Private Skeletons In Space

[NPC Treasury]

Location: Sphaera Tea Shoppe, Altiria/Annaris


The call had gone out on the holonet a short while ago. Kay had wanted to get her ship back. And although she wasn't much of a pilot, there was very much a need for it. A ship meant escape. A ship helped her to further hide from others, moreso than her little tea shoppe on Altiria/Annaris did. It was starting to become common knowledge among some of the political elite that she was there and alive, as evident of Arken Dobson visiting her shoppe to discuss the purchasing of products, as well to speak of her daughter Loreena Arenais-Valhoun . It made her wonder if she'd be somehow used against both her daughter and her son Caedyn Arenais , neither of which knew that she was alive. Such a thing would disrupt their lives and perhaps cause havoc. They were both powerful and influential people in their own right, and she couldn't be more proud of them. It would be far better to not have her return bring about a downfall to them.

The Free Lady.

That was the name of her first ship. Rarely did she ever pilot it. Her vessel was always flown by someone else for she wasn't very good at it herself. Too many switches, levers and buttons. Her skills lay in the political arena, as opposed to out in space. And before her own downfall, both Kay and The Free Lady were captured enroute from Commenor to Zakul. Her guards and crew were slaughtered in the close quartered battle that ensued before she was removed and her beloved ship jettisoned into space to float among the stars like any other bit of debris left behind after battle.

It was her hope that she'd find it, and that it'd be in tact.

Sasha Kryze answered her call, bringing with her a ship suitable for the mission. Sergeant Omen answered the call as well, being both an extra hand as well as someone that could help get The Free Lady running again, if it was broken.

Kay waited for them outside of her shoppe, sipping sapir tea. Her jaw clentched as she heard the familiar taunting laugh from one of her enemies that never ceased to leave her alone since her rescue from the Netherworld by Ghorua the Shark . And that was Lord Mayhem. The insane Arkanian and found a way to haunt her, even though she knew he was alive somewhere. She could feel it. And he enjoyed the gradual decent into madness that he was ushering in. Kay wasn't crazy, however Mayhem's invasion of her mind made it appear otherwise.

~Are we going off on a little adventure, Kay-Kay? As you know, you can't leave me behind. And you know how much I love a good adventure!~

She didn't even look at him, yet she knew that he was there, seated on the floor to the side of her cross-legged like a youngling waiting to hear a story. His black and white painted face made him look both comical and menacing all at once. Kay knew how dangerous he was and what he was capable of. And she knew that she was merely but his favourite toy to play with. At any moment he could dispose of her and so she walked the line of being entertaining for him, while also holding her ground.

"Yes...just try to stay out of trouble. This is important to me."

~I don't think that I need to cause any trouble. You've done that already. There are dead things in our future, Kay-Kay. Plenty of dead things. I can't wait!~

Mayhem was right, of course. And she hated it when he was right....

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen walked down the street to the tea shop, playing his Bes'bev flute like he didn't have a care in the world. If he could go somewhere with Vaux and not by killed by her hand then he could do anything. But now he was falling back to the ground and had another job to do. Apparently, a woman named Kay need to reclaim a spaceship and wanted to meet up to discuss the project. It was time to see what the plan was.

When he neared the shop, the clone quickly put his flute away and looked at the woman he was supposed to be meeting with as she sat at one of the tables. Was she... talking to herself? Well, Omen wasn't exactly in a position to argue or comment since he wasn't exactly the sanest person out there either. The tea shop looked very cozy though. Maybe the Trooper should take notes for his own storefront later on. Well, he was wasting time just hovering. Time to face the music of what is going to be an interesting conversation

The Clone took his helmet off and walked past Kat, before pulling out his chair and greeting the crazy lady with a small smile. "I take it youre Kay? Omen, it is a pleasure to meet you. You have a very cozy shop here." The scarred-up clone sat down finally, getting down to business. "What's the scope of this recovery you need us for?"

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

She studied Sergeant Omen while he approached, taking another sip of her tea. She gave Lord Mayhem a bit of a warning glare, however it was hopefully too brief for the armoured guest to notice.

Kay cupped her mug in both of her hands, resting her elbows on the little table. She breathed a small sigh of relief as she didn't recognize the man at all after he removed his helmet. There was a good chance that he didn't know of her either, and his eyes seemed to reveal that, as well as the tone of his voice. So so far everything seemed well.

