Shili - A Flame (solus)

[Cynthia Solus]

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The M3-A Scyk V dropped from hyperspace above the continental world of Shili. From where the ship was there was full view of the many biomes the world had to offer, It all blended together. The greens to brown to cream with a hard blue border of the sea outlining the continents. As the small ship got closer the lights of the cities on the dark side of the was visible. It always looked pretty no matter what world it was on. Cynthia compared it to a planets own stars that belonged solely to them, and yet the woman was unable to enjoy the sight's before her. A world that was new to her was the last thing on her mind since coming from Zeltros. There was so much going into motion that it was hard to think clearly about them.

Maybe the contract she had accepted was an escape, Cynthia was unsure why she chose this one. It was a government contract issued by someone near the top and had a hefty hazard pay to it. From her experience even experienced mercenaries and hired thugs would not accept these without a team. Clan Solus was busy right now and the fewer that knew she just came from the silver's space the better. Her head fell backwards onto the seat as she let out a long low sigh. There was an attempt at keeping a neutral expression in her face, and yet Ca in her small hologram form looked at the mandalorian and cocked its head. "Do you... wanna talk about it?" The AI asked softly.

Cynthia shook her head keeping silent for a moment till her eyes opened up. "No i'll be fine. I just need time to process everything. Right now I just need to clear my head." Cynthia said softly yet carrying a heaviness to them. "Can you display me the marker for the location of the space port I am meeting my contractor." "Mhmm." The cockpit filled with floating holograms with information and even displayed a small moving marker over the location of the port. The entry down was a silent one between Ca and Cynthia. It was obvious Ca was worried of what was going through her mind and yet knew from the memories that the events happening was making her scared of the future.

The contract was simply a tool to stop thinking about it for a time and to keep productive, yet this was not the right way to go about it. They both knew Cynthia needed more time on Zeltros with her wife. They needed time to talk but the situation was not good. Still the woman could not help but think she was running away from the situation. Only she knew that was not the case. "Corvala government port, requesting permission to land."

"Please transmit your landing code." The deep voice spoke out with a thick accent. As instructed Ca sent them after the nod from Cynthia. "Your codes check out. I am to instruct you to land in bay d twenty three and wait in the hanger till your escort arrives to take you further."

"Copy that. M three a out." Cynthia said directing her ship to the hanger. It flew in slowly as the landing gear dropped down. As it touched the floor the small ship bounced lightly with a thud. Vapours ejected out in a white mist and a muffled hiss heard from inside the cockpit. The canopy slid forward as the woman pushed herself up and out of the cockpit then leaned back inside to collect the case with the sniper rifle in and her shotgun that got attached to the large holster that sat on her lower back. The SMGs slid into holsters on her thighs and then a few more pieces of equipment that was stored in pouches. The woman turned around almost about to slide down the side of her ship before remembering to also get her helmet. Reaching one last time into the cockpit she grabbed it and put it on. "Almost forgot me." Ca said trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah almost." The woman flicked the catch on the exterior to close the canopy and proceeded to slide down the ship to the hanger floor. There was not much waiting before the escort came to collect her and ushered to follow the man in long robe like clothes. The thin tall Togruta would begin telling Cynthia a little of the world skimming over anything bad. Like a true believer of their people they did not want people to know about the bad things. Although if the woman was interested in finding out such things Ca would do some digging. However Ca seemed very interested in what he was saying and what she could see. At first there was a bustling amount of activity inside the port yet once they went over the sky bridge and past a Checkpoint it suddenly fell silent with fewer people roaming the hallways.

She was in the official building of the world where what she gathered leaders, ambassadors and important figures from all around would be here. The hallways was decorated with patterns in the floor with a dark blue carpet running down the centre of each hallway, it complimented the blue and white walls. Pillars stood tall reaching up to the high ceiling above separated several feet apart form each other. It defiantly gave off the impression of a place of importance. Cynthia looked around taking in the sights as she kept up with the tall Togruta's pace. After many hallways and a elevator ride they reached a thinner hallway with many doors. He took her to the door at the end and Knocked. "Enter." The voice from the other side shouted.

The door opened with a hiss. "Governors, Your guest is here." The escort said as he nodded his head in what Cynthia assumed was a sign of respect. "Let her in please." The woman who sat in the middle spoke. "Cynthia Solus please take a seat. I am Momnaash Daaka, to my left Zukeer Raa and my right Mado Deshu. Thank you for replying to the contract so quickly. Please take a seat, help yourself to water." ...

