Dominion Red War: Marauder's Grave | CIS Dominion of Copperline

[Eternal Storm]

M Y S T E R Y

The backwater farming world of Copperline had long been ignored by galactic powers, particularly because the substantive farmers that made up its populace were not the most enticing of resources to collect. Yet that anonymity and irrelevance in galactic affairs had made the world attractive to a different group of individuals;

Pirates.

The lack of, well, anything on Copperline meant that when judicial forces or patrols tried to hunt down bands of corsairs and marauders, a rarely-visited agrarian world in the Western Reaches never came to mind. Soon, the pirates operating out of Copperline outnumbered Copperline’s natives, although in fairness there weren’t that many natives, to begin with. It was no matter of time before Copperline had quickly risen to the top in terms of popularity and reputation. But this privateering paradise was not to last forever. It was the Galactic Empire that was able to successfully track down fleeing pirate ships to Copperline, and what ensued was a siege that rivaled battles of the Clone Wars. Many ships, Imperial and Pirate, were lost that day, but after fierce fighting, the Empire had won. No pirates escaped that day.

The wreckage was termed ‘Mauarader’s Grave’ by Copperline’s inhabitants, with huge fields of floating debris and terrestrial wrecks of pirate ships covering the planet. For a while it was an annoyance, then an oddity, then the place of legends. The spirits of the pirates -- and their ships -- were rumored to haunt the battlefield on which they had perished. But these were dismissed as nothing more than folk tales and stories to frighten children, not legitimate rumors.

That was until the disappearances began. Suddenly a huge spike of ships heading for Copperline never seemed to be able to make it to their destination, and inhabitants swore they could see the telltale lights of a space battle in orbit above. In the wake of the dissolution of the Outer Planet Alliances, the Copperline government, left with nowhere else to turn to, petitioned the Confederacy of Independent Systems, for help, and in return, Copperline would join the ranks of the Confederacy.

In the wake of their fallen ally, the Confederacy has deemed it their mission to quell this disorder. Venture into the Marauder’s Grave, and prepare to face the unknown.

Spoiler: Objectives

• Investigate the orbiting wrecks of pirate ships centuries-old for the strange activity that is inhibiting travel to Copperline. Intelligence is spotty, with rumors about phantom ships, a new pirate gang, and other insidious and imaginative foes being told to inhabit the graveyard.

• The Nightmother of the Solanaceae has sensed a wound in the force over Copperline; possibly the disturbed spirits of the pirates who fought there centuries ago. Do your best to attempt to commune with these spirits, and seek closure and figure out how to neutralize their antagonism.

• On the planet of Copperline itself, its inhabitants prepare to celebrate what they call the Haunting, in which they decorate a graveyard of ships known as the Boneyard with lanterns, colorful streamers, and celebrate with masks, costumes, and concessions. Come to the Boneyard to celebrate in some eerie fun or go for some ghost-hunting.

• BYOO: Copperline is a spooky world, and it’s yours to explore and enjoy!

Spoiler: Tag List

Alaria Telwith
Alban Roble
Luca Donskoi
Amelia von Sorenn
Anakwor Farlorn
Anashla Deshal
Ar'tal Ktruok
A Arisone
Archon Xris
Ashelia Solidor
Aston Jacobs
Aya Clarke
Bastille Rommer
Beric Layne
Bentil Mortop
Bullwark
@BX-1335
Caesar Kenway
Cazo Thraos
Corvus Dravere
Colton Renth
Corran Watts
Cypher Rage
Damsy Callat
Danielle Mueller
Jayce Pryde
Decious
Dispara
Draconis Sederius Wolf
Easy-G97
Eli-Mae Forrest
Elsasca Selcoc
Melina Suarez
Fawn Alzi
Faye Malvern
FN-1138
Gerwald Lechner
Holt
Hester Shedo
IG-65A
Ingrid L'lerim
Jason Farkas
Joannis Campbell
John Locke
Jordar Varcskel
Julra Repraj
Karlie Lynn Destat
Kasca Fen
Kathryn Foster
Kayla Wylen
Kiff Brayde
Krystal
Kurenai Yumi
Kyber
Lady Moll
Lesya Kosarev
Luna Terrik
Lyla Quinn
Lyra Vent
Maani
Maple Harte
Maria Savilia
Mathieu Brion
Maur
Mila Uhlesifa
Millu Lee
Fury of Aerðs
Muad Dib
Myrrdin_Emries
Nimue
Nine Lives
L LGMForever
Pravus Cruento
R4-AUD
Rabbit
Rann Thress
Rayne Centaris
Razelle Breuner
Redd
Roy Americus
Ryk Gaelir
Rylan Kordel
Sabine Delacroix
SC-A1
The Monster
Srina Talon
Startorn
Subject 73 Red
Taiia Locke
Talon Rahl
Talak Jenste
Tess Valnora
Teyla Sal-Soren
ToKola Bakari
@Tyché
Tyran Numeck
Udrid
Uxagi Xatash
Valencia Hadley
Vanric Dannon
Vemric Keldra
Veronika Fleischer
Vess Sadragen
Vio Doni
Visanj T'shkali
Kyyrk
Vyse de Valorous
Vytal Noctura
Valeria de la Vallée

