Shadow Out Of Time [ TSE Dominion of Chiloon Rift Hex ]

[Jairus Starvald]

​

Chiloon Rift | Bimmiel​

​

After the victory over the Dominion the Sith Empire has been preparing an elaborate campaign to expand its power into the vacuum that has been left.

Its first two targets are Bimmiel and the Chiloon Rift.

Bimmiel's value is in its strategic position: reinforced and fortified it can serve as a wall to guard against possible assaults into Sith Space. At the same time there are whispers of ruins on the southern continent: a place of sands and dunes, but speculations runs high of possible Jedi artifacts to be found in those wastes.

The value of the Chiloon Rift is clear: one of the largest asteroid fields within the Galaxy, bountiful with metals and other minerals key for the Sith's war machine.

What is more... deep within the Chiloon Rift an important secret hides: the Time Foundry. An automated shipyards using the time distortion field of the center of the Rift to churn out hundreds of ships in a relative fraction of the time.

Fortify Bimmiel, find the Jedi Artifacts... or set-up mining facilities, discover the legendary Time Foundry or explore the strangeness of the Chiloon Rift at your own leisure.

 

[Darth Caecus]

...Three Days Ago...​

"You are certain?"

The tiny image, masked and glowing blue, floated above outstretched feathers.

Neither of them knew just what exactly she had found. But Kith had been making it a habit of sticking her nose into places it didn't belong, just to see what she could find. Sometimes it led to nice and easy things. Sometimes it led to things like the Clocktower. This time looked to be of the later sort. Following unfamiliar holonet chatter, picked up by some very confused mining droids, she'd found an asteroid tumbling in slow swathes through the Chiloon Rift. Without the connection to the holonet from within, it would have been easy to over look- no reason at all to get close. But the key babble, the phrase 'The Black Library' pique her interest.

The fact that it was a lightside nexus, discovered only when she got close enough, sealed the deal. She did not get too close, not yet, not without support or knowing what she was walking into.

A year in this time was not enough to learn everything she needed, to know the significance. But it was clear that this was a thing [member="Darth Saarai"] would be interested in.

She was rarely wrong on that count.

The Chiloon Rift​

Enroute to The Black Library​

Present​

​

​

​Outside of the order and hierarchy of the Saaraishash, the cloaked and masked figure introduced by Tai Fa to his inquisitors didn't have much to say. Male, female. Young, old. Even human or not wasn't clear. Darth Caecus, as the sith had been called, barely even registered in the Force, wrapped as surely in the Art of Small as in the grey robes worn. While Darth Saarai trusted these gathered beings, the person behind the mask was less certain.

But then, there were so few she could trust. And that trust was earned slowly.

On the rare occasion she spoke, the voice modulated from the mask was rasping and buzzing, almost insectoid in its tones. She kept her distance from the others on the Inquisitor's vessel, and Tai Fa seemed perfectly content to not answer his underlings questions about her presence here beyond I trust Darth Caecus.

She appreciated that bird.

The slowly spinning asteroid was small in the view screen. Not as distant as it appeared, the way would be eaten up by the ship's sub light engines shortly. They couldn't feel the effects of the Nexus, not yet, not from this distance. But she had warned him, and through him, them, that once they set foot on the asteroid itself it would become impossible to miss.

The question was only just how each of those gathered here would respond to it.

​

​

| [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] |​

 

[Poe]

Location: Orbiting Bimmiel
Objective: Set-up Mining Facilty


My fingers tapped with a steady rhythm on the top of my cane-sword, Winter's Breath, running several scenarios through my head. The asteroid field was a blessing, a means to enhance my fortune; only if the mining project vowed to be profitable. The cost of setting up a mining facility didn't come cheap. The materials needed were the least of the incurred expenses, it was the transportation of said materials and the labor force. The latter could have easily been danced around if I believed in the use of slaves, which I don't, thus the hiring of a massive crew to erect the facilities added to the percentage I hoped the mining facility would turn over once the credits rolled in. The transportation had cost a fortune as well. I could have easily used the Empire's transport vessels, but this was going to be my facility; not theirs.

