Reunion Tour

[Corey's OOC]

Mining.[/size]

Marek Starchaser, also known to... a handful of people as the self proclaimed Sith Lord Darth Peregrus was working today. He had a job, and it wasn't casino business. Lucky for him, he had a good team working beneath him and with him for his two companies. This one was something simple. He was in his YTA-1300, the Vagrant Wind, above the world Katanos VII. The System Authority had gotten lucky on this one, and a lot of work, from Marek, had gone into protecting this world. It was a source of cortosis, and probably the second most protected world in the Technate, following Hypori.

Of course, the other world was its headquarters, and a lot of the corporations came through there. So, that meant it had more money, while the cortosis world was... back water, but Marek had made sure to send droids there, and even a squad that was run by a Hydra.

He should really invest in one for his own personal protection.

But then he would still have to get woken up for trips like this. The Foreman of the mine had contacted him, apparently there was someone going to the mines and causing a disturbance. Several droid patrols had failed to report in, which meant they were destroyed.

Marek liked droids, they couldn't be bought off. Just broken, and replaced. No need to train. He himself was here, he had his new armor, the black armor that was compliments of Santhe Corp, and his orange lightsaber, not the viridian one of the Starchasers that he used when in the guise of Peregrus, but the one the System Authority knew.

"This is Starchaser, on approach to Katanos VII's cortosis mines. Dispatch the HYDRA squad to my landing location." Simple, but he'd get to the bottom of what was going on in his mine.

[member="Ket Van Derveld"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Katanos VII
Cortosis Mine III
Landing Pad I


The Deceased Star had landed not too long ago, but Force knew his luck. Ket was in need of a decent amount of a very rare metal; Cortosis. Not so much a need, but a want. He had plans now that he had a purpose in his life other than sheer violence and wanton destruction. And he had a feeling that it would involved a lot more combat than he'd grown accustomed to in these past years. Jedi, Sith, and Dark Jedi....Force Users of all faiths, distinctions, and factions had grown by leaps and bounds. Seemed to him that he couldn't go from one system to the next without seeing a lightsaber's blade ignite with that familiar snap-hiss these days. And he'd been around long enough to know that you used every single edge you could. Any advantage was still an advantage, no matter how trivial it might have seemed.

Ket Van Derveld had plans for the Cortosis within this mine, and he was not going to be denied.

However, he did not expect much resistance, as his on-again off-again apprentice, Marek starchaser, owned this particular one. Yet, even as he landed, he'd intercepted the distress calls. The Foreman of the mine had sent message to Marek, and Ket had listened in with a bit of a furrowed brow. Nothing was simple anymore, was it? So a message was sent to Marek in kind, even as Ket could see The Vagrant Wind coming in for a landing on the pad next to the Star.

"It seems you have a bit of a problem, young Starchaser. How fortuitous it is that I'm already here, hmm?"


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

Getting the permission to land wasn't hard. He was even putting his freighter in the executive landing zone, because he was that guy. When he stepped out of the ship, in the armor he used as Darth Peregrus, but also not easily recognized, because, to be serious, Marek lacked combat prowess, unless he was shooting you, he reached out in the Force. What was going on? He just could sense the overwhelming feeling that something was...off. And really, he was going to make it right, or at least try.

He could shoot, and in the armor of his Sith persona, it wouldn't be a problem to unleash Force lightning. A Force user on the payroll for the Technate? That was definitely Marek Starchaser standard. And that was when he noticed the Star. The Deceased Star was one of those ships, the one with a story and a life of its own. He loved that ship as if it was one of his own, and regularly offered to his Master that any repairs would be done at Technate expense.

Because he could do that.

Hearing his Master, Marek nodded. "Its always good to have a helping hand." Plus, he could show his new found abilities from the ancient Starchaser holocron. Lightning and new uses for TK.

"You just arrive?"

A'huntin' they will go.

[member="Ket Van Derveld"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

"Yes, yes I did." came from the ancient Sith Lord's mouth. The ramp to the Star had been lowered, and heavy footfalls thudded down it's spine. Clad in his usual attire of worn leathers and black boots, he had recently taken to wearing a white collared shirt, untucked under his floor-length leather coat. He looked over to Marek, garbed in his shiny new armor, and almost had to stifle a laugh, smiling a bit as he shook his head slightly. "That's a very good look on you, Marek. Suits you well."

The sarcasm was palpable, if not joking in nature. Ket just couldn't help himself. It wasn't as if he felt his old self once more, no, this was something different. He felt useful again, and in finding purpose, he'd found himself much more in control than he'd been in years. For now though, he felt it better to focus on his own objectives than to let his mind go wandering. Singular focus seemed to help him greatly these recent weeks, and it was a welcome respite from the normal chaos that floated through his mind.