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[Vaux Gred]

What the heck was she doing! The younger Mandalorian sat in her blood red TwinTail's cockpit, already having vented the atmophere from it so she could use her armored flightsuit. Simply let her exit her fighter if needed. One of the launch tubes had a focused scanner mounted, allowing her to focus in on wrecks, but this was still a pain. Ghost ships? She'd heard rumors, but what were the chances. Vaux shook her head as she continued to scan the wrecks, strugling for comfort with he jet pack she had to borrow. She grumbled a little, scanning another wreck.

"Do you CIS types really put stock in these ghost stories?" It was clear in the pilot's voice she was almost done with trying to understand what was going on. She was exhausted of see nothing that hinted at anything.

 

[Cazo Thraos]

Vaux Gred

Cazo Thraos had jumped at the opportunity to get out of her sector and see new space. Patrols were fine for a time, but the back and forth of winning or losing card games could only tide one over for so long. Cargo counts, drill practice, and droid fighter maintenance eventually drove one to a level of boredom only peace time could ensure.

Which was why the Commander found herself in this system with a small detatchment of her patrol force. Two Shrike Cruisers aided by three Tarrus Corvettes were the compliment for this trip into the unknown. Into a ghostly gathering of floating vessels that seemed all to eager to hide secrets an danger.

The comm line opened up, a pilot expressing their...opinion about the CIS and believing ghost stories. Caz let a smirk form, shaking her head before moving to the comms officer and taking the line herself.

"Ghost stories? No. People making up ghost stories to cover their illegal activity? Yes. Stay sharp out there, we can't get proper readings with all the flotsam. Commander Thraos, over and out." She replied before moving to step away. She turned midstep, a dancers grace in the move before opening the line again.

"Gred, work sector by sector and give the all clear when you move on. I will have my vessels pull aside what they can to clear a path in your wake. It may take some time though. Should you encounter anything hazardous, fall back and we will attempt to cover you. Thraos, over and out." This time she did step away from the console, moving to her command post before tapping on the panel there.

It opened a display on the projector before her, giving a clear three dimensional rendering of the area around them. Static and slowly shifting masses clung to the outer edges of the display. Occasionally a smaller mass would dissapear and emerge a moment later.

The sight was a touch unsettling.

"Cruiser Freeline will head the formation into the wreckage. Cruiser Poise will follow at nine-hundred meters to assist with tractor beam activity to ensure the lane remains open in case of accidental drift incurred by the activity. Corvette's will form into a delta between the two cruisers and keep smaller debris clear whilst we pass." She ran a hand over her mouth when she finished speaking, watching as best she could as the pilot ahead of them wove between everything.

"All hands to combat stations, half charge to batteries and stay on standby...make it so." She finalized her orders before leaning slightly over the projector, elbows resting on the edge while her hands entwined. Around her activity buzzed while the vessels shifted and tractor beams powered up.

Turrets swiveled, watching for signs of activity as the Cruiser Freeline, Cazo's command vessel, positioned itself to enact pulling wrecked vessels from the wall ahead of them. A path needed to be cleared for safety. The remnants could easily be destroyed with concentrated fire, but Caz figured someone would want to pick through the remains for parts.

 

[Mic Gallagher]

TAG: Ashryn Shiari

Paaaartay!

Booooze!

And blob monsters.

Of course a shiny suit would want a trinket from the great Boneyard on the dang backwater planet of Copperline. And rumours have not been kept quiet on his travels. There were boogey monsters about. Great. Just great. And to add fuel to the fire, he was told to have a partner in the endeavour. There was an incoherent phrase of grumbling to be heard here. At least the person could be of his choosing. Not that it helped. He preferred working alone.