Spinning around on my heels and moving through the bridge on my personal ship, I headed toward my quarters to examine the blueprints again. Three prime locations had been chosen, each site rich in minerals and raw materials that could be transformed into almost anything needed by the citizens of the Empire or the galaxy. Yet to date, I hadn't really settled on one location, which I needed to come to decision sooner than later; the first wave of workers and building materials where scheduled to arrive within the next hour.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

The Chiloon Rift​

Enroute to The Black Library​

​

The bridge of the Inquisition ship was a flurry of movement and activity.

Amidst it all stood Lord Saarai, next to him Caecus, while they waited for the gaggle of Inquisitors to make their way towards the bridge. In the meantime he studied the holo-screen that gave him access to the various feeds available.

"It is strange." Fa finally said while trying to make out the details of the asteroid floating.

Even now the Thirriken wasn't used to the insectoid voice distorted until the breaking point, but the Sith did not show any signs of discomfort at the high, screeching pitch.

"The Black Library..." Lord Saarai stretched out the syllables, as if he was testing out the words. "Why make it so secretive and difficult to find and then use an HoloNet connection?"

The paranoid part of the Lord Inquisitor wondered if this was a trap. Some kind of Jedi ploy to lure them in and then pick them off one by one, surely it would be an ingenious approach. Use their hunger for power and knowledge against them. But then again... the Jedi had never been that intelligent, it was beneath them; using Sith tactics.

Tai hummed, before shaking his head.

It didn't matter in the end- all they could do was be as careful as possible. "I have enlisted the assistance of the Helix Syndicate." Tai informed her after a while.

"They have experience with getting into places.... they shouldn't."

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"]​

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

Location: E-2 Asteroid Mining Vehicle, Strange Asteroid Emitting Holonet Signals
Objective: Get Into Places We Shouldn't

In the vast field of isolation and death called an asteroid belt, there should have been no signs of life. Just the silence of the grave. And forty different holonet connections sticking out of one big, stupid rock. Someone had been clever enough to hide their home in an asteroid field, but not clever enough to turn off their karking internet connection. Now the Sith didn't want to get too close to the thing because it was giving them the heebie jeebies, so contractors had to be sent in. Contractors with a special penchant for doing just about anything they were paid to do.

The asteroid had no visible entrances. A turbolaser volley could have cracked it open at the risk of damaging or destroying the contents, but this required a more delicate touch. This required an E-2 Asteroid Mining Vehicle, piloted by professionals. Quasi-professionals, anyway. These were Syndicate Enforcers, but they knew what they were doing. The insectoid looking vehicle was slowly coming down for a landing on the asteroid's surface, legs spread in anticipation for a smooth landing. Its front mounted plasma drill was already being warmed up.

"Easy does it, easy does it..." The official captain of the operation was not really a captain, just an Enforcer selected at random to head up this portion of the operation. He stood on the bridge, breathing heavy with anticipation as the asteroid loomed closer and closer to the asteroid. "Easy... Does it... Easy does... It..."

The co-pilot grit his teeth, urging the controls ever-forward. "Hey. Hey, Owen."

Owen, the official captain, glanced down at the co-pilot, then re-affixed his gaze to the viewscreen. Like he was watching a wife he didn't have give birth. "Yeah?"

"I know you're new here and all, but here's a trade secret," he said. The ship rocked slightly as the first of the mining vessel's legs descended down, cutting into the rock and finding purchase there. "Constantly whispering 'easy does it, easy does it' into my ear? Not as helpful as you think."

The pilot snickered. Flushed with embarrassment, Captain Owen Stars remained silent and stood stiff for the rest of the landing procedure. There were two more slight rocking motions, then all was still. The vehicle had landed safely, against all the odds his captainship had presented. The pilot began flicking some switches, the co-pilot joining him by adjusting some knobs and pushing some buttons. Right now they were scanning for asteroid depth. Then they'd have to eyeball how far they had to drill to breach the facility and open up a big enough hole for the probes to get into. Not that Owen could really tell.

"What are we doing?"

"Getting ready to drill," the pilot replied, somewhat more terse than his companion.

Owen nodded. "I shall inform Lord Saarai."

"Yeah, you do that."

Owen left the two pilots to head to the other part of the bridge, where a communications station was. He removed the communicator from its mount and patched himself through to the Lord of Truth's chosen flagship. "Lord Saarai, we have landed and begun-" Owen was cut off by whoever had answered. Sounded like a bear growling. One of the pilots looked back to see the captain sweating a little bit but then returned to his duties. "Uh, n- no. That's fine," Owen mumbled. "I'll hold."