"Greetings Omen, and thank you. I find plenty of teas to be comforting like a warm hug, and I'd like to think that my shoppe reflects that as well. I've even got a few rooms available for rent for the weary traveller. But all of that can be spoken about at another time." She paused for a moment, looking past Omen to see if she can find Sasha Kryze wandering behind, yet at the moment, she wasn't there. Maybe the woman had changed her mind. "My little personal vessel was lost in space a while back. I'm hoping to find it and get it in working order so that I'd have a little more freedom. You'll be paid well, of course. This is something that I don't know how to do on my own...." Kay currently didn't have a ship, nor the capability of flying it. This was all new territory for her.

"It's not going to be easy, and not for those that are easily queazy."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

As Omen studied her more, someone else's face came to mind... Lori's... This women's face wasn't far off from Was it possible? Maybe but this wasn't the time. "Maybe I'll walk in your footsteps in the future. I already have my own brewing business so maybe I'll open a tea shop/ AirBNB soon."

The Clone nodded at her explanation. Sounded like a good enough job. "I'm guessing it is going to be a patch job plus whatever else is wrong with the ship? Just want to know what I'm getting into." With a sip of his tea, he listened to her answers, wanting to know everything about the job at hand.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay nodded, giving Sergeant Omen a small smile. "Well when the time comes and you need a hand, don't hesitate to reach out."

And once again she nodded as he generalized the task that she was hiring him for. "Yes, and to pilot it back here. I lack the skills to do so."

~Dead things, Kay-Kay. Don't forget the dead things~. Lord Mayhem grinned as he taunted her.

Kay did her best to ignore him however, yet still broached the subject that he brought up. "The ship's crew are dead. They were slain during the raid. I am certain that they may still be on board." It was better to be up front about it. If the man had a queazy stomache, then he wouldn't be suited for the job.

Sasha Kryze was sure to arrive soon. She had the ship with which they would travel in, afterall.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen returned the smile in kind, only hoping he didn't shoot himself in the foot with his next words. "I'll get there eventually. I actually have a young business partner that looks somewhat like you. Must be a happy coincidence." He didn't go into that can of worms anymore since he definitely wasn't his business. Kay could tell him any information she wanted or she didn't need to at all. Better not to go in the cave with the deadly beast then run out of it with it running behind you at full spirt wanting to tear your rear off.

The Clone could deal with a few dead things. He was a soldier after all or at least was one in another life "Sounds easy enough and don't worry, I don't get squeamish. Sound be a quick job or at least quicker than our other member of this little team." Where could Kryse be? Either way, the clone would like to be going soon before the ship disintegrated into space dust.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

"Oh? Well isn't that a coincidence. I'm sure that I have a common face." She didn't have any reason to believe that her daughter would be partaking in more businesses. The young lady has enough on her plate as it is. Or so it seemed.

And just as Sergeant Omen suggested, Kay too wondered where Sasha Kryze was. Perhaps she had changed her mind or something had come up that took her far away.

"We'll wait just a little longer. If she doesn't show, then I'll have to use a back up plan. And it's good that you're not squeamish. Although I expect that only skeletons would remain within the armour." Kay had to think of what to do with the bodies. Jettison them? She couldn't take them back to Zakuul. Regardless, when the time came, she was sure to think of something.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

The squinting in Omen's eyes made it known that the Clone didn't believe her for an instant but he stuck with the storyline that she gave. He didn't need to get into any issues that weren't his business. "I guess you are right... The galaxy has seen stranger things... Either way, I'm sure we can find a closet for your skeletons once we get onsite"

As Omen sipped his tea he wondered how this ship got in its situation in the first place but he was not being paid to wonder. He was being paid to do a job and do it right. Now the Clone only needed to see what the damage that needed to be repaired was so he could get to work. He may not be as tech-savvy as Walker but he would get the job done. Maybe he would get some new skills and companions along the way. Cheers to that wonderful prospect.

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay didn't quite know of what Sergeant Omen was getting at, but that was in part because she wasn't reading his mind. She didn't like to pry. When one did they usually find things that they'd rather be kept in the dark about.