But

But.....he may have the perfect person for this. Oh, she would gut him and use his intestines for garters. But hey, she knew her way around a trinket. Yet he still cringed at the thought of contacting her about this. He actually enjoyed Beach Girl's snarky comments. But damn, she could be mean as well.

Sigh

He holomessaged her to come to the festival. And yes, there would be trinkets that could be sold for money. It just required some hunting. And there would be booze. Yeah, it took some convincing. And he left out the part of the alleged boogey monsters. Jeez. For such a pretty girl, she sure was a hard nut to crack.

But a hop, skip and a lightyear away, they were on Copperline. Mic tugged at the collar of his disguise and adjusted his mask as he disembarked from The Purrgil. Thank goodness. Olly was starting to get on his nerves with all the binary sweettalk he was giving Ash. He waited for her to join him on the ground. Maybe, just maybe, they might have a good time while gaining knowledge of what was going on here. But first and foremost.....a drink.....

 

[Vaux Gred]

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Vaux thought a little at the idea of using ghost stories to hide activity. That was actually a good idea to give the other Mandalorians. Well.... Not the Sons of Mandalore. She was still ticked after that meeting. Either way, she listened to the next orders, nodding in the cockpit as she lowly moved to another target.

"Right. Right. I've been sending the data for each sector. I just hope Aris wasn't kidding when he said this new launcher mounted scanner was good." The red fighter finished scanning the next wreck, maneuvering away from it as she looked at the data. VK was translating everyting, and still they hadn't found anything. Well... that wasn't entirely true. She found a ship that could be salvaged into a new homeship, or maybe a combat cruiser. Either way, she continued to scan the ships, looking around as she pulled away to the next secort, opening the TwinTail's s-foils just in case.

"This sector seems clear. Moving to the next."

Cazo Thraos

 

[Abel Denko]

D E R E L I C T​

Tag: Fauvel Astier

It was like flying for the first time.

When the Lord of House Denko attended the coronation gala on Naboo, he had no expectations for how the evening would turn. At most, he expected to waltz about the dance floor a few times before heading to the nearest bar. However, as fate would have it, a rather interesting noble wove into his line of sight. The young woman was not a native of Naboo, but rather of a monarchy called Ilyria. She was a stranger to Abel, just as he was a stranger to the finer intricacies of the Court. Thus, they learned together - reveling in each other's company throughout a few dances and a few light conversations.

This had culminated in Abel's being invited to visit Ilyria someday.

And in turn, he had offered to take the young woman under his wing.

Education in the ways of the Force - and beyond - was something that he had been on the receiving end for the most part. His mentor, Serian, had spent years cultivating Abel into a weapon. Whilst his estranged spouse taught him how to rely upon his wits over the Force. This had resulted in a man who, by all Jedi accounts, was a full-fledged Knight. Thus, he was ready in terms of ability to teach. Having the patience and stomach for the feat were no small matter. Such as this very day...

Abel played the part of terrified parent as the young Fauvel took the helm of his vessel. The transport was simple. Sleek from Naboo craftsmanship, nimble enough to navigate the derelict vessels, but slow enough that there was no risk of slamming into them...too hard. This was the perfect opportunity for Fauvel to learn how to pilot a vessel - and thus he stood behind her seat with arms folded. Though his stomach did flips as some pieces of debris neared, his expression never waved.

"Easy on the throttle...perfect." he instructed, lips curving into the beginnings of a smile. She was like a sponge, it seemed. And though their worlds were vastly different, he had taken to his apprentice quite well. He could only hope the same was true for the young woman. "Keep heading north, eye on the sensors. You've got this."​

 

[Darth Metus]

C O M M U N E​

Tag: Srina Talon , Lavria Xedrim, Cordelia Malkavian

There was much work to be done.

In truth, when last Isley had seen such anarchy, the Netherworld Crisis was fresh in the Galaxy. For civilization itself to descend into baser instincts once took a literal deity intervening on daily life. Yet, as the Vicelord and his people looked westward, they saw society collapse before their eyes. The conclusion to the planetary alliance had left a vacuum - one where order was no longer maintained by the concerted efforts of a nation. Therefore, the greedy and the vicious ran amuck. It would only be a matter of time before the madness came home. Unless they did something about it.