[member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Caecus"]​

 

[Eldaah Aderyn]

Location: Inquisition ship enroute to the Black Library
Objective: Eyes and Ears

'If it is true, apprentice, and they found the lost library... the knowledge contained within would be invaluable,' the voice of her Master whispered in her mind. For all intents and purposes, Eldaah was silently leaning against the wall of the bridge, far back from the two Lords overseeing the expedition and away from the other members of the Inquisition. Given she was garbed in her usual armor and helmet, mask concealing her face, it would be clear she wanted to be left alone while the others prepared.

'Let us hope, my Master, that the knowledge is still contained within and the Jedi didn't destroy it,' came her quiet response to her Master. She could feel... amusement from her Master, and then her presence was still as she likely focused on other parts of her work. Even then, she knew her Master would be aware of anything she discovered or overheard. Such was the nature of the bond her Master had bestowed upon her. It was odd though that the asteroid containing the library had been broadcasting a signal... almost as though it wanted to be found.

For now, she would simply follow [member="Darth Saarai"] and [member="Darth Caecus"] once the expedition was ready to go. They just had to wait for the Helix enforcers to open the door for them, and then... the knowledge would be the Sith's.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Darth Filiae"] [member="Venthis Zambrano"] [member="Emile Kaiden"]

 

[Venthis Zambrano]

Inquisition Ship,
Chiloon Rift.

He sat aboard the ship, in a small chamber. Sealed away from the rest of the ship, sitting down and meditating upon his recent discoveries. Preparing himself for the mission ahead. The Sith Empire had called for The Inquisition to form again. The group shrouded in secrecy came together again in order to claim something that would rightly theirs. Like everything in the galaxy. He sat with books in front of him, flipping each page with a soft flick of his hand telekinetically moving the paper. His eyes closed, but seeing through the force the text on the paper would flow into his mind. He was reading up on a new ability he had in fact learned.

The door flung open, with someone whispering the soft words towards Venthis. "They believe to have found The Black Library." Only to recieve a brief nod from Venthis. With that he left, sealing the door. A quiet exhale left Venthis mouth before a chilling smile emerged. He opened his eyes, the books dropping to the floor the moment he did. He would then rise to his feet. Sliding on a cloak. The cloak would aid him on the mission, massively in case, there were heavy defenses. The cloak giving a mental message for everyone else to look away from it. Borrowed from his new allies within The Sith Assassins.

Exiting the room, with the cloak shrouded over his head he would make his way down the hallway, glaring his eyes at each of the ship's personnel as he passed them headed for the bridge.

[member="Eldaah Aderyn"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"]

 

[Jacob Crawford]

Location: The Chiloon Rift, Enroute to The Black Library
Objective: Waiting

​

Jacob had remained mostly in his room for the majority of the journey to the Rift. The only times he ever left it for a period of time, was if he was summoned or the Inquisitors in general were. And for the most part he was left to his own devices, with the occasional interruption now and then. Jacob had focused on meditating, something he felt was quite pertinent given the information they had received about their location.

A Light Nexus.

There had been a mix of emotions when that tidbit had come to light. Jacob was both concerned and excited about the prospect. For a while now he had been in the presence of the Dark Nexus that was present on Maena. As such, he held some worry over what this one could do to him, and in equal measure curious about what it could do.

He had also done some research into their target; The Black Library, or at least of what little he could find. The place was after considered lost to the vast majority of the galaxy.

The Chiloon Rift had once been controlled by the Primeval, and Jacob wondered if the group had ever found it. Or whether the library was merely a piece of folklore, sending hopefuly scavengers on a fruitless search. And somehow the Inqusiition had obtained information on its exact location, although he had a fairly good idea of who had found it.

Jacob had been on Maena when he had gotten the call from Darth Saarai. The Sith Empire was making a move on the Rift, but he was calling upon the Saaraishash for a specific purpose there. That specifically had piqued his interest, and was what pulled him from his home and across the galaxy.

With the call out for the Inqusitiors to meet at the bridge, Jacob had departed his room prepared for their expedition to the library. He stepped onto the bridge with an even place, eyes lingering about as he watched the orderly chaos that was the crew. Jacob's gaze fell on Eldaah, who was simply leaning against a wall watching everything. He had spoken to her a couple times since they had partnered up for Kol Huro I, and from what little he knew, it was clear she wasn't one to be disturbed right now.