His remark on finding a closet for her skeletons sure had a double meaning. It was true that she had a lot of secrets, yet as long as she didn't confide in others about them, they'd all be kept safe. And of course she had her reasons behind her lack of contact with people.

Her datapad dinged, indicating a message was received. Kay opened up the application and read it. A slight frown formed for a brief moment. "Looks like we'll be on our own. The other hire isn't coming. I'll need to make use of my back up plan." Bringing up another application, she sent a quick message off to Arken Dobson . No doubt he had a ship and pilot for her to borrow.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen sighed as he saw his new employers frown. He knew what that meant. Sure enough, the ship that they needed had ditched them. Well wasn't that typical. "I have my own ship if we need it. Its an oldy but a goody. It should be able to get us there as a plan C. Of course, it will be interesting to see what your backup plan contains." Whatever she chose, they needed to get underway soon. He would rather get to her ship first before other parties found it and made the repair job more complicated. For now though, all the Clone could do was sip his tea while Kay made her calls and finally said they were ready to go.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay gave Sergeant Omen a small smile. "Thank you for the offer, but you can't pilot both of our ships for the return trip. I myself am not very well practiced in it." Both of her children could do so, but she wasn't about to ask them to do so. It was too dangerous. She didn't want to ruin their lives or become a liability for them.

She sipped her tea, glancing back down to her datapad, anxiously awaiting a reply. "Although I doubt that an acquaintenace's pilot would meet us here on such short notice. A rendezvous point will need to be arranged. What class of ship do you have?"

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen returned the smile with his own. "I do have an astromech droid that can pilot my craft semi decently and I just have a 100-meter freighter, nothing extravagant. Either way, I could at least get us moving at the very least."

The Clone drummed his fingers against the table as he waited for Kay to get the replay she needed. "You could have the same signal from the ship while I'm doing a preflight check. Would save some time at least." He didn't mean to push his employer and see dead bodies but time was money, only one of which was unlimited. He had just got his clock restarted, he wasn't about to waste a second just waiting here if there were creds on the table, no matter how nice this shop was. Plus the risk of having the ship being used for a pirate ship's target practice rose minute after minute. All Omen wanted was a chance to get the job done before his job was blown into micro space particles.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay's eyebrows rose as Sergeant Omen spoke of having an astromech droid, instantly reminding her of her own named Mrs. Nesbitt. The poor thing was destroyed by a Sith, crushed to death by the Force. At times she could still hear the droid's screams....

Suddenly that scream was heard, amplified only on her head. Kay looked to where Lord Mayhem sat only to see that as expected; it was him. The scream was then turned into his giggly laugh. She suddenly got to her feet, knocking the table a bit which caused her cup to wobble. "Yes, let's go now. Your ship and droid sound fine."

Kay rounded the table, doing nothing to hide the fact that she was in a rush. "Where did you say your ship was?" Her plan was simple; to get away from Lord Mayhem. Especially on this mission.

If that was even possible...

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen stretched out to steady Kay's cup before rising to meet her as she practically flew out of her chair. He would have raised an eye at her sudden movements but there was no time if he wanted to stay in front of his employer. "At the spaceport, it wouldn't be a long walk." While they walked, he wondered what made Kay get up so fast but on second thought, Omen didn't know if he wanted to find out. Either way, all the Clone hoped was that the woman was able to get through the ride without losing her head. But Then again, wouldn't it be fun having an off-kelter person on board tearing his ship apart?

When they got to the spaceport, he guided his client to the "Rebirth", a decently sized Dragonboat Class that seemed to be in all working order. The Clone lowered the boarding ramp and ushered her inside before going inside the hull like a scurrying ant. The Clone swiftly took a seat at the controls and start to get the engines purring. "What are the coordinates?" Hopefully, the target wasn't that far at all.

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay paused for a moment, pivoting on her heel so that she was facing the table where they once sat. She held out her hand and utilized the Force to send her datapad flying towards it, catching it in one swift mocent before pivoting on her heel once more and continuing on her journey to the spaceport with Sergeant Omen .

The Rebirth looked like it had seen better days. Yet all wasn't lost with it, for it still looked like it could take a beating and manage to survive.