So it was that the Vicelord descended upon Copperline, inspired to act by the reports of pirate activity and disappearing ships.

This day, a monstrosity of his own thundered forth from the depths of hyperspace. The Dread Queen reverted into realspace above Copperline, affording the Sith an unparalled view from the commander's seat. At a glance, the world itself was beautiful. Such were most when viewed from so far above. Yet, there was an obstruction to the man's view. Rather. Several obstructions. Debris as far as the eye could see. A mess of starship remains and other space trash. A low tut escaped his lips.

"What's the current status?" he inquired.

It was then that the helmsman rattled off the most recent reports in the area. The same as before - a budding investigation into the supposed pirate activities. Yet, there was also mention of the Nightmother's own scrying. There was a wound here - a blight in the Force riddled with spirits. This would only serve to exacerbate the issues, for vengeful spirits could wreak havoc through the Force. "Gentlemen, launch our fighters and begin sweeping the debris for any pirate activity. I'll see to this Wound personally."

Isley rose from his seat, pausing only to slide his mask into place over his features. The metallic hiss of his exhale heralded his departure from the bridge. Whilst his orders were carried out, a quiet command was uttered through the Force. One which called upon three souls to join him. His heading was the hangar - and ultimately, his goal was to get closer to the wound. Closer without running his Super Star Destroyer through the wreckage. The directive was simple: Join me. The Master called to his Students and to his Successor.

And as they would know by now, the Vicelord was no patient man.

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[Lavria Xedrim]

TAG: Darth Metus | Srina Talon | Cordelia Malkavian

How she ended up Apprenticed to another Sith Lord was beyond her.

When she had decided to accompany Rann back to Confederate space from Onderon, it was because she had nowhere else to go after killing her former master. She had no idea she was going down a rabbit hole into more madness and shackled to another Sith.

It seemed that the immense Darkness within her always steered her back to fellow Dark Side wielders, despite the slight bit of Light deep within her. After Onderon, there was no use in fighting this great Dark power anymore. She had opened the door, and it felt better and better the longer she harnessed it. Clearly this Darkness drew her to like-minded Force Users like a moth to a flame, the most prominent being the Vicelord of the Confederacy and, ironically, father to the man that had saved her from being Jedi fodder.

So here she was.

As the Dreadnought moved through the sector towards Copperline, she felt it. Something within the Force was off. The Dark beast stirred within her at this, rearing its head at the opportunity to seize more power. It wasn't long before the silent command from her new master resonated through her.

Join me.

Lavria felt her way through the Force until she located where he was heading. Moving from her quarters in a blur of movement, she made her way to the hangar her master was heading to. Not out of devotion, but out of curiousity of what it was that was at work here.

It was clear that despite the obvious signs of war and piracy, there was some other sinister force at work here. Her motives were completely selfish. She did not care about the Confederate motivations yet. To her, this was only an opportunity to explore deeper into the Darkest corners of the Force.

 

[Ashryn Shiari]

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Tag: | Mic Gallagher |
Attire: [xXx]

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This was probably one of the worst decisions Ashryn could have ever made - one of, considering her profession caused her to make bad decisions all of the time. But to willingly agree to a secondary job, with Mic of all people, in a place she had not only honestly never even heard of, but for trinkets that might not even be there? Ash was downright outside of her mind.

She did at least play hard to get, though! It had taken much convincing to get her to agree to this job, and plenty of questioning too. Did Mic not have friends, or an inner circle that he could offer the other end of this job to? Apparently not, because here Ash was, pacing herself just behind the male thief. Occasionally her attention drifted, especially when the binary squawkings would nab her attention, but for the most part she was focused on what was going on...and what she was getting herself into - again.

Ash had opted to wear her armor to this shindig. It was lightweight and easy to move in, but protected her frame, and it was dark in case she needed the extra cover. And it came equipped with a mask which was an absolute bonus and total win for her. Once they were able to get off of the ship, she had followed along behind Mic, though she was looking around and taking in the surroundings. Already she was trying to calculate an escape route, and nothing had even gone wrong yet.

"Alright," she finally spoke up to Mic, though hadn't actually looked at him just yet. "What do we do first?" this was his show after all, she was just here to lend support and aid where it was needed. That is...until or unless she found something that caught her eye in the meantime and pulled her away...