So he simply looked away and focused on ahead, eventually stopping behind Saarai and Caecus.

"Lord Inquisitor, Darth Caecus." Jacob greeted them both with a slight bow of the head.

His eyes fell on the latter for a moment, reminding him of when he/she/it, whatever was behind the mask, had been introduced to the Inquisitors present on the ship. Jacob had his questions, as anyone would when a mystery like Darth Caecus was before you. But he had kept them to himself, quickly identifying the fact asking would not get any answers. Besides, if their Lord Inquisitor trusted the person, then there was nothing to really question.

[member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"]​

 

[Darth Caecus]

The Chiloon Rift​

The Black Library​

She didn't have an answer to his question, and so she said nothing. With or without the uncomfortable distortion of the mask's vocoder, Caecus spoke little, as spare and conservative with her words as with every movement. Nothing wasted, no superfluous energy spent unnecessarily. Remaining in place as [member="Darth Saarai"] moved to the communications array, summoned by word of news from the surface, she settled with hands at the small of her back, unnaturally still.

There was little to be known about those who had come with them. The [member="Helix Syndicate"], working on the asteroid. The crew of the Inquisition Vessel, even now maneuvering them into a vector that would see them on the surface in moments, the dark, pockmarked stone filling the view screen. [member="Eldaah Aderyn"], even more solitary and closed off than Caecus- after all, at least she spoke to Tai Fa while the other wore her solitude like a shield. [member="Venthis Zambrano"], studying, brooding, glaring. [member="Jacob Crawford"], hard, inquisitive but careful.... curiosity killed the cathar as they said, and she wondered if his would burn him.

She observed, blue-grey eyes hidden behind the mask. Catalogued and weighed, but offered no judgement of. Judgement came from deeds, not lack there of, and these had yet to offer such a thing. Each was a blank slate, a potential and a possibility.

The ship shuddered ever so slightly as it touched down, the sound of repulsor lifts whining, muffled by durasteel plating. They were distant enough from the Nexus itself that only the barest fingers of its attention tugged at the edges of their senses. The deeper devoted to the darkness each person was would influence what they felt. It would play on insecurities, on the secrets they hid within their souls. Few were immune to those effects. The question was only what each of them would do with it as the feelings grew.

| [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] |​

 

[Emile Kaiden]

It'd been far too long since Emile enjoyed the exercise of field work. The usual hunt to sustain him was good for day to day stimulation but he'd started to grow restless for some time now.The opportunity to stretch his legs was one he was eager to jump on. The Chiloon Rift would provide just that, or at the very least a change of scenery for the next hunt.

Emile looked over what information they were provided with only vague interest. The Force Nexus, and its apparent vendetta against practitioners of the dark side, could prove quite the issue, especially given the man's innate reliance on the Force on a regular basis. Still, any indication of any of the man's concerns would remain hidden behind his usual shroud of confidence. Emile emerged from his quarters when called, albeit a tad behind the others. Moving at his own pace, his every movement, down to the way he observed each of his fellows in turn, exuded a chilling sort of demeanor. It wasn't that he looked down on them. No, it'd be a waste of energy to look down on those he'd consider mere livestock should they be in any other occupation. Rather, he was content to do his part, under the condition, of course, that the moment they were no longer of use they'd serve to sustain him.

No, for now he'd play nice. And thus, when he did make an appearance in all his near silent glory, he merely offered a nod of acknowledgement towards his betters. "Apologies for my tardiness."

[member="Eldaah Aderyn"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Darth Caecus"]​

 

[Darth Banshee]

Objective: Chiloon rift
Post: 1

Darth Banshee had come with a foundry ship, she planned to expand her mining facilities. As well as setting up a permanent base here, to protect her stuff. Also possible future endeavours, by placing a space station here. As if the rumours where true, a supply chain of materials would be need, to enter Silver Jedi Order space. This would be the first of her space stations, in the empire but not the only one. She had brought, a construction droids, as well as foundry ship. The ship had no military value, other than it can make other ships, as well as process ore to metal, and a factory to make components out of it. She also hoped to use the station as pirate base at some point, to help raid the core and process the spoils form the core.

She watched as her ships, began moving into asteroid. The plan was simple, find a big enough asteroids. Then mine and convert it into a space station, as the asteroid would help disguise it. She saw other ships in the area, but as long as they did not get in her way, she was unconcerned with it. As long as did not interfere with her plans, she would not care.