 

[Cynthia Solus]

Cynthia proceeded to take a seat on the cushioned chair made from hard wood. From the looks it was made by a master woodworker of the intricate design and patterns. The whole design of this building was done with expensive tastes most likely out of the expense of the tax payers. No doubt that the furnishings would be swapped out every couple of years. The mandalorian woman would remove her buy'ce and dropped down a small modified repulsor holo projector so that Ca could be seen too as she waved at them all. "Thank you for having my governor, this is Ca my AI she accompanies me everywhere and will also need the details of your request." Cynthia said making her tone sound as formal as possible. "Hello Ca, pleasure." Momnaash spoke with delight. "So the contract yes, Mado could you get the display up?" The man typed at the datapad drawing up the image of what Cynthia assumed was the person she was here for. "This is Tulo Tal our lead military scientist. Four weeks ago the man went officially missing, completely off the grid. Since then we have been getting disturbing messages from his captors." The messages showed up on the display, some saying things like the people will be cleansed of impurities and the world will burn endlessly until nothing but ash exists.

"Tulo is a genius when it comes to destructive weapons much like his father was. It is why its so important that we get him to back safety. If the captors manage to brake Tulo and have him making something then it is only a matter of time before these messages will become a reality." The concern on the togrutas face was as real as it got from Cynthia's experience. It was as close to a mother loosing one of her children. Still Cynthia gathered it was a rescue mission but there is no basic lead or even the parameters of the contract. "I will do all I can to save him, but I need to know a few things. First where was his last known location or a place he was going too. Secondly I need to ask that if I am unable to get to Tulo to rescue him..." "Kill him. We cannot risk the lives of the many to save one." Zukeer said cutting Cynthia off quickly and with an answer that there was no room for interpretation. Even Cynthia knew if she was in Tulo's place she would risk her own life to save all the lives of her clan and people. "His last know location was at our spaceport. He boarded a shuttle to go to Carida. Once the shuttle arrived there was no one aboard and the droid pilot had a memory wipe from the report. We assumed that the kidnappers boarded at a stop on Champala due to the lack of signs of attack. Who ever did this was well informed and precise."

"We will be assigning one of our spec op's groups to you for this and low level authority pass on our world to gather information." Mado said taking down the displays. "I will not need anyone assigned to me, it would be better they continue their own independent search and we made contact to share information I feel that it would be a better use of your resources. I am able to work better with just me and Ca. Less people to worry about." "Very well Miss Solus." "If that is everything I would like to get going to begin my investigation." Cynthia stood up and held her hand out at the projector raised up to her and then put her Buy'ce back on. "One more thing Miss Solus, Be safe."

The mandalorian woman returned to her ship where she relaxed into the pilot seat for a moment. "Ca?" Cynthia said feeling drained already. "Take us to the space port our target got on his shuttle. I would like to get the surveillance before we head to the cruiser."

 

[Cynthia Solus]

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38 hours later ​

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The M3-A Scyk V landed aboard the cruisers hanger. During the flight she had been digging everything she could from the faces of everyone who boarded the shuttle at Shili, all the passengers had what was considered a normal civilian print on the holo network nothing stood out except for Tulo, It was if the man did not exist apart from one mention of his name. The rest of his family was found and bits of news articles that was local to Shili. Tark Tal was sentenced to death after been caught conspiring with fanatical terror organisation, She could not find a name for the group or anything that could give a potential lead. Still Tulo was only two when this happened so it was unlikely that there was a connection but it was a possibility. As for the footage she gained nothing suspicious stood out. Cynthia got out of the fighter as Ca connected herself to the ship. "Where to Cynthia?" Ca said as the mandalorian woman walked around the dark silver corridors up to the main floor. "No where yet, I want you to give me a list of trade routes, stations, spaceports the works that is on the shuttles path to Carida."

It did not take long for the short pink haired woman to reach the kitchen where she began to fix up some food. "I have what you asked for I will go in the order you asked for. There is a hyper lane that goes from Castell through to our space and Raithal is off its trail, there are also the two hyperlanes that pass Brentaal IV one passes through Champala the other is Kiros. There are minor trade routs that reach all local worlds as far as Carida. Next there is a station at Champala, Raithal, Castell and Carida in the path way of the shuttle. Lastly there are active spaceports at Champala, Castell and Carida and small ports on Raithal." Before even picking up the sandwich Cynthia had made she would sigh knowing that there was far to much to search. She could at least narrow the locations with the information at hand. The woman sat down in the seat that the cushioning was worn down from use and began to eat.