 

[Cordelia Malkavian]

COMMUNE​

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Tags: Darth Metus | Srina Talon | Lavria Xedrim ​

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It had been a pure trick of the Fates for anyone to be able to pry Cordelia away from what was left of her family. Her girls were all gone; scattered in every which direction, and one missing entirely as if she had never even existed. So what was to stop the universe from ripping Rience from her as well? It was a bitter thought, and yet only part of the reason she stuck to the man like glue. ​

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But, her Master had beckoned, and despite her attachments Delia had always been obedient. It was why she had gone so far, learned as much as she had, and gained the powers and abilities she had. These things had been taught to her because she listened, because she followed instruction without complaint or argument - and certainly without backtalk. There were better students to Masters surely, but Cordelia had been and done everything ever asked of her. ​

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Had being the keyword there. A series of unfortunate events had put quite a damper on her good girl status (not that she had ever been good, of course). A long overdue reunion with her Master had turned up more information than just the fact that Delia was alive after all. She had shown her hand, told her tale, and then had been welcomed home once more. It was acceptable, though she had explained the situation and what she would be doing in order to put her family back together and had done exactly that, or at least started to do exactly that.​

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However, when she had been summoned Cordelia had gone, and now she was aboard some vessel with other people who smelled entirely too good for their own well being...Fortunately for the crew, there was the familiar pressure against her mind that came with a command for her presence. The redhead scoffed as she abandoned her hunt for a meal she did not actually need, and then she allowed her senses to lead her to where she needed to be. Had she known the space craft better, been familiar with it, she wouldn't have walked at all.Teleporting herself into a wall, or out into space would help noone after all, least of all herself. But as it were, her feet carried her to where her presence was requested. Delia said nothing upon her arrival because nothing was asked of her. Instead she found herself a place to stand nearby and then awaited further instructions.​

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[Mic Gallagher]

TAG: Ashryn Shiari

Huh.

She was not happy with him. Figures. She wasn't the only one in this situation that was unhappy.....sort of.....but here they were. Might as well make the best of it.

When she asked him what to do first, a boyish grin spread on his face.
"We blend in of course. I have not received much info about this, so we will have to fish it out for ourselves." he said as they walked to the decorated ship graveyard. He loved festivals. You would not believe the amount of shiny trinkets that people waddled around with at a shindig like this.

People were walking around in strange costumes and masks. What was with people acting all strangely around rumoured spooky places? And the concession stands were all decorated funnily as well. People had screws loose sometimes. How is it fun to celebrate boogey monsters? Didn't they know those monsters can blob all over them and kill them? Stooches.

He looked at Ash. She'll probably not like his idea, but oh well.
"You want a drink? Bartenders usually know the most." he suggested. That and he really needed a drink. He won't be able to go ghost hunting without some courage juice in his body.

 

[Ashryn Shiari]

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Tag: | Mic Gallagher |
Wearing: [xXx]

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Of course...How had Ashryn not expected an answer like that? "So...you agreed to this job blind?" that grated on her hard. Ash was the sort who always had all of the details for her jobs. She had to know all of the ins, all of the outs. She needed information about the locations, the people who lived and/or worked there, security details, all of it. When she accepted a job, she put the work in for it to make sure nothing went wrong. Yet here she was with Mic, who was clearly wingin' it...

The blonde woman sighed and pressed a hand against her forehead. "Honestly, I don't know how you're still alive or not rotting in some prison." she spoke out with a shake of the head. But, what's done is done. She was here with him now, and if there was one thing Ash prided herself in, it was rolling with the punches.

And that meant? "Yeah, a drink is probably a good idea." she didn't wait to see if that shocked him or not. "I could use a snack too." she stated, and while it was more to herself it had been loud enough for him to hear her. She had taken the lead to start looking for a vender with booze. If they were going into this job blind, she was going to need the liquid encouragement too.

 

[Fauvel Astier]

DERELICT
Tagging: Abel Denko

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The rose eyes of the Young Lady were locked on the transparisteel before her like two daggers threatening to pierce through it by sheer power of will alone. Her body was tense and her hands felt inexpert, only able to manage the situation thanks to Abel's indications. The funny tweaks of fate had found her under the wing of another noble lord from a distant planet, something she had not planned or predicted in the slightest. Nor had she predicted this impromptu piloting lesson, and the young woman was not used to being caught unprepared. She could only hope that this lesson turned out to be another welcomed surprise.