Her fighters launched, and looked through out the asteroid field. She was looking for the right one to begin work.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

The Chiloon Rift​

Enroute to The Black Library​

​

A few moments later a presence washed over both of them.

Vnut of Garnib.

Large. Scowl. Paws large enough to pop an adult sentient head with a squeeze. Few would know that he also dressed in immaculate suits during business hours, unless they took a larger look at the way his fur shined with clear care given to it. "Lord Saarai." His voice rumbled, heavy baritone and scratching like a tectonic plate shifting underneath its own weight. It must have been an amusing sight: the diminutive Tai constantly flanked by the large ursine, protecting him and staying at his side always.

"Yes?"

Tai did divert his gaze from the viewport, but his beak inclined slightly- a token of respect few sentients received these days. "Helix has made contact, my Lord." The Thirriken nodded and wandered over to the communication array.

"Welcome all," Fa responded as one by one the Inquisitors and initiates arrived at the station. "We begin soon."

After that he pushed himself off the floor, landing gracefully on the support of one of the seats, allowing himself a good angle from which he could listen to the communication from Helix. "This is Lord Saarai. What is our status?"

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"]​

 

[Venthis Zambrano]

Inquisition Ship,
Chiloon Rift.

The Cloaked figure made his way down the hallway, making his way up a set of stairs. The locked doors sliding open to reveal several figures from The Inquisition, all joined together for one cause. Wonderful. First, his eyes caught the Thirriken, The Lord Inquisitor. The Sith Lord, who had called him here. There stood an aura, he did not recognize. Next to Darth Saarai. Behind them was Jacob Crawford. A face he knew, from a previous operation. Though they didn't know each other quite well, Venthis intended to get to know him soon enough.

Something would tug in their minds to not look at the new arrival. The attire he wore, simply sent out a mental message to those around it look away from it. He sat at the back, simply watching over the meeting. Then another arrived.

"Apologies for my tardiness." He said, with Venthis sparing him a glance before turning back to the three up front. Then a large creature entered the room, causing Venthis to raise an eyebrow at the sight. Though he turned his attention back to The Lord Inquisitor as he spoke. "We begin soon."

Venthis remained silent, though extended his presence in the force, to allow them to know he was there. Overriding the effects of the Cloak he was wearing for a moment.

[member="Darth Saarai"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"] | [member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Filiae"]

 

[Vereshin]

Location: The Chiloon Rift
Objective: Discover the Time Foundry
Allies: [member="Cerbera"] @anyone who is interested!

The opaque windows of a Sith vessel descended over the shape of the Chiloon Rift and Vereshin gazed beyond their panes. Seated in the passenger lounge of the lone shuttle, he purveyed notes while waiting to receive his superior. His pen trembled with excitement as he scrawled down indiscernible equations to distract himself. The idea of travelling to a time rift excited him to no end and he did not hesitate for a moment when presented with the opportunity. Unassuming and poised, he sat beneath the window and away from the attention of the crew members. A few other Sith slunk around, some conspicuous by their robes, others plainly dressed. Vereshin wore a double breasted tweed coat over loose pants tucked into socks and lace-up shoes. He only wore robes for indoor rituals, they were too cumbersome for travel.

With his rimless spectacles sitting in his nose, he appeared a drably clothed scientist hired by the Sith for their expedition. The skulking Sith thought nothing of him and Vereshin appreciated the safety in appearing unassuming. He stroked the end of his nose with the pen and brushed over his head to flatten his hair. The green-skinned master arrived shortly to instruct him and he glanced repeatedly over an electronic clock. The numbers clicked slowly by the waning seconds and he blinked every time one appeared, trying to black them out completely from his vision. Diverting his gaze to the stars, the sound of footsteps marring the silence of the lounge entered on to the bridge. Cerbera stood and greeted the Sith and Vereshin passed her gaze with his own.

Collecting his notes, the student of the Dark Side slid them into his coat pocket and stood up to greet her. He walked up to the entrance of the bridge and lowered his head casually to the master, flattening the front of coat and shirt. The other Sith soon gathered and suddenly he appeared the odd one out, a thought which drove his mind into a slight panic.

