Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Something Beginning With Ocean... [Jorus, Thyrian]

Water.

As far as the eye could see that was their view from the transparisteel windows of the ship. Striding across the bridge the young woman leant in close to the ear of her greatest advisor, he who had stuck by her throughout the past twelve years of her life, her most unflinching and noteworthy follower. @[member='Thyrian Ashborn'] did not have long left for this world, she knew, and each day she sought a new way to slow his condition. But she was clutching at straws, and it was proving almost impossible. The answer lies in Alchemy. But who did she trust with the knowledge that she, Darth Kyros, the breaker of backs and bender of knees, actually cared enough to save someone's life?

"It is time" she murmured as she strode past him, her eyes set ahead. Somewhere @[member='Jorus Merrill'] was waiting, aboard this his own vessel. Within the hangar her beloved ship Vhailor awaited, a way to traverse between the planet and this behemoth ship. Striding to where she expected Jorus to be the young Umbaran spoke aloud; "Are you ready, good sirs?" she inquired, with a lighthearted grin. Oh, it had been a long time since she had felt such a rush, and she hoped to enjoy the time remaining with Thyrian until his next life. And that will not be too far away, I'll make certain of it.
 
The vessel Daragon was a very large, very empty exploration craft, outfitted with modular cargo bays for investment occasions just such as this. Mining droids and overseer 'bots, in small transport craft, fountained out of the cargo bays as the Daragon began to disgorge itself in Bal'demnic orbit. Jorus himself would go ashore in the Vhailor with the oddly joyful young Sith Lord. Cap'n Merrill tossed her a loose salute as he ran into her by the hatch.

"Sample crews are en route, Your Grace. With your maps, we should be in and out without disturbing any of your subjects. I've had a talk with my 'bots, and they know what's goin' on. If you don't mind, I've got'em prioritizing even the low-grade stuff that gets left behind, the really crumbly bits. My firm's got use for'em."
 
The fleeting moments of his remaining life meant even more to him when in the presence of his master, and as she moved close to him and whispered into his ear he was granted a surge of strength to see this mission through to the end. She had a way of endowing him with soothing of spirit and absolute control over her surroundings, most of all him. He was hers to shape, as he had always been since his subjugation by her hand. As she moved past him, he rose to his feet and followed closely as she spoke to the Captain, who seemed to be clear on what was about to occur. He would remain quiet for now, as he often was whenever in the presence of his Queen. Interrupting her words would bring him no satisfaction, as he relished her voice.

@[member="Darth Kyros"] @[member="Jorus Merrill"]
 
@[member="Jorus Merrill"] @[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

Meeting with the pair of them on the way down to the Vhailor she found it increasingly difficult to refrain from smiling. Even Thyrian, someone who had been with her for over half her life, had never seen this much emotion on the face of the young girl. To the salute she was presented with Kyros tipped her head into a subtle bow of greeting, not once breaking step as they ventured closer to the ship which had been her home for so long... Since Metalorn, a gift from Zambrano for killing the Jedi... It had been a while since she had been sidetracked by the furry little ewok.

"By all means, you have experience as have your droids. And take the scraps if you so desire them; the stockpiles will be plenty enough as it stands without the 'waste', as some would see it, that lays behind." Turning her sights from the Captain to her Champion she gestured him forward. "I do not believe you have met Thyrian, my former Apprentice. Ashborn, this is Captain Merrill."

And with that she ventured towards the Vhailor, preparing to board and descend to the planet while droids scurried this way and that. As ever Skydd was waiting for her when she entered the ship. "Make yourselves at home." And thus the descent began.
 
Jorus offered Thyrian a nod. "Ashborn," he said, following the Sith Lady into her personal ship. It descended smoothly enough, though he always had a bit of pilot's jitters knowing someone else was flying.

The vessel touched down handily; he confessed he liked the ship a bit, but he'd always had a roving eye when it came to starships. For a Sith Lord's personal vessel, it was excellent.