Her breathing was controlled, behaving every bit as though she was in the middle of a battle even if there was no real physical exertion required for this. Her mind, however, seemed to disagree. Every single muscle in her form seemed to be engaged in quite a tiresome tension. It was a sight to see, for the dark lady of Blood Reign had never been known to display her nervousness in front of others. The one who had become her Master seemed to be an exception to the rule of her learned stoicism.

Fauvel was less the young Magnate around Abel and more herself, and being able to lay down the façade was something she hadn't known she needed until now.

"You know, my ancestors were better known for destroying ships rather than piloting them." While crossbreeding had made her look mostly human, Fauvel still belonged to the species of those known as the spacers' nightmare: the Starweird. The jest came slightly laced in her own tension, while she had always found it near infuriating to deal with things she knew nothing about, learning how to pilot a vessel was an absolute necessity now that Illyria had been properly revealed to the galaxy.

At least she knew she would not die if things went awry, the vacuum of space would be kind to her. But the same could not be said of her Master, and the Young Lady had no intention of endangering Abel, this was the root to her nervousness. Carefully and with a lot of room for improvement, she avoided the largest pieces of debris. Occasionally she'd manage a smoother turn or tilt, but at first most of the poor vessel's movements were sudden and rash.

On top of trying not to send them crashing against some forgotten piece of metal floating around Copperline's orbit, Fauvel also kept a closer eye out for anything...strange. Afterall, what had brought them here in the first place were rumors of pirates and space specters. She found it funny that many would consider her one of the latter.

 

[Mic Gallagher]

TAG: Ashryn Shiari

She made a quip at him.

Cute.

Although, she did have a point. He also wondered why he was still alive. He did have a stupid amount of good luck to thank for his successes, though. Most of the time he was running from some kind of snot monster after him for stealing some kind of relic. But he always survived.

Ash marched past him towards the first and best booze stand. At least she had her priorities straight - first booze then food. She had the makings of a good wingman. Uh.....wingwoman. The "snack too" comment did coax another grin form him.
"I do go well with a plate of salad." he smirked. That would probably earn him some kind of snarky comment, but it was worth it.

At the booze stand, he ordered some Spicebrew.
"Say, Mate, any spooky stories you want to share?" he asked the barkeep while flashing a charming smile.
The bartender leaned in closer with a nod of the chin.
"There has been disappearances. And haunting noises." the barkeep said.
Mic frowned. "Isn't that just the holo-enhancements?"
"No, Sir. It has been more than that. People have literally disappeared. Without a trace. And there has been talk of....spirits."
"Right. Mind pointing us in the right direction, Mate?"
The barkeep pointed deeper into the Boneyard. So there really were boogey monsters.

Great. Just great.

 

[Cazo Thraos]

Vaux Gred

An affirming chirp was given by the communications officer as Gred replied, pondering for a moment as the man took over speaking as the commander watched the data trickle into the display before her. "Affirmative Gred, as for the mounted scanner, it is sending excellent data so far."

There were spots that weren't scanning properly from their position outside of it all. Dead-spots that she guessed were some varying degree of remnant stealth technology that had yet to be ripped out or properly disposed of.

She shook her head as she looked over the information around the display, eyes narrowing to a hollowed out, and decent sized cruiser. Marking it on the display for a second look, she moved to look out over the debris field as the Freeline slowed to a near stop, tractor beams beginning to slowly pulls things aside for the large vessels to pass through.

 

[Abel Denko]

D E R E L I C T​

Tag: Fauvel Astier , Cazo Thraos, Vaux Gred

Tension.

The reality was to be expected, given that this was the first time the Young Lady had manned the controls. Thus far, she seemed to be taking to flight well - better than he had years prior. Perhaps the saving grace was that his instructions were positive. Never focusing on the mistakes, but rather affirming what was done right. In the case of Abel's own instruction, it had been done at the hands of a fellow Enforcer for the Black Suns. It had been many years since then...since he led that lifestyle...but the memories were as fresh as the day they were made.

And frankly, Abel wouldn't wish that sort of tutelage on his worst enemy. Flying through an asteroid field whilst being berated was easily the second most terrifying experience of the Lord's life. The first? Well, that was a story for a different day.

In the moment, things were going smoothly. Fauvel took to his instruction and their vessel slid through the black without incident. There were a few sharp motions here and there, but that was to be expected. For the most part, there was quiet - save for the sharp breaths of his student and the directions of the Master. That is, until the Young Lady broke the silence with a jest. Abel's nostrils flared for a moment as a smirk claimed his features. "Did you just make a funny?" he said, amusement dominating his tone.