"Hello Master Cerbera. I am very honored to assist you on this expedition. The time rift of Chiloon is a phenomenon I hold great interest in." Vereshin straightened his neck and spoke confidentially to the woman. While she was a master of the chemical arcane, the acolyte had acquired his fair share of knowledge in the sorcery of reality and time. "Is it true there as an automotive ship factory inside of the rift?" The hidden time foundry was a legend which piqued his interest deeply. "That's astounding." Vereshin looked at the floor in silent awe and pushed his glasses up his nose, repressing his rising excitement at the thought of traversing the rift.

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

Location: E-2 Asteroid Mining Vehicle, Strange Asteroid Emitting Holonet Signals
Objective: Get Into Places We Shouldn't

There was a considerable pause as Captain Owen Stars worked up his nerve. Then he cleared his throat, "Lord Saarai, we're drilling into the asteroid now. We'll be opening a hole - uh, a passage over the facility's main, uh, primary hangar bay. We'll send some probes through, then plug, er, seal it up before the atmosphere vents completely. The probes will open the hangar doors once inside, allowing you to la- uh, enter."

Had to use big words when talking to important Sith. You know, passage instead of hole, primary instead of main. Reflected better on him.

That was the plan, anyway. There was no accounting for stray variables, like if turbolasers suddenly sprouted from the asteroid and started blasting at them. A real nightmare that would have been, truly. Owen did not necessarily like dealing with all of this spooky "Infiltrate the Mysterious Black Library" stuff. When things got weird, they weren't predictable any more. When things weren't predictable, things get crazy. Still, captaining an asteroid mining vessel working in conjunction with a super, super important Sith Inquisition mission looked pretty badass on a resume. You had to keep these things in consideration, you know. Owen didn't want to be an Enforcer for the rest of his life.

Anyway, that wasn't all Owen had for the Lord of Inquisitors. When you left dangling holonet connections active like the simian who lived here previously did, it left a lot of room for cyber criminals like the Syndicate to maneuver around. "We've managed to g- uh, acquire the schematics for the asteroid. We're send- uh, transmitting them to you n- presently. They're not completely, uh, defenseless, though. We're in the system but we can't do anything major. Seems they've got, uh, possess a BRT running the network. That's - uh, hence why we've got to send in probes."

"Aside from the Light Side Nexu, there's not a lot that'll be in your way. Just, uh, some old droids. Couple of big old droids. Turrets. Those'll be highlighted on the map, uh, sch- schematics we send you. Then we'll let you know if anything else is heading your way. We can monitor things remotely."

That's right, Captain Owen Stars would be watching over everyone's shoulder to keep them safe and sound. They would all feel so relaxed now, he was sure.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Darth Saarai"]​

 

[Lark]

Lark sat atop a small mining vessel, temporarily docked on one of the seemingly infinite asteroids that drifted aimlessly within the Chiloon Rift. A small band of pirates mined some kind of ore below, occasionally one of the thugs would carry a few crates of some silver-colored metal inside the ship. Beryllius, perhaps? It wasn't of much importance to him. But he knew that a number of Sith ships were present in the area, and the Rift had always been a sort of haven for pirates and smugglers. They could disrupt the entire operation, and Lark couldn't have that.

He slowly let himself drop from the top of the vessel, careful not to make a sound. He wore a suit that guarded him from the unknown elements of the cosmos, but should he let his apparel be ruptured he'd meet a particularly violent end. Even a small tear or hole would mean the end. There were less than a dozen pirates, he had counted seven along with a mining droid, but he would rather not take any chances, not in a situation like this. He unsheathed his enchanted dagger, and positioned himself behind a large shipping crate. There were five of them outside the ship, one inside, and the final pirate and the droid were mining inside a small cave.

Child's play.

Lark dashed out from behind his spot of hiding, surprising a pirate quickly slitting his neck. He dropped the crate of metals he had been carrying, and Lark gently guided it towards the rocky ground using the Force, and it hit with an inaudible whisper of dust. He grabbed a bundle of mining equipment and hurled it towards another pirate, shattering his glass mask. The man's voice was lost to the endless void of the cosmos, desperate plea for help utterly ignored. By now the others outside had their weapons raised in suspicion, eyeing the area around them with hesitance, unsure of what to do. This was supposed to be nothing more than a quick mining stint, after all. Lark reached out once more with the Force, and crushed their oxygen tanks, leaving them to suffer their final moments without breath.