"So, what exactly seems to be the problem down here? And before you ask, yes, I've come to gather some Cortosis. Pet project I'm working on, you see."


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

Well, at least he wasn’t here too late. But why was [member="Ket Van Derveld"] here? Marek couldn’t remember, but it’d work out, he supposed. If there was an issue on the world, then there would need to be a way to fix that. Hopefully his Master would take some cortosis and fuel as payment, it was the least he could do, really. “Its new, Tion inspired.” And well, there was the System Authority to deal with.

Or, y’know, protect.

As best he could, with the people who would show up in the South Systems, but someone had to keep Salem in line. “The problem? Seems some of our patrols are going missing in the mine. Apparently, we’ve got pirates. With the Omega war and everything, I’m not surprised.” Was he sounding like a respectable businessman? Okay Lando.

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

"Never did care much for pirates. All the credits, none of the work. Useless lot, pirates."

Ket stood there, craning his neck sideways until a very audible succession of pops emanated from the vertebrae. Tapping each forearm, he made sure his sabers were in place. Check, and... Check. Flinging back one side of his coat, he reached for his Slugthrower, and unfastened it's restraint for quick access. Looking to Marek, he nodded lightly.

"Shall we?" he said with a stoic look of determination. Time to go to work.



[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

Really, Ket was speaking to the businessman in Marek. Sure, his father had done a bit of pirating, well, privateering, after he left the Starchaser mobile home of the Dawn Treader, a ship that was now in the service of the Fringe Federation, last Marek heard, but still… Now Marek was the overseer of the Technate, and that meant he had a lot of work ahead of himself.

And keeping pirates out of his backyard? That was the first bit he had to do. Probably why he was here to handle it personally. Grinning at his sometimes-Master’s gear check, Marek spoke. “Yes, let’s see what we can do about this crowd.”

Make short work of them, was what he was expecting to do. The younger Sith already had his saber and slugthrower at the ready, well, holstered on his hips. “I’ve got the location of the last team…” He trailed off, heading into the mine. Probably should have grabbed the helmet from his armor, but the Force would help him sense the way through, he expected.

And if not, there was Ket.

[member="Ket Van Derveld"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

As they made their way through the upper parts of the mine, one could see quite a bit of random droid parts scattered along the ground. Ket stopped, and picked one up, examining it. "Hmmm. Blasters, I'd wager. Look at the scorching along the breaks." Looking down the corridor, he tossed the Droid leg aside, and looked to Marek. "I'm not entirely sure how many are down there, but it must be a sizable crew. This many droids, this quickly? Sizable crew with mass produced weapons."

Ket slide his hand onto the grip of his slugthrower, and flicked the safety off as they kept making their way down.


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

A survivalist by upbringing, Marek was decent enough at tracking, though it wasn’t that he could always identify the predator. But weapons? That was something else. When Ket pointed out the scorch marks, he nodded. “These droids are not using our new Hydra War Droids for a control center. Still, this many droids…” He nodded at the destruction.

“I’m sure they’ve probably got droids their own. Might have to reach into the new bag of trips.” Which meant using the Force to fry everything in sight. Damn it was good to be a gangsta Dark Bro of the Sith.

His slugthrower was in his hand as fast as Ket’s was. The lightsaber would come later, but Marek could grab a few bolts and save himself with the Force, another one of those Starchaser powers.

It was show time.

“You first?”

[member="Ket Van Derveld"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

"Oh no, by all means, you first. Your cortosis mine, after all. Let's see these new tricks of yours, eh?" Ket said with a grin and wink.

He popped the clip of his KD-30 Dissuader, checked the round count, then slipped it back into the slugthrower with a click. This should be an interesting little outing indeed.


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

The Corellian shook his head, smirking. Right, Overseer and he was in charge of this place. And he was the one breaking in the new Force powers. Or, partially anyhow. Marek looked at his custom slugthrower, the one that he was supposed to be replacing soon.

“Here we go.” He said as he reached out with the Force, finding something alive, something that wasn’t supposed to be there. Walking down the mine, he could hear voices around the next bend. “Watch your shots.” Because, well he needed to tell him?

Right…

Getting to a knee, the Corellian leaned around the corner, seeing three beings, he squeezed off one clapping round from his slugthrower, watching the body drop.

[member="Ket Van Derveld"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

The bolts started coming in quickly after that first body fell like a rock to the ground. Closing his eyes, he let himself connect to the Force, as everything began to illuminate in a pale-violet hue within his mind's eye. The Force would provide his sight, showing him things in ways the naked eye could never hope to. Aiming his slugthrower around the bend, he let off a shot at one of the pirates, the acid-filled slug slamming into the howling privateer. It dissolved on contact as the acid began eating away at his armor and then flesh, his pain-filled screams echoing throughout the tunnel. He began to claw at his own chest, running into one of his compatriots, whose own blaster shot to the left, taking out another one of the pirates.