"Well, I'll have you know my ancestors are mermaids.

While an accurate retort, it would be easy to take it as a joke with how mirthful his tone was. His smirk persisted, until the sensor pinged. Movement. More significant than the debris which lazily floated by. In other circumstances, Abel might have dismissed this as being space trash. But, given the reports...this warranted caution. As the mentor, his confidence would be his student's. Thus, despite the unknown, he kept his tone the very same as before. "We're going to head west, see where it's more open to the left there?" he began, indicating with his finger. "Steady on the throttle." He then placed his attention on the sensors. A second ping. And a third. Something was there...and it was large.

Leaning over her shoulder, Abel accessed the comm from the console. He selected the Confederate channel, knowing that there had been some personnel dispatched to investigate the debris fields earlier. "This is Abel of the Knights Obsidian, we're picking up activity in our sector. Coordinates inbound." Better to be safe than sorry. Cazo Thraos and Vaux Gred would soon receive a ping with their locale. With the missive sent, he then stood tall and returned his attention to the Young Lady.

"For the record, do you know how to destroy ships? Asking for a friend."​

 

[Vaux Gred]

Vaux rolled her eyes a little when she heard a new voice. She was way too use hearing a single voice, usually Kaddie, be the voice of a specific ship, but she was going to work with what she had. It was also good to hear Aries didn't give her garbage to test. She remembered his launch tube mounted ion cannon and shuddered a bit. An hour just drifting, and no VK to talk to. "I'll give Aries that info once I get back to the fleet then. Seems like another clear sector though. But I'm going to mark this one freighter. Just... please don't destroy it."

As she slipped out of the most recent bits of debris, the Mando picked up a new transmission. Knights Obsidian? She'd heard her brother talk about them. Force users from what she knew. Apparently they'd picked up something. She smiled a little closing her ships s-foils again before turning to head to the coordinates. "You get that transmittion Freeline?"

Abel Denko Cazo Thraos

 

[Fauvel Astier]

DERELICT
Tagging: Abel Denko ~ Vaux Gred ~ Cazo Thraos

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A small chuckle rose from the young woman, not surprised that her jest had caught her Master unaware. Fauvel was often too stressed or too preoccupied to be humorous, but lately it had come easier to her. She could fake charisma well enough, however it seemed her own personal liking for socializing had began to bloom after such a long time of being withered. Then an eyebrow rose at his retort, questioning. Even if his tone had been just as light-hearted as hers had been, she believed she could pick up honesty and literalism in them.

She had been about to ask, when the sudden ping of the sensor stopped her. Caught unaware, the freighter shook for a brief moment as her attention was diverted from the throttle before she quickly regained control of it. Lacking practice, Fauvel still needed to keep her concentration on the actual piloting and this would continue to be this way until it became instinctual. "Apologies," At least she was a fast learner.

Keeping her eyes ahead, the Illyrian lady listened as Abel reached for the comm, nodding slightly as he alerted the nearing confederate officials of the movement while she concentrated on taking them in the direction he had indicated. The dark aura that surrounded her seemed to twist very slightly, and Fauvel knew this meant it was wise to keep her guard up for the time being. Perhaps this little trip would not be all smooth-ish sailing after all.

A small smile crept onto the young woman's lips once more, and while Abel could not see it, he would be able to hear it in her voice. "Tell your friend that if I can get on that ship, I can manage." In her brief experience with it, Fauvel had learnt that destroying technology was a lot easier than using it. For ships, the same rule applied. She was useless in a dogfight, not knowing how to pilot or man the guns of a vessel, but if she was able to board it then...well, she did have a natural instinct for it.

"Which would you rather it be, specters or pirates?"

Of course, ideally it would be nothing that warranted worry. But that option would have made for a boring question. Two vessels, summoned by Abel's transmision, came into view as they drew closer to the marked location.

 

[Cazo Thraos]

Vaux Gred Abel Denko Fauvel Astier

Caz was watching the display before her as the comms officer spoke. "Copy that Gred. Vessel marked for safe keeping. So long as it stays quiet, so will we." He added a cheerful tone to hia voice as another line pinged, making his brow crease as he opened the line.