The sound of a drill was heard nearby, and as Lark entered the shallow cave he spotted the droid and a single other figure. Like an alley cat he slunk up behind them, the harsh sound of the drill prevented the echo of his footsteps from being heard. The man fell first, blood splattered onto the pristine, radiant metal they sought to make a profit on. The droid, for all it's prowess, could not react in time, and small sparks crackled out from where it's body was cleaved in two.

Finally, the captain of the small operation still resided inside the ship. If he behaved himself, he'd live for a little while longer. The man was taking stock of what they had, entering his records onto a datapad. "Your crew is dead," Lark announced, now inside the safety of the ship.

He quickly turned, pistol already pointed directly at Lark's head. Lark had heard that this particular captain was clever, and he was counting on that being true. He waved the pistol away, and slowly walked towards the man, taking his helmet off and letting his long, scarlet hair free. "But do not worry yourself," he continued. "I believe that the two of us can come to a compromise. I seek transport you see, and I'm unfamiliar with these treacherous spaces. I'm looking for a place known as the Time Foundry, within the Bubble of the Lost. Perhaps you might take me there?"

The pirate captain considered his options. "I take you there, you let me go? You won't turn me in or nuffin?"

Lark smiled. "Your activities here do not concern me. It's only fair that once your end of the bargain is upheld, you're free to resume whatever it is you wish to do."

"Well, we gots ourselves a deal!"

Wonderful, Lark thought. A clever man would do what Lark believed the captain was going to do.

A wise man would bring him to the Time Foundry.

 

[Nan'eth'illa]

[member="Darth Saarai"] [member="Darth Caecus"] [member="Venthis Zambrano"] [member="Jacob Crawford"] [member="Helix Syndicate"] [member="Eldaah Aderyn"] @Emile Kayden

The Chiloon Rift​

Inquisitorial Vessel​

Her master was protective in ways, the csen’ai never let her go on her own without a laundry list of chores to be done. It frustrated Filiae how little she was trusted. Yet, there had been no protest when she had requested leave to join the Saaraishash. Her lips thinned with the thought and a cybernetic thumb tapped her elbow impatiently as she listened.

It was easy not to notice her; she had learned from a master of stealth how to blend into the room. Her presence was subdued with the art of the small and out of habit, Nethil had placed herself with her back secure against the wall, arms crossed over her chest.

The Chiss let her eyes glide from one individual to the next, capturing their image with her cybernetic eye and storing it in the cybernetic memory banks. She also recorded what was said for future reference. They were the seekers of truth; thorough gathering of data was necessary for laying down the true path.

“We begin soon”

Darth Saarai, the csen’ai had told her to watch him closely. It was not advice driven by suspicion, but knowledge of merits. That little bird had come very far very fast, climbing from a trader-Sith with funny speech to a paragon of the Sith way (and a filthy rich one at that).

She recognised Venthis too, less from reputation, more from the Sith Assassins’ mission debriefs. When he let himself be seen, she recognised the model of cloak he wore as well: A clever little contraption.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Location: The Chiloon Rift
Objective: Discover the Time Foundry
Allies: [member="Vereshin"] @anyone who is interested!

She was slowly gathering a following throughout this new Sith space.

It seemed that breaking the resolve of the last rebelling Dukes of Serenno had made her... infamous of sorts. This only served to amuse Cerbera who carefully investigated the Sith trickling in to learn from her- it would not surprise her if one of the more powerful Lords were trying to discover her secrets by sending in spies.

"Think nothing of it, darling." Cerbera mumbled, while gesturing for him to follow along. They walked over to the viewport that had an excellent view of the Rift.

"Those who are willing to learn deserve to be taught."

As he mentioned the Time Foundry the Sith Lord couldn't help but be impressed herself.

Slightly.

In truth she thought there were a thousand better things to do with a literal time-distortion field, but for one reason or another the Primeval had only seemed fit to use it to.... build fleets faster. Which was all well and good, of course, but Cerbera wondered if they couldn't be just a little bit more creative about their craft.

"Quite true, yes, the Primeval have tried very hard to hide its existence from everyone." But few people controlled the Primeval Fleet and all of its resources.

"Tell me, Vereshin darling, what would you do if you had access to a time-distortion field? If you could enter, spend years in it and return as if only a couple of weeks have passed?"

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Location: Approaching the asteroid
Objective: Listen and wait.