As the vessel touched down, so did the small transports, and when Jorus stepped out onto the sand, he was greeted by the sight of dozens upon dozens of mining droids setting up gear and prospecting this particular bit of Bal'demnic rather thoroughly. He sidestepped to clear the ramp for the Sith.

"Lovely world," he offered, though there wasn't much to say.
 
He listened to their brief conversation, and inclined his head as she mentioned him by name to the Captain. "CAPTAIN." His voice seemed strained and forced, and it was. He felt inclined to greet their ally in this endeavour, nontheless. Stepping onto the Vhailor, his Queen's personal vessel for as long as he could remember, and the location of his subjugation. This is the place he was born, or reborn rather. He could not feel more at home than he already did, since he'd already been given his private quarters aboard the ship a long time ago. This time, however, he did not feel the need to remain reclusive within them, as he would not leave Kära's side during this mission. She needed him to be there, and so he would.

@[member="Darth Kyros"] @[member="Jorus Merrill"]
 
@[member="Jorus Merrill"] @[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

The ride was a quiet one, but then again it was not like Thyrian to strike up conversation and Kyros was far too eager. No, that just left silence to spread between them... But it wasn't uncomfortable, and Thyrian's continued presence was one she was grateful for. When the ship touched down there was naught to do save vacate her ship and venture forth onto the planet surface. She had been here twice before, once when she became Sith Lady of the Sector and the other time when she began closing up the mines. She did enjoy the view, it was a quirky planet, but right now they had work to do.

The breeze brought along by the ocean stung her sensitive eyes as she passed down the ramp with another smile. "Indeed, it is." Watching as in the distance the droids began surveying the area she couldn't help but sigh and ponder the situation. How queer. "We shall let them work, what do you have in mind Captain?" Skydd made his way down the ramp, stopping short of her and Ashborn. The pair had become fast friends, both behemoths at her shoulder... She still remembered when they had got him, how they had afforded him, and it made her need to bite back a tender laugh. The First Bank of Coruscant, they had ruined that place once too...
 
"Well, Your Grace, you've contracted me to help you stockpile your planet's cortosis assets," said Jorus with a shrug. "Your existing mines and processing facilities are pretty decent -- I got a look at'em from orbit with the Daragon's sensors. If your schedule fits the kind of operation I've got in mind, now'd be the time to start reorientin' shipments to your new drop site, wherever that may be. That's not the kind of information you should give to the contractor, now, but if stockpile is the name of the game..."

He shrugged. "Just makin' sure we've got all our nuna in a row."
 
Offering a hand for the Ashborn to lean onto as they walked down the ramp, Thyrian merely looked at Skydd and placed a hand onto the droid's shoulder as he instead moved past him and down the ramp, without using anything to aid him. This was no time for doting over him; he was still standing, was he not? And he would do so until he fell by the sword or by the passage of time. For her sake. The thought was greatly appreciated, nontheless. Skydd was one 'person' he would miss after his passing; they had been by eachother's side, and that of their master, for a long time, thus cementing their friendship into their 'bones'. In a sense, he was responsible for his construction, partly. His assistance in the raid of the First Bank of Coruscant had procured the needs for the droid's existence.

@[member="Darth Kyros"] @[member="Jorus Merrill"]
 
@[member="Jorus Merrill"] @[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

Kyros nodded her head as she proceeded on from their initial halting spot. "Plans have already been made for such, Captain, the vessels intended to move these stockpiles have their destinations." With a lazy shrug she surveyed the droids. Sometimes she forgot how efficient things could be when they did not need to eat, to drink or sleep. Of course Thyrian met this criteria but all the same she forgot more often than not. He seemed too human, despite his fiery persona.

"Ashborn, Skydd," she said, with a gesture of her hand. "I want you to oversee the droids. It's not that I don't trust them, or our Captain, it's more the natives. If you see any of them poking around inform me. They shouldn't be anywhere near the mines anyway, what with the recent laws and lockdown policies implemented." Besides, she knew that Thyrian worked better when he had an exact task at hand to follow through, since his deterioration that is.
 