Kay walked inside and then let Omen lead the way. She peeked inside whatever doorway or corridor there was, not only to see if she had her own room, but also to see if Mayhem was there. For the moment though, she didn't see him. Yet that never meant that he wasn't around.

She sat herself down in a seat next to his, cradling the datapad to her chest. "I don't....entirely know. I was enroute from Commenor to Zakuul when we were caught. Let's just start from there and retrace the steps." It wasn't a foolproof plan but it was all that she had for the moment.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen looked back in surprise as he saw the impossible made possible. She wasn't lying when she said she could use the force, that was for sure. He only could wonder what she could do if that datapad was replaced with a knife. No, no, no... He didn't need more things to keep him up at night.

The "Rebirth" was patched up and definitely looked like it had seen combat but it also seemed like there had been a lot of love and care put into the ship from the green paint job and Lancer Trooper decals on the sides of the vessel. The Six shield generators and the added turbolasers weren't to be counted out either. She would do the job just fine. The only problem is that this ship wasn't used to having more than one person on it meaning that there was only one bedroom which was Omen's room. He would of course let her have the room since she was the employer, possibly at the risk of her looking around but that was one he was willing to take.

Omen nodded before radioing in and getting permission to depart. "Between Commenor and Zakuul it is then." With a hum of the engines already at full tilt, the "Rebirth" took off into the bright blue sky, soaring into the atmosphere and blinking out of existence as the ship jumped to hyperspace into the unknown.

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay nodded in thanks and then closed her eyes as the Rebirth lifted into the atmosphere and made the jump to hyperspace, almost as though she was afraid of flying. The truth was that it had been some time since her feet were off the ground, so to speak. And even longer since she had left her shoppe.

She silently kicked herself for not packing beforehand. What little she had in her pockets wasn't nearly enough. In her youth she had always carried around a satchel full of provisions, bacta and a set of spare clothes. But Kay had left in such a rush that she didn't even think of doing so this time around. She was ill prepared, acting out rashly and such things could be costly.

Once Sergeant Omen was more at ease with the controls, Kay brought up the file of her ship and handed it to him. "This is my ship. Maybe you can adjust your scanners to find it. Although I'm not sure if she's still powered up. It's been quite a while..." Yet there couldn't be that much of space debris of that size floating around between Commenor and Zakuul, could there be? She had no idea of how many conflicts and the like had been going on. She paid little to the holonet, instead living more like a hermit; secluded and safe....

...For the most part.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

The Clone took one look at the ship before giving a low whistle. The Free Lady was one nice hunk of metal with the YT-1300 series being one of the most customizable ships out there. It was what Corellian Shipyards was known for and Omen bet that this one was no different. "I'm going to need every modification, legal or not legal so I can repair the ship without blowing anything up in the process."

As the Rebirth came out of hyperspace at a point in space between the Commenor and Zakuul systems, Omen quickly switched the scanner on and set it to as wide an area as possible, trying to get just a return of anything out there that might be in the shape of the ship. Even if the object was not the ship, it would give them a start. "I got rations if you need them, no telling how long this will take... You can also use my quarters, I'll stay up here just in case we find something. Q7, mind coming up here to boost the signal strength?" There was an affirmative beep and an Astromech droid rolled through the entrance to the cockpit and seemed to hum as it plugged into the ship's computer, coaxing it into boosting the scanning even more. Despite the boost, however, this quest still might still take hours. They only could hope for a lucky break to speed their task along.
NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay furrowed her brows as Sergeant Omen asked to review the modifications. "I believe that every modification is legal. At least back when they were done. I don't fall under the authority of any government, superpower or otherwise, so there are no laws for me to adhere or answer to." She lived without consequence for the most part. It was why she didn't get into any trouble for selling teas laden with Spice, and some that were poisonous. It was as though she just operated under the radar, which was just fine with her. "You should be able to find what you need in that file."

"Thanks. I'll just sit here for a bit, if you don't mind." Kay didn't want to intrude. Especially in his quarters. So she planned on sitting where she was for most of the time. However plans had a certain way of not working out. There was always something out there that interferes.

She smiled a little at the droid and then turned her attention to the viewport. The lines of stars were a good distraction as she was certain that she could feel Mayhem a little more than usual. Maybe it was because she was offworld? It was difficult for her to say.

"There are no wars going on in this sector, are there?"