"Commander. Open line requesting aid. Activity in-" He pinged the display as it shifted to the location and highlighted the source of the message. "This sector. Call for aid was given." Gred called over their line, attention directed once more to their scout.

"Copy Gred. You are free to move and assist. We will be sending..." He looked ove his shoulder as Caz bit her thumb. "Sending aid shortly. Keep us posted, over and out." The Freeline wasn't a fast vessel, and she was loathe to start blasting debris just to cause smaller dangers to the vessel in need of aid.

But those pockets of unknown space bothered her more.

"Deploy a squadron to give them cover. Have Poise position itself to clear our port side at three hundred meters and open up a wider lane. Corvettes will seperate and position themselves accordingly. Highland will stay portside of Poise, Porter will station itself between the cruisers while Jubilee forms up on Freelines starboard side." She spoke, hand waving and tapping on the tactical nav display to directly interface with other vessels. The slow waltz of metal and munitions beginning as droids from Poise sortied out, the large vessel lumbering into the port side of Freeline as it mirrored the command cruisers work.

The corvettes spread out admist droid starfighters forming a short distance from the Poise before setting off at blistering speeds through the wrecks.

"Knight Obsidian Abel, we are dispatching a squadron of drones to assist you. Cruisers Freeline, and Poise are currently en-route through the debris but it is slow going as a heads up." Caz listened to the message sent back to the Knight, chewing her thumb once more and wishing the room was the off duty room.

Something seemed off about the situation. Or felt off anyway. Her eyes went back to the display, leaning against yer left arm as more of the dead spots were revealed to them. The tip of her thumb began to sing with pain, a raw spot forming as she used the slight discomfort to focus.

 

[Abel Denko]

D E R E L I C T​

Tag: Fauvel Astier , Cazo Thraos, Vaux Gred​

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Apologies.​

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As the initial ping of the sensor rang through, the vessel shuddered underneath the touch of his apprentice. She was taking to piloting the ship, but the subject of nerves was something only time could remedy. But Abel's estimation, it would take a few weeks before she felt comfortable enough to breathe behind the controls. A few months from now and she'd be able to fly with her feet on the dash. In the moment, he busied himself with reporting their findings to the Confederate allies in proximity. They did not have to wait long for a response to come across the comm.​

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A squadron of drones were inbound, as were two cruisers. The Lord was not surprised in the slightest to hear that transit was slow going. There was enough debris at play to make any expedient action a slog. Nodding, he leaned back over his apprentice's shoulder and activated the comm. "Understood, we'll keep you informed of our scans as well. The assistance is appreciated!"​

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So it was that calm returned to the cabin for the moment. The comm went quiet and Abel's attention returned to his student. Though he could not see her features, he could tell that a smile had wormed its way across her face. The reason being, her response was alive with that same snark he had given. She was quickly becoming one of his favorite people, that was for sure. He said nothing at first, save for a light chuckle, before she asked a question of her own. The answer, without hesitation: "Pirates." There was some experience in that response. "They're a messy lot. Cut the head off the snake and they panic. Now specters? You can't even fething cut them most of the time."​

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It was as if he had jinxed their circumstances in that moment, for a pair of monumental lights illuminated the darkness. As their vessel continued to move west, the light was nearly blinding for a moment. Yet it directed Abel's attention back towards the source of the movement. That's when he saw it: a ship that had no fething reason under the sun to exist. The vessel looked as though it was being held together by a prayer. There were multiple breaches in its hull. The aesthetic appeared as though it had literally been composed of the derelict vessels surrounding them. And, what's more, Abel could feel its presence. There was a gloom characterizing the ship, as if the Dark Side itself was at the helm. "What the..." he breathed.​

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His first instinct was to have Fauvel move aside and to let him take over the controls. But he steeled himself. They would get out of this alive, especially with the drones on their way. Instead, he placed a hand upon her shoulder and gave it a confident squeeze. "Alright, deep breath, we're done warming up." he began, before motioning westward again. "We definitely don't want to be in the neighborhood of that thing. Keep heading west, and as soon as you're clear of this junk, punch the throttle. You've got this." He then removed his hand and returned to the comm.​

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"Freeline? At the risk of sounding cliche, I think we have a ghost ship on our hands." he said, simultaneously activating the ship's scanners. Though their distance was such that he could not get a full read, there were certainly no lifeforms aboard from what he could tell. "I'm sending the data we have so far. What's the play?"​

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