Tai tilted his head slightly as he listened to the rambling of the Helix enforcer.

Why this male humanoid was over-using uh's and repeating himself with more complicated words every two sentences was beyond him, but he supposed that humans always had their little eccentricities. A few moments later the schematics were uploaded to their system. With a wave of a wing it was pulled up and refocused itself on the hangar (which was currently closed-off) and the lay-out of the passages that went to and out of the bay.

The hangar-bays seemed to be of standard design for the most part.

Enough to land a few starfighters or about two corvette-sized starships; it was a good thing they had picked a corvette for this particular mission. It wasn't the most powerful tool in their arsenal, but it was silent, fast and had powerful sensory equipment.

An Inquisition fleet was on stand-by a jump away, if they suddenly ran into... major problems.

"I see." Tai finally responded and filled the awkward silence that had filled the space once Owen stopped talking. "Do keep me posted, Captain, I would hate to miss something important."

He turned around, eyeing those that had assembled on the bridge. "I am sending each of you the map data. There is a chance we will be separated once we arrive. I do not think it would be wise to get... lost in there." Another wave of his wing and the map data was shared with them through the commlink set-up for this mission.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Helix Syndicate"]​

 

[Ugoto Chivaro]

Location: E-2 Asteroid Mining Vehicle, Strange Asteroid Emitting Holonet Signals
Objective: Get Into Places We Shouldn't

"You got i- uh, as you wish. Your... Grace." Captain Owen Stars fumbled with the commlink before awkwardly putting it back onto the receiver. He began to make his way back over to the helm when there was a sudden quaking. Owen stumbled, but caught himself on the railing behind the pilots' section. There was a flurry of beeping noises and flashing lights that started up. Already the hands of both pilots were moving around quickly, flipping switches and hitting buttons. As they went, the noises died one by one and the lights stopped flashing. But this was all a little overwhelming for Owen Stars, who stood himself up uneasily.

"What's happening? What just happened? What's going on?"

The pilot looked over his shoulder at Owen. He regarded his captain with an almost lethal amount of contempt, then returned to his business with a muted scoff. Before Owen could start scream-stammering about insubordination, the co-pilot answered his question. "We've cut all the way through. Asteroid's been breached."

As he said that, there was a groaning noise as the plasma drill rose out of the bored hole. From here it looked small, but it was large enough to fit two humanoid droids side by side.

"Already?" Owen bleated, "But I just hung up already!"

"Deploying probes," the pilot announced. swiveling over to a different station. There were several soft thumps as a few droids detached themselves from the underside of the ship and sped towards the open access point. Once inside, they would override the locks on the hangar doors and make way for Lord Saarai's corvette.

The co-pilot, meanwhile, was making preparations to seal the hole back up - presumably with the same drill that opened it in the first place. He still found time to talk to Owen, though. "Just call him back."

"So soon? No, no, you can't call twice in a row like a minute apart. That's weird. He'll think I'm weird."

No amount of machine noises currently filtering through to the bridge could drown out the sound of the pilot as he snorted. Loudly. Owen looked both bewildered and infuriated as he swung his head back and forth between the co-pilot and pilot, trying to decide who to yell at first. Eventually he decided on the co-pilot. "What the hell's he laughing at?"

Turning back to the console, the co-pilot shrugged. "Nothing. Are the droids in, Clem?"

"Yeah," said the pilot, who was ostensibly named Clem.

"Alright, baby, let's crack this guy open."

Owen stood behind them both, positively fuming, as the droids sliced into the hangar controls and the access hole was sealed once again. Air would stop gushing from the hangar now and conditions would soon normalize once again, meaning the impending flood of Sith Inquisitors would be able to function as normal. Everything in the hangar was probably a little tossed around, though, and the bridge crew did notice some stray floating knick-nacks that had been sucked up and out of the breach. Tools and such. A crate or two. Aside from that and the smattering of asteroid dust and debris on the ground, things would be fine. As fine as they could be.

Moments later, the particle shields necessary to keep the hangar from venting activated and the hangar doors crumbled open. Owen attempted to hail Lord Saarai to inform him of this development, even though he could probably see it himself.

[member="Jacob Crawford"] | [member="Darth Filiae"] | [member="Venthis Zambrano"] | [member="Emile Kaiden"] | [member="Darth Caecus"] | [member="Darth Saarai"]​