This time, when Jorus bowed to @[member="Darth Kyros"], it was just a tad more deferent than before. "Sorry, Your Grace -- didn't mean to offend. To be frank, I've dealt with many Sith Lords in my time, and you're the first who's both straightforward and prepared for everything."

The spacer chewed his lip, pondering the distant shape of a cortosis mine. "The deal we were discussing earlier -- the subsidiary legitimation -- I think we can move ahead with that. I'll accept yer offer and get to work. I'm visualizing something big, something impossible to detect, something that'll fit all the workshops an' minions an' business you might need. Something like..."

He knelt and drew in damp sand with his finger for a minute.

"That about work for ya, Your Grace?"
 
@[member="Jorus Merrill"] @[member="Thyrian Ashborn"]

Turning her gaze completely across to Jorus she raised a brow to what he said, and for a moment she sensed something... Nerves perhaps? "I did not say to ridicule, I told you so we were on the same page." Besides, it left more time to do what they came here to do - that is, to mine - as opposed to clearing up minor technicalities like calling in the ships.

Ah, and then they got to the crux of it, the proposals which had been made. For whatever reason the discussion made her take just one step closer to him, her senses outstretched around them. It was best no other knew of this, of who had been made a subsidiary of Jorus' company... Not that there was anyone save droids around, the only other sentient life her most loyal servant. It was more out of habit than anything else.

"I'm glad we can come to an agreement," she stated, gaze slipping down to the sand. With a nod of her head she added, "And yes, that will work. If you require assistance or resources which I can offer then say so, and it will be yours."
 
@[member="Darth Kyros"]

"Apart from the invoice, no need." After a moment, he reconsidered. "Well, and the labs you want installed. My crews can install them easily enough, find a good spot for'em, but we can't make those from scratch."

He straightened up and brushed sand off his knee. "Now, let's-"

The sound of powerful drills and jackhammers percolated up from a shallow mineshaft where a number of his droids had vanished. Other droids were prospecting for miles around. He spoke louder. "This reserve vein, the one you've been savin', those core samples look quality. The real crumbly stuff. Should be gettin' a load out pretty soon, since we're not overly worried about spillage."

The droids had set up a conveyor leading to armored containers within their transport ships. No refinement on site, just extraction. Crumbly reddish-black ore began to come up the conveyor belt in substantial quantity.
 
@[member="Jorus Merrill"]

With a nod of her head she lifted a hand and thumbed her chin in thought. "That is definitely something I can arrange." She was glad to see that things were progressing nicely here, and turned her head to the sound of the drilling from the nearby mine.

"This one has lain untouched since my appointment, there are many others spread across the planet, of course..." Turning her body slightly so she faced both Jorus and the conveyor belt a smile wrought itself upon her lips. "Have others been sent to the remaining mining sites?" If not then Kyros would do just that - this operation was intended to be swift extracting and leaving with the stockpile. It would be good to keep this away from the grubby hands of lowly students.

Her gaze slipped over to the pair she had sent to keep the natives away. Kyros had been making preparations for when he fell, she knew it would be soon - his essence dwindled daily. She had been making good use of the Kaminoan and their cloning facilities within her Sector, she had plans in place, but the ending ... She required further assistance with transferring him over. Kyros had someone in mind for that.
 
@[member="Darth Kyros"]

Jorus shrugged fluidly. "Every coordinate you gave me has a droid crew on it, both prospectors an' diggers. This kind of flash treatment won't get nearly everythin', but at least you'll have serious off-planet reserves."

The conveyor belt squealed, and he stalked over to see a huge lump of cortosis jammed between the belt and the mineshaft ceiling, near the entrance. He unloaded his shotgun and slammed the beskar stock into the lump, as hard as he could manage. Two more hits crumbled it enough to let the conveyor continue. Kneeling, he picked up some discarded bits.

