's something to see."

Settling into the co-pilot seat, the commanding officer of the exploratory mission had a spectacular view of Orax's surface. Stunning crystal formations covered the surface, so much so that it was difficult to resist marveling at the planet's beauty. He was given to understand that the truly sentient crystal population was focused throughout cave networks that ran for much of the continent. This was exactly the type of first contact mission that he had joined the FarStar Initiative for in the first place, establishing relations on behalf of the Kathol Republic with something completely unknown.

"There's a clearing up ahead," the runabout's pilot informed him, "Should be enough space to set down in."

"Looks like as good a place to land as any," Captain Drake mused, clapping his crewman on the shoulder, "Nice thinking."

It was a stark reminder of the mysterious circumstances they had encountered upon arrival. A meeting with Shard representatives had been negotiated well ahead of time, but the Utopia's hails had so far been ignored. Unwilling to risk provoking a misunderstanding, Atlas had elected to take a shuttle the rest of the way in, leaving their destroyer hanging back for now at the system's edge. Once they made contact with the Shard on the surface, he would ask permission to establish an orbit and take more detailed system scans. Speaking of contact...

"Nervous, ensign?" he asked, moving to the cockpit's aft and checking on their communications officer.

"A little, sir," Ensign Maya Thane was a junior officer in the Republic Navy, but she had the highest psy rating out of anyone in his crew.

The Kathol Republic had a comparatively primitive understanding of the Force and its mysteries compared to the rest of the galaxy, but even they had their sensitives. The Jedi religion was known to them, but many practitioners in Kathol space held a more neutral and academic perspective. In the military, both officers and enlisted personnel were assigned psy ratings as a rough measure of their natural affinity. Thane's was nearly off the charts, which meant she was probably their best chance of establishing a dialogue with the primarily telepathic species.

"You'll do fine," Atlas said, trying to sound reassuring, "There's no guidebook out here. We're all learning as we go, including me."

 

[C-02]

Orax. Home to the Shards, force-sensitive crystals. Imbued into droids and other such machinations, giving them the use of the Force. C-02 had met such beings. Seeing it he felt that he could...let loose. No need for a disguise. This planet, Shards on this planet, he had nothing against these. However, still the droid was careful. Here, while he was not actively looking for support, he was looking for something else. A 'breath'. A time to relax, as much as a droid could at the very least.

Having come to orbit, C-02 went about to find what he wished to find. Everything he did had a reason. And while he was taking a break from all the corruption he was spreading, there was something he sought...something. With a small one-man shuttle, the droid had come. Aiming to be marked as a simple visitor, as he waited for permission to pass through. There were things he wished to learn, things he wished to see down there. Only time would tell what the droid would find.

Sitting back in his chair, from his hand a holographic file appeared. A list of known knowledge he had on Shards. Most notably, one he personally knew. Yes, whatever he learned would come in handy for them.

[member="Atlas Drake"] [member="Valut Amanya"]