As the woman ate she'd slowly go over the data taking locations out the equation. A hologram of Ca would appear leaning over Cynthia's shoulder looking at the two planets that she had narrowed it down too. "Raithal and Castell. You think he and his captors are on one of these two worlds?" Ca asked like she normally did. It often made the woman rethink possibilities. Cynthia however looked back at the AI. "Yes, somewhere between Champala and Carida is where the kidnapping took place that leaves only those two worlds. My gut is telling me the Ice world. It is easy to hide bases under ice and there are not many people that would willingly go looking. If past experience has told me anything its always the worlds I hate going to, and you know I hate the cold with a passion."

 

[Cynthia Solus]

The ship fell from hyperspace to the view of the world called Raithal, a world covered in sheets of ice. It was almost like the chill was reaching Cynthia already just from looking at it. "This is not going to be pleasant Ca." She said as a shiver fell down her spine. "Yeah Its as cold as Ilum down there. I'd suggest layering up over the armor." The image of Ca dissipated shortly after she spoke. "Start scanning the world for any large old bases." Cynthia pushed herself up from the seat and made her way out the cockpit. She stopped a second to look at the wall to her right, it was filled with holo images of people from the clan and a few other important people in her life. Something that always brightened the mood to look at. "You know, this is why I do this, for these people. Those who care about me and look up to me to lead. Those who depend on me to care for them as well. Honestly Ca I might have to bring the clan in on this."

She stepped away from the wall and into the door behind her that was her bedroom. The woman walked over to her bed falling onto it before she knew it Cynthia fell asleep from the exhaustion of emotions and working the contract.

There was a room filled with flames, pipes bursting and the roar of a continuous flame shooting out like a flamethrower. Everything seemed hazy and the vision was half red. Blood maybe? Cynthia found herself rolling over to a figure she could not make out.

[member="Ginnie Dib"]
Fire. The familiar spiritual ballast of Ginnie Dib, flames were her temple. She both worshipped and was given deference by them. Ginnie lashed out her hand, proclaiming her agency over the flame.

“Cynth! Cynthia, get the feth up! Don’t have time for weakness, chicky-bun.” Launching at the flames, Ginnie welcomed them as fearless compatriots. They would do her no harm they haven’t already done.

“Oy! Up, now!”

Cynthia recognised the voice and as the figure came ever closer confirmed it was her runi vod. “Yeah still alive.” Her body rolled hands in place to push back up to her feet.


Some hours had passed by when the woman snapped awake. She felt drained still but at least she had rested. "You're awake finally. I ran that scan you wanted me to do. I have detected 5 old structures unused by civilians that have been decommissioned for a very long time. I suspect three of these are buried under ice and would be inaccessible without the correct equipment." Ca said through the intercom. Cynthia sat up with a long yawn she'd also blink her eyes a few times. "Thanks Ca. Put a call out to clan Solus. I think having some people as back up will be needed. Till someone arrives keep the ship in low power and monitor the coming and goings of star ships. If something goes close to any of the Structures then we might find our man."

 

[Stardust Solus Skirae]

[member="Cynthia Solus"]

Weeks

Weeks stardust had sat there in her thoughts, some meetings she was barely paying attention her mind wondering to that faithful day. Everyone had calmed down now, stardust had assured her people that her intentions were for the people and their protection was guaranteed

However, she had hurt someone, someone she cared for and loved dearly...someone she had fought for, for years even. Now it was night time and she was still within her office signing a few things off. Her communicator went off and she turned towards it as she picked it up, it was a message from Cynthia's AI requesting help from the clan

She pondered for a second, looking at it listening to it repeat over and over for minutes. Eyes closed as she stood and in that moment she made a decision that she would stick with

Within the hour she was out, within a few she arrived within her small freighter and spoke

stardust to ca come in ca

 

[Laandur Solus]

In deep space, Laandur was returning from a spying mission when he got a ping from his comms. The was [member="Cynthia Solus"] , and she had called the clan to come. The fast moving fighter was quick to home in on the location and made the jump. Once their, he noticed a familiar frieghter, and one of Cynthia's ships. He quickly flipped on his transponder, and opened his comes.

"Cynthia, Stardust. Good to see you two."

[member="Stardust Solus Skirae"]