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

Feeling his sometimes-Master reach out to the Force, Marek nodded. There was business to take care of out here. And [member="Ket Van-Derveld"] was getting serious about it. He was really going to need to follow the elder Sith's example and use non-traditional rounds. It would probably extend his effort on the battlefield. "Well, not so bad." Marek spoke, sarcastically, nodding as he looked up, hearing the friendly-fire pirate muttering about acid. Seemed to not have eaten that armor.

A quick head shot ended his goal. There were a few more in these tunnels, plus the gear they were using for the excavation.

Safety for the System Authority, apparently.

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Ket cracked a grin at that, but held up a solitary finger to his lips. Keep quiet, focus on the objective. The elder Sith Lord did not get to this stage in his life by being careless, no matter how much power he wielded. Slowly, he moved forward, using the Force itself to muffle his footsteps as he made his way down the tunnel. Through the vision of the Force, he saw yet another group, this time about 10, huddled up digging into a large container of some kind. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew that a couple well-placed shots would take down at least 4 of the group. Keeping crouched, he made his way behind another container, about 20 feet away from the group. Aiming his slugthrower, he clicked off the first round, then a second. The hollow acid filled slugs found their marks, the first hitting the shoulder of a pirate, and the impact splash catching one almost on top of him. The second round made it's way into the back of another, off-target, but still effective.


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

Great. More customer . Marek nodded to [member="Ket Van-Derveld"] and let his elder lead the way. A pair of shots and four fell. Perfect. His turn. Reaching out to the Force, he rolled into the fray, reflexively dodging shots before they were made. Squeezing off the remaining four rounds in his pistol he watched each body fall. Two to go. And tons start that off, the former Zeison Sha used the Force to throw the pair into the wall.

He was fairly strong with telekinesis when compared to others.

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Ket watched through the Force as the pale blue outlines began to fall down and slam upward. His apprentice was stronger in the Force than he remembered, and he was quite pleased by this. It showed that when left to fend for yourself, you adapt and figure it out. Very good indeed. Ket opened his eyes, letting his vision fall back to the orbs within his skull. He holstered the slugthrower, snapping the retaining strap over it's grip as he walked toward the two remaining pirates as they writhed on the ground. Reaching out with his hand, he let the Force become an extension of his will, and gripped upon their skulls like marbles. He clenched his fist shut, and the Force would mimic the movement, as their heads popped like grapes and their final screams echoed throughout the tunnel.

"I wonder, was that it? If so, I think your security here might be a little too lax."


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

Was that it? Reloading his gun, he checked himself for wounds. And then looted the bodies because, well, dungeon. Don't say it, Marek. There was not a dragon in the mines. Couldn't be.

"Budget cuts. I'm trying to turn the Technate around still... need to find a good way to capitalize the Hydra droid project." Look at the playboy sounding all sorts of official.

"I think they're digging just past here. I'm... not sensing anything." That couldn't be good. He had his pistol in one hand, the new viridian saber on the other. Ready. [member="Ket Van-Derveld"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

It was then that Marek could hear Ket's voice within his mind, like a slithering tendril wrapping itself around the cerebral cortex.

~That's why. Small droid army. I count 30, and I'm about done with this skulking around.~

With that, Ket merely walked around the corner, sparks shooting off his fists as the Force manifested itself violently around his hands. As the droids turned to look to him and raise their weapons, Ket let out a howl of pure and unabashed anger. His arms reared back, and shot forth from his fingertips conduits of Force Lightning that chained across the droids like thermonuclear wildefire as they began to sizzle, burn red hot and fall like tin cans, one after the other. About 15 seconds in, the reddish-purple tendrils of electricity ceased, as the smoking and smoldering husks of droid burned into the ground.

"Now, for what I came for."


[member="Marek Starchaser"]

 

[Corey's OOC]

He was truly hoping they were past the brain worming. Still he nodded when Ket spoke to him. Watching his Master, and a member of another state nowadays step out into the fray, he was curious where he sat in the others mind. This was bringing Marek to thoughts of running a state.

He was definitely not a warmonger.

"Should be just there. Get you the cortosis you came for." The Starchaser nodded.

[member="Ket Van-Derveld"]

 

[Ket Van-Derveld]

Ket was way ahead of Marek at this point. He was already looking down into the cart the droids had been gathered around. There had to be enough cortosis ore in here to cover an entire torso if alloyed properly. Not that he needed that much. He took 4 chunks of the stuff, placing them into a saddle-bag which he slung over his shoulder.

"Is there a forge near here? I've need of one, should one be available."


[member="Marek Starchaser"]