"Y'know, an old associate once told me that a lightsabre that didn't have dimetris circuits in the activation loop was immune to cortosis - but that it took time, skill, an' money to make one without a bit of dimetris. Was he jerkin' my chain, or how does that work?"
 
@[member="Jorus Merrill"]

That was good. "Then this will be done far sooner than initially expected, good work Captain. We don't need it all, although as promised anything you require after the initial mining is yours to do with as you please." She turned back to fully face Jorus... For a moment.

When the squealing began she shuddered and walked with him towards the source. Judging by the size of the Cortosis lodged in place this would definitely be worth the time given. Jorus' way of dealing with it was unconventional, but the third hit proved that it worked well enough. "Nicely handled." She was clearly in a good mood recently, what with all the smiles and compliments - it was not like Kyros as she usually was.

And then came a very odd discussion on dimetris circuits and short circuiting. "It's possible" she said, with a small shrug. "Demetris circuits rely on a singular on one single pulse of energy, one circuit, there's no back-up for when it short-circuits." She looked across to Jorus at this point. "There's something known as a bifurcating cyclical-ignition pulse, used to replace the demetris in lightsabers used underwater... It has a backup ignition circuit, stops it failing completely."

Raising a hand back to thumb her chin again she pondered for a moment more. "Technically speaking this could work to combat Cortosis, but as far as I'm aware it's never been fully tested. Why do you ask?"
 
@[member="Darth Kyros"]

He shrugged. "Just makin' sure it hadn't gone mainstream is all. I get this hammerpress to smash cortosis ore down to microfine dust, the kind that hangs in the air, then I pack it into eight-gauge shotgun shells. Expensive as all feth, but if people start makin' cortosis-proof sabres, you an' I might be a little bit unhappier."

The first hopper of ore trundled away, mated with a transport ship, and rose toward the orbiting Daragon.

"I knew a Master once, worked for him a bit...fether had a sabre without dimetris circuits. I tossed a cortosis shell his way and his blade didn't even flicker. That weapon was a bit crazy. Blade could go to any size seamlessly, work underwater, all the toys. I heard it got the business end of a crushgaunt on Yaga Minor or something up that way, the first time folks killed Velok."

Cracking a glowrod, he made his way down into the mine.
 
@[member="Jorus Merrill"]

"It isn't well known at all, and even those who are aware... It's been purely speculation." Biting her lip she listened to what was said by him, turning her head to look upon the droids again, everything was catching her attention here, and thankfully none of the natives had appeared to cause any issues. "I don't think it will catch on any time soon... And it would prove extraordinarily expensive. Jedi would not invest in it, for one."

The mention of Velok caused her eyes to snap back to Merrill. She had met the crazy Whippid once, during the creation of the Leviathan. It was an interesting experience if nothing more. The Umbaran followed him down into the mine, requiring no assistance. Her eyes were far more sensitive to dark and light than your average individual, a perk of her heritage.

"Then I'll be damned, must be viable then."
 
@[member="Darth Kyros"]

"Oh, the old tusker had a way of making everything viable. I miss his connections an' his capital, but fethed if I'm not pleased to be out from under his thumb."

Down here the noise was staggering. Droids pounded and scraped at cortosis veins in the walls. They'd already moved past small sub-veins, their extraction processes quick but somewhat wasteful. He pried a few small chunks out of the wall and tossed them on the conveyor with a shrug.

"Think it's just a waitin' game now. You got orbital security ready on overwatch?"
 
She wandered alongside Jorus, glancing at the walls of the mine. Her eyes were able to pick out the various rock formations embedded in the wall. Traces of Cortosis still lay amongst the other rock but it was nothing compared to how it had been. When he pulled the crumbling substance from the wall and tossed it to the conveyor belt she piped up. "The droids can do a sweep on the way back out" she supposed, with a shrug, before focusing in on his words.

"Ay', I have" she gestured a thumb back toward the entrance they had just ventured from, "and planetary support in place - my Bladeborn, loyal as they come. Worry not, Captain."

@[member="Jorus Merrill"]
 

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